The flag aspirations of the Astros were dampened by a doubleheader loss to the Braves, 5-4 and 8-1. The Astros came from behind three times in the opener, once to take the lead and twice to tie, before falling in the ninth.

After Bob Horner's second homer of the game had given the Braves a 4-3 lead in the eighth, the Astros tied the game on a two-out single in the ninth by Enos Cabell that plated Cesar Cedeno. But Pepe Frias led off the home half with a single off Joe Sambito and pinch-hitter Bob Beall, after failing in two attempts to sacrifice, doubled down the left field line, pinch-runner Darrel Chaney stopping at third. Eddie Miller was walked intentionally and then Jerry Royster singled past the drawn-in outfield to decide the see-saw battle.

In the second game, Gary Matthews knocked in four runs, including two with a single to cap a five-run rally in the sixth. Eddie Solomon blanked the Astros until back-to-back doubles by Craig Reynolds and Cedeno in the ninth produced the loser's only tally. The losses increased the idle Reds' lead to 2½ games and reduced their magic number to four. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, Houston Astros 4 (Game 1)
Game Played on Monday, September 24, 1979 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  1  1  -   4 11  1
Braves       0  0  1    0  0  1    1  1  1  -   5 15  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          5   0   1   0     0   0   .268      Miller cf             4   0   2   0     1   1   .322
Gonzalez ss,3b        4   0   1   0     0   0   .257      Royster 2b            5   0   3   3     0   0   .273
  Walling ph,rf       1   0   1   0     0   0   .319      Matthews rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .304
Cedeno cf,1b          5   1   0   0     0   0   .264      Horner 3b             4   2   3   2     0   0   .317
Leonard rf,cf         4   1   0   0     1   1   .291      Murphy 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .286
Cabell 1b,3b          5   0   4   1     0   1   .268      Whisenton lf          3   0   1   0     0   0   .214
Howe 3b               4   1   1   0     0   0   .246        Bonnell ph,lf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .253
  Sexton pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .162      Nolan c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .247
  Reynolds ss         0   0   0   0     1   0   .263        Spikes ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .280
Cruz lf               4   1   2   2     1   0   .290        Benedict c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .225
Bochy c               2   0   1   0     1   0   .220      Frias ss              4   0   1   0     0   0   .261
  Alou ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .263        Chaney pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .135
  Wiedenbauer pr      0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000      McWilliams p          2   1   2   0     0   0   .238
  Pujols c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .246        Lum ph              1   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Forsch p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .143        Wessinger pr        0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
  Baldwin ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .200        J. McLaughlin p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Bradford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .286        Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .300
                                                            M. Mahler p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
                                                            Beall ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .143

Totals               38   4  11   3     5   3             Totals               37   5  15   5     1   5

Time of Game: 2:47
Left on Base: Astros 12, Braves 9
DP: Astros 2, Braves 0
Errors: Gonzalez, Frias
Doubles: Gonzalez (5), McWilliams (2), Beall (2)
Home Runs: Cruz (9), Horner 2 (32)
Stolen Bases: Leonard (21), Cedeno (30), Cabell (37)
GIDP: Horner (8), Whisenton (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  7    11   3   3   0   4   1  30   3.11
LaCorte                 0.1   1   1   1   0   0   1   2   5.71
Sambito L(8-7)          0.2   3   1   1   1   1   0   6   1.83
Totals                  8    15   5   5   1   5   2  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McWilliams              7     8   2   2   1   1   1  30   6.36
J. McLaughlin           0.1   1   1   1   1   1   0   3   2.39
Bradford                0.1   0   0   0   2   0   0   3   0.96
Garber                  1     2   1   1   1   1   0   6   4.36
M. Mahler W(5-11)       0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   5.79
Totals                  9    11   4   4   5   3   1  43

Balks: Bradford (2)

Umpires: HP - Dave Pallone, 1B - Jim Quick, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Paul Pryor


