He took over where he left off in , with 18 home runs and 63 RBIs in the first half of the season to earn his third consecutive All-Star start. For the season, he batted .281 and paced the NL in both home runs and RBIs with 40 and 120, respectively. He was voted onto his fourth consecutive All-Star team in , but needed to be pulled in the second inning after pulling his thigh. The Reds lost Foster for a month, and had been decimated by injuries, but managed to stay in the NL West race during Foster's absence. Shortly after his return, the Reds went on an eight-game winning streak that saw them jump into first place by 1.5 games over the Houston Astros. The Reds held off the Astros to win their first division crown since 1976, but were swept by the Pirates in the 1979 National League Championship Series. Foster's highlight was a game tying home run in game one of the NLCS.