Joe Sambito allowed only one hit in four innings of relief and saved the victory for Joe Niekro as the Astros defeated the Mets, 7-4. Niekro was tagged for 10 hits before being lifted after Joel Youngblood doubled and scored on a single by Doug Flynn with none out in the sixth.

Mike Bruhert, who started for the Mets, also gave up 10 hits, but in only three innings of work, and was the victim of all seven of the Astros' runs. Enos Cabell accounted for three RBIs with a single and double. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 7, New York Mets 4

Game Played on Saturday, May 13, 1978 (Day game) at Shea Stadium

Astros 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 7 13 1 Mets 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 4 11 4 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Mets AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Puhl lf 5 2 3 1 0 1 .296 Randle 3b 5 0 1 0 0 2 .183 Cabell 3b 4 1 2 3 0 0 .250 Maddox rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .250 Cedeno cf 4 0 1 1 1 1 .277 Metzger p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Cruz rf 5 0 1 0 0 0 .276 Valentine ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .313 Watson 1b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .272 Mazzilli cf 4 1 2 0 1 2 .306 Bergman 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Montanez 1b 5 1 2 1 0 2 .209 Howe 2b 4 1 0 0 0 0 .269 S. Henderson lf 2 0 1 1 0 1 .232 Ferguson c 4 1 2 1 0 0 .226 Cornejo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Metzger ss 3 1 2 0 1 0 .243 Kranepool ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .185 Niekro p 3 1 1 1 0 0 .273 Siebert p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Sambito p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Grieve lf 1 0 0 0 1 0 .250 Stearns c 4 0 1 1 0 0 .240 Youngblood 2b 4 1 3 0 0 0 .321 Flynn ss 4 0 1 1 0 0 .244 Bruhert p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143 Boisclair ph,lf,rf 3 1 0 0 1 1 .197 Totals 37 7 13 7 2 3 Totals 36 4 11 4 5 9 Time of Game: 2:45 Attendance: 19,838 Left on Base: Astros 7, Mets 10 DP: Astros 2, Mets 2 Errors: Metzger, Montanez, Youngblood, Bruhert 2 Doubles: Cedeno (7), Metzger (3), Cabell (3), Ferguson (3), Youngblood (3) Triples: Youngblood (1) Stolen Bases: Cabell (4), Randle (5) Caught Stealing: Cedeno (2) Sacrifice Hits: Cabell (1), Sambito (1) GIDP: Howe (2), Flynn (5) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Niekro W(2-4) 5 10 4 4 3 4 0 26 6.94 Sambito SV(2) 4 1 0 0 2 5 0 15 1.29 Totals 9 11 4 4 5 9 0 41 Mets IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Bruhert L(1-3) 3 10 7 6 0 1 0 18 3.31 Cornejo 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 6 4.09 Siebert 1.1 1 0 0 1 0 0 7 1.42 Metzger 2.2 1 0 0 1 1 0 10 7.64 Totals 9 13 7 6 2 3 0 41 Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Charlie Williams, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Paul Pryor ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to left; Puhl was picked off first but was safe on an error by Bruhert [Puhl to third]; Cabell singled to right [Puhl scored]; Cabell stole second; Cedeno doubled to left [Cabell scored]; Cruz reached on an error by Youngblood [Cedeno to third, Cruz to first]; Watson struck out; Cedeno was caught stealing home (catcher to second to catcher) [Cruz out at third (catcher to shortstop)]; 2 R, 3 H, 2 E, 0 LOB. Astros 2, Mets 0. METS 1ST: Randle singled to second; Randle stole second; Maddox struck out; Mazzilli walked; Montanez lined into a double play (first unassisted) [Mazzilli out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 2, Mets 0. ASTROS 2ND: Howe grounded out (second to first); Ferguson singled to center; Metzger doubled to right [Ferguson to third]; Niekro singled to center [Ferguson scored, Metzger to third]; Puhl singled to left [Metzger scored, Niekro to second]; Cabell doubled to right [Niekro scored, Puhl scored, Cabell out at third (right to shortstop to third to shortstop)]; Cedeno grounded out (first unassisted); 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 6, Mets 0. METS 2ND: S. Henderson struck out; Stearns flied out to right; Youngblood tripled to center; Flynn flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 6, Mets 0. ASTROS 3RD: Cruz flied out to center; Watson grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first); Howe reached on an error by Bruhert [Howe to second]; Ferguson doubled to right [Howe scored (unearned)]; Metzger singled to second [Ferguson stayed at second]; Niekro forced Metzger (second to shortstop); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 0. METS 3RD: BOISCLAIR BATTED FOR BRUHERT; Boisclair walked; Randle was called out on strikes; Maddox flied out to left; Mazzilli singled to right [Boisclair to third]; Montanez singled to center [Boisclair scored, Mazzilli to third]; S. Henderson singled to right [Mazzilli scored, Montanez to second]; Stearns singled to left [Montanez scored, S. Henderson to second]; S. Henderson was picked off second (pitcher to shortstop); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 3. ASTROS 4TH: BOISCLAIR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); CORNEJO REPLACED S. HENDERSON (PITCHING); Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 3. METS 4TH: Youngblood singled to left; Flynn grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Youngblood out at second]; Boisclair flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 3. ASTROS 5TH: Cruz flied out to left; Watson singled to center; Howe grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Watson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 3. METS 5TH: Randle reached on an error by Metzger [Randle to first]; Maddox popped to first in foul territory; Mazzilli singled to left [Randle to second]; Montanez struck out; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR CORNEJO; Kranepool walked [Randle to third, Mazzilli to second]; Stearns popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 3. ASTROS 6TH: SIEBERT REPLACED KRANEPOOL (PITCHING); Ferguson grounded out (third to first); Metzger popped to second in foul territory; Niekro flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 3. METS 6TH: Youngblood doubled to center; Flynn singled to center [Youngblood scored]; SAMBITO REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Boisclair struck out; Randle struck out; Maddox popped to first in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 4. ASTROS 7TH: Puhl singled to right; Cabell out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Puhl to second]; Cedeno walked; Cruz reached on an error by Montanez [Puhl to third, Cedeno to second, Cruz to first]; METZGER REPLACED MADDOX (PITCHING); GRIEVE REPLACED SIEBERT (PLAYING LF); BOISCLAIR CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Watson popped to first in foul territory; Howe forced Puhl (third unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 4. METS 7TH: Mazzilli struck out; Montanez was called out on strikes; Grieve walked; Stearns grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 4. ASTROS 8TH: Ferguson flied out to right; Metzger walked; Sambito out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Metzger to second]; Puhl was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 4. METS 8TH: Youngblood flied out to center; Flynn flied out to center; Boisclair popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 4. ASTROS 9TH: Cabell flied out to right; Cedeno flied out to right; Cruz singled to center; Watson flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 4. METS 9TH: BERGMAN REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); Randle grounded out (pitcher to first); VALENTINE BATTED FOR METZGER; Valentine walked; Mazzilli struck out; Montanez singled to left [Valentine to second]; Grieve flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 7, Mets 4.

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