Clinching his victory with a homer, J.R. Richard pitched the Astros back into first place in the West division by defeating the Mets, 3-1. The Astros, who moved ahead of the Reds, opened the scoring in the first inning with a run on a single by Rafael Landestoy, a stolen base and a single by Jose Cruz.

The Mets tied the score with an unearned run on an error by Cesar Cedeno in the fourth. Cedeno made up for his miscue by hitting a triple in the seventh and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Denny Walling. Richard, who pitched his eighth consecutive complete game and posted his eighth victory in his last nine decisions, added his homer in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, New York Mets 1
Game Played on Saturday, September 1, 1979 (Night game) at Astrodome
Mets         0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  0
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    1  1  x  -   3  6  3


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            5   0   0   0     0   2   .259      Landestoy 2b          4   1   1   0     0   1   .202
Stearns lf            4   1   1   0     0   1   .245      Reynolds ss           4   0   1   0     0   2   .270
Mazzilli cf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .302      Cruz lf               4   0   1   1     0   0   .289
xHebner 3b            2   0   1   0     1   0   .000      Cedeno 1b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .270
Youngblood rf         3   0   0   1     0   0   .285      Cabell 3b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .267
Kranepool 1b          4   0   1   0     0   1   .248      Leonard cf            2   0   0   0     1   0   .298
Trevino c             3   0   0   0     1   0   .282      Walling rf            2   0   0   1     0   0   .296
Flynn 2b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .252      Bochy c               2   0   0   0     1   1   .214
Falcone p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .186      Richard p             3   1   1   1     0   0   .130
  Reardon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hodges ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .155

Totals               32   1   7   1     2   5             Totals               28   3   6   3     2   4

Time of Game: 2:10   Attendance: 23,573
Left on Base: Mets 9, Astros 4
DP: Mets 1, Astros 2
Errors: Cedeno 2, Bochy
Doubles: Hodges (3), Cabell (19)
Triples: Cedeno (3)
Home Runs: Richard (2)
Stolen Bases: Taveras (38), Landestoy (7)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (12)
Sacrifice Hits: Falcone (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Youngblood (4), Walling (1)
GIDP: Stearns (21), Kranepool (4), Cedeno (11)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Falcone L(5-11)         7.2   6   3   3   2   4   1  30   4.17
Reardon                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   8.10
Totals                  8     6   3   3   2   4   1  31

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(15-12)        9     7   1   0   2   5   0  37   2.96
Totals                  9     7   1   0   2   5   0  37

Passed Balls: Bochy (5)
Wild Pitches: Falcone (10), Richard 2 (18)

Umpires: HP - Dutch Rennert, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Ed Montague, 3B - Lee Weyer


METS 1ST: Taveras struck out but advanced to first on a passed
ball; Taveras stole second; Richard threw a wild pitch [Taveras
to third]; Stearns struck out; Mazzilli grounded out (shortstop
to first); Hebner grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: On a bunt Landestoy singled to third; Landestoy
stole second; Reynolds popped to catcher in foul territory; Cruz
singled to right [Landestoy scored]; Cruz was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Cedeno grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 1.

METS 2ND: Youngblood grounded out (shortstop to first);
Kranepool struck out; Trevino grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell flied out to left; Leonard flied out to
center; Walling flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
0, Astros 1.

METS 3RD: Flynn grounded out (second to first); Falcone struck
out; Taveras flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Bochy struck out; Richard grounded out (second to
first); Landestoy flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 0, Astros 1.

METS 4TH: Stearns singled to left; Stearns was picked off first
but was safe on an error by Cedeno [Stearns to second]; Richard
threw a wild pitch [Stearns to third]; Mazzilli made an out to
pitcher; Hebner walked; Youngblood hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Stearns scored (unearned), Hebner to second]; Kranepool
grounded out (pitcher unassisted); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Reynolds singled to center; Cruz flied out to left;
Cedeno grounded into a double play (second to first) [Reynolds
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 1.

METS 5TH: Trevino walked; Flynn singled to center [Trevino to
second]; Falcone out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Trevino to third, Flynn to second]; Taveras struck out; Stearns
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets
1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell doubled to right; Leonard grounded out
(second to first); Walling grounded out (second to first)
[Cabell to third]; Bochy was walked intentionally; Richard
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1,
Astros 1.

METS 6TH: Mazzilli popped to second; Hebner singled to center;
Youngblood flied out to right; Kranepool singled to center
[Hebner to third]; Trevino grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Landestoy popped to second; Reynolds was called out
on strikes; Cruz flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 1, Astros 1.

METS 7TH: Flynn singled to center; Falcone popped to third;
Taveras reached on an error by Cedeno [Flynn to second, Taveras
to first]; Stearns grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Taveras out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Cedeno tripled to left; Cabell popped to first in
foul territory; Leonard was walked intentionally; Walling hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Cedeno scored]; Bochy popped to
shortstop; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 2.

METS 8TH: Mazzilli singled to center; Hebner reached on
catcher's interference by Bochy [Mazzilli to second]; Youngblood
popped to first in foul territory; Kranepool grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Hebner out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Richard homered; Landestoy struck out but advanced
to second on a wild pitch; On a bunt Reynolds struck out; Cruz
flied out to center; REARDON REPLACED FALCONE (PITCHING); Cedeno
popped to shortstop; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 3.

METS 9TH: Trevino popped to second; Flynn flied out to center;
HODGES BATTED FOR REARDON; Hodges doubled to right; Taveras
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1,
Astros 3.