Houston Cuts Down the Giants

The Astros sweep the Giants, who now have won only two of their last 10 games.

Game One: Houston 4, SF 2
W: Richard (4-1)
L: Nastu (0-3)
S: Sambito (5)

Heat thrower J.R. Richard strikes out 13 Giants in eight innings, while Houston chips away for three runs and holds off a late SF rally. Joe Sambito's fifth save stops the threat.

Game Two: Houston 6, SF 5

W: Williams (1-0)
L: Knepper (2-6)
S: Sambito (6)

Rick Williams was cruising for Houston, supported by six early runs and a 6-0 lead when he left after seven. But reliever Bo McLaughlin stokes another late Giants rally, as SF scores four in the eighth, three on long homers from Terry Whitfield and Rob Andrews. But Sambito again hands Houston the win, this time in tense fashion he gives up two hits and a run before retiring the final out. Red hot Astro Bob Watson hits a three run homer to aid the cause.

Game Three: Houston 8, SF 3
W: Forsch (4-3)
L: Halicki (3-4)

Ken Forsch survives a rocky three run fourth after Houston tags SF starter Ed Halicki for four early runs, including a three run homer from Bob Watson, who is busting the chops of Giants pitchers. Forsch settled down after the fourth for a complete game, giving up no more runs. Jose Cruz hits his first homer to help Houston pull away. Watson has now hit safely in 11 games.

"King Kong" Kingman Attacks Houston

The Cubs and Astros played four close games, the first three going to extra innings and the fourth won in the bottom of the ninth. Dave Kingman does most of the late inning damage for the Cubbies in the extra inning affairs.

Game One: Cubs 5, Astros 3 (10 innings)
W: Burris (1-1)
L: Sambito (3-2)
S: Caudill (1)

Three singles off the Astros' Frank Riccelli in the Cubs' fifth give them a 3-0 lead, but the Astros come right back to score two quick runs and tie it in the eighth on a Bob Watson smash aided by a Dave Kingman throwing error. In the 10th, Kingman redeems himself by socking his 10th homer of the year off Astros' closer Joe Sambito for the win.

Game Two: Cubs 7, Astros 5 (11 innings)

W: Sutter (1-0)
L: Sambito (3-3)

The game is tied 5-5 in regulation as both teams score early. Bill Buckner and Jerry Martin homer off the Astros' Ken Forsch, while Houston chips away with 10 hits in seven innings off Cubs' starter Lynn McGlothen. Cubs' pinch hitter Scot Thompson homers in the 10th but the Astros hand Bruce Sutter his first blown save as Jesus Alou walks with the bases loaded to tie the game. But shades of Game One, Dave Kingman steps in the batters box in the 11th and hits a two run homer off Joe Sambito to provide the margin of victory.

Game Three: Cubs 4, Astros 2 (10 innings)
W: Sutter (2-0)
L: Mclaughlin (0-2)

Houston spot starter Rick Williams keeps Chicago bats at bay but allows two runs in the eighth to Mick Kelleher and Bill Buckner to tie the game, after Houston pulled ahead early off Ken Holtzman on a Bruce Bochy single that scores two. Bruce Sutter pitches three innings of scoreless relief and gets the win in the 10th. Kingman again does damage by singling, stealing second and scoring the winning run off a ground single from Tim Blackwell.

Game Four: Houston 3, Chicago 2
W: Dixon (1-1)
L: Caudill (0-2)

Starters Mike Krukow and Joe Niekro  pitch good games but both tire after six and the score tied at 2 apiece. It looks to be another long afternoon of extra inning baseball at the Astrodome until Alan Ashby and Julio Gonzalez single off Cubs reliever Bill Caudill in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, pinch hitter Jesus Alou sends the crowd home happy for once by singling to left center for the Houston win.

Royals and ChiSox Split

GAME ONE – Amos Otis and Clint Hurdle hit 2-run homers in the 8^th and 9^th, respectively to power Kansas City to a 6-3 win over the White Sox in the opener of a 4-game set. Paul Splittorff (5-1) pitched 8 2/3 for the win. Al Hrabosky (8) recorded the 27^th out.

GAME TWO – Ken Kravec (5-2) was nearly un-hittable in a complete game 3-0 shutout for the White Sox. U.L. Washington’s sharp single between first and second was the only blemish. Kravec fanned 7. Claudell Washington’s 2-run single in the 8^th was the biblow offensively for the Pale Hose.   

GAME THREE – Chet Lemon plated Washington for a White Sox winner in the 9^th capping a wild one, 13-12 at Comiskey. Lemon and Washington each had 4 hits to pace the ChiSox total of 23 safeties for the game. U.L. Washington’s 4 knocks led the Royals 15 hits. The Sox put a 5-spot on the board in the 3^rd with Lamar Johnson and Bill Nahorodny swatting back-to-back home runs. Nahorodny would add a second dinger in the 6^th. Chicago led 12-6 heading into the 9^th, but the Royals tied it with 6 in the 9^th without an extra base hit.

GAME FOUR – KC earns the split in the series with a 10-6 win in the finale. Eduardo Rodriguez muscled up and went the distance in his first start of the year. Everyone in the Royals lineup had at least 1 hit except Washington and George Brett. Chicago’s Johnson was the only player to leave the yard.  

