Winning pitcher Joe Niekro collected three hits, including a run-scoring single, to help the Astros to a 6-3 triumph over the Expos. Niekro worked only five innings and left with a stiff right elbow and reliever Dave Smith tossed the last four frames to earn his fifth save.

After each team scored a pair of runs in the first inning, the Astros went ahead to stay in the second on an RBI triple by Rafael Landestoy. They added three more tallies in the third on an error by Expos third baseman Larry Parrish and a two-run single by Craig Reynolds. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Montreal Expos 3
Game Played on Sunday, July      27, 1980 (Day game) at Stade Olympique
Astros       2  1  3    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   6 12  3
Expos        2  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   3  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          5   1   2   1     0   1   .247      LeFlore lf            5   0   0   0     0   2   .261
Puhl rf               3   0   0   0     2   0   .275      Scott ss              4   0   1   0     0   0   .218
Cruz lf               4   1   1   1     1   1   .307      Raines 2b             2   1   0   0     2   1   .083
Cedeno cf             4   1   3   0     1   0   .301      Dawson cf             3   1   2   0     1   0   .300
Howe 1b               4   1   0   1     1   1   .247      Valentine rf          4   0   2   2     0   1   .326
  Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .184      Cromartie 1b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .311
Cabell 3b             5   0   2   0     0   0   .274      Parrish 3b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .258
Pujols c              4   1   0   0     1   0   .228      Ramos c               3   1   0   0     0   0   .111
Reynolds ss           4   0   1   2     0   2   .205        Office ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .234
Niekro p              3   1   3   1     0   0   .255      Lee p                 0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  Smith p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Murray p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bernazard ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .214
                                                            Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Hutton ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .220
                                                            Bahnsen p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Carter ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .251

Totals               37   6  12   6     6   5             Totals               32   3   7   3     5   6

Time of Game: 3:02   Attendance: 41,107
Left on Base: Astros 10, Expos 7
DP: Astros 2, Expos 1
Errors: Cedeno, Cabell, Pujols, Parrish
Doubles: Cruz (17), Hutton (2), Parrish (16)
Triples: Landestoy (8)
Stolen Bases: Landestoy (17), Cedeno 2 (31), LeFlore (60)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (8), Cabell (7)
GIDP: Cedeno (6), Parrish (7), LeFlore (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(11-8)          5     3   2   2   3   2   0  19   3.92
Smith SV(5)             4     4   1   0   2   4   0  18   1.93
Totals                  9     7   3   2   5   6   0  37

Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lee L(3-5)              2     5   5   5   4   0   0  14   5.60
Murray                  3     3   1   0   2   1   0  14   6.75
Sosa                    2     2   0   0   0   2   0   7   3.68
Bahnsen                 2     2   0   0   0   2   0   8   2.98
Totals                  9    12   6   5   6   5   0  43

Passed Balls: Pujols (6)

Umpires: HP - Steve Fields, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Jim Quick


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled to right; Landestoy stole second;
Puhl walked; Puhl was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop) [Landestoy to third]; Cruz doubled to right
[Landestoy scored]; Cedeno singled to second [Cruz to third];
Howe forced Cedeno (second to shortstop) [Cruz scored]; Cabell
forced Howe (second to shortstop); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Expos 0.

EXPOS 1ST: LeFlore struck out; Scott singled to right; Raines
walked [Scott to second]; Dawson walked [Scott to third, Raines
to second]; Scott was out trying to advance to home and Raines
advanced to third and Dawson advanced to second (catcher to
pitcher); Valentine singled to left [Raines scored, Dawson
scored, Valentine out at second (left to third to first)]; 2 R,
2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Pujols flied out to right; Reynolds made an out to
shortstop; Niekro singled to center; Landestoy tripled to center
[Niekro scored]; Puhl walked; Cruz flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 2.

EXPOS 2ND: Cromartie flied out to left; Parrish flied out to
left; Ramos grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Howe walked;
MURRAY REPLACED LEE (PITCHING); Cabell made an out to shortstop;
Pujols reached on an error by Parrish [Cedeno to third, Howe to
second, Pujols to first]; Reynolds singled to right [Cedeno
scored, Howe scored, Pujols to third, Reynolds to second (on
throw)]; Niekro singled to right [Pujols scored (unearned),
Reynolds to third]; Landestoy flied out to left; Puhl flied out
to left; 3 R (2 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 2.

EXPOS 3RD: Murray grounded out (pitcher to pitcher to first);
LeFlore struck out but advanced to first on a passed ball;
LeFlore stole second [LeFlore to third (error by Pujols)]; Scott
flied out to center; Raines flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz walked; Cedeno grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Cruz out at second]; Howe lined
to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 2.

EXPOS 4TH: Dawson grounded out (shortstop to first); Valentine
singled to center; Cromartie walked [Valentine to second];
Parrish grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Cromartie out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
6, Expos 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Pujols
walked; Reynolds was called out on strikes; Niekro singled to
left [Pujols to third]; Landestoy lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 2.

EXPOS 5TH: Ramos grounded out (second to first); BERNAZARD
BATTED FOR MURRAY; Bernazard flied out to right; LeFlore lined
to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 2.

ASTROS 6TH: SOSA REPLACED BERNAZARD (PITCHING); Puhl grounded
out (second to first); Cruz made an out to third; Cedeno singled
to right; Cedeno stole second; Howe struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 2.

EXPOS 6TH: SMITH REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Scott grounded out
(pitcher to catcher to first); Raines walked; Dawson singled to
third [Raines to second]; Valentine flied out to right;
Cromartie made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
6, Expos 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell singled to left; Cabell was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Pujols flied out to right; Reynolds
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6,
Expos 2.

EXPOS 7TH: Parrish struck out; Ramos reached on an error by
Cabell [Ramos to first]; HUTTON BATTED FOR SOSA; Hutton doubled
to center [Ramos scored (unearned), Hutton to third (error by
Cedeno)]; LeFlore grounded out (third to first); Scott grounded
out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6,
Expos 3.

ASTROS 8TH: BAHNSEN REPLACED HUTTON (PITCHING); Smith grounded
out (first to pitcher); Landestoy struck out; Puhl grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 3.

EXPOS 8TH: Raines was called out on strikes; Dawson singled to
center; Valentine struck out; Cromartie flied out to left; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz struck out; Cedeno singled to shortstop; Howe
flied out to right; Cabell singled to center [Cedeno to second];
Pujols forced Cabell (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 3.

EXPOS 9TH: BERGMAN REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 1B); Parrish doubled;
OFFICE BATTED FOR RAMOS; Office walked; CARTER BATTED FOR
BAHNSEN; Carter struck out; LeFlore grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Office out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 3.