Larry Herndon's bases-loaded single in the ninth inning gave the Giants a 2-1 victory over the Astros, spoiling a brilliant pitching performance by Houston's J.R. Richard. The Astros' righthander had permitted only one hit going into the ninth, but the game was tied 1-1.

Mike Ivie led off the decisive innirig with a single and advanced to third on a double by Darrell Evans. After Max Venable received an intentional walk, Herndon stroked the game-winning hit. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Sunday, September 16, 1979 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1 10  0
Giants       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   2  5  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cedeno 1b             3   0   1   1     0   0   .269      North cf              3   0   1   1     1   1   .262
Reynolds ss           5   0   2   0     0   0   .259      Strain 2b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .243
Puhl cf               4   0   1   0     1   0   .281      Ivie 1b               4   1   1   0     0   2   .299
Cruz lf               4   0   1   0     0   2   .291      Evans 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .254
Cabell 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .270      Venable rf            3   0   0   0     1   2   .193
Leonard rf            3   0   1   0     1   1   .294      Herndon lf            3   1   1   1     1   1   .252
Pujols c              3   0   1   0     0   2   .282      Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     1   0   .238
  Heep ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .125        Minton p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bochy c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .208      Littlejohn c          2   0   0   0     1   1   .208
Landestoy 2b          3   1   1   0     1   0   .265      Montefusco p          2   0   0   0     0   2   .167
Richard p             4   0   0   0     0   2   .119        LeMaster ss         1   0   0   0     0   0   .250

Totals               34   1  10   1     3   7             Totals               28   2   5   2     5  11

Time of Game: 2:52   Attendance: 12,077
Left on Base: Astros 11, Giants 7
DP: Astros 1, Giants 1
Errors: Venable
Doubles: Puhl (20), Evans (22)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (34), Landestoy (11), Herndon (8), North (53)
Sacrifice Hits: Cedeno (2)
Hit by Pitch: Cedeno (2,by Montefusco)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(16-13)        8     5   2   2   5  11   0  33   2.92
Totals                  8     5   2   2   5  11   0  33

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Montefusco              7     9   1   1   2   7   0  31   3.94
Minton W(3-3)           2     1   0   0   1   0   0   8   2.00
Totals                  9    10   1   1   3   7   0  39

Hit by Pitch: Montefusco (2)
Wild Pitches: Minton (8)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Jerry Crawford, 3B - John Kibler


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

GIANTS 1ST: North grounded out (second to first); Strain singled
to left; Ivie forced Strain (third to second); Evans struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz struck out; Cabell singled to second; Cabell
stole second; Leonard struck out; Pujols struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Venable struck out; Herndon walked; Herndon stole
second; Metzger walked; Littlejohn walked [Herndon to third,
Metzger to second]; Montefusco struck out; North singled
[Herndon scored, Metzger to third, Littlejohn to second]; Strain
made an out to second; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Landestoy singled to right; Richard struck out;
Landestoy stole second; Cedeno singled to center [Landestoy
scored]; Reynolds lined into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Cedeno out at first]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 3RD: Ivie was called out on strikes; Evans flied out to
right; Venable struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Giants 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl doubled to left; Cruz made an out to second;
Cabell flied out to center; Leonard was walked intentionally;
Pujols was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Herndon struck out; Metzger grounded out (second to
first); Littlejohn struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Giants 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Landestoy flied out to right; Richard struck out;
Cedeno was hit by a pitch; Reynolds singled [Cedeno to second];
Puhl forced Reynolds (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 5TH: Montefusco struck out; North was called out on
strikes; Strain was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 1, Giants 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz was called out on strikes; Cabell singled to
center; Leonard flied out to center; Pujols singled to left
[Cabell to second]; Landestoy flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 6TH: Ivie struck out; Evans flied out to right; Venable
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Giants 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Richard reached on an error by Venable [Richard to
first]; Cedeno out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Richard to second]; Reynolds singled to center [Richard out at
home (center to catcher to third), Reynolds to second (on throw
to home)]; Puhl was walked intentionally; Cruz singled to left
[Reynolds out at home (left to catcher), Puhl to second]; 0 R, 2
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 7TH: Herndon grounded out (third to first); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Littlejohn flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

ASTROS 8TH: MINTON REPLACED METZGER (PITCHING); LEMASTER
REPLACED MONTEFUSCO (PLAYING SS); Cabell grounded out (shortstop
to first); Leonard singled to left; HEEP BATTED FOR PUJOLS; Heep
forced Leonard (second to shortstop); Minton threw a wild pitch
[Heep to second]; Landestoy was walked intentionally; Richard
forced Landestoy (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 8TH: BOCHY REPLACED HEEP (PLAYING C ); LeMaster flied out
to center; North walked; North stole second; Strain lined into a
double play (shortstop to second) [North out at second]; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Reynolds
flied out to center; Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 9TH: Ivie singled to left; Evans doubled to right [Ivie
to third]; Venable was walked intentionally; Herndon singled to
left [Ivie scored, Evans to third, Venable to second]; 1 R, 3 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 2.