The Astros gained their fourth straight victory as Joe Niekro hurled a five-hitter and Joe Morgan slammed a pair of run-scoring doubles for a 3-0 victory over the Giants. Morgan's third-inning double followed a single and stolen base by Terry Puhl.

In the fifth, Rafael Landestoy tripled before Morgan's two-base hit. Denny Walling then plated Morgan with a single to center. Veteran knuckleballer Niekro struck out five and walked none for his fifth complete game of the season and the Astros second consecutive shutout. It was the eighth win in the last 11 games for the Astros. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, San Francisco Giants 0
Game Played on Saturday, June      7, 1980 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  1
Astros       0  0  1    0  2  0    0  0  x  -   3 10  0


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
North cf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .267      Landestoy ss,2b       4   1   1   0     0   1   .239
  Holland p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Puhl cf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .293
Strain 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .276      Morgan 2b             4   1   3   2     0   0   .221
  Lavelle p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Reynolds ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .199
  Herndon cf          1   0   0   0     0   1   .235      Cruz lf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .326
Clark rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .273      Walling rf            4   0   3   1     0   0   .275
Evans 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .254      Cabell 3b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Whitfield lf          4   0   1   0     0   1   .261      Howe 1b               2   0   0   0     1   0   .239
Murray 1b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Ashby c               2   0   0   0     1   0   .263
May c                 3   0   0   0     0   0   .252      Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .241
LeMaster ss           3   0   1   0     0   0   .238
Whitson p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .043
  Stennett ph,2b      2   0   1   0     0   0   .250

Totals               31   0   5   0     0   5             Totals               30   3  10   3     2   2

Time of Game: 2:05   Attendance: 42,263
Left on Base: Giants 5, Astros 5
DP: Giants 0, Astros 0
Errors: Murray
Doubles: Morgan 2 (6)
Triples: Landestoy (3)
Stolen Bases: Murray (1), Cabell (8), Puhl (9)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Whitson (4)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Whitson L(2-7)          5     9   3   3   2   1   0  23   3.76
Lavelle                 2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   2.89
Holland                 1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.76
Totals                  8    10   3   3   2   2   0  32

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(6-4)           9     5   0   0   0   5   0  32   3.32
Totals                  9     5   0   0   0   5   0  32

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Ed Montague, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


GIANTS 1ST: North grounded out (shortstop to first); Strain
flied to right in foul territory; Clark struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy grounded out (first to pitcher); Puhl
grounded out (first unassisted); Morgan grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Evans popped to third in foul territory; Whitfield
struck out; Murray grounded out (third to first); Debut game
for Rich Murray; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to shortstop; Cruz was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Walling singled to left; Cabell
forced Walling (shortstop to second) [Cabell to first (error by
Murray; assist by Strain)]; Cabell stole second; Howe walked;
Ashby grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: May made an out to shortstop; LeMaster singled to
third; Whitson out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first)
[LeMaster to second]; North reached on a fielder's choice
[LeMaster out at third (third to second to third)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro made an out to second; Landestoy struck out;
Puhl singled to left; Puhl stole second; Morgan doubled to
center [Puhl scored]; Cruz singled to center [Morgan out at home
(center to catcher)]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Strain grounded out (shortstop to first); Clark made
an out to first; Evans grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Walling singled to center; Cabell grounded out
(third to first) [Walling to second]; Howe flied out to center;
Ashby was walked intentionally; Niekro flied out to right; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

GIANTS 5TH: Whitfield singled to left; Murray forced Whitfield
(third to second); Murray stole second; May flied out to left;
LeMaster grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Landestoy tripled to center; Puhl grounded out
(first unassisted); Morgan doubled to left [Landestoy scored];
Cruz flied out to left; Walling singled to center [Morgan
scored, Walling out at second (center to shortstop)]; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 3.

GIANTS 6TH: STENNETT BATTED FOR WHITSON; Stennett singled to
center; North singled to center [Stennett to second]; Strain
flied out to left; Clark popped to catcher in foul territory;
Evans flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: LAVELLE REPLACED STRAIN (PITCHING); STENNETT STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Cabell grounded out (second to first);
Howe made an out to first; Ashby made an out to shortstop; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 3.

GIANTS 7TH: Whitfield grounded out (shortstop to first); Murray
struck out; May grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Niekro struck out; Landestoy grounded out (first to
pitcher); Puhl lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants
0, Astros 3.

GIANTS 8TH: LeMaster flied out to center; Stennett flied out to
right; North struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros
3.

ASTROS 8TH: HOLLAND REPLACED NORTH (PITCHING); HERNDON REPLACED
LAVELLE (PLAYING CF); Morgan singled to right; Morgan was picked
off first (pitcher to first); Cruz grounded out (pitcher to
first); Walling flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 3.

GIANTS 9TH: LANDESTOY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); REYNOLDS
REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING SS); Herndon struck out; Clark lined to
shortstop; Evans singled to center; Whitfield flied out to left;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 3.