Moving to a 1½-game lead in the West division, the Reds pounded out a 7-4 decision over the Astros. The Reds picked up three runs in the first inning on a single by Dave Collins, a passed ball, doubles by Joe Morgan and Dave Concepcion, another passed ball, a walk to George Foster and a double-play gounder. They added three more in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Dan Driessen and run-scoring singles by Ray Knight and Collins. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 7, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Wednesday, September 12, 1979 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    0  3  0    0  0  0  -   4 11  0
Reds         3  0  0    3  0  1    0  0  x  -   7 12  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cedeno 1b             5   2   2   0     0   0   .272      Collins rf            3   1   3   1     1   0   .323
Reynolds ss           4   1   1   0     0   0   .260        Cruz pr,rf          1   0   0   0     0   1   .225
Puhl cf               2   0   0   1     1   0   .282      Morgan 2b             5   1   2   1     0   0   .254
Cruz lf               4   0   2   3     0   0   .292      Concepcion ss         3   1   1   1     1   0   .293
Cabell 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .270      Foster lf             2   1   1   0     2   0   .314
Leonard rf            4   0   2   0     0   1   .291      Bench c               4   1   1   0     0   0   .272
Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   2   .290      Driessen 1b           2   1   1   1     0   0   .248
  Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .313      Knight 3b             4   1   3   1     0   0   .317
  Bochy c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .210      Geronimo cf           3   0   0   0     1   1   .243
Landestoy 2b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .257      LaCoss p              2   0   0   0     0   2   .132
Niekro p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .135        Pastore p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .188
  Niemann p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .133        Auerbach ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .222
  Bergman ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .500        Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Ladd p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sprowl p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sexton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .088
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
  Heep ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .167

Totals               34   4  11   4     2   5             Totals               30   7  12   5     6   5

Time of Game: 3:00   Attendance: 42,035
Left on Base: Astros 7, Reds 7
DP: Astros 4, Reds 0
Errors: Bench
Doubles: Cabell (26), Cruz (31), Morgan (24), Concepcion (24), Knight (33)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (33)
Caught Stealing: Leonard (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (32)
Sacrifice Flies: Puhl (2), Driessen (7)
GIDP: Bench (10), Concepcion 2 (18), Geronimo (8)
Hit by Pitch: Driessen (3,by Ladd)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(18-10)         3.1   7   6   5   2   1   0  17   3.07
Niemann                 0.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   2   3.72
Ladd                    1     1   1   1   1   0   0   6   2.61
Sprowl                  1     0   0   0   0   1   0   2   0.00
Andujar                 1     3   0   0   2   0   0   7   3.20
Sambito                 1     0   0   0   1   2   0   4   1.76
Totals                  8    12   7   6   6   5   0  38

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
LaCoss                  4.2   9   4   4   1   1   0  22   3.33
Pastore W(4-6)          3.1   1   0   0   1   3   0  12   5.20
Hume SV(15)             1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.78
Totals                  9    11   4   4   2   5   0  38

Passed Balls: Pujols 2 (3)
Hit by Pitch: Ladd (2)
Wild Pitches: Niekro 2 (18)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Frank Pulli, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Steve Fields


ASTROS 1ST: Cedeno singled to left; Reynolds out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Cedeno to second]; Puhl grounded out
(first unassisted) [Cedeno to third]; Cruz singled to second
[Cedeno scored]; Cruz stole second [Cruz out at home (error by
Bench) (center to catcher)]; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Collins singled to left; Pujols allowed a passed ball
[Collins to second]; Morgan doubled to center [Collins scored];
Concepcion doubled to right [Morgan scored]; Pujols allowed a
passed ball [Concepcion to third]; Foster walked; Bench grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Concepcion
scored (unearned), Foster out at second]; Driessen lined to
center; 3 R (2 ER), 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell doubled to right; Leonard singled to left
[Cabell to third]; Leonard was caught stealing second (catcher
to shortstop); Pujols struck out; Landestoy walked; Niekro
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 3.

REDS 2ND: Knight grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo
popped to third in foul territory; LaCoss struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Reynolds flied
out to center; Puhl flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 3.

REDS 3RD: On a bunt Collins singled; Morgan flied out to center;
Concepcion grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Collins out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz lined to third; Cabell grounded out (first to
pitcher); Leonard singled to third; Pujols popped to first; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

REDS 4TH: Foster singled to left; Bench singled to left [Foster
to second]; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Foster to third, Bench to
second]; Driessen hit a sacrifice fly to center [Foster scored,
Bench to third]; Knight singled to left [Bench scored]; Niekro
threw a wild pitch [Knight to second]; Geronimo walked; NIEMANN
REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); LaCoss struck out; Collins singled
to center [Knight scored, Geronimo out at third (center to first
to third)]; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 6.

ASTROS 5TH: Landestoy grounded out (first to pitcher); BERGMAN
BATTED FOR NIEMANN; Bergman singled to center; Cedeno singled to
right [Bergman to second]; Reynolds singled to center [Bergman
to third, Cedeno to second]; Puhl hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Bergman scored]; Cruz doubled to right [Cedeno scored, Reynolds
scored, Cruz to third (on throw to home)]; PASTORE REPLACED
LACOSS (PITCHING); Cabell flied out to center; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 6.

REDS 5TH: LADD REPLACED BERGMAN (PITCHING); Morgan popped to
third; Concepcion walked; Foster flied out to right; Bench flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 6.

ASTROS 6TH: Leonard popped to first in foul territory; Pujols
struck out; Landestoy flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Reds 6.

REDS 6TH: Driessen was hit by a pitch; Knight singled to right
[Driessen to third]; SPROWL REPLACED LADD (PITCHING); Geronimo
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Driessen scored (no RBI), Knight out at second]; Pastore struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 7.

ASTROS 7TH: SEXTON BATTED FOR SPROWL; Sexton grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno popped to second; Reynolds flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 7.

REDS 7TH: ANDUJAR REPLACED SEXTON (PITCHING); Collins walked;
CRUZ RAN FOR COLLINS; Morgan singled to right [Cruz to second];
Concepcion grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Cruz to third, Morgan out at second]; Foster was walked
intentionally; Bench flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Reds 7.

ASTROS 8TH: CRUZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Puhl walked; Cruz
flied out to center; Cabell singled to center [Puhl to second];
Leonard struck out; WALLING BATTED FOR PUJOLS; Walling struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 7.

REDS 8TH: BOCHY REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING C ); Driessen singled
to center; Knight doubled to center [Driessen to third]; SAMBITO
REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Geronimo struck out; AUERBACH
BATTED FOR PASTORE; Auerbach was walked intentionally; Cruz
struck out; Morgan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 7.

ASTROS 9TH: HUME REPLACED AUERBACH (PITCHING); Landestoy singled
to shortstop; HEEP BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Heep struck out; Cedeno
lined to shortstop; Reynolds flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 7.