After winning the opener, 4-2, on a pinch-single by Denny Walling in the ninth inning, the Astros completed the sweep of a twi-night doubleheader with a 6-2 victory in the nightcap that saw Braves' knuckleballer Phil Niekro tie modern major league records for most wild pitches in one inning and in one game. In the lidlifter, the Braves rallied for three runs in the eighth on two walks, a double by by Rowland Office and single by Bob Horner to tie the score at 3-3, but the Astros won in the ninth. Enos Cabell singled, stole second and advanced to third on a single by Rafael Landestoy, who took second on the throw. After an intentional pass to Alan Ashby, Walling batted for Joe Sambito and hit an infield single to drive in the winning run.

In the nightcap, Horner hit a two-run homer for the Braves in the fourth, but the Astros scored three runs in the fifth on four wild pitches by Niekro, who tied the record set by Walter Johnson in 1914. Niekro threw one more wild pitch in the sixth and another in the seventh, tying the game record of six set by J.R. Richard of the Astros earlier this season. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Atlanta Braves 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Saturday, August    4, 1979 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  0  -   3  6  3
Astros       0  1  0    1  0  1    0  0  1  -   4 12  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .266      Cedeno 1b             5   0   0   0     0   1   .264
Matthews rf           3   1   0   0     1   1   .312        Gonzalez 3b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .248
Office cf             4   1   3   2     0   0   .265      Reynolds ss           4   0   0   1     0   0   .273
Horner 3b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .322      Puhl cf               5   0   3   1     0   1   .288
Murphy 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .309      Cruz lf               4   0   2   0     1   0   .303
Lum lf                2   0   0   0     1   0   .235      Cabell 3b,1b          5   1   1   0     0   0   .271
  Spikes ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .300      Leonard rf            4   1   1   0     1   2   .285
  Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .375      Howe 2b               2   0   1   0     2   0   .252
Nolan c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Landestoy pr,2b     1   0   1   0     0   0   .189
  J. McLaughlin p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .400      Ashby c               4   1   1   0     1   1   .219
  Bonnell lf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .254      Andujar p             2   1   1   1     1   1   .047
Frias ss              1   0   0   0     0   0   .298        Roberge p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Wessinger pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Devine p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Walling ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .311
  Bradford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Benedict c          2   0   0   0     0   0   .211
Hanna p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Chaney ph,ss        2   1   0   0     1   1   .138

Totals               32   3   6   3     3   4             Totals               37   4  12   4     6   6

Time of Game: 3:15
Left on Base: Braves 6, Astros 16
DP: Braves 1, Astros 1
Errors: Horner, Frias, Devine, Andujar
Doubles: Office (12)
Triples: Royster (3)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (29), Puhl (23), Leonard (13), Cabell (29)
Sacrifice Hits: Andujar (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Reynolds (2)
GIDP: Nolan (4), Reynolds (2)
Hit by Pitch: Frias (2,by Andujar)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hanna                   4     7   2   1   3   2   0  22   3.72
Devine                  1     1   1   0   0   0   0   6   2.91
Bradford                1.1   1   0   0   2   0   0   7   0.00
J. McLaughlin           0.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   2   1.76
Garber L(5-12)          1.1   3   1   1   1   2   0   8   4.13
Totals                  8.1  12   4   2   6   6   0  45

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar                 7.2   4   3   3   3   2   0  30   2.88
Roberge                 0     2   0   0   0   0   0   2   1.07
Sambito W(6-3)          1.1   0   0   0   0   2   0   4   1.26
Totals                  9     6   3   3   3   4   0  36

Hit by Pitch: Andujar (2)
Wild Pitches: Bradford (1)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Ed Montague


BRAVES 1ST: Royster tripled to right; Matthews struck out;
Office popped to third in foul territory; Horner lined to
pitcher; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); Reynolds
grounded out (pitcher to first); Puhl singled to center; Cruz
singled to left [Puhl to second]; Cabell grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy made an out to third; Lum walked; Nolan
grounded into a double play (first to shortstop) [Lum out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Leonard walked; Howe singled to center [Leonard to
third]; Ashby made an out to shortstop; Andujar singled to right
[Leonard scored, Howe to second]; Cedeno lined to shortstop;
Reynolds grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Frias grounded out (shortstop to first); Hanna
struck out; Royster grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl singled to right; Cruz singled to pitcher [Puhl
to third]; Cruz stole second; Cabell flied out to right; Leonard
was called out on strikes; Howe was walked intentionally; Ashby
struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews grounded out (shortstop to first); Office
singled to pitcher [Office to second (error by Andujar)]; Horner
made an out to second; Murphy flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Andujar walked; Cedeno reached on an error by Frias
[Andujar to second, Cedeno to first]; Reynolds grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Andujar to third,
Cedeno out at second]; Puhl singled to right [Andujar scored
(unearned)]; Puhl stole second; Cruz flied out to left; 1 R (0
ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Lum flied out to right; Nolan flied out to center;
Frias was hit by a pitch; WESSINGER RAN FOR FRIAS; CHANEY BATTED
FOR HANNA; Chaney grounded out (pitcher to first); Debut game
for Jim Wessinger; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: CHANEY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); DEVINE REPLACED
WESSINGER (PITCHING); Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first);
Leonard flied out to right; Howe flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Royster made an out to shortstop; Matthews lined to
first; Office singled to center; Horner forced Office (second to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Ashby singled to left; Andujar reached on an error
by Devine on a sacrifice bunt [Ashby to second, Andujar to
first]; Cedeno reached on an error by Horner [Ashby to third,
Andujar to second, Cedeno to first]; BRADFORD REPLACED DEVINE
(PITCHING); Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly to left [Ashby scored
(unearned)]; Bradford threw a wild pitch [Andujar to third,
Cedeno to second]; Puhl grounded out (third to first); Cruz
walked; Cabell flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 3 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Murphy grounded out (second to first); Lum grounded
out (second to first); Nolan flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Leonard singled to left; Leonard stole second; Howe
walked; LANDESTOY RAN FOR HOWE; Ashby flied out to left; J.
MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED NOLAN (PITCHING); BENEDICT REPLACED BRADFORD
(PLAYING C ); Andujar struck out; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 8TH: LANDESTOY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Benedict
grounded out (pitcher to first); Chaney walked; Royster made an
out to shortstop; Matthews walked [Chaney to second]; Office
doubled to center [Chaney scored, Matthews scored]; ROBERGE
REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Horner singled to left [Office
scored]; Murphy singled to right [Horner to second]; SAMBITO
REPLACED ROBERGE (PITCHING); SPIKES BATTED FOR LUM; Spikes
struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: BONNELL REPLACED J. MCLAUGHLIN (PLAYING LF); GARBER
REPLACED SPIKES (PITCHING); Reynolds flied out to right; Puhl
struck out; Cruz flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 3, Astros 3.

BRAVES 9TH: GONZALEZ REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING 3B); CABELL
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Bonnell made an out to first;
Benedict made an out to second; Chaney struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Cabell singled to shortstop; Cabell stole second;
Leonard struck out; Landestoy singled to right [Cabell to third,
Landestoy to second (on throw to home)]; Ashby was walked
intentionally; WALLING BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Walling singled to
pitcher [Cabell scored, Landestoy to third, Ashby to second]; 1
R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 4.