The Mets swept a doubleheader from the Astros, 7-4 and 5-4, as John Stearns drove in four runs in the first game and a pinch-double by Joel Youngblood plated the winning tally in the 11th inning of the nightcap. After the Astros picked up a run in their first turn at bat in the opener, the Mets retaliated with three on a triple by Steve Henderson, a bunt single by Stearns and a homer by Willie Montanez. New York got four more in the second on a triple by Doug Flynn, walk to Elliott Maddox, RBI double by Tim Foli, walk to Henderson and three-run double by Stearns.

In the second game, after rookie catcher Bruce Bochy put the Astros ahead, 4-3, with his first major league homer in the seventh inning, the Mets tied the contest in the eighth on singles by Foli, Lee Mazzilli and Montanez. In the bottom of the 11th, Montanez stroked a one-out single and Youngblood then doubled him home. [The Sporting News]

New York Mets 7, Houston Astros 4 (Game 1)

Game Played on Thursday, July 20, 1978 (Day game) at Shea Stadium

Astros 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 4 11 0 Mets 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 x - 7 11 0 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Mets AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Landestoy ss 4 0 3 2 1 0 .295 Maddox cf,rf 3 1 1 0 2 0 .274 Puhl cf 5 1 1 0 0 1 .296 Foli ss 4 1 2 1 0 0 .237 Cabell 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .287 S. Henderson lf 3 2 1 0 1 0 .260 Cruz rf 4 1 1 2 0 0 .277 Stearns c 4 1 2 4 0 0 .275 Watson 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .286 Montanez 1b 3 1 1 2 1 0 .265 Howe 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .292 Grieve rf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .236 Bergman lf 4 1 4 0 0 0 .254 Youngblood pr,cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .245 Pujols c 2 1 0 0 0 0 .141 Randle 3b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .234 Howard ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Flynn 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .252 Bannister p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .130 Bruhert p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .095 Zamora p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Boisclair ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .241 Sexton ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .165 Lockwood p 1 0 1 0 0 0 .222 McLaughlin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Walling ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .228 Totals 35 4 11 4 1 3 Totals 32 7 11 7 5 1 Time of Game: 2:32 Left on Base: Astros 7, Mets 6 DP: Astros 2, Mets 1 Doubles: Bergman (1), Foli (13), Stearns (13), Maddox (10), Lockwood (1) Triples: Cabell (3), S. Henderson (4), Flynn (3) Home Runs: Cruz (6), Montanez (13) Stolen Bases: Stearns (13) Caught Stealing: Landestoy (2), Flynn (3) Sacrifice Hits: Bannister (5) GIDP: Puhl (8), S. Henderson (12) Hit by Pitch: Pujols (1,by Bruhert) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Bannister L(3-6) 1.2 6 7 7 3 0 1 14 4.34 Zamora 4.1 4 0 0 1 1 0 16 7.43 McLaughlin 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 7 3.15 Totals 8 11 7 7 5 1 1 37 Mets IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Bruhert W(2-5) 6 8 4 4 1 0 1 26 5.08 Lockwood SV(12) 3 3 0 0 0 3 0 12 3.33 Totals 9 11 4 4 1 3 1 38 Hit by Pitch: Bruhert (1) Wild Pitches: Bruhert (5) Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Eric Gregg ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled to center; Puhl singled to center [Landestoy to second]; Cabell forced Landestoy (third unassisted) [Puhl to second]; Bruhert threw a wild pitch [Puhl to third, Cabell to second]; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted) [Puhl scored, Cabell to third]; Watson grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Mets 0. METS 1ST: Maddox flied out to left; Foli grounded out (shortstop to first); S. Henderson tripled to right; Stearns singled to center [S. Henderson scored]; Stearns stole second; Montanez homered [Stearns scored]; Grieve grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Mets 3. ASTROS 2ND: Howe flied out to left; Bergman singled to left; Pujols was hit by a pitch [Bergman to second]; Bannister out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Bergman to third, Pujols to second]; Landestoy singled to center [Bergman scored, Pujols scored]; Landestoy was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 3, Mets 3. METS 2ND: Randle flied out to right; Flynn tripled to right; Bruhert grounded out (shortstop to first); Maddox walked; Foli doubled to left [Flynn scored, Maddox to third]; S. Henderson walked; Stearns doubled to left [Maddox scored, Foli scored, S. Henderson scored]; Montanez walked; ZAMORA REPLACED BANNISTER (PITCHING); Grieve struck out; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 3, Mets 7. ASTROS 3RD: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cabell tripled to right; Cruz popped to third in foul territory; Watson lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 3, Mets 7. METS 3RD: Randle popped to shortstop; Flynn popped to second; Bruhert flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 3, Mets 7. ASTROS 4TH: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Bergman singled to left; Pujols lined to right; Zamora grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 3, Mets 7. METS 4TH: Maddox doubled; Foli lined into a double play (shortstop to second) [Maddox out at second]; S. Henderson flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 3, Mets 7. ASTROS 5TH: Landestoy walked; Puhl grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Landestoy out at second]; Cabell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 3, Mets 7. METS 5TH: Stearns grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez flied out to center; Grieve singled to left; YOUNGBLOOD RAN FOR GRIEVE; Randle singled to center [Youngblood to third]; Flynn flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 3, Mets 7. ASTROS 6TH: MADDOX CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); YOUNGBLOOD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Cruz homered; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe grounded out (third to first); Bergman singled to center; Pujols grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Mets 7. METS 6TH: BOISCLAIR BATTED FOR BRUHERT; Boisclair lined to left; Maddox walked; Foli singled to center [Maddox to second]; S. Henderson grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Foli out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Mets 7. ASTROS 7TH: LOCKWOOD REPLACED BOISCLAIR (PITCHING); SEXTON BATTED FOR ZAMORA; Sexton struck out; Landestoy grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 4, Mets 7. METS 7TH: MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED SEXTON (PITCHING); Stearns made an out to shortstop; Montanez flied out to left; Youngblood flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 4, Mets 7. ASTROS 8TH: Cabell flied out to right; Cruz flied out to center; Watson singled to shortstop; Howe forced Watson (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Mets 7. METS 8TH: Randle walked; Flynn forced Randle (shortstop to second); Flynn was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Lockwood doubled to center; Maddox grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Mets 7. ASTROS 9TH: Bergman doubled; HOWARD BATTED FOR PUJOLS; Howard flied out to left; WALLING BATTED FOR MCLAUGHLIN; Walling struck out; Landestoy singled to shortstop [Bergman stayed at second]; Puhl struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 4, Mets 7.

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