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy popped to first in foul territory;
Gonzalez popped to second; Cedeno popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Miller singled; Royster singled [Miller to third];
Matthews struck out; Horner grounded into a double play (third
to second to first) [Royster out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Leonard flied out to right; Cabell singled; Howe
flied out to center [Cabell to second]; Cabell was picked off
second but was safe on an error by Frias [Cabell stayed at
second]; Cruz flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy singled; Whisenton grounded into a double
play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Murphy out at second];
Nolan struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Bochy grounded out (shortstop to first); Forsch
struck out; Landestoy singled; Gonzalez doubled [Landestoy to
third]; Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Frias grounded out (first unassisted); McWilliams
doubled; Miller grounded out (second to first) [McWilliams to
third]; Royster singled [McWilliams scored]; Matthews grounded
out (pitcher unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Leonard flied out to center; Cabell singled; Howe
forced Cabell (shortstop to second); Cruz homered [Howe scored];
Bochy singled; Forsch grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 3
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Horner singled; Murphy flied out to left; Whisenton
singled [Horner to second]; Nolan flied out to right; Frias
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Landestoy flied out to right; Gonzalez flied out to
left; Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: McWilliams singled; On a bunt Miller struck out;
Royster popped to first in foul territory; Matthews grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Leonard flied out to right; Cabell singled; Howe
flied out to center; Cruz singled [Cabell to third]; Bochy was
walked intentionally [Cruz to second]; Forsch grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Horner homered; Murphy struck out; Whisenton flied
out to left; Nolan grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Landestoy grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: Frias flied out to left; LUM BATTED FOR MCWILLIAMS;
Lum singled; WESSINGER RAN FOR LUM; Miller singled [Wessinger to
third]; Royster forced Miller (shortstop unassisted) [Wessinger
scored, Royster to second (error by Gonzalez)]; Matthews popped
to catcher in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 3.

ASTROS 8TH: J. MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED WESSINGER (PITCHING); Leonard
walked; Leonard stole second; Cabell struck out; Howe singled
[Leonard to third]; SEXTON RAN FOR HOWE; BRADFORD REPLACED J.
MCLAUGHLIN (PITCHING); Cruz walked [Sexton to second]; ALOU
BATTED FOR BOCHY; Bradford balked [Leonard scored, Sexton to
third, Cruz to second]; Alou was walked intentionally;
WIEDENBAUER RAN FOR ALOU; BALDWIN BATTED FOR FORSCH; Baldwin
forced Sexton (third to catcher) [Cruz to third, Wiedenbauer to
second]; GARBER REPLACED BRADFORD (PITCHING); Landestoy lined to
first; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: LACORTE REPLACED BALDWIN (PITCHING); PUJOLS REPLACED
WIEDENBAUER (PLAYING C ); REYNOLDS REPLACED SEXTON (PLAYING SS);
GONZALEZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Horner homered; Murphy
grounded out (third to first); SAMBITO REPLACED LACORTE
(PITCHING); BONNELL BATTED FOR WHISENTON; Bonnell popped to
first in foul territory; SPIKES BATTED FOR NOLAN; Spikes struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 4.

ASTROS 9TH: BONNELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); BENEDICT
REPLACED SPIKES (PLAYING C ); WALLING BATTED FOR GONZALEZ;
Walling singled; Cedeno forced Walling (third to second); Cedeno
stole second; Leonard struck out; Cabell singled [Cedeno
scored]; Cabell stole second; Reynolds walked; M. MAHLER
REPLACED GARBER (PITCHING); Cruz grounded out (second to first);
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 4.

BRAVES 9TH: WALLING STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); LEONARD CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); CEDENO CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B);
CABELL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Frias singled; CHANEY RAN
FOR FRIAS; BEALL BATTED FOR M. MAHLER; Beall doubled to left
[Chaney to third]; Miller was walked intentionally; Royster
singled [Chaney scored, Beall to third, Miller to second]; 1 R,
3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 5.