Seeking to become the first N.L. righthander to strike out 300 batters in one season, J.R. Richard fanned 12 to raise his total to 279 while pitching the Astros to an 8-4 victory over the Padres. The Astros broke a 2-2 tie with a five-run outburst in the sixth inning. After four hits produced two runs off Eric Rasmussen, Mark Lee relieved and served up a three-run homer by Denny Walling. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 8, San Diego Padres 4

Game Played on Friday, September 15, 1978 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium

Astros 0 2 0 0 0 5 0 1 0 - 8 10 2 Padres 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 - 4 7 1 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Padres AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Landestoy ss 5 0 1 0 0 0 .268 Richards lf 4 2 1 0 1 2 .299 Drumright 2b 4 0 0 0 1 0 .139 Smith ss 5 1 2 0 0 2 .265 Puhl cf 5 1 1 0 0 0 .299 Perkins 1b 4 0 1 2 0 0 .243 Cruz rf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .309 Winfield cf 4 0 0 1 0 2 .305 Cabell 3b 4 2 2 0 0 2 .298 Turner rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .271 Sexton 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .188 Gonzalez 2b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .241 Obradovich 1b 4 2 2 1 0 0 .333 Roberts c 2 0 0 0 0 1 .216 Walling lf 3 2 1 3 1 0 .258 Tenace c 1 1 0 0 1 1 .222 Bochy c 4 0 1 1 0 0 .258 Almon 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .255 Richard p 4 0 1 2 0 1 .172 Rasmussen p 2 0 1 0 0 1 .148 Lee p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Sweet ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .221 Lolich p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Mura p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Gamble ph 1 0 1 1 0 0 .276 Beswick pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 37 8 10 8 2 3 Totals 34 4 7 4 4 12 Time of Game: 2:27 Attendance: 6,866 Left on Base: Astros 4, Padres 7 DP: Astros 0, Padres 1 Errors: Drumright, Richard, Smith Doubles: Cabell (27), Puhl (25), Bochy (7) Home Runs: Walling (3) Stolen Bases: Landestoy (6), Richards (35), Smith (38) GIDP: Puhl (11) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Richard W(17-11) 9 7 4 4 4 12 0 38 3.20 Totals 9 7 4 4 4 12 0 38 Padres IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Rasmussen L(14-13) 5 7 6 5 1 2 0 24 4.09 Lee 2 1 1 1 0 0 1 7 3.05 Lolich 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 5 1.65 Mura 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 12.46 Totals 9 10 8 7 2 3 1 39 Passed Balls: Bochy (3) Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - John McSherry, 3B - Paul Runge ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled to center; Landestoy stole second; Drumright grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl grounded out (first unassisted) [Landestoy to third]; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 0, Padres 0. PADRES 1ST: Richards walked; Richards stole second; Smith singled to right [Richards to third]; Smith stole second; Perkins singled to left [Richards scored, Smith scored]; Winfield struck out; Turner walked [Perkins to second]; Perkins was picked off second but was safe on an error by Richard [Perkins to third]; Gonzalez walked [Turner to second]; Roberts struck out; Almon was called out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB. Astros 0, Padres 2. ASTROS 2ND: Cabell doubled to center; Obradovich made an out to second; Walling walked; Bochy reached on an error by Smith (assist by Gonzalez) [Cabell to third, Walling to second, Bochy to first]; Richard singled to right [Cabell scored, Walling scored (unearned), Bochy to third, Richard to second (on throw)]; Landestoy lined to right; Drumright grounded out (second to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Astros 2, Padres 2. PADRES 2ND: Rasmussen singled to second [Rasmussen to second (error by Drumright)]; Bochy allowed a passed ball [Rasmussen to third]; Richards grounded out (second to first); Smith was called out on strikes; Perkins flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Astros 2, Padres 2. ASTROS 3RD: On a bunt Puhl grounded out (pitcher to first); Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 2, Padres 2. PADRES 3RD: Winfield struck out; Turner grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 2, Padres 2. ASTROS 4TH: Obradovich grounded out (first to pitcher); Walling grounded out (second to first); Bochy made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 2, Padres 2. PADRES 4TH: Roberts flied out to right; Almon struck out; Rasmussen struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 2, Padres 2. ASTROS 5TH: Richard struck out; Landestoy grounded out (shortstop to first); Drumright grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 2, Padres 2. PADRES 5TH: Richards struck out; Smith grounded out (pitcher to first); Perkins grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 2, Padres 2. ASTROS 6TH: Puhl doubled to left; Cruz singled to center [Puhl scored]; Cabell singled to center [Cruz to second]; Obradovich singled to right [Cruz scored, Cabell to third]; LEE REPLACED RASMUSSEN (PITCHING); Walling homered [Cabell scored, Obradovich scored]; Bochy made an out to second; Richard grounded out (pitcher to first); Landestoy flied out to right; 5 R, 5 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 7, Padres 2. PADRES 6TH: Winfield flied out to left; Turner made an out to second; Gonzalez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 7, Padres 2. ASTROS 7TH: TENACE REPLACED ROBERTS (PLAYING C ); Drumright grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl made an out to first; Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 7, Padres 2. PADRES 7TH: Tenace struck out; Almon made an out to second; SWEET BATTED FOR LEE; Sweet struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 7, Padres 2. ASTROS 8TH: LOLICH REPLACED SWEET (PITCHING); Cabell struck out; Obradovich singled to left; Walling grounded out (second to first) [Obradovich to second]; Bochy doubled to left [Obradovich scored]; Richard grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 8, Padres 2. PADRES 8TH: SEXTON REPLACED CABELL (PLAYING 3B); Richards singled to left; Smith singled to right [Richards to second]; Perkins grounded out (first unassisted) [Richards to third, Smith to second]; Winfield grounded out (shortstop to first) [Richards scored, Smith to third]; Turner grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 8, Padres 3. ASTROS 9TH: MURA REPLACED LOLICH (PITCHING); Landestoy grounded out (shortstop to first); Drumright walked; Puhl grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Drumright out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 8, Padres 3. PADRES 9TH: Gonzalez grounded out (second to first); Tenace walked; Almon singled to center [Tenace to second]; GAMBLE BATTED FOR MURA; Gamble singled to right [Tenace scored, Almon to second]; BESWICK RAN FOR GAMBLE; Richards struck out; Smith struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 8, Padres 4.

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