The Astros tied a club record with their 11th straight home victory as Joe Niekro scattered six hits in a 3-0 blanking of the Cardinals. The Astros scored in the first inning on an RBI single by Enos Cabell, and Cesar Cedeno drove in a third-inning marker with an infield grounder after Rafael Landestoy and Terry Puhl had opened the frame with singles. The final run came in the fourth on Niekro's double-play grounder. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, St. Louis Cardinals 0
Game Played on Wednesday, June      18, 1980 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  0
Astros       1  0  1    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   3  7  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Templeton ss          4   0   0   0     0   1   .303      Landestoy ss,2b       3   1   1   0     1   0   .231
Durham rf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .211      Puhl rf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .297
  Seaman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cruz lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .327
Hernandez 1b          4   0   1   0     0   1   .336      Cedeno cf             3   0   0   1     1   0   .294
Simmons c             3   0   0   0     1   0   .297      Cabell 3b             3   0   1   1     1   1   .265
Kennedy lf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .311      Morgan 2b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .234
Reitz 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .320        Reynolds ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .193
Scott cf              3   0   1   0     0   0   .233      Howe 1b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .232
Herr 2b               2   0   0   0     0   0   .173      Pujols c              2   0   1   0     1   0   .210
  Phillips ph,2b      1   0   1   0     0   0   .125      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .219
Kaat p                2   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Iorg ph,rf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .316

Totals               32   0   6   0     1   5             Totals               28   3   7   2     5   1

Time of Game: 2:08   Attendance: 24,459
Left on Base: Cardinals 6, Astros 7
DP: Cardinals 2, Astros 1
Doubles: Durham (1)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (17)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (6)
GIDP: Herr (6), Niekro (1), Howe (3)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kaat L(1-4)             7     7   3   3   2   1   0  29
Seaman                  1     0   0   0   3   0   0   5   3.00
Totals                  8     7   3   3   5   1   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(7-5)           9     6   0   0   1   5   0  33   3.33
Totals                  9     6   0   0   1   5   0  33

Umpires: HP - Fred Brocklander, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Paul Runge


CARDINALS 1ST: Templeton grounded out (first to pitcher); Durham
struck out; Hernandez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy walked; Puhl forced Landestoy (second to
shortstop); Cruz singled to shortstop [Puhl to second]; Cedeno
popped to third in foul territory; Cabell singled to center
[Puhl scored, Cruz to second]; Morgan flied out to right; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons grounded out (first unassisted); Kennedy
popped to second; Reitz popped to third in foul territory; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe grounded out (second to first); Pujols grounded
out (shortstop to first); Niekro flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 3RD: Scott grounded out (shortstop to first); Herr
flied out to center; Kaat struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Landestoy singled to center; Puhl singled to right
[Landestoy to third]; Cruz flied out to left; Cedeno grounded
out (shortstop to first) [Landestoy scored, Puhl to second];
Cabell struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 4TH: Templeton grounded out (pitcher to second to
first); Durham grounded out (second to first); Hernandez singled
to right; Simmons walked [Hernandez to second]; Kennedy flied to
right in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Morgan singled to right; Howe singled to left
[Morgan to second]; Pujols walked [Morgan to third, Howe to
second]; Niekro grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Morgan scored, Howe to third, Pujols out at second];
Landestoy flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals
0, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 5TH: Reitz singled to left; Scott singled to right
[Reitz to second]; Herr grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Reitz to third, Scott out at second]; Kaat
struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Cruz grounded
out (second to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 6TH: Templeton struck out; Durham lined to right;
Hernandez lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Morgan
grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 7TH: Simmons flied out to right; Kennedy singled to
right; Reitz flied out to center; Scott grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Pujols singled to left; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Pujols to second]; Landestoy grounded
out (shortstop to first) [Pujols to third]; Puhl lined to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 8TH: PHILLIPS BATTED FOR HERR; Phillips singled to
center; IORG BATTED FOR KAAT; Iorg flied out to center;
Templeton flied out to left; Durham doubled to left [Phillips to
third]; Hernandez flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: SEAMAN REPLACED DURHAM (PITCHING); PHILLIPS STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); IORG STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Cruz
popped to pitcher; Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Cabell
was walked intentionally; Morgan walked [Cedeno to third, Cabell
to second]; Howe grounded into a double play (shortstop to
first) [Morgan out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals
0, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 9TH: LANDESTOY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B);
REYNOLDS REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING SS); Simmons grounded out
(first unassisted); Kennedy flied out to left; Reitz flied out
to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.