The hitting and pitching of Don Robinson lifted the Pirates to a 5-3 victory over the Astros in the first game of a doubleheader and the Bucs completed the sweep by capturing the nightcap, 3-2. Robinson drove in a run with a single in the second inning of the opener and added another with a hit in the fourth frame after Phil Garner had tripled to score Ed Ott.

The Pirates trailed, 2-1, in the fourth inning of the second game when a rally began with Garner being hit by a pitch. Manny Sanguillen flied out, but second baseman Art Howe misplayed a grounder by Rennie Stennett. After a double steal, Garner and Stennett scored on a two-base hit by Steve Brye. [The Sporting News]

Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Houston Astros 1 (Game 1)

Game Played on Thursday, August 17, 1978 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium

Astros 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 4 2 Pirates 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 x - 5 7 0 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Pirates AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Puhl cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .297 Taveras ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 .273 Gonzalez ss 4 0 0 0 0 3 .233 Moreno cf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .230 Cabell 3b 4 1 2 0 0 1 .287 Parker rf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .305 Cruz rf 3 0 0 1 0 0 .298 Stargell 1b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .280 Howe 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .285 Ott lf 3 2 2 1 0 0 .248 Walling lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .226 Sanguillen c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .263 Bergman 1b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .246 Garner 3b 3 1 1 1 1 1 .258 Pujols c 2 0 1 0 1 0 .136 Stennett 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .249 Richard p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .156 D. Robinson p 3 0 2 2 0 0 .200 Landestoy ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .244 Andujar p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .130 Totals 29 1 4 1 1 6 Totals 31 5 7 5 2 2 Time of Game: 2:12 Left on Base: Astros 4, Pirates 5 DP: Astros 0, Pirates 0 Errors: Gonzalez 2 Doubles: Cabell (23) Triples: Moreno (4), Garner (6) Stolen Bases: Cabell (26), Ott (3), Parker (13), Sanguillen (2) Sacrifice Hits: Richard (3) Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (3), Ott (3) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Richard L(12-11) 7 6 4 4 2 1 0 29 3.01 Andujar 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 5 3.08 Totals 8 7 5 5 2 2 0 34 Pirates IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA D. Robinson W(9-5) 9 4 1 0 1 6 0 32 3.34 Totals 9 4 1 0 1 6 0 32 Passed Balls: Pujols (9), Sanguillen (1) Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Eric Gregg ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez struck out; Cabell doubled to right; Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 0, Pirates 0. PIRATES 1ST: Taveras flied out to center; Moreno tripled to left; Parker grounded out (shortstop to first) [Moreno scored]; Stargell grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Pirates 1. ASTROS 2ND: Howe popped to shortstop; Walling flied out to left; Bergman grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Pirates 1. PIRATES 2ND: Ott singled to left; Pujols allowed a passed ball [Ott to second]; Sanguillen struck out; Garner walked; Stennett popped to first in foul territory; D. Robinson singled to left [Ott scored, Garner to third]; Taveras forced D. Robinson (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 0, Pirates 2. ASTROS 3RD: Pujols walked; Richard out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Pujols to second]; Puhl grounded out (first unassisted) [Pujols to third]; Gonzalez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 0, Pirates 2. PIRATES 3RD: Moreno flied out to left; Parker grounded out (first unassisted); Stargell flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Pirates 2. ASTROS 4TH: Cabell singled to second; Cabell stole second; Sanguillen allowed a passed ball [Cabell to third]; Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to center [Cabell scored (unearned)]; Howe struck out; Walling flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 2. PIRATES 4TH: Ott singled to left; Ott stole second; Sanguillen made an out to shortstop; Garner tripled to center [Ott scored]; Stennett grounded out (pitcher to first); D. Robinson singled to shortstop [Garner scored, D. Robinson to second (error by Gonzalez)]; Taveras popped to right; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 4. ASTROS 5TH: Bergman singled to left; Pujols singled to shortstop [Bergman to second]; On a bunt Richard made an out to pitcher; Puhl flied out to left; Gonzalez struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 4. PIRATES 5TH: Moreno flied out to center; Parker grounded out (first to pitcher); Stargell walked; Ott grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 4. ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cruz flied out to right; Howe was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 4. PIRATES 6TH: Sanguillen grounded out (pitcher to first); Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); Stennett flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 4. ASTROS 7TH: Walling grounded out (first unassisted); Bergman flied out to left; Pujols made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 4. PIRATES 7TH: D. Robinson grounded out (third to first); Taveras grounded out (first to pitcher); Moreno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 4. ASTROS 8TH: LANDESTOY BATTED FOR RICHARD; Landestoy lined to third; Puhl flied out to right; Gonzalez grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 4. PIRATES 8TH: ANDUJAR REPLACED LANDESTOY (PITCHING); Parker singled to center; Parker stole second; Stargell flied out to right [Parker to third]; Ott hit a sacrifice fly to left [Parker scored]; Sanguillen reached on an error by Gonzalez [Sanguillen to first]; Sanguillen stole second; Garner struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 5. ASTROS 9TH: Cabell struck out; Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher); Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Pirates 5.

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