Jesus Alou drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Astros outlasted the Dodgers, 11-10, in a wild slugfest. The decisive tally resulted when Art Howe opened the frame with a double. Jimmy Sexton ran for Howe and moved to third on Wilbur Howard's infield out. Alou then rapped a bouncer to second baseman Davey Lopes, but Sexton beat the throw to the plate.

The Dodgers had tied the game in the seventh with four runs after two were out and nobody on. Dusty Baker's single and two walks loaded the bases. Pinch-hitter Lee Lacy, Lopes and Bill Russell then followed with consecutive singles. The Astros had scored five runs in the fourth despite having two outs and no runners aboard. Bob Watson slammed a double after two walks and Howe blasted a three-run homer after another walk. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 11, Los Angeles Dodgers 10

Game Played on Wednesday, April 12, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome

Dodgers 2 1 0 0 3 0 4 0 0 - 10 14 0 Astros 0 0 3 5 2 0 0 0 1 - 11 15 0 Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Lopes 2b 4 1 2 1 2 0 .208 Puhl lf 4 1 1 0 1 1 .259 Russell ss 6 0 1 1 0 0 .214 Cabell 3b 5 1 3 1 0 1 .290 Smith rf 4 2 1 0 1 1 .320 Cedeno cf 4 3 3 1 1 0 .345 Cey 3b 5 1 2 2 0 0 .360 Cruz rf 4 1 1 1 1 1 .321 Garvey 1b 5 1 2 1 0 0 .385 Watson 1b 5 2 2 3 0 1 .296 Baker lf 4 1 2 1 0 0 .375 Ferguson c 4 1 1 1 1 2 .231 Monday cf 4 2 2 2 1 0 .364 Howe 2b 5 1 3 3 0 0 .240 Grote c 3 1 0 0 2 1 .000 Sexton pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 Sutton p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Metzger ss 3 0 1 0 1 0 .111 Hough p 1 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 Howard ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .500 Davalillo ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Niekro p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Garman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Pentz p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Lacy ph 1 1 1 2 0 0 .500 Forsch p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Castillo p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Walling ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Sambito p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Alou ph 1 0 0 1 0 0 .667 Totals 40 10 14 10 6 2 Totals 39 11 15 11 5 6 Time of Game: 2:44 Attendance: 11,824 Left on Base: Dodgers 10, Astros 9 DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 0 Doubles: Smith (3), Garvey (2), Monday (3), Lopes (1), Cedeno 2 (2), Ferguson (1), Watson (2), Howe (3) Home Runs: Monday (2), Cabell (1), Howe (1) Stolen Bases: Garvey (1), Cedeno 2 (4) Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (1) Sacrifice Flies: Baker (1) Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Sutton 2.1 8 3 3 0 4 1 15 6.75 Hough 1.2 2 5 5 4 0 1 11 12.27 Garman 2 4 2 2 0 0 0 9 9.00 Castillo L(0-1) 2.1 1 1 1 1 2 0 10 2.08 Totals 8.1 15 11 11 5 6 2 45 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Niekro 4 7 6 6 4 0 1 23 11.00 Pentz 2.2 2 3 3 2 0 0 12 9.00 Forsch 0.1 3 1 1 0 1 0 4 11.57 Sambito W(1-0) 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 8 0.00 Totals 9 14 10 10 6 2 1 47 Balks: Garman (1) Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Dutch Rennert, 2B - Ed Montague, 3B - Lee Weyer DODGERS 1ST: Lopes walked; Russell flied out to left; Smith doubled to left [Lopes to third]; Cey singled to center [Lopes scored, Smith scored, Cey to second (on throw to home)]; Garvey flied out to center; Baker reached on a fielder's choice [Cey out at third (third unassisted)]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 2, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (third to first); Cabell singled to third; Cedeno doubled to left [Cabell to third]; Cruz struck out; Watson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 2, Astros 0. DODGERS 2ND: Monday homered; Grote walked; Sutton popped to first in foul territory; Lopes flied out to right; Russell flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 0. ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson struck out; Howe singled to left; Metzger singled to center [Howe to second]; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to first) [Howe to third, Metzger to second]; Puhl struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 0. DODGERS 3RD: Smith flied out to center; Cey flied out to center; Garvey singled to left; Garvey stole second; Baker flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 0. ASTROS 3RD: Cabell homered; Cedeno singled to center; Cedeno stole second; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted) [Cedeno to third]; Watson singled to left [Cedeno scored]; Ferguson doubled to left [Watson scored]; HOUGH REPLACED SUTTON (PITCHING); Howe flied out to center; Metzger walked; Niekro grounded out (third to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 3. DODGERS 4TH: Monday grounded out (shortstop to first); Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); Hough singled to left; Lopes walked [Hough to second]; Russell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 3. ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell flied out to center; Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Cruz walked; Watson doubled to left [Cedeno scored, Cruz scored]; Ferguson walked; Howe homered [Watson scored, Ferguson scored]; Metzger lined to center; 5 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 8. DODGERS 5TH: Smith walked; Cey singled to center [Smith to second]; Garvey doubled to left [Smith scored, Cey to third]; PENTZ REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Baker hit a sacrifice fly to right [Cey scored, Garvey to third]; Monday doubled to center [Garvey scored]; Grote flied out to right [Monday to third]; DAVALILLO BATTED FOR HOUGH; Davalillo grounded out (first unassisted); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 6, Astros 8. ASTROS 5TH: GARMAN REPLACED DAVALILLO (PITCHING); Pentz grounded out (first unassisted); Puhl singled to center; Cabell singled to right [Puhl to third]; Cedeno doubled to left [Puhl scored, Cabell out at home (left to shortstop to third to catcher), Cedeno to third (on throw to home)]; Cruz singled to left [Cedeno scored]; Garman balked [Cruz to second]; Watson grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 6, Astros 10. DODGERS 6TH: Lopes lined to shortstop; Russell flied out to left; Smith grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 6, Astros 10. ASTROS 6TH: Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 6, Astros 10. DODGERS 7TH: Cey flied out to left; Garvey grounded out (first to pitcher); Baker singled to right; Monday walked [Baker to second]; Grote walked [Baker to third, Monday to second]; LACY BATTED FOR GARMAN; FORSCH REPLACED PENTZ (PITCHING); Lacy singled to right [Baker scored, Monday scored, Grote to second]; Lopes singled to center [Grote scored, Lacy to second]; Russell singled to center [Lacy scored, Lopes to second]; Smith struck out; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 10, Astros 10. ASTROS 7TH: CASTILLO REPLACED LACY (PITCHING); WALLING BATTED FOR FORSCH; Walling flied out to left; Puhl walked; Cabell struck out; Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 10, Astros 10. DODGERS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Cey grounded out (first to pitcher); Garvey flied out to center; Baker singled to left; Monday flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 10, Astros 10. ASTROS 8TH: Cruz flied out to center; Watson grounded out (second to first); Ferguson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 10, Astros 10. DODGERS 9TH: Grote struck out; Castillo flied out to center; Lopes doubled to left; Russell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 10, Astros 10. ASTROS 9TH: Howe doubled to left; SEXTON RAN FOR HOWE; HOWARD BATTED FOR METZGER; Howard grounded out (second to first) [Sexton to third]; ALOU BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Alou reached on a fielder's choice [Sexton scored]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 10, Astros 11.

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