An inside-the-park homer by Johnnie LeMaster gave the Giants a 2-1 decision that sent the Astros tumbling out of first place, ½ game behind the Reds. With two outs in the eighth LeMaster sent Joe Sambito's offering to left field, where it eluded Jose Cruz.

Larry Herndon, who had singled earlier in the inning, scored easily and watched LeMaster slide in ahead of the tag for the winning run. The Astro run scored on a double by Rafael Landestoy, a sacrifice and a single by Cesar Cedeno. Gary Lavelle retired the final two batters to pick up his 17th save. [The Sporting News]

San Francisco Giants 2, Houston Astros 1

Game Played on Saturday, September 8, 1979 (Night game) at Astrodome

Giants       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  0  -   2  7  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  9  1


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Venable rf,lf         4   0   0   0     1   2   .222      Cedeno 1b             4   0   2   1     0   1   .272
Andrews 2b            4   0   2   0     1   0   .286      Reynolds ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .260
Ivie 1b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .305      Puhl cf               3   0   1   0     1   0   .285
Evans 3b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .255      Cruz lf               3   0   1   0     0   0   .289
Herndon cf            3   1   1   0     1   0   .259        Walling ph,lf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .303
Johnston lf           3   0   0   0     0   2   .192      Cabell 3b             4   0   2   0     0   1   .267
  McCovey ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .260      Leonard rf            3   0   0   0     0   0   .292
  Clark rf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .275      Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .261
LeMaster ss           4   1   3   2     0   1   .262        Heep ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Littlejohn c          3   0   0   0     1   1   .201        Sexton pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .171
Whitson p             2   0   1   0     0   1   .132      Landestoy 2b          4   1   1   0     0   0   .236
  North ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .264      Niekro p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .137
  Minton p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
  Lavelle p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Howe ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .251

Totals               33   2   7   2     5  10             Totals               33   1   9   1     1   2

Time of Game: 3:00   Attendance: 32,300
Left on Base: Giants 9, Astros 8
DP: Giants 0, Astros 1
Errors: Cabell
Doubles: Landestoy (5)
Home Runs: LeMaster (2)
Stolen Bases: Ivie (5), Herndon (7), Andrews (4), Cedeno (27)
Caught Stealing: Herndon (5), Cruz (13)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (12), Leonard (3)
GIDP: Littlejohn (3)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Whitson                 6     7   1   1   0   1   0  24   4.52
Minton W(2-2)           2.1   2   0   0   1   1   0  10   1.92
Lavelle SV(17)          0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.15
Totals                  9     9   1   1   1   2   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  7.1   6   1   1   5   7   0  32   2.92
Sambito L(7-5)          1.2   1   1   1   0   3   1   6   1.47
Totals                  9     7   2   2   5  10   1  38

Wild Pitches: Niekro (16)

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Eric Gregg, 2B - Steve Fields, 3B - Frank Pulli


GIANTS 1ST: Venable made an out to shortstop; Andrews singled to
left; Ivie forced Andrews (pitcher to second); Ivie stole
second; Evans grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Cedeno flied out to right; Reynolds grounded out
(second to first); Puhl flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Herndon walked; Herndon stole second; Johnston
struck out; Herndon was caught stealing third (catcher to
third); LeMaster singled to left; Niekro threw a wild pitch
[LeMaster to second]; Littlejohn grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to right; Cruz was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Cabell struck out; Leonard
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants
0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Whitson struck out; Venable walked; Andrews reached
on an error by Cabell [Venable to second, Andrews to first];
Ivie flied out to left; Evans walked [Venable to third, Andrews
to second]; Herndon grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
1 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Pujols made an out to shortstop; Landestoy flied out
to center; Niekro singled to right; Cedeno singled to shortstop
[Niekro to second]; Reynolds made an out to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Johnston popped to first in foul territory; LeMaster
struck out; Littlejohn walked; Whitson singled to center
[Littlejohn to second]; Venable struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl singled to pitcher; Cruz flied out to right;
Cabell singled to left [Puhl to second]; Leonard forced Cabell
(second to shortstop) [Puhl to third]; Pujols flied out to
right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Andrews walked; Ivie flied out to right; Evans
grounded out (first unassisted) [Andrews to second]; Herndon
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Landestoy doubled to right; Niekro out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Landestoy to third]; Cedeno
singled to center [Landestoy scored]; Cedeno stole second;
Reynolds grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl flied out to
center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

GIANTS 6TH: Johnston was called out on strikes; LeMaster singled
to left; Littlejohn grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [LeMaster out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Giants 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz flied out to right; Cabell flied out to center;
Leonard grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 1.

GIANTS 7TH: NORTH BATTED FOR WHITSON; North was called out on
strikes; Venable struck out; Andrews singled to third; Andrews
stole second; Ivie popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: MINTON REPLACED NORTH (PITCHING); Pujols flied out
to center; Landestoy grounded out (second to first); Niekro made
an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

GIANTS 8TH: Evans flied out to center; Herndon singled to left;
MCCOVEY BATTED FOR JOHNSTON; SAMBITO REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING);
McCovey struck out; LeMaster hit an inside the park homer to
left [Herndon scored]; Littlejohn struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: CLARK REPLACED MCCOVEY (PLAYING RF); VENABLE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Cedeno struck out; Reynolds grounded out
(second to first); Puhl walked; WALLING BATTED FOR CRUZ; Walling
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 2,
Astros 1.

GIANTS 9TH: WALLING STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Minton was
called out on strikes; Venable flied out to center; Andrews
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cabell singled to third; Leonard out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to second) [Cabell to second]; HEEP BATTED FOR
PUJOLS; Heep singled to center [Cabell to third]; SEXTON RAN FOR
HEEP; LAVELLE REPLACED MINTON (PITCHING); Landestoy flied out to
left; HOWE BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Howe grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

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