Home runs by Terry Puhl and Jose Cruz triggered the Astros to a 3-2 opening-game victory over the Dodgers. Puhl gave the Astros a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a circuit clout off starter Burt Hooton's second pitch and Cruz upped the margin to 2-0 with his round-tripper in the second inning. Later in the same frame, Art Howe tripled and scored on a single by Alan Ashby. J.R. Richard struck out 13 batters in pitching the first eight innings and did not give up a hit until one out in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Game Played on Thursday, April     10, 1980 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  2  1
Astros       1  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   3  6  1


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Puhl rf               4   1   1   1     0   1   .250
Law cf                4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Reynolds ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Smith rf              4   1   1   0     0   1   .250      Cedeno cf             2   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Garvey 1b             3   0   0   1     0   2   .000      Morgan 2b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Baker lf              2   0   0   1     0   1   .000      Cruz lf               3   1   1   1     0   0   .333
Cey 3b                3   0   0   0     0   3   .000      Cabell 3b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Thomas ss             3   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Howe 1b               3   1   1   0     0   0   .333
Yeager c              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Ashby c               3   0   1   1     0   1   .333
  Johnstone ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Richard p             3   0   1   0     0   2   .333
  Ferguson c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hooton p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Monday ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Reuss p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Thomasson ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Castillo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               29   2   2   2     0  13             Totals               28   3   6   3     1   4

Time of Game: 2:03   Attendance: 33,270
Left on Base: Dodgers 1, Astros 2
DP: Dodgers 2, Astros 0
Errors: Thomas, Cabell
Doubles: Smith (1)
Triples: Howe (1)
Home Runs: Puhl (1), Cruz (1)
Stolen Bases: Garvey (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Baker (1)
GIDP: Cedeno (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hooton L(0-1)           2     4   3   3   0   1   2   9  13.50
Reuss                   5     1   0   0   1   2   0  17   0.00
Castillo                1     1   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.00
Totals                  8     6   3   3   1   4   2  29

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(1-0)          8     2   2   1   0  13   0  27   1.13
Sambito SV(1)           1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9     2   2   1   0  13   0  30

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - John McSherry, 3B - Steve Fields


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes was called out on strikes; Law grounded out
(second to first); Smith struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl homered; Reynolds reached on an error by
Thomas; Cedeno grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Reynolds out at second]; Morgan grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Garvey struck out; Baker struck out; Cey struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz homered; Cabell grounded out (first
unassisted); Howe tripled to right; Ashby singled to right [Howe
scored]; Ashby was picked off first (catcher to second); Richard
struck out (catcher to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 3.

DODGERS 3RD: Thomas grounded out (shortstop to first); Yeager
was called out on strikes; MONDAY BATTED FOR HOOTON; Monday
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: REUSS REPLACED MONDAY (PITCHING); Puhl grounded out
(second to first); Reynolds grounded out (shortstop to first);
Cedeno walked; Morgan singled to center [Cedeno to second]; Cruz
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers
0, Astros 3.

DODGERS 4TH: Lopes was called out on strikes; Law grounded out
(third to first); Smith grounded out (second to pitcher); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); Howe flied
out to center; Ashby struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
0, Astros 3.

DODGERS 5TH: Garvey struck out; Baker flied out to center; Cey
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Richard struck out; Puhl popped to shortstop;
Reynolds grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

DODGERS 6TH: Thomas struck out; Yeager grounded out (shortstop
to first); Reuss grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Morgan
grounded out (pitcher to first); Cruz grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

DODGERS 7TH: Lopes grounded out (second to first); Law singled
to right; Smith doubled to right [Law to third]; Garvey reached
on an error by Cabell [Law scored, Smith to third]; Garvey stole
second; Baker hit a sacrifice fly to center [Smith scored
(unearned)]; Cey struck out; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Howe flied out
to left; Ashby grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 3.

DODGERS 8TH: Thomas flied out to left; JOHNSTONE BATTED FOR
YEAGER; Johnstone struck out; THOMASSON BATTED FOR REUSS;
Thomasson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: FERGUSON REPLACED JOHNSTONE (PLAYING C ); CASTILLO
REPLACED THOMASSON (PITCHING); Richard singled to right; Puhl
was called out on strikes; Reynolds lined into a double play
(first to shortstop) [Richard out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 3.

DODGERS 9TH: SAMBITO REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Lopes flied
out to left; Law grounded out (shortstop to first); Smith
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2,
Astros 3.