Houston Shuts Down Disappointing Cardinals Club

Houston is attempting to get back in the NL West race after a slow season start and is aided by a sweep of the dispirited St. Louis ballclub in the 'Dome. Houston is starting to climb back toward .500 at 13-18 while St. Louis drops to a horrid 7-21.

Game One: HOU 3, STL 0
W: Forsch (3-3)
L: Vuckovich (2-2)

Ken Forsch pitches a tidy three-hit complete game to even his record at three apiece. Pete Vuckovich isn't too shabby himself, only allowing six hits in eight innings, but allows RBI singles from Terry Puhl and Art Howe to give Houston the slight edge.

Game Two: HOU 1, STL 0

W: J. Niekro (2-3)
L: Denny (0-7)
S: Sambito (4)

A great pitching duel, as the Cards' John Denny finally finds his groove after a horrible beginning to the season that has put his ERA at over 5. However, Houston's Joe Niekro has the knuckleball fluttering today, only allowing six hits and no runs in 8.2 innings. A Bob Watson smash to left scores Cesar Cedeno in the sixth with the game's only run. After Niekro puts a runner on in the ninth, Joe Sambito comes in to get Jerry Mumphrey on a groundout to end the game.

Game Three: HOU 3, STL 1
W: Richard (3-1)
L: Sykes (0-4)

St. Louis scores its only run of the three game set, but one run is all they can muster off Houston ace J.R. Richard. The great fireballer strikes out eight en route to a complete game, four-hit win. Little used youngster Jeffery Leonard drives in two runs with singles off Cards' young starter Bob Sykes, who looks good but can't get around the lack of a Cardinals' offense.

Milwaukee Massacres Tribe

Jim Slaton is now 5-1.

The Milwaukee Brewers put on quite a show scalping the Tribe in three straight to improve to 20-11 on the season.  The Brewers outscored the Indians 22-3 over the 3 game series bashing 5 home runs in the process.  Milwaukee has now strung together 8 straight wins to move into first place in the AL East.  Cleveland has lost 10 of their last 12 games to drop to 14-14.

4 Game Split on the Ohio Between Reds and Astros

Riverfront,

Game 1,

Concepcion hits 5 homeruns in the series.

The Big Red Machine flexed these muscles in the game with 5 homeruns!! Dave Conception connected for a pair and starter Tom Seaver, helped his cause with 2 long balls of his own ( Seaver already has hit 3 homeruns this season).  Reds batters crushed the Astros batters as Tom Seaver held down the Astros sticks to improve his record to 3-1.  Reds 12...Astros 2.

Game 2,

Cincinnati continued their offensive onslaught in the second game of the series.  Shortstop Dave Conception made it back to back days with with multiple homerun games!!! This was the 3rd game of the season that the slick fielding shortstop has gone deep twice in the same game.  Tom Hume and Dave Tomlin blanked the Astros lineup while surrendering a meager 5 hits.  Tom Hume still stands perfect with his 5-0 mark.  Reds 9...Astros 0.

Game 3, Doubler header,

Watson hits homerun in victory.

J.R. Richard found the cure for the Astros pitching woes against the Reds with a complete game victory over the Big Red Machine.  Richard struck out 7 batters and only allowed one measly run to record his second victory of the year.  Reds shortstop Dave Conception accounted for the only Reds run with his third consecutive game with a homerun. Davy leads the Reds in homeruns with 8.  Astros 2...Reds 1.

Game 4, second game of DH,


Houston first sacker Bob Watson hit his 3rd homerun of the season to lead the Astros to a

double header and 4 game split with the Reds.  Red starter Fred Norman was knocked out of the box in the fourth inning and was relieved by Frank Pastore.  Houston southpaw Frank Riccelli won his first victory with a solid pitching performance. Riccelli threw 5 innings of 2 hit ball but was relieved by Mclaughlin and Joe Sambito to help secure the victory.  Sambito earned his 3rd save of the year. The loss went to Fred Norman (2-3). Astros 6...Reds 3.

Milwaukee Rolls Over Toronto

The Brewers banged out 7 home runs in 4 games to sweep the Blue Jays 4-0.  

Sal Bando - 7-14, 2 HRs

Game 1: Milwaukee 4  Toronto 1
WP: Bill Travers (2-2, 2.63 ERA)
LP: Tom Underwood (2-4, 3.66 ERA, 6 Ks)
SV: Jerry Augustine (2)

Game 2: Milwaukee 9  Toronto 7
WP: Mike Caldwell (4-2, 4.21 ERA)
LP: Jim Clancy (1-4, 7.59 ERA)
SV: Reggie Cleveland (1)

Game 3: Milwaukee 9 Toronto 1
WP: Jim Slaton (4-1, 2.88 ERA, 3Ks)
LP: Mark Lemanczyk (1-2, 5.68 ERA)

Game 4: Milwaukee 7  Toronto 4
WP: Larry Sorensen (3-2, 4.15 ERA)
LP: Lemongello (0-4, 3.64 ERA, 7 Ks)

Milwaukee improves to 17-11 while Toronto drops to 8-20