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1979 – J.R. Richard fans 12 and delivers the game-winning hit during a 4-1 victory over Los Angeles. Terry Puhl opens the scoring with a first-inning blast off Burt Hooton. Richard’s two-run single in the fifth ends the stalemate. It is J.R.’s tenth straight win over the Dodgers. 

ByThis Day in Baseball

1979 – J.R. Richard fans 12 and delivers the game-winning hit during a 4-1 victory over Los Angeles. Terry Puhl opens the scoring with a first-inning blast off Burt Hooton. Richard’s two-run single in the fifth ends the stalemate. It is J.R.’s tenth straight win over the Dodgers. 

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1979 – Houston sweeps the Braves, 4-3 and 6-2, to move five games ahead of second-place Cincinnati. Atlanta knuckleballer Phil Niekro ties major league marks with four wild pitches in one inning and six for the game. The Astros also set a team record for a nine-inning game by stranding 16 runners in the opener. 

ByTom

1979 – Houston sweeps the Braves, 4-3 and 6-2, to move five games ahead of second-place Cincinnati. Atlanta knuckleballer Phil Niekro ties major league marks with four wild pitches in one inning and six for the game. The Astros also set a team record for a nine-inning game by stranding 16 runners in the opener. 

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1979 – Ken Forsch twirls a three-hitter as the Astros top the Dodgers, 5-2, but the talk is about a brawl that clears the benches. Cesar Cedeno spikes Steve Yeager during a play at the plate. Yeager later tosses a ball out to Cedeno at first who fires it back into the L.A. bench. Ken Brett then hits Enos Cabell with a pitch and away they go. Tommy Lasorda beat the rush, getting tossed three innings earlier.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1979 – Ken Forsch twirls a three-hitter as the Astros top the Dodgers, 5-2, but the talk is about a brawl that clears the benches. Cesar Cedeno spikes Steve Yeager during a play at the plate. Yeager later tosses a ball out to Cedeno at first who fires it back into the L.A. bench. Ken Brett then hits Enos Cabell with a pitch and away they go. Tommy Lasorda beat the rush, getting tossed three innings earlier.

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1979 – Houston rallies for a 7-6 victory in St. Louis as Jose Cruz singles home Julio Gonzalez in the ninth for the game-winner. Terry Puhl homers. Enos Cabell and Jeff Leonard chime in with three hits apiece. Joe Sambito tosses two scoreless innings of relief for the win. It’s just their second win in their past 14 games, shrinking what was a ten-game division lead two weeks ago down to four games.

ByTom

1979 – Houston rallies for a 7-6 victory in St. Louis as Jose Cruz singles home Julio Gonzalez in the ninth for the game-winner. Terry Puhl homers. Enos Cabell and Jeff Leonard chime in with three hits apiece. Joe Sambito tosses two scoreless innings of relief for the win. It’s just their second win in their past 14 games, shrinking what was a ten-game division lead two weeks ago down to four games.

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1979 – J.R. Richard blanks the Padres on three hits, 3-0. Cesar Cedeno belts a homer and Jose Cruz adds three hits to spark the offense. 

ByTom

1979 – J.R. Richard blanks the Padres on three hits, 3-0. Cesar Cedeno belts a homer and Jose Cruz adds three hits to spark the offense. 

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1979 – The Astros witness the re-hatching of the famous San Diego Chicken before a 4-1 victory. Heavy traffic delays the game for a half-hour before Ted Giannoulas breaks out of a five-foot egg to thunderous cheers. Unimpressed, Terry Puhl bashes Gaylord Perry’s first pitch for a homer and Houston gets the last cluck.

ByTom

1979 – The Astros witness the re-hatching of the famous San Diego Chicken before a 4-1 victory. Heavy traffic delays the game for a half-hour before Ted Giannoulas breaks out of a five-foot egg to thunderous cheers. Unimpressed, Terry Puhl bashes Gaylord Perry’s first pitch for a homer and Houston gets the last cluck.

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1979 – Montreal puts a 19-3 hurt on the Astros, touching Joe Niekro for eight runs in the first three innings. George Throop and Randy Niemann are also blasted. Even winning pitcher Dan Schatzeder gets two hits. 

ByTom

1979 – Montreal puts a 19-3 hurt on the Astros, touching Joe Niekro for eight runs in the first three innings. George Throop and Randy Niemann are also blasted. Even winning pitcher Dan Schatzeder gets two hits. 

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1979 – Dr. John McMullen purchases the Astros from the Ford Motor Credit Corporation. The shipping magnate, a former partner of New York Yankee boss George Steinbrenner, jokes that nothing is more limited than being Steinbrenner’s limited partner. 

ByTom

1979 – Dr. John McMullen purchases the Astros from the Ford Motor Credit Corporation. The shipping magnate, a former partner of New York Yankee boss George Steinbrenner, jokes that nothing is more limited than being Steinbrenner’s limited partner. 

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1979 – Art Howe singles home Craig Reynolds for a 9-8 triumph over Pittsburgh in eleven innings. It is Howe’s fourth hit and fourth RBI of the game. Reynolds also has four hits. 

ByTom

1979 – Art Howe singles home Craig Reynolds for a 9-8 triumph over Pittsburgh in eleven innings. It is Howe’s fourth hit and fourth RBI of the game. Reynolds also has four hits. 

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J.R. Richard ties a major-league record by throwing six wild pitches in a game against Los Angeles, but he also strikes out 13 in a 2-1 victory. Cesar Cedeno, Jose Cruz and Enos Cabell tag consecutive doubles off Burt Hooton in the fourth for the Houston runs. 

ByThis Day in Baseball

1979 – J.R. Richard ties a major-league record by throwing six wild pitches in a game against Los Angeles, but he also strikes out 13 in a 2-1 victory. Cesar Cedeno, Jose Cruz and Enos Cabell tag consecutive doubles off Burt Hooton in the fourth for the Houston runs.