A five-run outburst in the fourth inning triggered the Reds to a 7-1 victory that stretched their lead in the West division to 1½ games over the Astros. With the score tied, 1-1, Johnny Bench smacked a double, went to third on a two-out infield single by Ray Knight and scored on a single by Hector Cruz.

Frank Pastore singled to right and Knight was safe at the plate when Astro catcher Luis Pujols mishandled the throw from the outfield. A triple by Dave Collins drove in two more runs and Collins himself scored when the throw home by second baseman Rafael Landestoy bounced away from Pujols. George Foster climaxed the scoring with a solo homer. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 7, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Sunday, September 23, 1979 (Day game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  1  0    5  0  0    1  0  0  -   7 12  2
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  9  2


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Collins rf            4   1   1   2     1   0   .317      Puhl cf               5   0   1   0     0   0   .284
  Blair cf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .154      Reynolds ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .263
Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .248      Cedeno 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .267
Concepcion ss         5   0   0   0     0   0   .285      Cruz lf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .289
Foster lf             5   1   2   1     0   1   .304      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .263
Bench c               5   2   2   0     0   2   .278      Leonard rf            4   0   2   1     0   0   .294
Driessen 1b           4   0   1   0     1   1   .251      Pujols c              4   0   0   0     0   1   .246
Knight 3b             5   1   3   0     0   1   .319      Landestoy 2b          3   0   1   0     1   1   .270
Cruz cf,rf            3   1   1   2     1   1   .231      Ruhle p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .053
Pastore p             4   1   1   1     0   1   .182        Niemann p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .133
                                                            Heep ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .100
                                                            Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .088
                                                            Gonzalez ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .257
                                                            Dixon p             0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
                                                            LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bergman ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .429

Totals               39   7  12   6     4   7             Totals               36   1   9   1     1   5

Time of Game: 2:47   Attendance: 42,067
Left on Base: Reds 9, Astros 9
DP: Reds 0, Astros 1
Errors: Morgan, Driessen, Leonard, Landestoy
Doubles: Knight (36), Bench (19), Leonard (15)
Triples: Collins (4)
Home Runs: Foster (28)
Stolen Bases: Collins (16), Cruz (35)
GIDP: Knight (20)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pastore W(5-7)          9     9   1   1   1   5   0  37   4.69
Totals                  9     9   1   1   1   5   0  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle L(2-5)            3.2   8   6   5   0   3   1  19   3.41
Niemann                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.78
Andujar                 2     1   0   0   3   1   0  10   3.21
Dixon                   0.1   3   1   1   1   0   0   5   5.76
LaCorte                 2.2   0   0   0   0   3   0   8   5.50
Totals                  9    12   7   6   4   7   1  43

Umpires: HP - Joe West, 1B - Bill Williams, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Bruce Froemming


REDS 1ST: Collins grounded out (first unassisted); Morgan
grounded out (second to first); Concepcion flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); Reynolds
reached on an error by Morgan [Reynolds to first]; Reynolds was
picked off first (pitcher to first); Cedeno popped to second; 0
R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster homered; Bench struck out; Driessen struck out;
Knight doubled to left; Cruz struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to second; Cruz stole second; Cabell
popped to first in foul territory; Leonard doubled to right
[Cruz scored]; Pujols popped to shortstop; Landestoy was walked
intentionally; Ruhle flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 1.

REDS 3RD: Pastore flied out to center; Collins grounded out
(second to first); Morgan singled to right; Concepcion flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl flied out to right; Reynolds singled to center;
Cedeno singled to left [Reynolds to second]; Cruz flied out to
center; Cabell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

REDS 4TH: Foster flied out to left; Bench doubled to left;
Driessen flied out to left; Knight singled to third [Bench to
third]; Cruz singled to left [Bench scored, Knight to second];
Pastore singled to right [Knight scored, Cruz to third]; Collins
tripled to right [Cruz scored, Pastore scored, Collins scored
(error by Landestoy) (unearned) (no RBI)]; NIEMANN REPLACED
RUHLE (PITCHING); Morgan popped to catcher in foul territory; 5
R (4 ER), 5 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Leonard singled to left; Pujols struck out;
Landestoy singled to center [Leonard to second]; HEEP BATTED FOR
NIEMANN; Heep struck out; Puhl singled to shortstop [Leonard to
third, Landestoy to second]; Reynolds popped to second; 0 R, 3
H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 1.

REDS 5TH: ANDUJAR REPLACED HEEP (PITCHING); Concepcion grounded
out (second to first); Foster singled to left; Bench reached on
an error by Leonard [Foster to third, Bench to second]; Driessen
was walked intentionally; Knight grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Driessen out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno was called out on strikes; Cruz singled to
first [Cruz to second (error by Driessen)]; Cabell grounded out
(first unassisted) [Cruz to third]; Leonard grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 1.

REDS 6TH: Cruz grounded out (catcher to first); Pastore struck
out; Collins walked; Collins stole second; Morgan walked;
Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Pujols popped to third in foul territory; Landestoy
struck out; GONZALEZ BATTED FOR ANDUJAR; Gonzalez singled to
center; Puhl forced Gonzalez (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 1.

REDS 7TH: DIXON REPLACED GONZALEZ (PITCHING); Foster flied out
to right; Bench singled to center; Driessen singled to left
[Bench to second]; Knight singled to third [Bench to third,
Driessen to second]; Cruz walked [Bench scored, Driessen to
third, Knight to second]; LACORTE REPLACED DIXON (PITCHING);
Pastore flied out to right; Collins grounded out (first
unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 7, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Reynolds lined to second; Cedeno flied out to left;
Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
7, Astros 1.

REDS 8TH: Morgan flied out to center; Concepcion flied out to
right; Foster was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 7, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: BLAIR REPLACED COLLINS (PLAYING CF); CRUZ CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Cabell flied out to center; Leonard
flied out to center; Pujols grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 7, Astros 1.

REDS 9TH: Bench struck out; Driessen flied out to left; Knight
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 7, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Landestoy flied out to right; BERGMAN BATTED FOR
LACORTE; Bergman was called out on strikes; Puhl popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 7, Astros 1.