Vern Ruhle pitched a four-hit shutout for his first N. L. victory as the Astros swept a twi-night doubleheader with the Braves, 5-3 and 7-0. The opening-game decision went to Joe Niekro, who came out a winner when the Astros broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run double by Denny Walling in the sixth inning. Bob Watson and Dave Bergman singled and Luis Pujols walked before Walling delivered his decisive double as a pinch-hitter for Mike Fischlin.

In the nightcap, Ruhle singled for his first major league hit to deliver one of the Astros' three runs in the fifth inning. Jose Cruz belted a two-run homer in the sixth and Jimmy Sexton added a solo swat in the ninth. Ruhle formerly was with the Tigers in the A. L. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 5, Atlanta Braves 3 (Game 1)

Game Played on Saturday, August 5, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Astros 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 - 5 6 0 Braves 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 - 3 7 1 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Braves AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Puhl cf 4 1 0 0 0 1 .290 Royster ss 3 0 0 1 1 0 .277 Gonzalez 2b 3 1 0 0 1 0 .257 Office cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .258 Cabell 3b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .288 Gaston ph 1 0 1 1 0 0 .216 Cruz rf 3 0 0 1 1 0 .293 Ruiz pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Watson 1b 3 1 2 1 1 0 .293 Easterly p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Bergman lf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .250 Nolan ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .235 Pujols c 3 1 0 0 1 3 .139 Matthews rf 3 1 0 0 1 1 .289 Fischlin ss 2 0 0 0 0 0 .128 Burroughs lf 3 0 1 1 1 0 .322 Walling ph 1 0 1 3 0 0 .230 Horner 3b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .279 Sexton ss 1 0 0 0 0 0 .160 Pocoroba c 4 1 1 0 0 0 .239 Niekro p 3 0 0 0 0 2 .231 Murphy 1b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .243 Sambito p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Gilbreath 2b 3 0 2 0 1 0 .251 Forsch p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .182 Hanna p 2 0 1 0 0 0 .190 Campbell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Skok p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286 Beall ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .236 Bonnell cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .234 Totals 33 5 6 5 4 8 Totals 32 3 7 3 5 4 Time of Game: 2:48 Left on Base: Astros 7, Braves 8 DP: Astros 1, Braves 0 Errors: Murphy Doubles: Walling (4), Burroughs (25) Sacrifice Hits: Gonzalez (2) Sacrifice Flies: Royster (2) GIDP: Pocoroba (15) Hit by Pitch: Puhl (3,by Campbell) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Niekro W(9-8) 6 5 3 3 4 0 0 26 4.55 Sambito 0.2 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 3.03 Forsch SV(4) 2.1 1 0 0 1 3 0 9 2.93 Totals 9 7 3 3 5 4 0 38 Braves IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Hanna L(7-10) 5.2 5 4 4 3 6 0 26 4.88 Campbell 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 6 4.69 Skok 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4.26 Easterly 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 6.00 Totals 9 6 5 5 4 8 0 39 Passed Balls: Pujols (7) Hit by Pitch: Campbell (2) Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - John McSherry, 3B - Paul Runge ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez walked; Cabell singled [Gonzalez to third]; Cruz reached on an error by Murphy [Gonzalez scored (RBI), Cabell to second, Cruz to first]; Watson walked [Cabell to third, Cruz to second]; Bergman flied out to left; Pujols struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 0. BRAVES 1ST: Royster flied out to center; Office grounded out (second to first); Matthews walked; Burroughs doubled [Matthews scored]; Horner grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 1. ASTROS 2ND: Fischlin flied out to center; Niekro was called out on strikes; Puhl was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 1. BRAVES 2ND: Pocoroba flied out to center; Murphy flied out to center; Gilbreath singled; Hanna singled [Gilbreath to second]; Royster flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 1. ASTROS 3RD: Gonzalez grounded out (third to first); Cabell flied out to right; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 1. BRAVES 3RD: Office grounded out (second to first); Matthews grounded out (shortstop to first); Burroughs flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 1. ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to right; Bergman singled; Pujols struck out; Fischlin grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 1. BRAVES 4TH: Horner walked; Pocoroba grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Horner out at second]; Murphy grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 1. ASTROS 5TH: Niekro struck out; Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Gonzalez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 1. BRAVES 5TH: Gilbreath grounded out (third to first); Hanna flied out to right; Royster walked; Office grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Braves 1. ASTROS 6TH: Cabell struck out; Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Watson singled; Bergman singled [Watson to second]; Pujols walked [Watson to third, Bergman to second]; WALLING BATTED FOR FISCHLIN; Walling doubled [Watson scored, Bergman scored, Pujols scored]; CAMPBELL REPLACED HANNA (PITCHING); Niekro flied out to right; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Braves 1. BRAVES 6TH: SEXTON REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING SS); Matthews flied out to right; Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to first); Horner grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 4, Braves 1. ASTROS 7TH: Puhl was hit by a pitch; Gonzalez out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Puhl to second]; Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); Cruz was walked intentionally; Watson singled [Puhl scored, Cruz to third]; SKOK REPLACED CAMPBELL (PITCHING); Bergman struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 5, Braves 1. BRAVES 7TH: Pocoroba singled; Murphy singled [Pocoroba to second]; Pujols allowed a passed ball [Pocoroba to third, Murphy to second]; Gilbreath walked; BEALL BATTED FOR SKOK; SAMBITO REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Beall was called out on strikes; Royster hit a sacrifice fly to right [Pocoroba scored]; GASTON BATTED FOR OFFICE; Gaston singled [Murphy scored, Gilbreath to second]; RUIZ RAN FOR GASTON; FORSCH REPLACED SAMBITO (PITCHING); Matthews struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 5, Braves 3. ASTROS 8TH: EASTERLY REPLACED RUIZ (PITCHING); BONNELL REPLACED BEALL (PLAYING CF); Pujols struck out (catcher to first); Sexton grounded out (shortstop to first); Forsch grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 5, Braves 3. BRAVES 8TH: Burroughs walked; Horner flied out to center; Pocoroba grounded out (second to shortstop to first) [Burroughs to second]; Murphy struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 5, Braves 3. ASTROS 9TH: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 5, Braves 3. BRAVES 9TH: Gilbreath singled; Bonnell made an out to third; Royster made an out to first; NOLAN BATTED FOR EASTERLY; Nolan struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 5, Braves 3.

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