With all runs being unearned, the Astros blanked the Cubs, 3-0, behind the combined pitching of Ken Forsch and Joe Sambito. Forsch made his first start in more than a year. In the opening frame, leadoff batter Terry Puhl reached first on an error by second baseman Manny Trillo, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third and scored when shortstop Ivan DeJesus' throw home on an infield grounder was dropped by catcher Tim Blackwell.

In the seventh, first baseman Bill Buckner failed to touch first on a routine grounder by Denny Walling leading to another run, and in the eighth a throwing error by DeJesus resulted in the final Astro run. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 3, Chicago Cubs 0

Game Played on Wednesday, August 23, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome

Cubs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 6 4 Astros 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 x - 3 6 1 Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG De Jesus ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .267 Puhl cf 4 1 0 0 0 0 .290 Gross cf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .261 Gonzalez 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .232 Vail ph,rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .299 Cabell 1b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .287 Buckner 1b 4 0 2 0 0 1 .303 Cruz rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .300 Murcer rf,cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .273 Howe 3b 4 0 0 1 0 0 .289 Kingman lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .237 Walling lf 4 1 0 0 0 0 .231 Trillo 2b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .259 Sexton ss 2 0 0 0 0 0 .183 Scott 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .286 Bochy c 3 0 2 1 0 0 .265 Blackwell c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .237 Forsch p 1 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Lamp p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .196 Howard ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .252 Hernandez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Sambito p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Moore p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 Clines ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .263 McGlothen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .083 Totals 30 0 6 0 2 6 Totals 31 3 6 2 0 0 Time of Game: 2:06 Attendance: 9,217 Left on Base: Cubs 6, Astros 6 DP: Cubs 2, Astros 1 Errors: De Jesus, Buckner, Trillo, Blackwell, Walling Doubles: Blackwell (3) Stolen Bases: Scott (19), Puhl (23), Cabell 2 (28) Sacrifice Hits: Lamp (2), Forsch (1), Sexton (1) GIDP: Vail (5), Puhl (10) Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Lamp L(5-13) 6.1 6 2 0 0 0 0 27 3.19 Hernandez 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4.05 Moore 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3.72 McGlothen 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 3.57 Totals 8 6 3 0 0 0 0 33 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Forsch W(7-4) 7 4 0 0 2 5 0 26 2.91 Sambito SV(9) 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 7 2.54 Totals 9 6 0 0 2 6 0 33 Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Dutch Rennert, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Ed Montague CUBS 1ST: De Jesus flied out to right; Gross grounded out (third to first); Buckner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Puhl reached on an error by Trillo [Puhl to first]; Gonzalez grounded out (third to first) [Puhl to second]; Puhl stole third; Cabell reached on a fielder's choice [Puhl scored (error by Blackwell; assist by De Jesus) (unearned)]; Cruz popped to first; Howe grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 2 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. CUBS 2ND: Murcer flied out to center; Kingman singled to left [Kingman out at third (error by Walling) (left to third)]; Trillo walked; Scott grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. ASTROS 2ND: Walling grounded out (second to first); Sexton grounded out (shortstop to first); Bochy flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. CUBS 3RD: Blackwell doubled to left; Lamp out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Blackwell to third]; De Jesus struck out; Gross walked; Buckner flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. ASTROS 3RD: Forsch singled to center; Puhl grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Forsch out at second]; Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. CUBS 4TH: Murcer struck out; Kingman struck out; Trillo grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. ASTROS 4TH: Cabell singled to center; Cabell stole second; Cruz singled to right [Cabell to third]; Howe popped to second; Walling reached on a fielder's choice [Cabell out at home (first to catcher), Cruz to second]; Sexton forced Walling (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. CUBS 5TH: Scott popped to third in foul territory; Blackwell grounded out (first to pitcher); Lamp grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. ASTROS 5TH: Bochy singled to right; Forsch reached on a fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Bochy to second]; Puhl lined into a double play (second to shortstop) [Bochy out at second]; Gonzalez forced Forsch (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. CUBS 6TH: De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); Gross lined to center; Buckner singled to first; Murcer popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); Howe grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. CUBS 7TH: Kingman grounded out (shortstop to first); Trillo was called out on strikes; Scott singled to center; Scott stole second; Blackwell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 1. ASTROS 7TH: Walling reached on an error by Buckner [Walling to first]; Sexton out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Walling to second]; Bochy singled to center [Walling scored (unearned)]; HOWARD BATTED FOR FORSCH; Howard singled to center [Bochy to third]; HERNANDEZ REPLACED LAMP (PITCHING); Puhl popped to first in foul territory; MOORE REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PITCHING); Gonzalez forced Howard (shortstop to second); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 2. CUBS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); CLINES BATTED FOR MOORE; Clines flied out to right; De Jesus singled to left; VAIL BATTED FOR GROSS; Vail grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [De Jesus out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 2. ASTROS 8TH: VAIL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); MURCER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); MCGLOTHEN REPLACED CLINES (PITCHING); Cabell reached on an error by De Jesus [Cabell to first]; Cabell stole second; Cruz flied out to left; Howe grounded out (shortstop to first) [Cabell scored (unearned)]; Walling lined to right; 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 3. CUBS 9TH: Buckner singled to center; Murcer struck out; Kingman popped to third in foul territory; Trillo lined to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 0, Astros 3.

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