The Astros remained in a tie with the Dodgers for first place in the West Division by defeating the Giants, 5-3. A triple by Alan Ashby drove in Denny Walling with the first of three Astros' runs in the fifth inning. Craig Reynolds followed with a single to score Ashby.

Joe Niekro then sacrificed and Joe Morgan singled for the third tally. The Astros put the game away with a pair in the seventh on a single by Reynolds, sacrifice by Niekro, double by Enos Cabell and single by Terry Puhl. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, San Francisco Giants 3
Game Played on Friday, September 12, 1980 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  2  0  -   3 12  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  3  0    2  0  x  -   5  9  0


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Venable rf            5   1   2   0     0   1   .286      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .239
Herndon cf            4   1   2   0     0   0   .247        Landestoy 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .249
Evans 3b              3   1   2   2     1   0   .262      Cabell 3b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .276
May c                 4   0   2   0     0   0   .268      Puhl rf               4   0   1   1     0   0   .278
Whitfield lf          4   0   2   1     0   1   .304      Cruz lf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .315
Murray 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .237      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .314
Pettini 2b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .252      Walling 1b            3   1   1   0     1   0   .304
  Stennett ph,2b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .242        Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .266
LeMaster ss           3   0   1   0     0   0   .218      Ashby c               2   1   1   1     0   1   .242
  Strain ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .296        Pujols ph,c         2   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Whitson p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .073      Reynolds ss           3   2   2   1     0   0   .223
  Lavelle p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Niekro p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .296
  North ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .245        Smith p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Holland p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Wohlford ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .267

Totals               36   3  12   3     1   4             Totals               31   5   9   5     1   1

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance: 23,380
Left on Base: Giants 7, Astros 5
DP: Giants 0, Astros 2
Doubles: Herndon (16), Whitfield (14), Cabell (18)
Triples: Herndon (9), Ashby (2)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (22)
Caught Stealing: Pettini (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro 2 (14)
GIDP: Murray (6)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Whitson L(9-11)         5.2   6   3   3   1   1   0  24   3.10
Lavelle                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.18
Holland                 2     3   2   2   0   0   0   9   1.75
Totals                  8     9   5   5   1   1   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(16-11)         7.1  12   3   3   1   3   0  32   3.89
Smith SV(7)             1.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   5   2.23
Totals                  9    12   3   3   1   4   0  37

Balks: Holland (3)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Crawford, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Steve Fields


GIANTS 1ST: Venable singled to right; Herndon hit into a double
play (right to shortstop to first) [Venable out at second];
Evans singled to center; May singled to right [Evans to third];
Whitfield grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Morgan flied out to right; Cabell flied out to left;
Puhl grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Murray grounded out (shortstop to first); Pettini
grounded out (third to first); LeMaster singled to center;
Whitson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to center; Cedeno forced Cruz (third to
second); Walling flied out to left; Ashby struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Venable flied out to right; Herndon flied out to
right; Evans walked; May singled to right [Evans to second];
Whitfield struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds grounded out (third to first); Niekro
grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Murray struck out; Pettini singled to left; Pettini
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); LeMaster
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl
grounded out (second to first); Cruz popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Whitson grounded out (second to first); Venable
singled to right; Herndon doubled to left [Venable to third];
Evans grounded out (second to first) [Venable scored, Herndon to
third]; May flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants
1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno lined to third; Walling singled to left;
Ashby tripled to center [Walling scored]; Reynolds singled to
center [Ashby scored]; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
second) [Reynolds to second]; Morgan singled to right [Reynolds
scored]; Cabell grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

GIANTS 6TH: Whitfield singled to center; Murray grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Whitfield out at
second]; Pettini grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl flied out to left; Cruz singled to center;
Cedeno popped to catcher in foul territory; Walling walked [Cruz
to second]; LAVELLE REPLACED WHITSON (PITCHING); PUJOLS BATTED
FOR ASHBY; Pujols grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

GIANTS 7TH: PUJOLS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); LeMaster
grounded out (shortstop to first); NORTH BATTED FOR LAVELLE;
North flied out to left; Venable grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: HOLLAND REPLACED NORTH (PITCHING); Reynolds singled
to left; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Reynolds to second]; Morgan popped to catcher in foul
territory; Holland balked [Reynolds to third]; Cabell doubled to
center [Reynolds scored]; Puhl singled to right [Cabell scored];
Puhl stole second; Cruz flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 5.

GIANTS 8TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); Herndon
tripled to center; Evans singled to right [Herndon scored]; May
grounded out (first unassisted) [Evans to second]; Whitfield
doubled to left [Evans scored]; SMITH REPLACED NIEKRO
(PITCHING); Murray grounded out (third to first); STENNETT
BATTED FOR PETTINI; Stennett grounded out (third to first); 2 R,
3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: STENNETT STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Cedeno flied
out to center; Walling flied out to center; Pujols grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 5.

GIANTS 9TH: BERGMAN REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING 1B); STRAIN BATTED
FOR LEMASTER; Strain grounded out (second to first); WOHLFORD
BATTED FOR HOLLAND; Wohlford grounded out (second to first);
Venable struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 5.