Joe Niekro, who pitched 8 1/3 innings before Joe Sambito came in to save the game, posted his 16th victory when the Astros edged the Braves, 2-1. Rowland Office batted in the Braves' run with a single in the first.

The Astros were shut out by Eddie Solomon until the eighth when Enos Cabell sparked a rally with a single and took third on a single by Jeff Leonard. After Leonard moved to second on a passed ball, Art Howe lashed a single to drive in the Astros' two runs. Sambito relieved Niekro with a man on base in the ninth and gained his 15th save. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, Atlanta Braves 1
Game Played on Friday, August    10, 1979 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  0  -   2  6  1
Braves       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Royster 2b            4   1   2   0     1   0   .266
Reynolds ss           4   0   2   0     0   0   .275      Matthews rf           5   0   1   0     0   0   .305
Puhl cf               3   0   0   0     0   0   .286      Office cf             3   0   1   1     1   0   .261
Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .301      Horner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .323
Cabell 1b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .270      Murphy 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .290
Leonard rf            3   1   1   0     0   1   .299      Nolan c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .245
Howe 3b               3   0   2   2     0   0   .260      Bonnell lf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .249
Ashby c               2   0   0   0     0   1   .214      Frias ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .284
Niekro p              1   0   0   0     1   1   .100      Solomon p             3   0   0   0     0   0   .163
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Bradford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            J. McLaughlin p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .400
                                                            Lum ph              0   0   0   0     1   0   .242
                                                            Wessinger pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               28   2   6   2     1   3             Totals               34   1   7   1     4   1

Time of Game: 2:45   Attendance: 10,394
Left on Base: Astros 3, Braves 10
DP: Astros 0, Braves 1
Errors: Howe
Stolen Bases: Royster 2 (24), Office (4), Nolan (1)
Caught Stealing: Reynolds (4), Office (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (9), Ashby (2), Puhl (7)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(16-6)          8.1   7   1   1   4   1   0  36   3.13
Sambito SV(15)          0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   1.57
Totals                  9     7   1   1   4   1   0  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Solomon L(4-9)          7     5   2   1   0   3   0  25   4.67
Bradford                1.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   6   0.00
J. McLaughlin           0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1.83
Totals                  9     6   2   1   1   3   0  32

Passed Balls: Nolan (5)

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Dave Pallone, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Charlie Williams


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy grounded out (first unassisted); Reynolds
singled to right; Reynolds was caught stealing second (catcher
to shortstop); Puhl flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster singled to second; Royster stole second;
Matthews flied out to center [Royster to third]; Office singled
to left [Royster scored]; Office stole second; Horner reached on
an error by Howe [Horner to first, Office stayed at second];
Murphy walked [Office to third, Horner to second]; Nolan popped
to third in foul territory; Bonnell struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Leonard flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Frias made an out to third; Solomon grounded out
(shortstop to first); Royster singled to left; Matthews singled
to center [Royster to second]; Office grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Howe flied out to right; Ashby grounded out
(shortstop to first); Niekro struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Horner popped to first; Murphy grounded out
(shortstop to first); Nolan singled to pitcher; Bonnell singled
to right [Nolan to third]; Frias forced Bonnell (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Landestoy grounded out (first unassisted); Reynolds
flied out to right; Puhl grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Solomon grounded out (third to first); Royster
walked; Royster stole second; Matthews flied out to center;
Office grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell lined
to shortstop; Leonard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Horner flied out to center; Murphy grounded out
(second to first); Nolan singled to center; Nolan stole second;
Bonnell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe singled to left; Ashby struck out; Niekro out
on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher unassisted) [Howe to second];
Landestoy flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Frias flied out to right; Solomon made an out to
shortstop; Royster grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Reynolds grounded out (second to first); Puhl
grounded out (first unassisted); Cruz flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Matthews popped to catcher in foul territory; Office
walked; Office was caught stealing second (catcher to second to
first); Horner grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell singled to left; Leonard singled to center
[Cabell to third]; Nolan allowed a passed ball [Leonard to
second]; Howe singled to center [Cabell scored, Leonard scored
(unearned)]; BRADFORD REPLACED SOLOMON (PITCHING); Ashby out on
a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Howe to second]; Niekro
walked; Landestoy lined into a double play (first unassisted)
[Niekro out at first]; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Murphy flied out to right; Nolan flied out to left;
Bonnell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Reynolds singled to left; Puhl out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to first) [Reynolds to second]; Cruz flied out to
right [Reynolds to third]; J. MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED BRADFORD
(PITCHING); Cabell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: Frias made an out to shortstop; LUM BATTED FOR J.
MCLAUGHLIN; Lum walked; WESSINGER RAN FOR LUM; SAMBITO REPLACED
NIEKRO (PITCHING); Royster forced Wessinger (shortstop to
second); Matthews lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 1.