Posting their fifth straight victory and 21st in the last 29 games, the Dodgers closed in on the West division championship by shading the Astros, 2-1. The Dodgers' runs came on homers by Davey Lopes in the first inning and Ron Cey in the fourth. [The Sporting News]

Los Angeles Dodgers 2, Houston Astros 1

Game Played on Thursday, September 14, 1978 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium

Astros 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 8 0 Dodgers 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 x - 2 5 3 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Landestoy ss 5 0 2 0 0 0 .270 Lopes 2b 4 1 2 1 0 0 .284 Gonzalez 2b,3b 5 0 0 0 0 3 .224 North cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .227 Puhl cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .300 Monday rf 2 0 0 0 2 1 .259 Bochy ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .259 Law pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Cruz rf 2 0 0 0 2 1 .309 Simpson rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Cabell 3b,1b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .297 Garvey 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .307 Watson 1b 3 0 2 0 0 1 .297 Cey 3b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .272 Bergman pr,1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234 Baker lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .266 Baldwin ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .238 Russell ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .280 Drumright 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .156 Yeager c 2 0 0 0 1 1 .192 Walling lf 3 0 1 1 0 0 .257 Rhoden p 2 0 1 0 0 0 .130 Leonard ph,lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Rautzhan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Pujols c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .122 Forster p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 Alou ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .341 Sexton pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .188 Niekro p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .155 Howard ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .248 Totals 35 1 8 1 2 5 Totals 27 2 5 2 3 6 Time of Game: 2:27 Attendance: 37,423 Left on Base: Astros 11, Dodgers 6 DP: Astros 0, Dodgers 0 Errors: Lopes 2, North Doubles: Garvey (32) Home Runs: Lopes (17), Cey (21) Stolen Bases: Cruz (32) Caught Stealing: Law (1) Sacrifice Hits: Niekro 2 (8), Rautzhan (2) Hit by Pitch: Baker (3,by Niekro) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Niekro L(12-13) 8 5 2 2 3 6 2 32 4.23 Totals 8 5 2 2 3 6 2 32 Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Rhoden W(9-7) 6 6 1 1 2 2 0 28 3.64 Rautzhan 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 7 1.67 Forster SV(20) 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 2.09 Totals 9 8 1 1 2 5 0 39 Hit by Pitch: Niekro (7) Wild Pitches: Niekro (7), Rhoden (6) Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Andy Olsen, 2B - Jim Quick, 3B - Jerry Crawford ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled to center [Landestoy to second (error by North)]; Gonzalez reached on a fielder's choice [Landestoy out at third (shortstop to third)]; Puhl grounded out (third to first) [Gonzalez to second]; Rhoden threw a wild pitch [Gonzalez to third]; Cruz walked; Cruz stole second; Cabell flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 0. DODGERS 1ST: Lopes homered; North grounded out (second to first); Monday struck out; Garvey doubled to center; Cey grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 1. ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to left; Walling flied out to left; Pujols forced Watson (third to second); Niekro popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 1. DODGERS 2ND: Baker grounded out (first unassisted); Russell struck out; Yeager was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 1. ASTROS 3RD: Landestoy flied out to left; Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl singled to left; Cruz walked [Puhl to second]; Cabell grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 1. DODGERS 3RD: Rhoden singled to center; Lopes singled to left [Rhoden to second]; North struck out; Monday grounded out (pitcher to first) [Rhoden to third, Lopes to second]; Garvey struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 1. ASTROS 4TH: Watson was called out on strikes; Walling reached on an error by Lopes [Walling to first]; Pujols reached on an error by Lopes [Walling to second, Pujols to first]; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Walling to third, Pujols to second]; Landestoy flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 2 E, 2 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 1. DODGERS 4TH: Cey homered; Baker struck out; Russell grounded out (shortstop to first); Yeager grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 2. ASTROS 5TH: Gonzalez struck out; Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 2. DODGERS 5TH: Rhoden grounded out (third to first); Lopes grounded out (shortstop to first); North grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 0, Dodgers 2. ASTROS 6TH: Cabell singled to center; Watson singled to center [Cabell to second]; BERGMAN RAN FOR WATSON; Walling singled to right [Cabell scored, Bergman to second]; Pujols forced Bergman (pitcher to third) [Walling to second]; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Walling to third, Pujols to second]; Landestoy grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 1, Dodgers 2. DODGERS 6TH: BERGMAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Monday walked; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Monday to second]; Garvey grounded out (second to first) [Monday to third]; Cey grounded out (third to first); Baker was hit by a pitch; Russell forced Baker (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 1, Dodgers 2. ASTROS 7TH: RAUTZHAN REPLACED RHODEN (PITCHING); Gonzalez struck out; Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cruz struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Dodgers 2. DODGERS 7TH: Yeager walked; Rautzhan out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Yeager to second]; Lopes lined to third; North lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Dodgers 2. ASTROS 8TH: Cabell lined to right; BALDWIN BATTED FOR BERGMAN; Baldwin grounded out (shortstop to first); LEONARD BATTED FOR WALLING; Leonard flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Dodgers 2. DODGERS 8TH: LEONARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); DRUMRIGHT REPLACED BALDWIN (PLAYING 2B); CABELL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); GONZALEZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Monday walked; LAW RAN FOR MONDAY; Law was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Garvey popped to first; Cey flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Dodgers 2. ASTROS 9TH: SIMPSON REPLACED LAW (PLAYING RF); ALOU BATTED FOR PUJOLS; Alou singled to left; HOWARD BATTED FOR NIEKRO; SEXTON RAN FOR ALOU; FORSTER REPLACED RAUTZHAN (PITCHING); Howard flied out to right; Landestoy singled to catcher [Sexton to second]; Gonzalez struck out; BOCHY BATTED FOR PUHL; Bochy grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

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