A two-out error by Ivan DeJesus enabled the Astros to finish off a seven-run rally in the ninth inning and defeat the Cubs, 8-5. The Astros started their outburst against Rick Reuschel with singles by Bob Watson and Denny Walling. Bruce Sutter relieved and got Wilbur Howard to force Watson. After Jesus Alou singled, Sutter retired Rafael Landestoy, but a wild pitch and single by Keith Drumright produced two runs.

Sutter gave up another single to Terry Puhl and left the mound in favor of Lynn McGlothen, who walked Jose Cruz to load the bases. Enos Cabell followed with a smash to DeJesus, and when the ball ricocheted off the shortstop's leg, two runs scored to put the Astros ahead. Watson and Walling continued the rally with their second singles of the inning to add the final two tallies. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 8, Chicago Cubs 5

Game Played on Saturday, September 2, 1978 (Day game) at Wrigley Field

Astros 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 7 - 8 16 5 Cubs 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 - 5 7 2 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Landestoy ss 5 0 0 0 0 0 .259 Gross cf,lf 4 1 2 1 0 0 .271 Drumright 2b 5 1 2 1 0 0 .444 Vail ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .294 Puhl cf 5 1 2 0 0 1 .290 Scott 3b 2 1 0 0 1 1 .278 Cruz rf 4 1 3 0 1 0 .308 Johnson ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .215 Cabell 3b 5 1 0 0 0 1 .286 Buckner 1b 4 1 2 2 0 0 .315 Watson 1b 5 2 3 1 0 1 .296 Kingman lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .244 Bergman 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .248 White cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .243 Walling lf 5 0 3 1 0 0 .242 Murcer rf 2 1 1 0 2 0 .278 Bochy c 3 0 1 0 0 1 .264 Trillo 2b 3 0 0 1 0 0 .258 Howard ph 2 1 0 1 0 0 .244 Rader c 3 0 1 1 0 0 .206 Sambito p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .167 Hernandez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Lemongello p 3 0 1 0 0 0 .158 McGlothen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .083 Andujar p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .130 De Jesus ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .264 Alou ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .336 R. Reuschel p 3 1 1 0 0 0 .148 Sexton pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .181 Sutter p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .077 Pujols c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .118 Cox c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269 Clines ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .262 Totals 43 8 16 4 1 4 Totals 31 5 7 5 3 4 Time of Game: 3:02 Attendance: 24,064 Left on Base: Astros 9, Cubs 6 DP: Astros 1, Cubs 0 Errors: Landestoy, Drumright, Puhl, Cruz, Bochy, De Jesus 2 Doubles: Walling (7), R. Reuschel (2), Gross (11) Triples: Gross (7), Buckner (1) Stolen Bases: Sexton (13), Cabell (29), Murcer (13) Caught Stealing: Cruz 2 (8), Trillo (6) Sacrifice Hits: Scott (6) Sacrifice Flies: Rader (4), Trillo (6) Hit by Pitch: De Jesus (2,by Lemongello) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Lemongello 7 7 5 4 2 3 0 30 4.13 Andujar W(5-4) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 3.23 Sambito SV(10) 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 2.84 Totals 9 7 5 4 3 4 0 38 Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA R. Reuschel 8 11 3 3 0 4 0 34 3.04 Sutter L(7-5) 0.2 3 3 1 0 0 0 5 2.74 Hernandez 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 3.96 McGlothen 0.1 2 1 0 0 0 0 4 3.50 Totals 9 16 8 4 1 4 0 44 Hit by Pitch: Lemongello (8) Wild Pitches: R. Reuschel (8), Sutter (6) Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Andy Olsen ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy flied out to center; Drumright grounded out (second to first); Puhl grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Cubs 0. CUBS 1ST: Gross flied out to center; Scott struck out; Buckner singled to center [Buckner to second (error by Puhl)]; Kingman flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Astros 0, Cubs 0. ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to shortstop; Cruz was caught stealing second but was safe at second (error by De Jesus; assist by Rader); Cabell flied out to left; Watson grounded out (third to first); Walling grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Astros 0, Cubs 0. CUBS 2ND: Murcer singled to center; Murcer stole second [Murcer to third (error by Bochy)]; Trillo popped to second; Rader hit a sacrifice fly to left [Murcer scored (unearned)]; De Jesus popped to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Cubs 1. ASTROS 3RD: Bochy singled to left; On a bunt Lemongello forced Bochy (first to shortstop); Landestoy grounded out (first unassisted) [Lemongello to second]; Drumright singled to left [Lemongello to third]; Puhl was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 0, Cubs 1. CUBS 3RD: R. Reuschel doubled to left; Gross tripled to center [R. Reuschel scored]; Scott grounded out (second to first); Buckner hit into a double play (left to catcher) [Gross out at home]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Cubs 2. ASTROS 4TH: Cruz singled to third; Cruz was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Cabell was called out on strikes; Watson singled to third; Walling doubled to right [Watson to third]; R. Reuschel threw a wild pitch [Watson scored, Walling to third]; Bochy struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 2. CUBS 4TH: Kingman struck out; Murcer walked; Trillo forced Murcer (second to shortstop); Trillo was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 2. ASTROS 5TH: Lemongello singled to right; Landestoy forced Lemongello (second to shortstop); Drumright flied out to left; On a bunt Puhl singled to catcher [Landestoy to second]; Cruz singled to third [Landestoy to third, Puhl to second]; Cabell forced Cruz (third to second); 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 2. CUBS 5TH: Rader singled to right [Rader to third (error by Cruz) (error by Drumright)]; De Jesus was hit by a pitch; R. Reuschel lined to shortstop; Gross popped to shortstop; Scott walked [De Jesus to second]; Buckner flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 2 E, 3 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 2. ASTROS 6TH: Watson was called out on strikes; On a bunt Walling grounded out (catcher to first); Bochy grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 2. CUBS 6TH: Kingman grounded out (third to first); Murcer grounded out (second to first); Trillo lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 2. ASTROS 7TH: Lemongello grounded out (second to first); Landestoy flied out to center; Drumright grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 2. CUBS 7TH: Rader flied out to right; De Jesus struck out; R. Reuschel grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 2. ASTROS 8TH: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cruz lined to shortstop; Cabell lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 2. CUBS 8TH: Gross doubled to center; Scott reached on a fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Gross to third]; Buckner tripled to right [Gross scored, Scott scored]; ANDUJAR REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); Kingman popped to third; Murcer was walked intentionally; Trillo hit a sacrifice fly to right [Buckner scored, Murcer to second]; Rader lined to right; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Cubs 5. ASTROS 9TH: WHITE REPLACED KINGMAN (PLAYING CF); GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Watson singled to center; Walling singled to right [Watson to third]; HOWARD BATTED FOR BOCHY; SUTTER REPLACED R. REUSCHEL (PITCHING); Howard forced Walling (second unassisted) [Watson scored]; ALOU BATTED FOR ANDUJAR; Alou singled to center [Howard to third]; SEXTON RAN FOR ALOU; Sexton stole second; Sutter threw a wild pitch [Howard scored, Sexton to third]; Landestoy popped to left; Drumright singled to center [Sexton scored]; Puhl singled to right [Drumright to third]; COX REPLACED SUTTER (PLAYING C ); HERNANDEZ REPLACED RADER (PITCHING); Cruz walked [Puhl to second]; MCGLOTHEN REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PITCHING); Cabell reached on an error by De Jesus [Drumright scored (unearned) (no RBI), Puhl scored (unearned) (no RBI), Cruz to third, Cabell to first]; Cabell stole second; Watson singled to second [Cruz scored (unearned), Cabell to third]; Walling singled to left [Cabell scored (unearned), Watson to third]; Howard forced Walling (shortstop to second); 7 R (3 ER), 7 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Astros 8, Cubs 5. CUBS 9TH: BERGMAN REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); PUJOLS REPLACED SEXTON (PLAYING C ); SAMBITO REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); De Jesus lined to left; CLINES BATTED FOR COX; Clines flied out to center; VAIL BATTED FOR GROSS; Vail reached on an error by Landestoy [Vail to first]; JOHNSON BATTED FOR SCOTT; Johnson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Astros 8, Cubs 5.

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