The Astros defeated the Dodgers, 9-4, and moved ahead of the Reds into first place by a half-game in the West division, marking the fourth time in six days that the lead had changed hands. The Astros scored four times in the third inning on five consecutive hits -- four singles and a triple by Luis Pujols. Pujols also drilled a run-scoring double in the sixth. Rick Williams was credited with his first victory since June 28. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, Los Angeles Dodgers 4
Game Played on Tuesday, September 4, 1979 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      1  0  0    0  0  2    1  0  0  -   4  9  1
Astros       1  0  4    1  0  2    1  0  x  -   9 16  2


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              4   1   2   0     1   0   .266      Cedeno 1b             3   1   1   0     2   0   .266
Russell ss            2   0   0   0     0   0   .262      Reynolds ss           3   1   0   1     1   0   .263
  Martinez ss         1   0   1   0     0   0   .300      Puhl cf               4   1   1   0     1   0   .284
Garvey 1b             2   1   1   2     1   1   .311      Cruz lf               2   1   2   1     0   0   .292
Cey 3b                4   0   0   0     0   2   .275        Walling lf          3   1   2   1     0   0   .308
Baker lf              4   1   1   2     0   1   .285      Cabell 3b             5   1   2   2     0   0   .269
Ferguson rf           4   0   2   0     0   1   .252      Leonard rf            3   2   2   1     2   0   .302
Thomas cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .249      Pujols c              5   1   2   2     0   1   .250
Oates c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .083      Landestoy 2b          3   0   3   1     2   0   .212
Hooton p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .147      Williams p            2   0   1   0     0   1   .250
  Beckwith p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Ladd p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Thomasson ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .245        Andujar p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .088
  Patterson p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Joshua ph           1   1   1   0     0   0   .289
  LaGrow p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hatcher ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .320

Totals               33   4   9   4     2   6             Totals               35   9  16   9     8   2

Time of Game: 3:01   Attendance: 14,404
Left on Base: Dodgers 6, Astros 12
DP: Dodgers 2, Astros 2
Errors: Oates, Cedeno, Reynolds
Doubles: Cabell (22), Walling (5), Pujols (1)
Triples: Pujols (1), Landestoy (4), Cedeno (4)
Home Runs: Baker (21)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (31), Walling (1), Puhl (27), Leonard (16)
Caught Stealing: Walling (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Russell (11), Williams (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Garvey (5), Reynolds (4)
GIDP: Russell (16), Lopes (7), Pujols (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hooton                  0.1   0   1   1   1   0   0   2   2.97
Beckwith L(1-1)         3.2  11   5   5   2   1   0  23   6.17
Patterson               2     4   2   2   3   1   0  11   5.15
LaGrow                  2     1   1   1   2   0   0   9   6.31
Totals                  8    16   9   9   8   2   0  45

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Williams W(4-5)         5.2   7   3   3   1   4   1  24   3.15
Ladd                    0.2   2   1   1   1   0   0   5   1.93
Andujar SV(4)           2.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   8   3.09
Totals                  9     9   4   4   2   6   1  37

Passed Balls: Oates (3)
Balks: Williams (1)

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Ed Vargo


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes singled to left; Williams balked [Lopes to
second]; Russell out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Lopes
to third]; Garvey singled to right [Lopes scored]; Cey lined to
left; Baker made an out to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Cedeno flied out to center; Reynolds walked;
BECKWITH REPLACED HOOTON (PITCHING); Puhl walked [Reynolds to
second]; Cruz singled to left [Reynolds scored, Puhl to second];
Cabell forced Cruz (shortstop to second) [Puhl to third];
Leonard grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Ferguson singled to center; Thomas grounded out
(second to first) [Ferguson to second]; Oates grounded out
(third to first); Beckwith struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Pujols was called out on strikes; Landestoy singled
to second; Williams singled to first [Landestoy to second];
Cedeno walked [Landestoy to third, Williams to second]; Reynolds
made an out to second; Puhl flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
3 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Lopes singled to left; Russell grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Lopes out at
second]; Garvey struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Cruz singled to left; Cruz stole second; Cabell
singled to right [Cruz scored, Cabell to third (error by
Oates)]; Leonard singled to left [Cabell scored]; Pujols tripled
to right [Leonard scored]; Landestoy singled to second [Pujols
scored]; Williams out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second)
[Landestoy to second]; Cedeno made an out to second; Reynolds
flied out to left; 4 R, 5 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 5.

DODGERS 4TH: WALLING REPLACED CRUZ (PLAYING LF); Cey struck out;
Baker grounded out (shortstop to first); Ferguson flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 5.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Walling
singled to center; Walling stole second; Oates allowed a passed
ball [Walling to third]; Cabell doubled to left [Walling
scored]; Leonard singled to shortstop [Cabell to third]; Pujols
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Leonard
out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 6.

DODGERS 5TH: Thomas singled to right; Oates reached on an error
by Cedeno [Thomas to second]; THOMASSON BATTED FOR BECKWITH;
Thomasson flied out to right [Thomas to third]; Lopes grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Oates out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 5TH: PATTERSON REPLACED THOMASSON (PITCHING); Landestoy
tripled to right; Williams struck out; Cedeno walked; Reynolds
hit into a double play (first to catcher) [Landestoy out at
home]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 6.

DODGERS 6TH: Russell grounded out (shortstop to first); Garvey
walked; Cey struck out; Baker homered [Garvey scored]; Ferguson
singled to left [Ferguson to second (error by Reynolds)]; LADD
REPLACED WILLIAMS (PITCHING); Thomas popped to third in foul
territory; 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 6.

ASTROS 6TH: MARTINEZ REPLACED RUSSELL (PLAYING SS); Puhl singled
to center; Puhl stole second; Walling doubled to right [Puhl
scored]; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first) [Walling to
third]; Leonard was walked intentionally; Walling was caught
stealing home (catcher to third) [Leonard to second]; Pujols
doubled to left [Leonard scored]; Landestoy was walked
intentionally; Ladd grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 8.

DODGERS 7TH: Oates made an out to second; JOSHUA BATTED FOR
PATTERSON; Joshua singled to right; Lopes walked [Joshua to
second]; Martinez singled to left [Joshua to third, Lopes to
second]; ANDUJAR REPLACED LADD (PITCHING); Garvey hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Joshua scored, Lopes to third]; Cey made
an out to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 8.

ASTROS 7TH: LAGROW REPLACED JOSHUA (PITCHING); Cedeno tripled to
right; Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly to center [Cedeno scored];
Puhl popped to third in foul territory; Walling grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 9.

DODGERS 8TH: Baker struck out; Ferguson struck out; Thomas flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 9.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell grounded out (second to first); Leonard
walked; Leonard stole second; Pujols flied out to right;
Landestoy walked; Andujar popped to catcher in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 9.

DODGERS 9TH: Oates grounded out (second to first); HATCHER
BATTED FOR LAGROW; Hatcher grounded out (third to first); Lopes
lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 9.