Benefiting from six Los Angeles errors, the Astros moved within one game of first place in the N.L. West by edging the Dodgers, 5-4. The Astros snapped a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning on a leadoff walk to Joe Morgan, two-base error by L.A. first sacker Steve Garvey on a grounder by Jose Cruz, intentional walk to Cesar Cedeno, sacrifice fly by Art Howe and RBI single by Gary Woods. Joe Sambito recorded his 14th save by inducing pinch-hitter Mickey Hatcher to bounce into a double play in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 4
Game Played on Tuesday, September 9, 1980 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  1  -   4  8  6
Astros       1  0  1    1  0  0    2  0  x  -   5 12  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              5   0   1   1     0   0   .266      Morgan 2b             3   1   1   1     1   0   .239
Johnstone rf          4   0   2   0     0   0   .299        Reynolds ss         1   0   1   0     0   0   .221
  Hatcher ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .222      Cabell 3b             5   1   1   0     0   1   .278
Baker lf              2   0   0   0     2   0   .302      Cruz lf               4   2   1   0     0   0   .312
Garvey 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .300        Leonard ph,rf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .212
Cey 3b                4   0   0   0     0   2   .254      Cedeno cf             3   0   2   1     1   1   .311
Monday cf             3   1   0   0     1   0   .272      Howe 1b               3   0   2   2     0   0   .276
Scioscia c            2   0   0   0     1   0   .278        Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .254
  Yeager pr,c         0   1   0   0     0   0   .214      Woods rf,lf           4   0   1   1     0   0   .333
  Mitchell ph         1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000      Pujols c              4   1   1   0     0   0   .205
Thomas ss             4   2   3   1     0   0   .262      Landestoy ss,2b       4   0   2   0     0   0   .249
Reuss p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .100      Andujar p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .227
  Law ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .264        Smith p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sutcliffe p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  Thomasson ph        1   0   1   2     0   0   .198        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Howe p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .100
  Forster p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Russell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .264

Totals               32   4   8   4     4   2             Totals               35   5  12   5     2   3

Time of Game: 3:06   Attendance: 34,546
Left on Base: Dodgers 7, Astros 10
DP: Dodgers 2, Astros 1
Errors: Lopes 2, Johnstone, Garvey, Thomas, Forster
Doubles: Thomas (13), Howe (11), Pujols (6)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (19)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (11)
Sacrifice Hits: Reuss (4), Garvey (1), Andujar (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Howe (4)
GIDP: Hatcher (4), Cabell 2 (13)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   5     9   3   2   0   1   0  23   2.24
Sutcliffe               1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   5.66
Howe L(6-7)             1     1   2   0   2   0   0   7   1.66
Forster                 1     1   0   0   0   1   0   5   1.13
Totals                  8    12   5   2   2   3   0  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar                 6.2   3   3   3   3   1   0  26   3.65
Smith W(6-5)            1.1   4   1   1   1   1   0   9   2.09
LaCorte                 0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.82
Sambito SV(14)          0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.30
Totals                  9     8   4   4   4   2   0  38

Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - John Kibler


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes flied out to center; Johnstone popped to
second; Baker flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Morgan reached on an error by Lopes [Morgan to
first]; Cabell grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Morgan out at second]; Cruz singled to shortstop;
Cedeno singled to right [Cruz to third]; Howe singled to right
[Cruz scored, Cedeno to third, Howe to second (error by
Johnstone)]; Woods grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 2
E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Garvey grounded out (shortstop to first); Cey
struck out; Monday flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Pujols grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Landestoy
singled to shortstop; Andujar out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to second) [Landestoy to second]; Morgan grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Scioscia flied out to left; Thomas singled to
third; Reuss out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Thomas
to second]; Lopes popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell singled to shortstop; Cabell stole second;
Cruz grounded out (second to first) [Cabell to third]; Cedeno
singled to second [Cabell scored]; Cedeno was picked off and
caught stealing second (pitcher to first to shortstop to
pitcher); Howe doubled to left; Woods grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 2.

DODGERS 4TH: Johnstone grounded out (third to first); Baker
walked; Garvey popped to shortstop; Cey forced Baker (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Pujols reached on an error by Thomas [Pujols to
first]; Landestoy singled to right [Pujols to third]; Andujar
popped to third; Morgan singled to right [Pujols scored
(unearned), Landestoy to third]; Cabell grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Morgan out at second]; 1 R
(0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

DODGERS 5TH: Monday flied out to left; Scioscia flied out to
left; Thomas grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher); Cedeno struck
out; Howe flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 3.

DODGERS 6TH: LAW BATTED FOR REUSS; Law grounded out (second to
first); Lopes flied out to center; Johnstone singled to center;
Baker forced Johnstone (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: SUTCLIFFE REPLACED LAW (PITCHING); Woods flied out
to left; Pujols doubled to right; Landestoy grounded out (first
to pitcher) [Pujols to third]; Andujar struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

DODGERS 7TH: Garvey flied out to center; Cey popped to first in
foul territory; Monday walked; Scioscia walked [Monday to
second]; YEAGER RAN FOR SCIOSCIA; Thomas doubled to left [Monday
scored, Yeager to third]; THOMASSON BATTED FOR SUTCLIFFE; SMITH
REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Thomasson singled to center [Yeager
scored, Thomas scored]; Lopes forced Thomasson (shortstop to
second); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: HOWE REPLACED THOMASSON (PITCHING); YEAGER STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING C ); Morgan walked; Cabell flied out to left; Cruz
reached on an error by Garvey [Morgan to third, Cruz to second];
Cedeno was walked intentionally; Howe hit a sacrifice fly to
right [Morgan scored (unearned), Cruz to third]; Woods singled
to left [Cruz scored (unearned), Cedeno to second]; Pujols flied
out to right; 2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 5.

DODGERS 8TH: BERGMAN REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 1B); REYNOLDS
REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING SS); LANDESTOY CHANGED POSITIONS
(PLAYING 2B); Johnstone singled to center; Baker walked
[Johnstone to second]; Garvey out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to first) [Johnstone to third, Baker to second]; Cey struck out;
Monday popped to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros
5.

ASTROS 8TH: FORSTER REPLACED HOWE (PITCHING); Landestoy reached
on an error by Lopes [Landestoy to first]; Landestoy was picked
off first but was safe on an error by Forster [Landestoy to
third]; Smith popped to first; On a bunt Reynolds singled to
pitcher [Landestoy stayed at third]; Cabell struck out; LEONARD
BATTED FOR CRUZ; Leonard grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1
H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 5.

DODGERS 9TH: LEONARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); WOODS CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); MITCHELL BATTED FOR YEAGER; Mitchell
singled to right; Thomas singled to center [Mitchell to second];
RUSSELL BATTED FOR FORSTER; LACORTE REPLACED SMITH (PITCHING);
Russell forced Mitchell (pitcher to third) [Thomas to second];
Lopes singled to left [Thomas scored, Russell to second];
SAMBITO REPLACED LACORTE (PITCHING); HATCHER BATTED FOR
JOHNSTONE; Hatcher grounded into a double play (third to second
to first) [Lopes out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers
4, Astros 5.