The Astros continued their drive toward the West Division championship by defeating the Braves, 7-3. The Astros scored twice in the first inning on a single by Joe Morgan, triple by Enos Cabe!l and double by Terry Puhl.

Morgan stroked an RBI single in the second stanza and Jose Cruz belted a three-run double in the fifth. Dave Smith, replacing starter Nolan Ryan, earned his 10th save by allowing the Braves only four hits over the final 3 1/3 innings. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Tuesday, September 30, 1980 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  3    0  0  0  -   3 12  1
Astros       2  1  0    0  3  0    1  0  x  -   7 10  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Harper lf             4   0   3   0     0   1   .235      Morgan 2b             4   2   2   1     1   0   .249
Ramirez ss            5   0   2   0     0   1   .270        Landestoy 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Matthews rf           5   0   1   0     0   2   .279      Cabell 3b             5   2   3   1     0   0   .274
Horner 3b             5   1   1   0     0   0   .275      Puhl rf               3   1   1   1     1   0   .280
Chambliss 1b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .281      Cruz lf               4   0   1   3     0   0   .307
Murphy cf             4   1   2   1     0   2   .281      Cedeno cf             3   1   0   0     1   0   .310
Hubbard 2b            4   1   1   1     0   2   .252      Howe 1b               4   0   2   0     0   1   .285
Benedict c            4   0   1   0     0   1   .256        Bergman pr,1b       0   0   0   0     0   0   .260
Alexander p           2   0   0   0     0   2   .185      Ashby c               2   0   0   1     1   0   .245
  Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Reynolds ss           4   1   1   0     0   0   .218
  Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Ryan p                2   0   0   0     0   2   .087
  Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .278        Smith p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Hanna p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .210
  Bradford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               39   3  12   2     0  11             Totals               33   7  10   7     4   4

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance: 31,973
Left on Base: Braves 10, Astros 7
DP: Braves 0, Astros 0
Errors: Chambliss, Howe
Doubles: Murphy (26), Puhl (21), Cruz (29)
Triples: Cabell (8)
Sacrifice Flies: Ashby (4)
Hit by Pitch: Harper (1,by Ryan)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Alexander L(14-10)      4.1   7   6   6   2   3   0  22   4.21
Garber                  0.1   1   0   0   1   0   0   3   3.87
Hrabosky                0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.77
Hanna                   2     2   1   1   1   1   0   9   3.18
Bradford                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.44
Totals                  8    10   7   7   4   4   0  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan W(11-9)            5.2   8   3   2   0   8   0  26   3.38
Smith SV(10)            3.1   4   0   0   0   3   0  14   1.93
Totals                  9    12   3   2   0  11   0  40

Passed Balls: Ashby (11)
Hit by Pitch: Ryan (3)

Umpires: HP - Satch Davidson, 1B - Steve Fields, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Ed Montague


BRAVES 1ST: Harper singled to center; Ramirez singled to left
[Harper to second]; Matthews was called out on strikes; Horner
flied out to right; Chambliss flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Morgan singled to right; Cabell tripled to right
[Morgan scored]; Puhl doubled to right [Cabell scored]; Cruz
grounded out (first unassisted) [Puhl to third]; Cedeno reached
on an error by Chambliss [Cedeno to first]; Cedeno was picked
off first (pitcher to first); Howe flied out to right; 2 R, 3 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy struck out; Hubbard struck out; Benedict
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Ashby grounded out (pitcher to first); Reynolds
singled to center; Ryan was called out on strikes; Morgan
singled to right [Reynolds scored, Morgan to second (on throw to
home)]; Cabell flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Alexander was called out on strikes; Harper was hit
by a pitch; Ramirez singled to right [Harper to second]; Ashby
allowed a passed ball [Harper to third, Ramirez to second];
Matthews struck out; Horner lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Braves 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cruz popped to
catcher in foul territory; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Chambliss popped to third in foul territory; Murphy
singled to center; Hubbard struck out; Benedict lined to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe was called out on strikes; Ashby grounded out
(second to first); Reynolds grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Alexander struck out; Harper struck out; Ramirez
lined to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Ryan struck out; Morgan walked; Cabell singled to
right [Morgan to third]; Puhl walked [Cabell to second]; Cruz
doubled to right [Morgan scored, Cabell scored, Puhl scored];
GARBER REPLACED ALEXANDER (PITCHING); Cedeno grounded out (third
to first); Howe singled to second [Cruz to third]; Ashby walked
[Howe to second]; HRABOSKY REPLACED GARBER (PITCHING); Reynolds
grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 6.

BRAVES 6TH: Matthews grounded out (second to first); Horner
singled to center; Chambliss grounded out (second to first)
[Horner to second]; Murphy doubled to left [Horner scored];
Hubbard singled to right [Murphy scored]; Benedict singled to
left [Hubbard to third]; POCOROBA BATTED FOR HRABOSKY; SMITH
REPLACED RYAN (PITCHING); Pocoroba reached on an error by Howe
[Hubbard scored (unearned) (no RBI), Benedict to second]; Harper
singled to right [Benedict out at home (third to catcher),
Pocoroba to second]; 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 6.

ASTROS 6TH: HANNA REPLACED POCOROBA (PITCHING); Smith struck
out; Morgan grounded out (second to first); Cabell singled to
left; Puhl forced Cabell (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 6.

BRAVES 7TH: Ramirez grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews
singled to center; Horner popped to first in foul territory;
Chambliss singled to right [Matthews to second]; Murphy struck
out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz flied out to left; Cedeno walked; Howe singled
to center [Cedeno to third]; BERGMAN RAN FOR HOWE; Ashby hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Cedeno scored]; Reynolds flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 7.

BRAVES 8TH: BERGMAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Hubbard
grounded out (pitcher to first); Benedict struck out; LUM BATTED
FOR HANNA; Lum flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 3, Astros 7.

ASTROS 8TH: BRADFORD REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Smith grounded out
(pitcher to first); Morgan popped to first in foul territory;
Cabell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 3, Astros 7.

BRAVES 9TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); Harper
singled to left; Ramirez struck out; Matthews flied out to left;
Horner grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 3, Astros 7.