1979 – Cincinnati overtakes Houston for the N.L. West lead during a tense 9-8 loss at Riverfront Stadium. It is the Astros’ first true pennant-race showdown. Both aces, Tom Seaver and J.R. Richard, start. They are long gone by the time Dave Concepcion and George Foster homer off Joe Sambito for the decisive runs. Rafael Landestoy goes 5-for-5 to pace Houston.
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.
1979 – Fireworks in Cincinnati. The upstart Astros nip the Reds, 3-2, to take their first-ever ten-game divisional lead. Jose Cruz and Jeff Leonard drive home runs in the seventh to lead the come-from-behind victory. Joaquin Andujar and Ray Knight, ex-teammates in the Cincy farm system, start a bench-clearing brawl after hurling insults across the diamond. Joe Sambito cools the Reds with two shutout innings for the save
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.
On April 7, 1979, Ken Forsch of the Houston Astros pitches a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. Forsch’s brother, Bob, pitched a no-hitter in 1978. The Forsches become the first brothers to pitch no-hitters.
1978 – Lefthander Floyd Bannister is traded to Seattle for shortstop Craig Reynolds. An All-Star in Seattle, Reynolds would become an All-Star again the next year before settling into a long career in his hometown.
July 7, 1977, At Dodger Stadium, Houston Astro Pitcher Mark Lemongello finally gets his first hit singling off Doug Rau in the 4th inning after going 0-38 previously. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@ Play by Play, Box Scores, News Paper Reports and other links Other Resources & Links Baseball-Reference Box Score
On June 12, 1977, future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver makes his final appearance with the New York Mets before departing in a blockbuster trade. Seaver defeats the Houston Astros, 3-1, at the Astrodome. Three days later, the Mets will trade Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds for four players… @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@
1977 – Houston bombs the Rangers in a 16-6 exhibition win in Oklahoma City. Willie Crawford drives in five runs but the moment nobody forgets is when Bob Watson doubles into a double play. Texas catcher Bill Fahey tags out both Enos Cabell and Jose Cruz at the plate.
Four years before the stroke that ends his career, 26 year-old J.R. Richard becomes a twenty-game winner on the last day of the season when he tosses a complete game in the Astros’ 10-1 victory over San Francisco. James Rodney also enjoys a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4, including a two-run home run.
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