Staked to a three-run lead in the first inning, Doyle Alexander pitched the Dodgers to a 6-1 victory over the Astros. Bobby Valentine opened the game with a safe tap down the third base line and took second on Ron Cook's wild throw. After stopping at third on a single by Willie Davis, Valentine scored on a sacrifice fly by Dick Allen. Wes Parker followed with a homer, crossing the plate behind Davis.

Alexander figured in the Dodgers' next three runs, setting one up with a sacrifice in the fifth and scoring two others after hitting a single in the seventh and drawing a walk in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Tuesday, August    31, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      3  0  0    0  1  0    1  0  1  -   6 10  0
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  9  1


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Valentine ss          4   1   3   1     0   0   .259      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     1   0   .240
Mota lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .307      Menke 2b,3b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .262
  Crawford lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .283      Cedeno cf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .266
Davis cf              4   1   2   1     1   0   .314      Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .295
Allen 1b              3   0   0   1     0   1   .288      Chiles lf             4   0   1   1     0   1   .245
  Russell rf          1   0   1   1     0   0   .229      Rader 3b              2   0   0   0     0   1   .242
Parker rf,1b          5   1   2   2     0   0   .285        Morgan ph,2b        1   0   0   0     1   0   .261
Lefebvre 2b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .250      Wynn rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .214
Garvey 3b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .224      Edwards c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .228
Ferguson c            2   1   0   0     2   0   .206      Cook p                2   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Alexander p           2   2   1   0     1   1   .267        Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Geronimo ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .207
                                                            Harris p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lemaster p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
                                                            Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .286

Totals               32   6  10   6     5   4             Totals               34   1   9   1     2   3

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance:  7,340
Left on Base: Dodgers 8, Astros 8
DP: Dodgers 2, Astros 1
Errors: Cook
Doubles: Davis (29)
Home Runs: Parker (6)
Stolen Bases: Davis (19)
Sacrifice Hits: Alexander (1), Valentine (3), Mota (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Allen (5)
GIDP: Parker (13), Watson (13), Wynn (14)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Alexander W(6-4)        9     9   1   1   2   3   0  36   2.87
Totals                  9     9   1   1   2   3   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cook L(0-4)             6.2   8   5   5   2   3   1  30   5.04
Ray                     0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   2.13
Harris                  1.1   2   1   1   3   0   0   9   5.40
Lemaster                0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.02
Totals                  9    10   6   6   5   4   1  41

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Al Barlick, 3B - Paul Pryor


DODGERS 1ST: Valentine singled to pitcher [Valentine to second
(error by Cook)]; Mota grounded out (third to first); Davis
singled to center [Valentine to third]; Davis stole second;
Allen hit a sacrifice fly to center [Valentine scored]; Parker
homered [Davis scored]; Lefebvre flied out to right; 3 R, 3 H, 1
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger walked; Menke singled to center [Metzger to
second]; Cedeno popped to first in foul territory; Watson
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Menke out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros
0.

DODGERS 2ND: Garvey struck out; Ferguson walked; Alexander
struck out; Valentine flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Chiles made an out to shortstop; Rader grounded out
(shortstop to first); Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Mota grounded out (shortstop to first); Davis flied
out to left; Allen flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Edwards flied out to center; Cook grounded out
(pitcher to first); Metzger singled to shortstop; Menke forced
Metzger (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3,
Astros 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Parker made an out to second; Lefebvre made an out
to shortstop; Garvey grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno singled to left; Watson singled to right
[Cedeno to second]; Chiles singled to right [Cedeno scored,
Watson to third]; Rader was called out on strikes; Wynn grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Chiles out at
second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 1.

DODGERS 5TH: Ferguson walked; Alexander out on a sacrifice bunt
(second to pitcher) [Ferguson to second]; Valentine singled to
center [Ferguson scored, Valentine to second (on throw)]; Mota
singled to center [Valentine to third]; Davis popped to third in
foul territory; Allen forced Mota (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Edwards flied out to center; Cook singled to center;
Metzger flied out to center; Menke flied to right in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Parker singled to left; Lefebvre struck out; Garvey
forced Parker (third to second); Ferguson flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno singled to right; Watson flied out to right;
Chiles popped to catcher in foul territory; MORGAN BATTED FOR
RADER; Morgan walked [Cedeno to second]; Wynn made an out to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 1.

DODGERS 7TH: MORGAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); MENKE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Alexander singled to left; Valentine out
on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Alexander to second];
Mota flied out to center [Alexander to third]; Davis doubled to
left [Alexander scored]; RAY REPLACED COOK (PITCHING); Allen
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: RUSSELL REPLACED ALLEN (PLAYING RF); PARKER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Edwards singled to right; GERONIMO
BATTED FOR RAY; Geronimo lined to shortstop; Metzger forced
Edwards (second to shortstop); Menke struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 1.

DODGERS 8TH: HARRIS REPLACED GERONIMO (PITCHING); Parker popped
to catcher in foul territory; Lefebvre walked; Garvey made an
out to second; Ferguson lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 5, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno flied out to left; Watson grounded out
(second to first); Chiles was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 1.

DODGERS 9TH: Alexander walked; Valentine singled to right
[Alexander to second]; Mota out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
second) [Alexander to third, Valentine to second]; Davis was
walked intentionally; Russell singled to pitcher [Alexander
scored, Valentine to third, Davis to second]; LEMASTER REPLACED
HARRIS (PITCHING); Parker grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Russell out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: CRAWFORD REPLACED MOTA (PLAYING LF); Morgan flied
out to center; Wynn singled to left; Edwards made an out to
shortstop; ALOU BATTED FOR LEMASTER; Alou grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 1.