Joe Sambito's string of 40 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run came to an end when Bill Robinson and Phil Garner smashed homers in the eighth inning to give the Pirates a 6-5 victory in their sweep of the four-game series with the Astros. Earlier in the game, the Pirates took a 3-2 lead with three runs in the third on singles by Omar Moreno and Tim Foli, a forceout by Dave Parker and homer by John Milner.

Julio Gonzalez batted in a run for the Astros with a single in the fourth and added another with a double in the sixth before a pinch-single by Denny Walling made it 5-4 in the eighth. Sambito took over to face the Pirates in their half and was tagged for a homer by Robinson, the first batter to face the reliever. Then, after two out, Garner hit his third homer in the last three games. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Houston Astros 5
Game Played on Saturday, July      21, 1979 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       1  1  0    1  0  1    0  1  0  -   5 15  0
Pirates      0  0  3    1  0  0    0  2  x  -   6 12  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gonzalez 2b           5   1   3   2     0   0   .240      Moreno cf             5   2   2   0     0   0   .303
Reynolds ss           4   0   1   1     0   2   .276      Foli ss               4   0   3   1     0   0   .279
  Alou ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .200      Parker rf             4   1   0   1     0   0   .300
  Sexton pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .217      Milner 1b             4   1   2   2     0   0   .256
Puhl cf               5   0   2   0     0   0   .282      B. Robinson lf        4   1   1   1     0   1   .275
Leonard rf            5   0   0   0     0   1   .260      Madlock 3b            2   0   1   0     2   0   .287
Cabell 1b             5   1   2   0     0   0   .261        Stennett 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .239
Cruz lf               4   2   3   1     0   0   .287      Ott c                 4   0   1   0     0   0   .264
Howe 3b               2   0   1   0     2   0   .245      Garner 2b,3b          4   1   1   1     0   0   .297
Bochy c               4   1   1   0     0   2   .195      Roberts p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Andujar p             3   0   0   0     0   2   .027        Romo p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .125
  Walling ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .284        Lacy ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .290
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .400

Totals               39   5  15   5     2   7             Totals               35   6  12   6     2   1

Time of Game: 3:00   Attendance: 19,570
Left on Base: Astros 9, Pirates 7
DP: Astros 0, Pirates 1
Errors: Parker, Roberts
Doubles: Cabell (13), Bochy (3), Gonzalez (3), Foli (18)
Triples: Gonzalez (1)
Home Runs: Milner (8), B. Robinson (20), Garner (6)
Stolen Bases: Cruz 2 (25), Moreno (41)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (15), Cabell (10), Milner (3)
GIDP: Puhl (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar                 7     9   4   4   2   1   1  31   2.79
Sambito L(4-3)          1     3   2   2   0   0   2   6   1.24
Totals                  8    12   6   6   2   1   3  37

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 5     8   3   3   1   4   0  24   2.73
Romo W(5-3)             3     6   2   2   1   2   0  13   2.64
Jackson                 0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.38
Tekulve SV(14)          0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   3.58
Totals                  9    15   5   5   2   7   0  41

Wild Pitches: Romo (3)
Balks: Romo (3)

Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Charlie Williams, 3B - John Kibler


ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez tripled to center; Reynolds singled to
center [Gonzalez scored]; Puhl grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Reynolds out at second]; Leonard
flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Moreno grounded out (second to first); Foli singled
to right; Parker flied out to left; Milner grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell doubled to left; Cruz singled to right
[Cabell scored]; Howe singled to right [Cruz to second]; Howe
was picked off first but was safe on an error by Roberts [Cruz
to third, Howe to second]; Bochy struck out; Andujar made an out
to second; Gonzalez lined to second; 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: B. Robinson lined to second; Madlock walked; Ott
singled to right [Madlock to second]; Garner grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Madlock to third, Ott to second]; Roberts
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds struck out; Puhl grounded out (second to
first); Leonard reached on an error by Parker [Leonard to
first]; Cabell forced Leonard (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Moreno singled to right; Foli singled to left
[Moreno to third]; Parker forced Foli (second to shortstop)
[Moreno scored]; Milner homered [Parker scored]; B. Robinson
grounded out (pitcher to first); Madlock singled to right; Ott
grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Pirates 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz singled to shortstop; Cruz stole second; Howe
walked; Bochy flied out to right; Andujar struck out; Gonzalez
singled to center [Cruz scored, Howe to second]; Reynolds struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 4TH: Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); Roberts
grounded out (second to first); Moreno singled to center; Moreno
stole second; Foli doubled to right [Moreno scored]; Parker
flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl singled to right; Leonard forced Puhl (pitcher
to shortstop); Cabell forced Leonard (third to second); Cruz
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3,
Pirates 4.

PIRATES 5TH: Milner singled to right; B. Robinson struck out;
Milner was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Madlock
walked; Ott grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 6TH: ROMO REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); Howe popped to
first in foul territory; Bochy doubled to left; Andujar struck
out; Gonzalez doubled to right [Bochy scored]; Reynolds grounded
out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates
4.

PIRATES 6TH: Garner flied out to left; Romo grounded out
(pitcher to shortstop to first); Moreno flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Puhl singled to right; Romo balked [Puhl to second];
Leonard popped to second in foul territory; Puhl was caught
stealing third (catcher to third); Cabell singled to right;
Cabell was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 7TH: Foli flied out to right; Parker grounded out
(shortstop to first); Milner flied to right in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz singled to shortstop; Romo threw a wild pitch
[Cruz to second]; Cruz stole third; Howe walked; Bochy struck
out; WALLING BATTED FOR ANDUJAR; Walling singled to left [Cruz
scored, Howe to third, Walling out at second (left to third to
second)]; Gonzalez flied to left in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); B. Robinson
homered; Madlock lined to right; Ott made an out to second;
Garner homered; LACY BATTED FOR ROMO; Lacy singled to right;
Moreno flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5,
Pirates 6.

ASTROS 9TH: STENNETT REPLACED MADLOCK (PLAYING 2B); GARNER
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); JACKSON REPLACED LACY
(PITCHING); ALOU BATTED FOR REYNOLDS; Alou singled to shortstop;
SEXTON RAN FOR ALOU; Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Sexton to second]; TEKULVE REPLACED JACKSON (PITCHING); Leonard
struck out; Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 6.