The Reds overcame a triple play, three rain delays and the pounding of Tom Seaver to post an 11-9 victory over the Astros before an opening-day crowd of 52,378. The Astros scored four runs in the ninth inning and had two men on before reliever Dave Tomlin got Bob Watson on a grounder to end the game.

The triple play came in the seventh. With Joe Morgan at third, George Foster at first and Dan Driessen at the plate, relief pitcher Joe Sambito struck out Driessen as Foster tried to steal second. Catcher Joe Ferguson threw to shortstop Roger Metzger at second to trap Foster, but then Metzger saw Morgan leading too far off third and threw to third baseman Enos Cabell, who tagged out Morgan. Cabell then threw back to Metzger at second to nab Foster and complete the triple play.

Seaver was tagged for homers by Terry Puhl, Cesar Cedeno and Ferguson before departing in the fourth inning with the Astros leading, 5-1. Morgan, who hit a homer in the first, keyed the Reds' comeback, driving in a total of five runs. [The Sporting News]

Cincinnati Reds 11, Houston Astros 9

Game Played on Thursday, April 6, 1978 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium

Astros 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 - 9 12 2 Reds 1 0 0 1 5 2 2 0 x - 11 16 0 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Reds AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Puhl lf 4 2 2 1 1 0 .500 Rose 3b 4 1 1 0 1 0 .250 Cabell 3b 5 1 1 1 0 2 .200 Knight 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Cedeno cf 4 1 2 2 1 0 .500 Griffey rf 4 2 2 0 1 1 .500 Cruz rf 5 1 3 2 0 0 .600 Morgan 2b 4 3 3 5 1 1 .750 Watson 1b 5 1 1 1 0 1 .200 Foster lf 5 2 2 0 0 1 .400 Ferguson c 4 1 1 2 0 3 .250 Driessen 1b 4 2 2 0 1 1 .500 Howe 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .250 Bench c 5 0 2 2 0 2 .400 Metzger ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Concepcion ss 4 0 1 1 1 2 .250 Bergman ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Geronimo cf 4 0 2 1 1 1 .500 Richard p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Seaver p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Pentz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Borbon p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Walling ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 Collins ph 1 1 1 1 1 0 1.000 Dixon p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Murray p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Sambito p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Bair p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Howard ph 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 Tomlin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 38 9 12 9 2 7 Totals 37 11 16 10 7 11 Time of Game: 2:53 Attendance: 52,378 Left on Base: Astros 5, Reds 9 DP: Astros 0, Reds 0 Errors: Cruz, Howe Doubles: Cruz (1), Howe (1), Geronimo (1), Rose (1), Morgan 2 (2), Foster (1) Home Runs: Puhl (1), Cedeno (1), Ferguson (1), Morgan (1) Stolen Bases: Cedeno (1), Cabell (1), Driessen (1), Morgan (1), Griffey (1) Caught Stealing: Concepcion (1), Foster (1) Hit by Pitch: Howard (1,by Murray) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Richard L(0-1) 4.2 11 7 7 3 8 1 26 13.50 Pentz 1.1 2 2 1 3 1 0 10 6.75 Dixon 0 3 2 2 1 0 0 4 0.00 Sambito 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0.00 Totals 8 16 11 10 7 11 1 44 Reds IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Seaver 3 6 5 5 0 3 3 15 15.00 Borbon W(1-0) 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.00 Murray 3.2 3 4 4 1 4 0 16 9.82 Bair 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.00 Tomlin SV(1) 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.00 Totals 9 12 9 9 2 7 3 41 Passed Balls: Ferguson (1) Hit by Pitch: Murray (1) Wild Pitches: Richard (1) Balks: Richard (1) Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Terry Tata ASTROS 1ST: Puhl homered; Cabell struck out; Cedeno singled; Cedeno stole second; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Reds 0. REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffey struck out; Morgan homered; Foster grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Reds 1. ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson struck out; Howe popped to second; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Reds 1. REDS 2ND: Driessen grounded out (second to first); Bench singled to center; Concepcion struck out; 33 minute rain delay; Geronimo doubled to left [Bench to third]; Seaver struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 1, Reds 1. ASTROS 3RD: Richard struck out; Puhl flied out to left; Cabell flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Reds 1. REDS 3RD: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); 31 minute rain delay; Griffey walked; Ferguson allowed a passed ball [Griffey to second]; Morgan struck out; Foster struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Reds 1. ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno homered; 38 minute rain delay; Cruz doubled to left; Watson singled to left [Cruz scored]; Ferguson homered [Watson scored]; BORBON REPLACED SEAVER (PITCHING); Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger flied out to center; Richard flied out to center; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 1. REDS 4TH: Driessen singled to left; Driessen stole second; Bench struck out; Concepcion singled to center [Driessen scored]; Concepcion was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Geronimo struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 2. ASTROS 5TH: Puhl singled to center; Cabell forced Puhl (shortstop to second); Cabell stole second; Cedeno flied out to left; Cruz singled to left [Cabell out at home (left to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 2. REDS 5TH: COLLINS BATTED FOR BORBON; Collins singled to second; Rose doubled to left [Collins to third]; Griffey was credited with a single when a runner was hit by the batted ball to shortstop [Rose out at third (shortstop unassisted), Collins stayed at third]; Morgan doubled [Collins scored, Griffey scored]; Richard threw a wild pitch [Morgan to third]; Richard balked [Morgan scored]; Foster doubled to left; Driessen walked; Bench struck out; Concepcion walked [Foster to third, Driessen to second]; Geronimo singled to pitcher [Foster scored, Driessen to third, Concepcion to second]; PENTZ REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Collins walked [Driessen scored, Concepcion to third, Geronimo to second]; Rose grounded out (first to pitcher); 5 R, 6 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 7. ASTROS 6TH: MURRAY REPLACED COLLINS (PITCHING); Watson struck out; Ferguson struck out; Howe popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 7. REDS 6TH: Griffey popped to shortstop; Morgan walked; Morgan stole second; Foster reached on an error by Howe [Morgan stayed at second, Foster to first]; Joe Morgan escaped rundown back to 2B; Driessen singled to catcher [Morgan to third, Foster to second]; Bench singled to center [Morgan scored (unearned), Foster scored, Driessen to second]; Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first) [Driessen to third, Bench to second]; Geronimo was walked intentionally; Murray struck out; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 9. ASTROS 7TH: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); WALLING BATTED FOR PENTZ; Walling singled to left; Puhl forced Walling (second to shortstop); Cabell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 9. REDS 7TH: DIXON REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Rose walked; Griffey singled to right [Rose to third (error by Cruz)]; Griffey stole second; Morgan doubled [Rose scored, Griffey scored]; Foster singled to left [Morgan to third]; SAMBITO REPLACED DIXON (PITCHING); Driessen struck out while Foster was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop) [Morgan out at home (shortstop to third to shortstop)]; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 11. ASTROS 8TH: KNIGHT REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); Cedeno flied out to left; Cruz grounded out (second to first); Watson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 11. REDS 8TH: Bench lined to third; Concepcion struck out; Geronimo popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 5, Reds 11. ASTROS 9TH: Ferguson struck out; Howe doubled to left; BERGMAN BATTED FOR METZGER; Bergman grounded out (first unassisted) [Howe to third]; HOWARD BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Howard was hit by a pitch; Puhl walked [Howard to second]; Cabell singled to right [Howe scored, Howard to third, Puhl to second]; BAIR REPLACED MURRAY (PITCHING); Cedeno walked [Howard scored, Puhl to third, Cabell to second]; TOMLIN REPLACED BAIR (PITCHING); Cruz singled to left [Puhl scored, Cabell scored, Cedeno to second]; Watson forced Cruz (shortstop to second); 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 9, Reds 11.

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