A triple play in the ninth inning cut off a potential Dodger rally and enabled the Astros to post an 8-6 victory. After Bill Russell and Reggie Smith singled to open the frame, Ron Cey lined to Bob Watson, who stepped on first base to double Smith and then threw to Roger Metzger at second to catch Russell off the bag for the third out.

Joe Ferguson provided the winning blow for the Astros, hitting a homer with two men on base in the eighth inning. The Dodgers had homers by Rick Monday and Davey Lopes. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 6

Game Played on Friday, April 21, 1978 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium

Astros 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 3 0 - 8 10 1 Dodgers 1 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 - 6 11 1 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Puhl lf,cf 4 0 1 0 1 0 .254 Lopes 2b 4 2 2 2 0 2 .286 Cabell 3b 5 0 1 0 0 0 .297 Martinez ss 2 0 0 0 1 2 .000 Cedeno cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .304 Mota ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Bergman ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Russell pr,ss 1 1 1 0 0 0 .200 Pentz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Smith rf 4 0 1 0 1 1 .306 Forsch p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Cey 3b 3 0 2 2 1 0 .380 Cruz rf 4 2 2 0 1 1 .315 Garvey 1b 4 0 2 1 0 0 .327 Watson 1b 3 2 1 1 1 0 .314 Baker lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .300 Ferguson c 3 1 1 3 1 0 .222 Castillo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Howe 2b 4 2 1 0 0 0 .302 Monday cf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .409 Metzger ss 3 1 1 1 0 0 .233 Grote c 3 0 1 0 1 0 .167 Richard p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .125 Rhoden p 0 1 0 0 1 0 .167 Walling ph 1 0 1 1 0 0 .286 Garman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Dixon p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Davalillo ph,lf 2 1 0 0 0 0 .286 Howard ph,lf 2 0 1 1 0 0 .444 Totals 35 8 10 7 4 2 Totals 31 6 11 6 6 6 Time of Game: 2:59 Attendance: 44,867 Left on Base: Astros 5, Dodgers 7 DP: Astros 2, Dodgers 1 Errors: Howe, Lopes Doubles: Watson (6), Cabell (2) Home Runs: Ferguson (4), Monday (7), Lopes (2) Stolen Bases: Cruz (2) Caught Stealing: Martinez (1) Sacrifice Hits: Metzger (1), Rhoden (1), Lopes (1) Sacrifice Flies: Cey (1) GIDP: Cabell (2), Garvey (2), Monday (1) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Richard 4 5 4 4 4 5 2 20 4.91 Dixon 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 4.50 Pentz 0.1 0 2 0 2 0 0 4 5.56 Forsch W(1-0) 2.2 4 0 0 0 1 0 10 4.91 Totals 9 11 6 4 6 6 2 40 Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Rhoden 6.1 7 5 4 1 1 0 27 2.82 Garman 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 4.05 Castillo L(0-2) 2 2 3 3 3 1 1 10 4.32 Totals 9 10 8 7 4 2 1 40 Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Terry Tata ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 0. DODGERS 1ST: Lopes singled to left; Martinez walked [Lopes to second]; Smith struck out; Cey singled to left [Lopes scored, Martinez to second]; Martinez was picked off and caught stealing third (pitcher to second to third) [Cey to second]; Garvey grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 1. ASTROS 2ND: Cruz struck out; Watson grounded out (pitcher to first); Ferguson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 1. DODGERS 2ND: Baker grounded out (pitcher to second to first); Monday homered; Grote grounded out (pitcher to first); Rhoden walked; Lopes homered [Rhoden scored]; Martinez struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 4. ASTROS 3RD: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger lined to shortstop; Richard popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 4. DODGERS 3RD: Smith popped to third in foul territory; Cey walked; Garvey singled to left [Cey to third]; Baker struck out; Monday grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 4. ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cedeno lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 4. DODGERS 4TH: Grote walked; Rhoden out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Grote to second]; Lopes was called out on strikes; Martinez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 4. ASTROS 5TH: Cruz singled to center; Watson doubled to right [Cruz scored]; Ferguson walked; Howe forced Ferguson (shortstop to second) [Watson to third]; Metzger singled to right [Watson scored, Howe to second]; WALLING BATTED FOR RICHARD; Walling singled to right [Howe scored, Metzger to third]; Puhl reached on an error by Lopes [Metzger scored (unearned) (no RBI), Walling to second, Puhl to first]; Cabell grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Puhl out at second]; 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Dodgers 4. DODGERS 5TH: DIXON REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Smith flied out to left; Cey singled to left; Garvey grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Cey out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 4, Dodgers 4. ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno popped to third in foul territory; Cruz singled to left; Watson flied out to right; Ferguson popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Dodgers 4. DODGERS 6TH: Baker singled to second; Monday grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Baker out at second]; Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 4, Dodgers 4. ASTROS 7TH: Howe singled to left; Metzger out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Howe to second]; HOWARD BATTED FOR DIXON; Howard singled to right [Howe scored]; GARMAN REPLACED RHODEN (PITCHING); Puhl singled to third [Howard to second]; Cabell forced Puhl (third to second) [Howard to third]; BERGMAN BATTED FOR CEDENO; Bergman flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 5, Dodgers 4. DODGERS 7TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); PUHL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); PENTZ REPLACED BERGMAN (PITCHING); DAVALILLO BATTED FOR GARMAN; Davalillo reached on an error by Howe [Davalillo to first]; Lopes out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Davalillo to second]; MOTA BATTED FOR MARTINEZ; Mota walked; RUSSELL RAN FOR MOTA; Smith walked [Davalillo to third, Russell to second]; FORSCH REPLACED PENTZ (PITCHING); Cey hit a sacrifice fly to center [Davalillo scored (unearned), Russell to third]; Garvey singled to right [Russell scored (unearned), Smith to second]; Baker flied out to left; 2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Astros 5, Dodgers 6. ASTROS 8TH: DAVALILLO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); RUSSELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); CASTILLO REPLACED BAKER (PITCHING); Cruz walked; Cruz stole second; Watson walked; Ferguson homered [Cruz scored, Watson scored]; Howe flied out to center; Metzger grounded out (catcher to first); Howard flied out to left; 3 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 8, Dodgers 6. DODGERS 8TH: Monday grounded out (second to first); Grote singled to left; Davalillo flied out to center; Lopes struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 8, Dodgers 6. ASTROS 9TH: Puhl walked; Puhl was picked off first (catcher to first); Cabell doubled to right; Forsch was called out on strikes; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 8, Dodgers 6. DODGERS 9TH: Russell singled to left; Smith singled to right [Russell to second]; Cey hit into a triple play (first to first to shortstop) [Russell out at third, Smith out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 8, Dodgers 6.

The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet.
Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org".