For the second straight game, the Astros pinned a 2-0 shutout on the Reds, posting the victory behind the combined four-hit pitching of Joe Niekro and Dave Smith. Both Astros' runs off Mario Soto came in the fifth inning and were unearned.

Denny Walling led off with a single for the Astros' first hit of the game and Alan Ashby followed with a fly that sailed past the glove of center fielder Dave Collins, who was charged with an error. Craig Reynolds then doubled down the first base line to drive in Walling and Ashby. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, Cincinnati Reds 0
Game Played on Saturday, September 27, 1980 (Day game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  2  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   0   0     0   0   .295      Morgan 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .244
Griffey rf            4   0   2   0     0   0   .295        Landestoy 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Concepcion ss         4   0   2   0     0   1   .260      Cabell 3b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .270
Foster lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .276      Puhl rf               3   0   0   0     0   0   .281
Driessen 1b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .270      Cruz lf               2   0   0   0     1   0   .306
Bench c               3   0   0   0     1   1   .255      Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .310
Knight 3b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .266      Walling 1b            3   1   1   0     0   0   .305
Oester 2b             1   0   0   0     2   0   .288        Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .263
Soto p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .023      Ashby c               2   1   0   0     1   1   .243
  Nolan ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .311      Reynolds ss           2   0   1   2     0   0   .219
  Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .133      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .289
                                                            Smith p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   0   4   0     4   7             Totals               26   2   3   2     2   4

Time of Game: 2:25   Attendance: 40,305
Left on Base: Reds 7, Astros 3
DP: Reds 1, Astros 1
Errors: Collins
Doubles: Griffey (26), Concepcion (30), Reynolds (8), Cabell (22)
Stolen Bases: Bench (4), Driessen (19)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (12)
GIDP: Foster (14), Cedeno (11)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Soto L(10-7)            6     3   2   0   2   2   0  23   3.01
Hume                    2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   2.66
Totals                  8     3   2   0   2   4   0  29

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(18-12)         7.2   4   0   0   4   4   0  30   3.74
Smith SV(9)             1.1   0   0   0   0   3   0   4   1.99
Totals                  9     4   0   0   4   7   0  34

Passed Balls: Ashby (10)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (12)

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


REDS 1ST: Collins flied out to center; Griffey doubled to right;
Concepcion flied out to left; Foster grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Morgan flied out to center; Cabell struck out; Puhl
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Driessen flied out to center; Bench walked; Bench
stole second; Knight popped to second; Oester walked; Soto
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (third to first); Cedeno struck
out; Walling popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Collins grounded out (pitcher to first); Griffey flied
out to right; Concepcion was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Ashby walked; Reynolds out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Ashby to second]; Niekro flied out to right;
Morgan popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Foster grounded out (third to first); Driessen walked;
Driessen stole second; Ashby allowed a passed ball [Driessen to
third]; Bench grounded out (shortstop to first); Knight struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell flied out to right; Puhl flied out to right;
Cruz popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 5TH: Oester grounded out (second to first); Soto grounded
out (shortstop to first); Collins grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Walling
singled to second; Ashby reached on an error by Collins [Walling
to third, Ashby to second]; Reynolds doubled to right [Walling
scored (unearned), Ashby scored (unearned)]; Niekro flied out to
center; Morgan grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R (0 ER), 2 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 6TH: Griffey singled to right; Concepcion singled to right
[Griffey to second]; Foster grounded into a double play (third
to second to first) [Griffey to third, Concepcion out at
second]; Driessen struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell doubled to left; Puhl flied out to left; Cruz
was walked intentionally; Cedeno grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Cruz out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 7TH: Bench lined to third; Knight grounded out (shortstop
to first); Oester walked; NOLAN BATTED FOR SOTO; Nolan grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: HUME REPLACED NOLAN (PITCHING); Walling grounded out
(second to first); Ashby struck out; Reynolds grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 8TH: BERGMAN REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING 1B); Collins flied
out to center; Griffey flied out to center; Concepcion doubled
to right; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Concepcion to third]; SMITH
REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Foster struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Smith grounded out (second to first); Morgan struck
out; Cabell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 9TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); Driessen flied
out to center; Bench struck out; Knight struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.