Art Howe drilled a homer and two singles and drove in four runs and Joe Niekro scattered six hits in leading the Astros to a 7-1 triumph over the Dodgers in the playoff game for the N.L. West championship. The Astros scored twice in the first inning, aided by errors by L.A. second baseman Davey Lopes and catcher Joe Ferguson, and upped their lead to 4-0 in the third inning when Cesar Cedeno stroked a two-out single and Howe followed with a round-tripper over the left-center field fence.

A two-run single by Howe climaxed a three-run rally in the fourth that locked up the game. The Dodgers' only run came in the fourth on a single by Dusty Baker, error by Houston third baseman Enos Cabell and RBI single by Rick Monday. The victory marked the first divisional title for the Astros. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 1
Game Played on Monday, October   6, 1980 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       2  0  2    3  0  0    0  0  0  -   7 12  1
Dodgers      0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               5   2   1   0     0   0   .282      Lopes 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .251
Cabell 3b             4   2   2   0     1   1   .276        Howe p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .091
  Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .256      Johnstone rf          4   0   0   0     0   1   .307
Morgan 2b             2   1   0   0     1   1   .243      Baker lf              4   1   1   0     0   2   .294
  Landestoy 2b        2   0   0   0     0   0   .247      Garvey 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .304
Cruz lf               4   0   1   1     0   1   .302      Monday cf             3   0   1   1     1   0   .268
Cedeno cf             4   1   1   1     1   0   .309      Ferguson c            4   0   1   0     0   1   .238
Howe 1b,3b            5   1   3   4     0   0   .283      Hatcher 3b            3   0   1   0     0   1   .226
Ashby c               4   0   1   0     1   0   .256        Thomasson ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .216
Reynolds ss           4   0   3   0     0   1   .226      Thomas ss             3   0   2   0     1   0   .266
Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .275      Goltz p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .128
                                                            Law ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .260
                                                            Sutcliffe p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .148
                                                            Beckwith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Castillo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
                                                            Davalillo ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .167
                                                            Valenzuela p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Perconte ph,2b      2   0   0   0     0   0   .235

Totals               36   7  12   6     4   5             Totals               34   1   6   1     2   6

Time of Game: 3:10   Attendance: 51,127
Left on Base: Astros 9, Dodgers 8
DP: Astros 0, Dodgers 0
Errors: Cabell, Lopes, Ferguson
Doubles: Reynolds (9), Cabell (23)
Home Runs: Howe (10)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (21), Cedeno (48), Puhl 2 (27)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (11)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro 2 (18)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (8)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(20-12)         9     6   1   0   2   6   0  36   3.55
Totals                  9     6   1   0   2   6   0  36

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Goltz L(7-11)           3     8   4   2   0   2   1  17   4.31
Sutcliffe               0.1   1   3   3   2   0   0   4   5.56
Beckwith                0.1   1   0   0   1   0   0   3   1.96
Castillo                1.1   1   0   0   1   2   0   6   2.75
Valenzuela              2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   0.00
Howe                    2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   2.66
Totals                  9    12   7   5   4   5   1  43

Passed Balls: Ashby (12)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Jerry Dale


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl reached on an error by Lopes [Puhl to first];
Cabell singled to center [Puhl to third]; Cabell stole second;
Morgan struck out; Cruz reached on a fielder's choice [Puhl
scored (error by Ferguson; assist by Hatcher) (unearned) (no
RBI), Cabell to third]; Cedeno grounded out (second to first)
[Cabell scored (unearned), Cruz to second]; Howe singled to
third [Cruz to third]; Ashby flied out to left; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H,
2 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes grounded out (third to first); Johnstone
grounded out (second to first); Baker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Reynolds singled to center; Niekro out on a
sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Reynolds to second]; Puhl
grounded out (first unassisted) [Reynolds to third]; Cabell
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Garvey popped to second; Monday lined to center;
Ferguson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Morgan flied out to right; Cruz singled to left;
Cruz was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Cedeno
singled to center; Cedeno stole second; Howe homered [Cedeno
scored]; Ashby singled to center; Reynolds doubled to center
[Ashby out at home (center to second to catcher)]; 2 R, 5 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Hatcher singled to left; Thomas singled to center
[Hatcher to third]; LAW BATTED FOR GOLTZ; Law flied out to left;
Lopes flied out to left; Johnstone popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 4TH: SUTCLIFFE REPLACED LAW (PITCHING); Niekro grounded
out (third to first); On a bunt Puhl singled to third; Puhl
stole second; Puhl stole third; Cabell walked; Morgan walked
[Cabell to second]; BECKWITH REPLACED SUTCLIFFE (PITCHING); Cruz
hit a sacrifice fly to center [Puhl scored]; Cedeno walked
[Cabell to third, Morgan to second]; Howe singled to third
[Cabell scored, Morgan scored, Cedeno to third]; CASTILLO
REPLACED BECKWITH (PITCHING); Ashby walked [Howe to second];
Reynolds struck out (catcher to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 7, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 4TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); Baker
singled to third [Baker to second (error by Cabell)]; Garvey
struck out (catcher to first); Monday singled to center [Baker
scored (unearned)]; Ferguson was called out on strikes; Hatcher
flied out to center; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7,
Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Niekro struck out; Puhl grounded out (second to
first); Cabell doubled to right; Landestoy lined to third; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 5TH: Thomas walked; DAVALILLO BATTED FOR CASTILLO;
Davalillo forced Thomas (second unassisted); Lopes flied out to
center; Johnstone struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7,
Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 6TH: VALENZUELA REPLACED DAVALILLO (PITCHING); Cruz
struck out; Cedeno flied out to center; Howe lined to third; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Baker flied out to left; Garvey flied out to
center; Monday walked; Ferguson singled to second [Monday to
second]; Hatcher struck out but Monday advanced to third and
Ferguson advanced to second and Hatcher advanced to first on a
passed ball; Thomas flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Ashby flied out to left; Reynolds singled to center;
Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Reynolds to
second]; Puhl flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
7, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 7TH: PERCONTE BATTED FOR VALENZUELA; Perconte grounded
out (third to first); Lopes grounded out (pitcher to first);
Johnstone grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 8TH: HOWE REPLACED LOPES (PITCHING); PERCONTE STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 2B); Cabell grounded out (third to first);
Landestoy grounded out (second to first); Cruz popped to third
in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 8TH: BERGMAN REPLACED CABELL (PLAYING 1B); HOWE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Baker struck out; Garvey grounded out
(shortstop to first); Monday popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno flied out to right; Howe flied out to left;
Ashby flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7,
Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 9TH: Ferguson popped to third in foul territory;
THOMASSON BATTED FOR HATCHER; Thomasson grounded out (second to
first); Thomas singled to left; Perconte made an out to first; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Dodgers 1.