Hurling his fifth shutout of the season and picking up his 19th victory, Joe Niekro pitched the Astros to a 1-0 triumph over the Padres. The lone run of the game came in the ninth inning when Rafael Landestoy hit a leadoff triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cesar Cedeno. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 1, San Diego Padres 0
Game Played on Monday, September 17, 1979 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  5  1
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          4   1   2   0     0   0   .269      Richards cf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .273
Cedeno cf             3   0   0   1     0   0   .267      Flannery 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .170
Puhl lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .279      Tenace 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .266
Leonard rf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .291      Winfield rf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .300
Cabell 1b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .269      Fahey c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .318
Howe 3b               3   0   1   0     0   0   .249      Bevacqua 3b           3   0   1   0     1   0   .263
Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   1   .262      Johnstone lf          3   0   1   0     0   0   .282
Gonzalez ss           3   0   2   0     0   0   .251      Smith ss              3   0   1   0     0   0   .212
Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .132      Owchinko p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .097

Totals               29   1   5   1     0   2             Totals               31   0   6   0     1   2

Time of Game: 2:04   Attendance:  9,452
Left on Base: Astros 3, Padres 6
DP: Astros 2, Padres 1
Errors: Gonzalez
Doubles: Fahey (8)
Triples: Gonzalez (2), Landestoy (5)
Stolen Bases: Richards (21)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (13), Owchinko (7)
Sacrifice Flies: Cedeno (9)
GIDP: Cedeno (12), Flannery (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(19-10)         9     6   0   0   1   2   0  33   2.96
Totals                  9     6   0   0   1   2   0  33

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Owchinko L(5-11)        9     5   1   1   0   2   0  31   3.65
Totals                  9     5   1   1   0   2   0  31

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled; Cedeno grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Landestoy out at second];
Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Richards reached on an error by Gonzalez [Richards
to first]; Flannery grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Richards out at second]; Tenace flied out
to right; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Leonard grounded out (third to first); Cabell struck
out; Howe singled; Pujols flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Winfield grounded out (shortstop to first); Fahey
doubled; Bevacqua walked; Johnstone forced Bevacqua (second to
shortstop); Smith popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Gonzalez singled; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Gonzalez to second]; Landestoy grounded out
(third to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Owchinko was called out on strikes; Richards
grounded out (second to first); Flannery singled; Tenace popped
to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Padres 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Leonard
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 4TH: Winfield singled; Fahey lined into a double play
(first unassisted) [Winfield out at first]; Bevacqua singled;
Johnstone flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Padres 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe flied out to right; Pujols flied out to left;
Gonzalez tripled; Niekro grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 5TH: Smith singled; Owchinko out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to second) [Smith to second]; Richards reached on a
fielder's choice [Smith out at third (shortstop to third)];
Richards stole second; Flannery grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Landestoy grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 6TH: Tenace lined to third; Winfield flied out to left;
Fahey grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Leonard flied out to center; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Howe grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 7TH: Bevacqua flied out to center; Johnstone singled;
Smith grounded out (first unassisted) [Johnstone to second];
Owchinko grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Pujols struck out; Gonzalez grounded out (second to
first); Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 8TH: Richards flied out to right; Flannery flied out to
right; Tenace struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Padres 0.

ASTROS 9TH: Landestoy tripled; Cedeno hit a sacrifice fly to
right [Landestoy scored]; Puhl grounded out (first unassisted);
Leonard grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 9TH: Winfield grounded out (second to first); Fahey
grounded out (shortstop to first); Bevacqua flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.