An error by left fielder Jose Cruz paved the way for a two-run inning that enabled the Dodgers to defeat the Astros, 4-2. With the score 2-2, Jerry Reuss led off the Dodgers' eighth with a routine fly that Cruz dropped. After a sacrifice bunt by Davey Lopes, Reuss scored on a single by Rudy Law, who stole second. Dusty Baker was walked intentionally. The runners then worked a double steal to set up a sacrifice fly by Ron Cey. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Sunday, April     20, 1980 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  7  1
Dodgers      1  0  1    0  0  0    0  2  x  -   4  5  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          3   0   1   0     0   0   .125      Lopes 2b              3   1   1   0     0   0   .217
  Morgan ph,2b        1   0   0   1     0   1   .179      Law cf                2   1   1   2     1   0   .295
Reynolds ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Baker lf              3   0   0   0     1   1   .349
Puhl cf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Garvey 1b             3   0   2   0     1   0   .191
Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .371      Cey 3b                3   0   0   1     0   1   .250
Walling 1b            2   0   1   0     2   0   .308      Monday rf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cabell 3b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .378      Russell ss            3   0   0   0     0   1   .118
Leonard rf            3   1   1   1     1   0   .278      Scioscia c            3   1   1   0     0   0   .333
Pujols c              3   0   1   0     0   1   .231      Sutcliffe p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Niekro p              3   0   1   0     0   0   .333        Reuss p             1   1   0   0     0   0   .000
  Howe ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .125

Totals               32   2   7   2     3   3             Totals               25   4   5   3     3   3

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 39,442
Left on Base: Astros 8, Dodgers 5
DP: Astros 1, Dodgers 1
Errors: Cruz
Doubles: Landestoy (1), Cabell (2), Scioscia (1)
Triples: Lopes (1)
Stolen Bases: Walling (1), Law 2 (5), Baker (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Sutcliffe (1), Lopes (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Morgan (2), Law (1), Cey (1)
GIDP: Baker (3)
Hit by Pitch: Pujols (1,by Sutcliffe), Monday (1,by Niekro)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(1-1)           8     5   4   2   3   3   0  33   2.05
Totals                  8     5   4   2   3   3   0  33

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutcliffe               6.1   5   2   2   3   1   0  27   7.98
Reuss W(2-0)            2.2   2   0   0   0   2   0  10   0.84
Totals                  9     7   2   2   3   3   0  37

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (1), Sutcliffe (1)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (2)
Balks: Sutcliffe (2)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Crawford, 1B - Lanny Harris, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Frank Pulli


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy flied out to center; Reynolds popped to
catcher in foul territory; Puhl flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes tripled to center; Law hit a sacrifice fly to
left [Lopes scored]; Baker struck out; Garvey flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz popped to third in foul territory; Walling
walked; Cabell grounded out (first unassisted) [Walling to
second]; Leonard walked; Pujols was called out on strikes; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Cey struck out; Monday flied out to left; Russell
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro popped to first in foul territory; Landestoy
doubled to left; Reynolds popped to third in foul territory;
Puhl popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Scioscia doubled to left; Debut game for Mike
Scioscia; Sutcliffe out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
second) [Scioscia to third]; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Scioscia
scored]; Lopes grounded out (third to first); Law flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz grounded out (third to first); Walling walked;
Walling stole second; Cabell grounded out (third to first);
Leonard grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 4TH: Baker flied out to left; Garvey singled to center;
Cey flied out to center; Monday was hit by a pitch [Garvey to
second]; Russell forced Monday (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Pujols grounded out (third to first); Niekro
grounded out (third to first); Landestoy flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 5TH: Scioscia grounded out (shortstop to first);
Sutcliffe grounded out (pitcher to second to first); Lopes
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Reynolds singled to center; Puhl flied out to
center; Cruz lined into a double play (first unassisted)
[Reynolds out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 6TH: Law walked; Baker grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Law out at second]; Garvey
singled to left; Cey grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Walling grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell
doubled to left; Leonard singled to right [Cabell scored];
Sutcliffe balked [Leonard to second]; Pujols was hit by a pitch;
Niekro singled to third [Pujols to second, Leonard to third];
MORGAN BATTED FOR LANDESTOY; REUSS REPLACED SUTCLIFFE
(PITCHING); Morgan hit a sacrifice fly to left [Leonard scored];
Reynolds flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2,
Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 7TH: MORGAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Monday flied
out to left; Russell grounded out (shortstop to first); Scioscia
popped to shortstop in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cruz struck
out; Walling singled to left; Cabell forced Walling (second
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 8TH: Reuss reached on an error by Cruz; Lopes out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Reuss to second]; Law singled
to right [Reuss scored (unearned)]; Law stole second; Baker was
walked intentionally; Law stole third and Baker stole second;
Garvey was walked intentionally; Cey hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Law scored (unearned)]; Monday grounded out (second to
first); 2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Leonard grounded out (second to first); Pujols
singled to right; HOWE BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Howe flied out to
center; Morgan was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 4.