Productive third innings carried the Astros to a doubleheader sweep of the Cardinals, 9-5 and 6-4, and cut the Dodgers' West Division lead over Houston to one game. A two-run single by Gary Woods in the second inning of the opener gave Astros the lead, and they put the game away with seven runs in their next time at bat. Art Howe knocked in two runs and Luis Pujols, Joe Niekro and Joe Morgan one each.

In the nightcap, Vern Ruhle drew a one-out walk in the third and Rafael Landestoy and Enos Cabell singled to load the sacks. Jose Cruz then snapped the 1-1 tie with a grand slam. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, St. Louis Cardinals 5 (Game 1)
Game Played on Saturday, September 6, 1980 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  4    0  1  0  -   5 12  2
Astros       0  2  7    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   9 12  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Oberkfell 2b          2   0   0   0     0   0   .307      Morgan 2b             3   1   2   1     0   0   .238
  Herr 2b             3   1   3   0     0   0   .209        Loucks ph,cf        2   0   0   0     0   2   .333
Scott cf              2   0   0   0     0   0   .239      Cabell 3b             3   1   1   0     0   0   .279
  Landrum cf          3   1   1   1     0   1   .320        Gonzalez ph,3b      2   0   0   0     0   2   .122
Hernandez 1b          1   0   0   0     1   0   .318      Cruz lf               2   1   0   0     1   1   .311
  DeSa 1b             2   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Leonard rf          2   0   1   0     0   0   .213
Simmons c             2   0   1   0     0   0   .304      Cedeno cf             2   2   2   0     1   0   .306
  Swisher c           2   1   1   1     0   1   .200        Reynolds ss         2   0   0   0     0   0   .219
Hendrick rf           2   0   0   0     0   0   .321      Howe 1b               3   2   2   2     0   0   .276
  Durham rf           2   2   2   0     0   0   .244        Bergman 1b          1   0   1   0     0   0   .258
Iorg lf               3   0   1   2     0   0   .315      Woods rf,lf           4   0   1   2     0   1   .429
Reitz 3b              2   0   0   0     0   1   .273      Pujols c              4   1   0   1     0   0   .204
  Waller 3b           2   0   1   0     0   1   .500      Landestoy ss,2b       3   0   0   0     1   0   .244
Phillips ss           4   0   2   1     0   0   .242      Niekro p              3   1   2   1     0   0   .300
Sykes p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .103        Niemann p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Otten p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Little p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Smith ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  Frazier p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bonds ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .206

Totals               35   5  12   5     1   4             Totals               37   9  12   7     3   6

Time of Game: 2:40
Left on Base: Cardinals 6, Astros 7
DP: Cardinals 0, Astros 3
Errors: Hernandez, Phillips
Doubles: Herr (5), Niekro (5)
Triples: Landrum (1), Durham (2), Leonard (5)
Stolen Bases: Bergman (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Iorg (4)
GIDP: Oberkfell (9), Little (1), DeSa (1)
Hit by Pitch: Sykes (1,by Niekro)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sykes L(6-10)           2     5   6   6   2   0   0  13   4.64
Otten                   0.2   2   3   0   0   0   0   5   6.15
Little                  2.1   3   0   0   1   3   0  11   0.00
Frazier                 3     2   0   0   0   3   0  11   4.02
Totals                  8    12   9   6   3   6   0  40

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(15-11)         6     9   4   4   1   1   0  27   3.89
Niemann SV(1)           3     3   1   1   0   3   0  11   5.47
Totals                  9    12   5   5   1   4   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (3)
Wild Pitches: Sykes (3)
Balks: Niemann (1)

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Steve Fields, 3B - Bob Engel


