Driving in three runs with a homer and single, Joe Morgan led the Astros to a 4-2 triumph over the Braves, enabling the Astros to regain first place in the West Division ahead of the Dodgers. Morgan's round-tripper came in the third inning after a single by Nolan Ryan.

After the Braves tied score at 2-2 in the fourth, the Astros went ahead in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Morgan. Houston's final run came in the seventh on an RBI single by Enos Cabell. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Thursday, September 25, 1980 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  0  2    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   4 11  0
Braves       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Morgan 2b             4   1   2   3     1   0   .247      Harper lf             4   0   2   0     1   0   .182
  Landestoy 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .245      Ramirez ss            3   0   0   0     0   2   .259
Cabell 3b             5   0   1   1     0   0   .272        Burroughs ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .264
Puhl rf               3   0   1   0     1   1   .282        Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .307        Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .284
  Smith p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Matthews rf           3   1   1   0     1   2   .283
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .314      Horner 3b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .274
Howe 1b               4   0   3   0     0   0   .282      Chambliss 1b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .277
  Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .263      Murphy cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .279
Ashby c               2   0   0   0     1   0   .247      Hubbard 2b            3   0   0   1     0   1   .255
Reynolds ss           4   1   1   0     0   2   .219      Benedict c            4   0   2   1     0   0   .254
Ryan p                1   1   1   0     0   0   .090      Niekro p              2   0   1   0     0   1   .141
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Bradford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Leonard ph,lf       2   1   1   0     0   0   .215        Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .286
                                                            Gomez ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .191
                                                            Lum ph              0   0   0   0     1   0   .215
                                                            Ruiz pr             0   0   0   0     0   0   .308

Totals               33   4  11   4     3   5             Totals               33   2   8   2     4  10

Time of Game: 2:39   Attendance:  7,926
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 9
DP: Astros 0, Braves 1
Doubles: Harper (1)
Triples: Howe (5)
Home Runs: Morgan (10)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (11), Harper (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Ryan (4), Puhl (6), Ashby (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Hubbard (4)
GIDP: Ashby (11)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan W(10-9)            5     5   2   2   3   5   0  22   3.38
LaCorte                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.75
Smith SV(8)             3     3   0   0   1   4   0  13   2.02
Totals                  9     8   2   2   4  10   0  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(15-16)         6     9   4   4   3   3   1  29   3.67
Bradford                0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.50
Garber                  0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   3.92
Hrabosky                2     2   0   0   0   1   0   7   3.79
Totals                  9    11   4   4   3   5   1  39

Wild Pitches: Ryan (10)

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


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.
Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Harper grounded out (shortstop to first); Ramirez
grounded out (third to first); Matthews struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Cedeno singled
to center; Howe singled to left [Cedeno to second]; Ashby
grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Howe out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Horner was called out on strikes; Chambliss popped
to shortstop; Murphy grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds grounded out (second to first); Ryan
singled to right; Morgan homered [Ryan scored]; Cabell flied out
to center; Puhl walked; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Hubbard flied out to center; Benedict grounded out
(first unassisted); Niekro singled to left; Harper walked
[Niekro to second]; Ryan threw a wild pitch [Niekro to third,
Harper to second]; Ramirez was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno flied out to center; Howe flied out to right;
Ashby grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews singled to left; 46 minute rain delay
sometime this inning; Horner singled to left [Matthews to
second]; Chambliss walked [Matthews to third, Horner to second];
Murphy flied out to left; Hubbard hit a sacrifice fly to left
[Matthews scored, Horner to third]; Benedict singled to center
[Horner scored, Chambliss to third]; Niekro was called out on
strikes; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Reynolds singled to shortstop; Ryan out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Reynolds to second]; Morgan
singled to left [Reynolds scored]; Cabell grounded out (second
to first) [Morgan to second]; Puhl struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Harper singled to center; Harper was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Ramirez struck out; Matthews
walked; Horner made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Braves 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz struck out; Braves Manager Bobby Cox ejected
by HP umpire Bruce Froemming; Cedeno flied out to center;
Howe tripled to right; Ashby walked; Reynolds struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 2.

BRAVES 6TH: LACORTE REPLACED RYAN (PITCHING); Chambliss popped
to third; Murphy flied out to left; Hubbard struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 2.

ASTROS 7TH: LEONARD BATTED FOR LACORTE; Leonard singled to left;
Morgan walked [Leonard to second]; Cabell singled to center
[Leonard scored, Morgan to second]; BRADFORD REPLACED NIEKRO
(PITCHING); Puhl out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Morgan to third, Cabell to second]; Cruz grounded out (second
to first); GARBER REPLACED BRADFORD (PITCHING); Cedeno struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: LEONARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); SMITH REPLACED
CRUZ (PITCHING); Benedict grounded out (shortstop to first);
POCOROBA BATTED FOR GARBER; Pocoroba was called out on strikes;
Harper doubled to left; BURROUGHS BATTED FOR RAMIREZ; Burroughs
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Braves 2.

ASTROS 8TH: GOMEZ REPLACED POCOROBA (PLAYING SS); HRABOSKY
REPLACED BURROUGHS (PITCHING); Howe singled to center; Ashby out
on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Howe to second]; Reynolds
struck out; Leonard flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 2.

BRAVES 8TH: Matthews struck out; Horner grounded out (shortstop
to first); Chambliss singled to shortstop; Murphy struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Morgan flied out to left; Cabell flied out to
center; Puhl singled to right; Puhl was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves
2.

BRAVES 9TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); BERGMAN
REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 1B); Hubbard grounded out (third to
first); Benedict singled to left; LUM BATTED FOR GOMEZ; Lum
walked [Benedict to second]; RUIZ RAN FOR LUM; Harper flied out
to right; ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR HRABOSKY; Asselstine popped to
third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves
2.