Vern Ruhle triumphed in a duel with Tom Seaver. pitching the Astros to a 2-0 victory over the Reds. Seaver, who was stopped on his personal six-game winning streak, allowed only three hits in seven innings but gave up both Astros' runs.

The initial tally scored in the first inning on a leadoff pass to Joe Morgan, two infield outs that moved Morgan to third and a single by Jose Cruz. Art Howe doubled in the second, raced to third after Alan Ashby flied to right field and came home on a sacrifice fly by Craig Reynolds. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, Cincinnati Reds 0
Game Played on Friday, September 26, 1980 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1
Astros       1  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   2  3  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Collins cf            4   0   2   0     0   0   .297      Morgan 2b             1   1   0   0     3   0   .246
Griffey rf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .293        Landestoy 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   0   .259      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .270
Foster lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Puhl rf               3   0   1   0     0   0   .283
Driessen 1b           3   0   0   0     0   1   .271      Cruz lf               3   0   1   1     0   0   .307
Bench c               2   0   0   0     0   0   .257      Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .312
Knight 3b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .268      Howe 1b               3   1   1   0     0   0   .282
Oester 2b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .289        Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .263
Seaver p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .136      Ashby c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .245
  Spilman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .276      Reynolds ss           2   0   0   1     0   0   .218
  Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Ruhle p               3   0   0   0     0   2   .250

Totals               30   0   4   0     0   2             Totals               25   2   3   2     3   4

Time of Game: 2:02   Attendance: 42,486
Left on Base: Reds 4, Astros 3
DP: Reds 0, Astros 1
Errors: Bench
Doubles: Concepcion (29), Howe (12), Puhl (20)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (33), Morgan (23)
Sacrifice Flies: Reynolds (4)
GIDP: Griffey (4)
Hit by Pitch: Bench (2,by Ruhle)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver L(10-8)          7     3   2   2   2   4   0  26   3.77
Bair                    1     0   0   0   1   0   0   3   4.39
Totals                  8     3   2   2   3   4   0  29

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle W(11-4)           9     4   0   0   0   2   0  31   2.43
Totals                  9     4   0   0   0   2   0  31

Hit by Pitch: Ruhle (3)

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


REDS 1ST: Collins singled to first; Griffey grounded into a
double play (second to first) [Collins out at second];
Concepcion grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Morgan walked; Cabell grounded out (third to first)
[Morgan to second]; Puhl grounded out (first unassisted) [Morgan
to third]; Cruz singled to left [Morgan scored]; Cruz stole
second; Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 2ND: Foster grounded out (third to first); Driessen
grounded out (second to first); Bench popped to pitcher; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe doubled to left; Ashby lined to right [Howe to
third]; Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly to right [Howe scored];
Ruhle struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 3RD: Knight flied out to center; Oester made an out to
shortstop; Seaver grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Morgan walked; Morgan stole second [Morgan to third
(error by Bench)]; Cabell struck out; Puhl grounded out (first
to second); Cruz popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 4TH: Collins popped to shortstop; Griffey struck out;
Concepcion doubled to left; Foster grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno lined to center; Howe popped to shortstop;
Ashby grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 5TH: Driessen was called out on strikes; Bench was hit by a
pitch; Knight flied out to center; Oester singled to center
[Bench to second]; Seaver grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Reynolds grounded out (shortstop to first); Ruhle
struck out; Morgan grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 6TH: Collins grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffey
flied out to left; Concepcion grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell flied out to center; Puhl doubled to right;
Cruz grounded out (first unassisted) [Puhl to third]; Cedeno
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 2.

REDS 7TH: Foster popped to first; Driessen lined to first; Bench
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe flied out to center; Ashby struck out; Reynolds
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 8TH: BERGMAN REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 1B); Knight lined to
second; Oester grounded out (first unassisted); SPILMAN BATTED
FOR SEAVER; Spilman flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: BAIR REPLACED SPILMAN (PITCHING); Ruhle popped to
catcher in foul territory; Morgan walked; Morgan was picked off
first (pitcher to first); Cabell flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 9TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); On a bunt
Collins singled to third; Griffey flied out to center;
Concepcion flied out to center; Foster grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.