The Mets ended their nine-game losing streak with a two-run rally in the seventh inning to defeat the Astros, 5-4. After the Mets took a 3-1 lead, the Astros tied the score in the fifth on a run-scoring single by pinch-hitter Jesus Alou and an error by Mets' shortstop Frank Taveras.

Elliott Maddox sparked a Mets' rally in the seventh with a pinch-single and scored the tie-breaking run on a double by John Stearns. Jeff Leonard, in center field, dropped a fly by Lee Mazzilli. Stearns took third on the error and scored what proved to be the deciding run on a grounder by Richie Hebner. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 5, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Sunday, September 2, 1979 (Day game) at Astrodome
Mets         0  0  3    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   5  8  1
Astros       1  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  1  -   4  9  2


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            4   1   1   1     0   0   .259      Landestoy 2b          4   1   1   1     1   0   .203
Stearns lf            4   1   2   2     0   0   .248      Reynolds ss           5   0   0   0     0   1   .267
  Hassler p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Cruz lf               3   0   1   1     0   0   .289
  Allen p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cedeno 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .267
Mazzilli cf           5   0   2   1     0   0   .303      Cabell 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .269
Hebner 3b             3   0   0   1     1   0   .255      Leonard cf,rf         3   0   1   0     1   1   .298
Youngblood rf,lf      4   0   0   0     0   0   .283      Walling rf            2   1   1   0     0   0   .299
Kranepool 1b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .239        Knicely ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hodges c              3   0   0   0     1   0   .148        Puhl cf             1   1   1   0     0   0   .286
Flynn 2b              4   1   2   0     0   0   .254      Bochy c               1   0   0   0     2   0   .212
Kobel p               1   1   0   0     0   1   .175        Gonzalez ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .244
  Maddox ph,rf        1   1   1   0     1   0   .282      Andujar p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .089
                                                            Alou ph             1   1   1   1     0   0   .229
                                                            Niemann p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .133
                                                            Sexton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .182
                                                            Ladd p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Howe ph             0   0   0   0     0   0   .254
                                                            Heep ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   5   8   5     3   2             Totals               33   4   9   3     4   4

Time of Game: 2:43   Attendance: 14,215
Left on Base: Mets 7, Astros 7
DP: Mets 1, Astros 0
Errors: Taveras, Leonard, Andujar
Doubles: Stearns (24), Cabell 2 (21), Walling (4)
Triples: Landestoy (3)
Stolen Bases: Maddox (2), Leonard (15)
Sacrifice Hits: Kobel (6), Taveras (9)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (5)
GIDP: Knicely (2)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kobel W(6-8)            6     6   3   2   2   3   0  25   3.41
Hassler                 2     3   1   1   2   1   0  10   4.71
Allen SV(6)             1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.19
Totals                  9     9   4   3   4   4   0  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar                 5     6   3   2   2   1   0  23   3.14
Niemann L(3-2)          2     2   2   1   0   0   0   9   3.50
Ladd                    2     0   0   0   1   1   0   7   1.04
Totals                  9     8   5   3   3   2   0  39

Wild Pitches: Andujar (4)

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


METS 1ST: Taveras flied out to right; Stearns grounded out
(third to first); Mazzilli singled to left; Hebner grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy tripled to left; Reynolds struck out; Cruz
hit a sacrifice fly to center [Landestoy scored]; Cedeno flied
out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 1.

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

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Leonard
singled to center; Leonard stole second; Walling grounded out
(second to first) [Leonard to third]; Bochy grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 1.

METS 3RD: Flynn singled to right; Kobel reached on an error by
Andujar on a sacrifice bunt [Flynn to second, Kobel to first];
Taveras singled to right [Flynn scored, Kobel to third, Taveras
to second (on throw)]; Stearns singled to left [Kobel scored
(unearned), Taveras to third]; Mazzilli singled to right
[Taveras scored, Stearns to second]; Hebner popped to shortstop;
Youngblood forced Stearns (pitcher to third) [Mazzilli to
second]; Kranepool grounded out (second to first); 3 R (2 ER), 4
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Andujar struck out; Landestoy grounded out
(shortstop to first); Reynolds grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

METS 4TH: Hodges walked; Flynn singled to left [Hodges out at
third (left to third)]; Kobel struck out; Taveras made an out to
first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher); Cedeno struck
out; Cabell doubled to center; Leonard flied out to center; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

METS 5TH: Stearns flied out to center; Mazzilli popped to third
in foul territory; Hebner walked; Andujar threw a wild pitch
[Hebner to second]; Youngblood grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Walling doubled to left; Bochy walked; ALOU BATTED
FOR ANDUJAR; Alou singled to center [Walling scored, Bochy to
third]; Landestoy reached on a fielder's choice [Bochy out at
home (third to catcher to third), Alou to second]; Reynolds
forced Landestoy (second to shortstop) [Alou scored (error by
Taveras) (unearned) (no RBI), Reynolds to first]; Cruz grounded
out (second to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3,
Astros 3.

METS 6TH: NIEMANN REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Kranepool made an
out to shortstop; Hodges grounded out (second to first); Flynn
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Cabell doubled
to left; Leonard was walked intentionally; KNICELY BATTED FOR
WALLING; Knicely grounded into a double play (third to first)
[Cabell out at third]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 3.

METS 7TH: PUHL REPLACED KNICELY (PLAYING CF); LEONARD CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); MADDOX BATTED FOR KOBEL; Maddox singled
to left; Taveras out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second)
[Maddox to second]; Stearns doubled to center [Maddox scored];
Mazzilli reached on an error by Leonard [Stearns to third,
Mazzilli to first]; Hebner forced Mazzilli (shortstop
unassisted) [Stearns scored (unearned)]; Youngblood forced
Hebner (third to second); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: MADDOX STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); YOUNGBLOOD
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); HASSLER REPLACED STEARNS
(PITCHING); Bochy walked; SEXTON BATTED FOR NIEMANN; Sexton
lined to left; Landestoy walked [Bochy to second]; Reynolds made
an out to third; Cruz singled to left [Bochy out at home (left
to catcher), Landestoy to second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets
5, Astros 3.

METS 8TH: LADD REPLACED SEXTON (PITCHING); Kranepool grounded
out (second to first); Hodges grounded out (pitcher to first);
Flynn made an out to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Cabell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Leonard struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Astros 3.

METS 9TH: Maddox walked; Maddox stole second; Taveras popped to
catcher in foul territory; Hassler struck out; Mazzilli flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Puhl singled to pitcher; GONZALEZ BATTED FOR BOCHY;
Gonzalez singled to left [Puhl to second]; HOWE BATTED FOR LADD;
ALLEN REPLACED HASSLER (PITCHING); HEEP BATTED FOR HOWE; Heep
grounded out (first to pitcher) [Puhl to third, Gonzalez to
second]; Landestoy grounded out (third to first) [Puhl scored,
Gonzalez to third]; Reynolds flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Mets 5, Astros 4.