Firing a two-hitter, Joe Niekro became the league's first 17-game winner and the Astros snapped their four-game losing streak with an 8-1 victory over the Mets. The Astros scored three times in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Jeff Leonard and two-run hit by Rafael Landestoy. A triple by Leonard and sacrifice fly by Alan Ashby produced another marker in the sixth stanza and the Astros plated a tally in the seventh on a balk by Met pitcher Craig Swan. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, New York Mets 1
Game Played on Monday, August    20, 1979 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    3  0  1    1  1  2  -   8 13  0
Mets         0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  2  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          5   0   3   3     0   0   .222      Flores rf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .188
Reynolds ss           3   1   1   0     1   0   .269        Glynn p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Puhl cf               3   1   1   0     2   0   .292      Taveras ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .259
Cedeno 1b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .264      Mazzilli cf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .306
Cruz lf               3   2   1   0     2   0   .294      Stearns 3b            2   1   1   0     1   1   .254
Cabell 3b             5   1   2   1     0   0   .268      Kranepool 1b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .253
Leonard rf            4   2   3   1     1   0   .303      Youngblood lf         3   0   1   0     0   1   .292
Ashby c               4   1   1   2     0   0   .207      Hodges c              2   0   0   1     1   0   .157
Niekro p              4   0   1   0     0   1   .106      Flynn 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .243
                                                          Swan p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .123
                                                            Norman ph,rf        0   0   0   0     1   0   .175

Totals               36   8  13   7     6   1             Totals               27   1   2   1     3   6

Time of Game: 2:55   Attendance: 10,922
Left on Base: Astros 10, Mets 3
DP: Astros 2, Mets 1
Errors: Hodges
Doubles: Reynolds (16), Cabell (17)
Triples: Leonard (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (26), Niekro (10)
Sacrifice Flies: Ashby (3)
GIDP: Kranepool (3), Flynn (15)
Hit by Pitch: Stearns (4,by Niekro)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(17-7)          9     2   1   1   3   6   0  31   3.01
Totals                  9     2   1   1   3   6   0  31

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Swan L(12-10)           8    12   6   6   3   0   0  38   3.22
Glynn                   1     1   2   2   3   1   0   7   3.16
Totals                  9    13   8   8   6   1   0  45

Passed Balls: Hodges (1)
Hit by Pitch: Niekro (6)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (11)
Balks: Swan (1)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Andy Olsen


ASTROS 1ST: On a bunt Landestoy singled; Reynolds out on a
sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Landestoy to second]; Puhl
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Flores grounded out (shortstop to first); Taveras
lined to third; Mazzilli struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to left; Cabell hit into a double play
(right to second) [Cruz out at second]; Leonard singled to left;
Ashby popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Stearns was hit by a pitch; Kranepool popped to
catcher in foul territory; Youngblood singled to left [Stearns
to third]; Hodges grounded out (second to first) [Stearns
scored, Youngblood to second]; Flynn flied out to left; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro flied out to right; Landestoy popped to
shortstop; Reynolds doubled to center; Puhl walked; Cedeno lined
to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Swan struck out; Flores grounded out (second to
first); Taveras popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz walked; Cabell singled to left [Cruz to
second]; Leonard singled to right [Cruz scored, Cabell to
second]; Ashby popped to third; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Cabell to third, Leonard to second];
Landestoy singled to center [Cabell scored, Leonard scored,
Landestoy to third (error by Hodges)]; Reynolds flied out to
left; 3 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Mazzilli popped to second; Stearns singled to center;
Niekro threw a wild pitch [Stearns to second]; Kranepool
grounded out (second to first) [Stearns to third]; Youngblood
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl flied out to center; Cedeno popped to
shortstop; Cruz made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: Hodges grounded out (pitcher to first); Flynn flied
out to left; Swan flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Mets 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Leonard
tripled to right; Ashby hit a sacrifice fly to center [Leonard
scored]; Niekro flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Mets 1.

METS 6TH: Flores struck out; Taveras flied out to center;
Mazzilli lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets
1.

ASTROS 7TH: Landestoy flied out to center; Reynolds walked; Puhl
singled to left [Reynolds to third]; Swan balked [Reynolds
scored, Puhl to second]; Hodges allowed a passed ball [Puhl to
third]; Cedeno popped to second; Cruz flied out to center; 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

METS 7TH: Stearns walked; Kranepool grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Stearns out at second]; Youngblood
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
5, Mets 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell flied out to left; Leonard flied out to
right; Ashby singled to right; Niekro singled to center [Ashby
to second]; Landestoy singled to left [Ashby scored, Niekro to
second]; Reynolds lined to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
6, Mets 1.

METS 8TH: Hodges walked; Flynn grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [Hodges out at second]; NORMAN
BATTED FOR SWAN; Norman walked; Flores grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Mets 1.

ASTROS 9TH: NORMAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); GLYNN REPLACED
FLORES (PITCHING); Puhl walked; Cedeno grounded out (third to
first) [Puhl to second]; Cruz walked; Cabell doubled to right
[Puhl scored, Cruz to third]; Leonard was walked intentionally;
Ashby forced Leonard (second to shortstop) [Cruz scored, Cabell
to third]; Niekro struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 8,
Mets 1.

METS 9TH: Taveras struck out; Mazzilli popped to second; Stearns
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Mets 1.