Joe Niekro pitched the Astros to a 3-2 triumph over the Cardinals. The score was 2-2 going into the fifth inning when the Astros scored their winning run. Terry Puhl singled, stole second, went to third on a single by Enos Cabell and raced across the plate on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Leonard. Niekro retired the last 14 Redbird batters for his 14th victory. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Game Played on Monday, July      23, 1979 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       2  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  0
Cardinals    0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  6  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gonzalez 2b           5   0   2   0     0   0   .255      Brock lf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .322
Reynolds ss           5   0   1   0     0   1   .274      Oberkfell 2b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .314
Puhl cf               2   2   1   0     1   0   .285      Scott cf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .269
Cruz lf               3   1   1   1     1   0   .290      Hernandez 1b          3   1   0   0     1   0   .319
Cabell 1b             4   0   2   1     0   1   .269      Hendrick rf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .320
Leonard rf            2   0   0   1     1   1   .268      Kennedy c             4   0   1   1     0   1   .267
Howe 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .239      Reitz 3b              4   0   1   1     0   1   .279
Ashby c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .222      Phillips ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .246
Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   0   .109      Fulgham p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .091
                                                            Mumphrey ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .286
                                                            Littell p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   7   3     3   3             Totals               33   2   6   2     1   6

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance: 18,075
Left on Base: Astros 8, Cardinals 5
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 0
Triples: Cabell (2), Brock (3)
Stolen Bases: Puhl 2 (20), Oberkfell (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Leonard (5)
Hit by Pitch: Puhl (3,by Fulgham)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(14-5)          9     6   2   2   1   6   0  34   3.10
Totals                  9     6   2   2   1   6   0  34

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fulgham L(3-3)          7     6   3   3   3   2   0  31   2.96
Littell                 2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   2.64
Totals                  9     7   3   3   3   3   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Fulgham (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); Reynolds
was called out on strikes; Puhl was hit by a pitch; Puhl stole
second; Cruz singled to left [Puhl scored]; Cabell tripled to
center [Cruz scored]; Leonard walked; Howe grounded out (second
to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock struck out; Oberkfell grounded out (second
to first); Scott struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ashby grounded out (second to first); Niekro
grounded out (third to first); Gonzalez flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hernandez grounded out (shortstop to first);
Hendrick singled to center; Kennedy flied out to center; Reitz
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds singled to center; Puhl walked [Reynolds to
second]; Cruz walked [Reynolds to third, Puhl to second]; Cabell
struck out; Leonard popped to first in foul territory; Howe
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals
0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Phillips flied out to center; Fulgham grounded
out (second to first); Brock tripled to center; Oberkfell popped
to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby grounded out (second to first); Niekro
grounded out (third to first); Gonzalez singled to center;
Reynolds popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Scott grounded out (second to first); Hernandez
walked; Hendrick singled to left [Hernandez to third]; Kennedy
singled to right [Hernandez scored, Hendrick to second]; Reitz
singled to center [Hendrick scored, Kennedy to second]; Phillips
flied out to left; Fulgham struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl singled to right; Puhl stole second; Cruz
popped to third in foul territory; Cabell singled to shortstop
[Puhl to third]; Leonard hit a sacrifice fly to center [Puhl
scored]; Howe grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 5TH: Brock grounded out (shortstop to first);
Oberkfell singled to left; Oberkfell stole second; Scott lined
to center; Hernandez grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Ashby flied out to right; Niekro popped to catcher
in foul territory; Gonzalez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 6TH: Hendrick flied out to center; Kennedy flied out
to left; Reitz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Reynolds flied out to left; Puhl grounded out
(second to first); Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 7TH: Phillips grounded out (first unassisted);
MUMPHREY BATTED FOR FULGHAM; Mumphrey struck out; Brock grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 8TH: LITTELL REPLACED MUMPHREY (PITCHING); Cabell lined
to shortstop; Leonard struck out; Howe popped to second; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: Oberkfell grounded out (second to first); Scott
lined to center; Hernandez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Ashby grounded out (second to first); Niekro flied
out to right; Gonzalez singled to center; Reynolds flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: Hendrick flied out to center; Kennedy struck out;
Reitz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 2.