The Astros pushed across two runs in the eighth inning to end the season with a 4-2 decision over the Dodgers. Th eAstros overcame a 2-1 deficit in the eighth on an RBI single by Jeff Leonard and sacrifice fly by Danny Heep. Joe Niekro went the first seven innings to get credit for his 21st win of the season, tying him with brother Phil of the Braves for the league lead in victories. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Game Played on Sunday, September 30, 1979 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  2  0  -   3  7  0
Dodgers      1  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2 10  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .270      Thomas ss             5   1   1   0     0   2   .256
Leonard cf            4   2   2   1     0   1   .290      Joshua rf,cf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .282
Walling rf            3   0   1   1     1   0   .327      Garvey 1b             3   0   1   0     0   1   .315
Heep lf               3   0   1   1     0   1   .143        Davalillo lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .259
Bergman 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .400        Ferguson ph,rf      1   0   0   0     0   1   .262
Cabell 3b             1   0   0   0     0   1   .272      Cey 3b                0   0   0   0     0   0   .281
  Gonzalez 3b         1   0   0   0     0   1   .249        Hatcher ph,3b       4   0   2   1     0   0   .269
  Puhl ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .287      Thomasson cf          3   0   0   0     0   0   .248
  Howe 3b             1   0   1   0     0   0   .248        Baker ph,lf         1   0   0   0     0   1   .274
Sexton ss             2   0   1   0     1   1   .209      Guerrero lf,1b        4   1   1   0     0   0   .242
  Knicely c           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Martinez 2b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .268
Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   1   .227      Oates c               3   0   1   0     0   0   .130
  Sprowl p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Mota ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .357
  Cruz ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .289      Sutcliffe p           3   0   2   1     0   1   .247
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .286        Russell ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .271
Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .120
  Reynolds ph,ss      2   1   1   0     0   0   .265

Totals               32   3   7   3     2   7             Totals               37   2  10   2     0   6

Time of Game: 2:42   Attendance: 46,741
Left on Base: Astros 6, Dodgers 8
DP: Astros 0, Dodgers 0
Errors: Oates
Stolen Bases: Leonard 2 (23), Walling (3), Thomas (18)
Sacrifice Hits: Landestoy (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Heep (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(21-11)         7     7   2   2   0   4   0  28   3.00
Sprowl                  1     1   0   0   0   2   0   4   0.00
Sambito SV(22)          1     2   0   0   0   0   0   5   1.77
Totals                  9    10   2   2   0   6   0  37

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutcliffe L(17-10)      9     7   3   2   2   7   0  36   3.46
Totals                  9     7   3   2   2   7   0  36

Wild Pitches: Sutcliffe (8)

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Steve Fields, 2B - Fred Brocklander, 3B - Paul Runge


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy flied out to center; Leonard flied out to
center; Walling grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Thomas singled; Thomas stole second; Joshua flied
out to left; Garvey struck out; HATCHER BATTED FOR CEY; Hatcher
singled [Thomas scored]; Thomasson popped to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 2ND: HATCHER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Heep singled;
Sutcliffe threw a wild pitch [Heep to second]; Bergman struck
out; Cabell struck out; Sexton walked; Pujols grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 2ND: GONZALEZ REPLACED CABELL (PLAYING 3B); Guerrero
singled; Martinez grounded out (shortstop to first) [Guerrero to
second]; Oates popped to shortstop; Sutcliffe singled [Guerrero
scored]; Thomas forced Sutcliffe (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro flied out to left; Landestoy grounded out
(shortstop to first); Leonard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 3RD: Joshua popped to shortstop; Garvey singled; Hatcher
lined to right; Thomasson flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Walling lined to right; Heep was called out on
strikes; Bergman popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 4TH: Guerrero flied out to left; Martinez flied out to
center; Oates singled; On a bunt Sutcliffe singled [Oates to
second]; Thomas struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Gonzalez struck out; Sexton singled; Pujols grounded
out (third to first) [Sexton to second]; Niekro grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 5TH: Joshua flied out to center; Garvey flied out to
left; Hatcher grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 6TH: DAVALILLO REPLACED GARVEY (PLAYING LF); GUERRERO
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); On a bunt Landestoy grounded out
(catcher to first); Leonard singled; Leonard stole second;
Walling singled [Leonard scored]; Walling stole second; Heep
flied out to center; Bergman popped to catcher in foul
territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 6TH: Thomasson flied out to left; Guerrero lined to
center; Martinez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 7TH: PUHL BATTED FOR GONZALEZ; Puhl popped to second;
Sexton was called out on strikes; Pujols struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 7TH: HOWE REPLACED PUHL (PLAYING 3B); Oates popped to
third in foul territory; Sutcliffe struck out; Thomas struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 8TH: REYNOLDS BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Reynolds singled;
Landestoy out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to first) [Reynolds
to second]; Leonard singled [Reynolds scored]; Leonard stole
second [Leonard to third (error by Oates)]; Walling walked; Heep
hit a sacrifice fly to center [Leonard scored (unearned)];
Bergman lined to first; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3,
Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 8TH: REYNOLDS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); SPROWL
REPLACED PUJOLS (PITCHING); KNICELY REPLACED SEXTON (PLAYING C
); Joshua flied out to center; FERGUSON BATTED FOR DAVALILLO;
Ferguson struck out; Hatcher singled; BAKER BATTED FOR
THOMASSON; Baker struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3,
Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 9TH: BAKER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); FERGUSON STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING RF); JOSHUA CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF);
Howe singled; Knicely popped to third; CRUZ BATTED FOR SPROWL;
Cruz flied out to left; Reynolds flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 9TH: SAMBITO REPLACED CRUZ (PITCHING); Guerrero popped
to first in foul territory; Martinez grounded out (pitcher to
first); MOTA BATTED FOR OATES; Mota singled; RUSSELL BATTED FOR
SUTCLIFFE; Russell singled [Mota to second]; Thomas forced Mota
(third unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 2.