The Astros moved into a three-game lead over the Dodgers in the West Division race with a 3-1 triumph over the Braves. The Astros got all their runs in the third inning on a leadoff homer by Gary Woods, singles by Rafael Landestoy and Alan Ashby, sacrifice bunt by Joe Niekro and two-run single by Joe Morgan. Frank LaCorte earned the save by striking out Dale Murphy to end the game with the potential tying runs on base. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Thursday, October   2, 1980 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   2  7  0
Astros       0  0  0    3  0  0    0  0  x  -   3  9  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Harper lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .190      Morgan 2b             2   0   1   2     2   0   .250
Ramirez ss            3   0   0   0     0   1   .271      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .274
  Burroughs ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .263      Cruz lf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .308
Matthews rf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .278      Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .308
Horner 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .273      Howe 1b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .279
Chambliss 1b          4   1   3   2     0   1   .284        Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .260
  Cooper pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Woods rf              2   1   1   1     1   0   .396
Murphy cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .280        Puhl ph,rf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .282
Hubbard 2b            3   0   0   0     0   1   .251      Landestoy ss          4   1   3   0     0   0   .251
Benedict c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .257        LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
McWilliams p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .157      Ashby c               3   1   2   0     1   0   .249
  Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   1   .207      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .282
  Matula p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .105        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Reynolds ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .218
  Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .272
  Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500

Totals               33   2   7   2     0   6             Totals               29   3   9   3     5   1

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance: 45,022
Left on Base: Braves 4, Astros 8
DP: Braves 0, Astros 1
Errors: Howe
Doubles: Matthews (17), Ashby (18)
Home Runs: Chambliss (18), Woods (2)
Stolen Bases: Cooper (2), Cruz (35), Landestoy (23)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (16)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McWilliams L(9-14)      4     5   3   3   3   1   1  20   4.95
Matula                  0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.61
Hrabosky                2.1   2   0   0   2   0   0   9   3.62
Garber                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.83
Totals                  8     9   3   3   5   1   1  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(19-12)         8.2   6   2   2   0   5   1  31   3.68
Sambito                 0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.14
LaCorte SV(11)          0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   2.80
Totals                  9     7   2   2   0   6   1  33

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


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

ASTROS 1ST: Morgan grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell
struck out; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Horner flied out to center; Chambliss homered;
Murphy singled to right; Hubbard lined into a double play (first
unassisted) [Murphy out at first]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cedeno flied out to left; Howe flied out to left;
Woods walked; Landestoy singled to shortstop [Woods to second];
Ashby walked [Woods to third, Landestoy to second]; Niekro
forced Ashby (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Benedict flied out to center; McWilliams struck out;
Harper flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Morgan walked; Cabell grounded out (second to first)
[Morgan to second]; Cruz grounded out (second to first) [Morgan
to third]; Cedeno popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Ramirez struck out; Matthews singled to right;
Horner reached on an error by Howe [Matthews to third, Horner to
first]; Chambliss struck out; Murphy grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe flied out to right; Woods homered; Landestoy
singled to center; Ashby singled to left [Landestoy to second];
Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to first) [Landestoy to
third, Ashby to second]; Morgan singled to right [Landestoy
scored, Ashby scored]; Cabell grounded out (third to first); 3
R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Hubbard flied out to center; Benedict grounded out
(third to first); LUM BATTED FOR MCWILLIAMS; Lum struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: MATULA REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Cruz singled to
left; Cruz stole second; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to
first); Howe grounded out (third to first) [Cruz to third];
HRABOSKY REPLACED MATULA (PITCHING); Cruz was out trying to
advance to home (catcher to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Harper made an out to shortstop; Ramirez grounded
out (second to first); Matthews grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Woods flied out to left; Landestoy singled to
center; Landestoy stole second; Ashby grounded out (third to
first); Niekro lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
1, Astros 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Horner singled to left [Horner out at second (left
to second)]; Chambliss singled to center; Murphy flied out to
center; Hubbard struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Morgan walked; Morgan was picked off first (pitcher
to first); Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
singled to right; Cedeno walked [Cruz to second]; Howe grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 3.

BRAVES 8TH: BERGMAN REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 1B); Benedict popped
to first in foul territory; POCOROBA BATTED FOR HRABOSKY;
Pocoroba flied out to right; Harper grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: GARBER REPLACED POCOROBA (PITCHING); PUHL BATTED FOR
WOODS; Puhl flied out to center; Landestoy grounded out (second
to first); Ashby doubled to right [Ashby out at third (right to
second to third)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 3.

BRAVES 9TH: PUHL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); BURROUGHS BATTED
FOR RAMIREZ; Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to first);
Matthews doubled to right; Horner grounded out (third to first);
SAMBITO REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Chambliss singled to left
[Matthews scored]; COOPER RAN FOR CHAMBLISS; REYNOLDS REPLACED
SAMBITO (PLAYING SS); LACORTE REPLACED LANDESTOY (PITCHING);
Cooper stole second; Murphy struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 3.