Making his first N. L. start, Pete Vuckovich pitched a five-hitter and posted a 2-1 victory to give the Cardinals a split of a twi-night doubleheader with the Astros, who won the first game, 5-2. Three unearned runs in the first inning enabled the Astros to gain their decision in the opener. With one out, Jimmy Sexton and Enos Cabell singled. Roger Freed, playing first base, dropped a foul by Bob Watson for an error. Getting new life at the plate, Watson walked. Sexton scored on a passed ball by Steve Swisher. After Jesus Alou flied out, Art Howe singled, driving in Cabell and Watson.

In the nightcap, Ted Simmons homered for the Cards in the fourth and their other run followed in the fifth on a double by Jerry Morales, single by Ken Reitz and sacrifice fly by Mike Phillips. Ed Herrmann doubled for the Astros in the sixth and scored their run on an infield out and a sacrifice by Terry Puhl. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 5, St. Louis Cardinals 2 (Game 1)

Game Played on Saturday, June 3, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome

Cardinals 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 - 2 6 1 Astros 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 x - 5 10 0 Cardinals AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Mumphrey lf 4 1 0 0 1 0 .162 Puhl cf 3 0 1 0 1 0 .321 Templeton ss 5 1 2 0 0 1 .225 Sexton ss 4 1 2 0 1 1 .206 Hendrick cf 4 0 0 0 1 1 .237 Cabell 3b 5 1 1 0 0 1 .289 Freed 1b 2 0 1 0 2 1 .243 Watson 1b 2 1 1 1 1 1 .263 Morales rf 2 0 1 2 1 0 .225 Bergman 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .111 Reitz 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .253 Alou lf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Tyson 2b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .265 Walling pr,lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .206 Phillips ph,2b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .281 Howe 2b 4 0 1 2 0 3 .281 Swisher c 3 0 2 0 0 0 .278 Cruz rf 2 1 0 0 2 2 .279 Hernandez ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .291 Baldwin c 4 0 2 1 0 0 .167 Schultz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Bannister p 2 1 1 0 0 0 .182 Falcone p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .300 Forsch p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .167 Dwyer ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .214 Urrea p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .067 Scott ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .228 Littell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Simmons ph,c 1 0 0 0 0 0 .335 Totals 32 2 6 2 6 7 Totals 30 5 10 4 5 9 Time of Game: 2:51 Left on Base: Cardinals 10, Astros 10 DP: Cardinals 0, Astros 0 Errors: Freed Doubles: Morales (9), Puhl (7), Baldwin (1) Sacrifice Hits: Bannister (2), Alou (2) Sacrifice Flies: Morales (3), Watson (5) Hit by Pitch: Puhl (1,by Falcone) Cardinals IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Falcone L(0-4) 2 5 3 0 1 1 0 12 5.40 Urrea 3 4 2 2 4 2 0 17 5.31 Littell 2 1 0 0 0 5 0 7 3.07 Schultz 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 2.93 Totals 8 10 5 2 5 9 0 39 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Bannister W(2-3) 6.1 6 2 2 6 5 0 31 2.70 Forsch SV(2) 2.2 0 0 0 0 2 0 8 3.22 Totals 9 6 2 2 6 7 0 39 Passed Balls: Swisher (1) Hit by Pitch: Falcone (2) Wild Pitches: Urrea 2 (5), Littell (4) Umpires: HP - Ed Montague, 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Dutch Rennert CARDINALS 1ST: Mumphrey grounded out (third to first); Templeton struck out; Hendrick walked; Freed walked [Hendrick to second]; Morales forced Hendrick (third unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cardinals 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Sexton singled to right; Cabell singled to right [Sexton to third]; Freed dropped a foul fly hit by Watson for an error; Watson walked [Cabell to second]; Swisher allowed a passed ball [Sexton scored (unearned), Cabell to third, Watson to second]; Alou flied out to center; Howe singled to left [Cabell scored (unearned), Watson scored (unearned)]; Cruz struck out; 3 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Cardinals 0, Astros 3. CARDINALS 2ND: Reitz grounded out (shortstop to first); Tyson grounded out (third to first); Swisher flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cardinals 0, Astros 3. ASTROS 2ND: Baldwin singled to center; Bannister out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Baldwin to second]; Puhl was hit by a pitch; Sexton singled to left [Baldwin out at home (left to catcher), Puhl to second]; Cabell flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cardinals 0, Astros 3. CARDINALS 3RD: DWYER BATTED FOR FALCONE; Dwyer walked; Mumphrey forced Dwyer (shortstop to second); Templeton singled to left [Mumphrey to second]; Hendrick struck out; Freed struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cardinals 0, Astros 3. ASTROS 3RD: URREA REPLACED DWYER (PITCHING); Watson singled to left; Urrea threw a wild pitch [Watson to second]; Alou out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Watson to third]; Howe struck out; Cruz was walked intentionally; Baldwin grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cardinals 0, Astros 3. CARDINALS 4TH: Morales walked; Reitz popped to third in foul territory; Tyson struck out; Swisher singled to left [Morales to second]; Urrea grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cardinals 0, Astros 3. ASTROS 4TH: Bannister singled to left; Puhl doubled to left [Bannister to third]; Sexton walked; Cabell made an out to shortstop; Watson hit a sacrifice fly to center [Bannister scored]; Alou flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cardinals 0, Astros 4. CARDINALS 5TH: Mumphrey walked; Templeton popped to first in foul territory; Hendrick popped to first in foul territory; Freed walked [Mumphrey to second]; Morales doubled to right [Mumphrey scored, Freed to third]; Reitz flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cardinals 1, Astros 4. ASTROS 5TH: Howe struck out; Cruz walked; Urrea threw a wild pitch [Cruz to second]; Baldwin doubled to right [Cruz scored]; Bannister grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl was walked intentionally; Sexton flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cardinals 1, Astros 5. CARDINALS 6TH: Tyson struck out; Swisher singled to left; SCOTT BATTED FOR URREA; Scott made an out to second; Mumphrey flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cardinals 1, Astros 5. ASTROS 6TH: LITTELL REPLACED SCOTT (PITCHING); Cabell struck out; Watson struck out; Alou singled to right; WALLING RAN FOR ALOU; Littell threw a wild pitch [Walling to second]; Howe struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cardinals 1, Astros 5. CARDINALS 7TH: WALLING STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); BERGMAN REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); Templeton singled to right; Hendrick made an out to second; Freed singled to center [Templeton to third]; FORSCH REPLACED BANNISTER (PITCHING); Morales hit a sacrifice fly to center [Templeton scored]; Reitz flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cardinals 2, Astros 5. ASTROS 7TH: Cruz struck out; Baldwin made an out to first; Forsch struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cardinals 2, Astros 5. CARDINALS 8TH: PHILLIPS BATTED FOR TYSON; Phillips struck out; HERNANDEZ BATTED FOR SWISHER; Hernandez struck out; SIMMONS BATTED FOR LITTELL; Simmons grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cardinals 2, Astros 5. ASTROS 8TH: SIMMONS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); SCHULTZ REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PITCHING); PHILLIPS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Puhl grounded out (second to first); Sexton struck out; Cabell grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cardinals 2, Astros 5. CARDINALS 9TH: Mumphrey flied out to left; Templeton grounded out (third to first); Hendrick flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cardinals 2, Astros 5.

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