CARDINALS 1ST: Oberkfell grounded out (third to first); Scott
lined to right; Hernandez walked; Simmons singled to right
[Hernandez to third]; Hendrick forced Simmons (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Morgan flied out to center; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Iorg grounded out (pitcher to first); Reitz
grounded out (shortstop to first); Phillips flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cedeno singled to right; Howe singled to right
[Cedeno to third, Howe to second (on throw to 3b)]; Woods
singled to left [Cedeno scored, Howe scored, Woods to second (on
throw to home)]; Pujols grounded out (second to first) [Woods to
third]; Landestoy flied out to right; Niekro flied out to right;
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 3RD: Sykes was hit by a pitch; Oberkfell grounded into
a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Sykes out at
second]; Scott grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Morgan singled to right; Cabell singled to left
[Morgan to second]; Cruz walked [Morgan to third, Cabell to
second]; Sykes threw a wild pitch [Morgan scored, Cabell to
third, Cruz to second]; Cedeno walked; OTTEN REPLACED SYKES
(PITCHING); Howe singled to left [Cabell scored, Cruz scored,
Cedeno to second]; Woods reached on an error by Hernandez
[Cedeno to third, Howe to second, Woods to first]; Pujols forced
Woods (second to shortstop) [Cedeno scored (RBI), Howe scored
(error by Phillips) (unearned) (no RBI), Pujols to second];
Landestoy flied out to left; Niekro doubled to left [Pujols
scored (unearned)]; LITTLE REPLACED OTTEN (PITCHING); Morgan
singled to right [Niekro scored (unearned)]; Debut game for
Jeff Little; Cabell lined to shortstop; 7 R (4 ER), 5 H, 2
E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 9.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hernandez lined to left; Simmons popped to
catcher in foul territory; Hendrick popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 9.

ASTROS 4TH: LANDRUM REPLACED SCOTT (PLAYING CF); DESA REPLACED
HERNANDEZ (PLAYING 1B); DURHAM REPLACED HENDRICK (PLAYING RF);
Cruz struck out; Debut game for Joe DeSa; Cedeno singled
to left; Howe forced Cedeno (second to shortstop); Woods flied
out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 9.

CARDINALS 5TH: Iorg singled to left; Reitz struck out; Phillips
singled to pitcher [Iorg to second]; Little grounded into a
double play (first to shortstop to pitcher) [Phillips out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 9.

ASTROS 5TH: HERR REPLACED OBERKFELL (PLAYING 2B); SWISHER
REPLACED SIMMONS (PLAYING C ); WALLER REPLACED REITZ (PLAYING
3B); Pujols popped to second; Debut game for Ty Waller;
Landestoy walked; Niekro singled to right [Landestoy to third];
LOUCKS BATTED FOR MORGAN; Loucks struck out; GONZALEZ BATTED FOR
CABELL; Gonzalez struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0,
Astros 9.

CARDINALS 6TH: GONZALEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); REYNOLDS
REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING SS); LOUCKS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
CF); LANDESTOY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); BERGMAN REPLACED
HOWE (PLAYING 1B); WOODS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); LEONARD
REPLACED CRUZ (PLAYING RF); Herr doubled to left; Landrum
tripled to left [Herr scored]; DeSa popped to third in foul
territory; Swisher singled to left [Landrum scored]; Durham
singled to right [Swisher to third]; Iorg hit a sacrifice fly to
left [Swisher scored]; Waller singled to right [Durham to
third]; Phillips singled to right [Durham scored, Waller to
third]; SMITH BATTED FOR LITTLE; Smith popped to second; 4 R, 6
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 9.

ASTROS 6TH: FRAZIER REPLACED SMITH (PITCHING); Leonard flied out
to center; Reynolds flied out to left; Bergman singled to
shortstop; Bergman stole second; Woods was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 9.

CARDINALS 7TH: NIEMANN REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Herr singled
to third; Landrum lined to right; DeSa grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [Herr out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 9.

ASTROS 7TH: Pujols flied out to center; Landestoy grounded out
(shortstop to first); Niemann grounded out (pitcher to shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 9.

CARDINALS 8TH: Swisher struck out; Durham tripled to left; Iorg
grounded out (second to first) [Durham scored]; Waller struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 9.

ASTROS 8TH: Loucks struck out; Gonzalez was called out on
strikes; Leonard tripled to left; Reynolds flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 9.

CARDINALS 9TH: Phillips grounded out (third to first); BONDS
BATTED FOR FRAZIER; Bonds grounded out (shortstop to first);
Herr singled to left; Niemann balked [Herr to second]; Landrum
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 9.