The Astros hit four homers, but still lost to the Braves, who gained a 5-4 victory with the help of only one circuit clout. Terry Puhl poked two homers and Joe Morgan and Rafael Landestoy banged one apiece for the Astros. The Braves took a 3-1 lead in the first inning and then decided the outcome when Brian Asselstine homered with a man on base in the sixth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Friday, May       9, 1980 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    1  1  0    1  0  0  -   4  9  2
Braves       3  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  x  -   5  8  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               4   2   3   2     0   0   .290      Royster 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .234
Gonzalez ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .143      Blanks 3b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .176
Morgan 2b             3   1   1   1     1   0   .238      Murphy rf             2   1   0   0     2   1   .259
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .338      Chambliss 1b          4   1   2   1     0   1   .308
Cabell 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .330      Burroughs lf          4   1   2   1     0   0   .304
Leonard 1b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .262      Asselstine cf         4   1   1   3     0   1   .270
Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .326      Benedict c            4   0   1   0     0   1   .250
Ashby c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .255      Gomez ss              3   0   0   0     1   1   .219
Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .294      McWilliams p          3   0   1   0     0   2   .500
  Landestoy ph        1   1   1   1     0   0   .231        Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Smith p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Bradford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Niemann p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500

Totals               33   4   9   4     1   2             Totals               32   5   8   5     3   8

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 11,111
Left on Base: Astros 3, Braves 6
DP: Astros 2, Braves 1
Errors: Morgan, Leonard
Doubles: Chambliss (5)
Home Runs: Puhl 2 (4), Morgan (3), Landestoy (1), Asselstine (1)
Stolen Bases: Royster (6)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (3), Morgan (1)
GIDP: Cruz (2), Royster (2), Gomez (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(4-1)           6     8   5   5   2   5   1  27   2.98
Smith                   0.1   0   0   0   1   1   0   3   2.08
Niemann                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1  13.50
LaCorte                 1.1   0   0   0   0   2   0   4   0.56
Totals                  8     8   5   5   3   8   1  35

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McWilliams W(2-2)       7     8   4   4   1   2   4  28   5.11
Camp                    1.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   5   3.38
Bradford SV(1)          0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1.46
Totals                  9     9   4   4   1   2   4  34

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Joe West, 3B - Fred Brocklander


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl homered; Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to
first); Morgan grounded out (second to first); Cedeno singled to
right; Cabell flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster flied out to right; Blanks singled to
center; Murphy walked [Blanks to second]; Chambliss singled to
right [Blanks scored, Murphy to second]; Burroughs singled to
right [Murphy scored, Chambliss to third]; Asselstine reached on
an error by Leonard [Chambliss scored (RBI), Burroughs to
second]; Benedict flied out to center; Gomez grounded out (first
to pitcher); 3 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Leonard grounded out (second to first); Cruz was
called out on strikes; Ashby grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 3.

BRAVES 2ND: McWilliams singled to shortstop; Royster grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [McWilliams
out at second]; Blanks grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Forsch grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl
singled to center; Puhl was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Gonzalez flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Murphy grounded out (third to first); Chambliss
doubled to left; Burroughs flied out to left; Asselstine
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Braves 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Morgan homered; Cedeno lined to shortstop; Cabell
singled to second; Leonard grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Cabell to second]; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Benedict singled to center; Gomez grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Benedict out at
second]; McWilliams struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Ashby grounded out (shortstop to first); Forsch
struck out; Puhl homered; Gonzalez grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Royster flied out to center; Blanks grounded out
(shortstop to first); Murphy struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Braves 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Morgan walked; Morgan was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Cedeno flied out to left; Cabell singled
to left; Leonard forced Cabell (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Chambliss struck out; Burroughs singled to pitcher;
Asselstine homered [Burroughs scored]; Benedict struck out;
Gomez walked; McWilliams struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Braves 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz made an out to second; Ashby lined to third;
LANDESTOY BATTED FOR FORSCH; Landestoy homered; Puhl grounded
out (first unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves
5.

BRAVES 7TH: SMITH REPLACED LANDESTOY (PITCHING); Royster reached
on an error by Morgan; Royster stole second; Blanks struck out;
Murphy walked; NIEMANN REPLACED SMITH (PITCHING); Chambliss
flied out to center; LACORTE REPLACED NIEMANN (PITCHING);
Burroughs grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 5.

ASTROS 8TH: CAMP REPLACED MCWILLIAMS (PITCHING); Gonzalez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 5.

BRAVES 8TH: Asselstine struck out; Benedict flied out to left;
Gomez was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Braves 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Cabell flied out to left; Leonard singled to left;
BRADFORD REPLACED CAMP (PITCHING); Cruz grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Leonard out at second]; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 5.