A two-hitter by Joe Niekro carried the Astros to their seventh straight victory, a 4-1 triumph over the Giants. The Astros broke the scoreless tie in the fifth on singles by Bob Watson and Julio Gonzalez, a double steal and a two-run single by Dave Bergman. Jose Cruz had an RBI single in the sixth and Gonzalez a run-scoring single in the eighth. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 4, San Francisco Giants 1

Game Played on Monday, July 31, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome

Giants 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 2 0 Astros 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 x - 4 8 0 Giants AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Madlock 2b 3 0 0 1 0 0 .303 Landestoy ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .286 Whitfield lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .307 Puhl cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .292 Dwyer pr,lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .218 Cabell 3b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .294 Clark rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .308 Cruz rf 4 1 2 1 0 0 .291 Evans 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .257 Watson 1b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .290 Ivie 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .311 Walling lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .226 Herndon cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .290 Howe 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .283 Metzger ss 3 1 1 0 0 0 .269 Gonzalez 2b 4 1 2 1 0 0 .246 Hill c 1 0 0 0 2 0 .240 Bergman lf,1b 3 0 1 2 1 0 .240 Halicki p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .086 Pujols c 3 0 0 0 0 2 .143 McCovey ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .225 Niekro p 3 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Minton p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 27 1 2 1 2 1 Totals 32 4 8 4 2 2 Time of Game: 2:08 Attendance: 12,900 Left on Base: Giants 4, Astros 6 DP: Giants 0, Astros 0 Doubles: Cabell (20), Cruz (19) Stolen Bases: Watson (3), Gonzalez 2 (2), Cruz (18) Sacrifice Hits: Halicki (7) Sacrifice Flies: Madlock (2) Hit by Pitch: Whitfield (2,by Niekro) Giants IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Halicki L(5-5) 7 6 3 3 2 2 0 29 3.03 Minton 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 5 3.86 Totals 8 8 4 4 2 2 0 34 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Niekro W(8-8) 9 2 1 1 2 1 0 32 4.55 Totals 9 2 1 1 2 1 0 32 Passed Balls: Pujols (6) Hit by Pitch: Niekro (6) Balks: Halicki (3) Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Eric Gregg GIANTS 1ST: Madlock grounded out (third to first); Whitfield was hit by a pitch; Pujols allowed a passed ball [Whitfield to second]; Terry Whitfield and Art Howe colide at 2B with both suffering lacerations to forehead & Howe with loose teeth and fractured jaw; GONZALEZ REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 2B); DWYER RAN FOR WHITFIELD; Clark flied out to left; Evans flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: DWYER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Landestoy made an out to shortstop; Puhl flied out to right; Cabell flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. GIANTS 2ND: Ivie flied out to center; Herndon grounded out (third to first); Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 2ND: Cruz made an out to shortstop; Watson flied out to center; Gonzalez grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. GIANTS 3RD: Hill walked; Halicki out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Hill to second]; Madlock flied out to left; Dwyer popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 3RD: Bergman flied out to center; Pujols flied to left in foul territory; Niekro flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. GIANTS 4TH: Clark struck out; Evans singled to center; Ivie made an out to first; Herndon forced Evans (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 4TH: Landestoy singled to center; Puhl grounded out (pitcher to first) [Landestoy to second]; Cabell flied out to right; Cruz flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. GIANTS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher); Hill grounded out (third to first); Halicki grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 5TH: Watson singled to right; Gonzalez singled to right [Watson to second]; Watson stole third and Gonzalez stole second; Bergman singled [Watson scored, Gonzalez scored, Bergman to second (on throw to home)]; Pujols struck out; Niekro flied out to left; Landestoy grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 2. GIANTS 6TH: Madlock grounded out (shortstop to first); Dwyer grounded out (second to first); Clark grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 2. ASTROS 6TH: Puhl flied out to center; Cabell doubled to center; Cruz singled [Cabell scored]; Cruz stole second; Watson was walked intentionally; Gonzalez flied out to center; Halicki balked [Cruz to third, Watson to second]; Bergman was walked intentionally; Pujols struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 3. GIANTS 7TH: Evans grounded out (first to pitcher); Ivie flied out to right; Herndon flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 3. ASTROS 7TH: Niekro grounded out (third to first); Landestoy flied out to center; Puhl grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 3. GIANTS 8TH: Metzger singled; Hill walked [Metzger to second]; MCCOVEY BATTED FOR HALICKI; McCovey flied out to center [Metzger to third]; Madlock hit a sacrifice fly to center [Metzger scored]; Dwyer flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 1, Astros 3. ASTROS 8TH: MINTON REPLACED MCCOVEY (PITCHING); Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cruz doubled to left; Watson grounded out (second to first) [Cruz to third]; Gonzalez singled to center [Cruz scored]; Gonzalez stole second; Bergman flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 1, Astros 4. GIANTS 9TH: WALLING REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING LF); BERGMAN CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Clark flied out to center; Evans flied out to right; Ivie grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 1, Astros 4.

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