Pressed into the opening day assignment when Jerry Reuss pulled a calf muscle, Fernando Valenzuela made his first major league start successful by hurling a five hitter to carry the Dodgers to a 2-0 blanking of the Astros. The first run came in the fourth inning on a triple by Steve Garvey and a sacrifice fly by Ron Cey. A single by Garvey, wild pitch and double by Pedro Guerrero provided an insurance marker in the sixth. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 2, Houston Astros 0
Game Played on Thursday, April     9, 1981 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  0
Dodgers      0  0  0    1  0  1    0  0  x  -   2  8  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Lopes 2b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Reynolds ss           4   0   2   0     0   0   .500      Landreaux cf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Baker lf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Garvey 1b             4   2   2   0     0   1   .500
Howe 3b               3   0   1   0     1   0   .333      Cey 3b                2   0   0   1     1   0   .000
Roberts 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Guerrero rf           4   0   3   1     0   0   .750
Thon 2b               3   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Scioscia c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Pujols c              3   0   1   0     0   1   .333      Russell ss            3   0   2   0     0   0   .667
Niekro p              1   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Valenzuela p          2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Leonard ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   0   5   0     2   5             Totals               29   2   8   2     2   3

Time of Game: 2:17   Attendance: 50,511
Left on Base: Astros 6, Dodgers 7
DP: Astros 0, Dodgers 1
Doubles: Cedeno (1), Landreaux (1), Guerrero (1)
Triples: Garvey (1)
Stolen Bases: Guerrero (1), Lopes (1)
Caught Stealing: Russell (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Valenzuela (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Cey (1)
GIDP: Puhl (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(0-1)           7     8   2   2   1   1   0  29   2.57
D. Smith                1     0   0   0   1   2   0   4   0.00
Totals                  8     8   2   2   2   3   0  33

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Valenzuela W(1-0)       9     5   0   0   2   5   0  33   0.00
Totals                  9     5   0   0   2   5   0  33

Wild Pitches: Niekro (1)

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Jim Quick


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); Reynolds
singled to center; Cedeno grounded out (second to first)
[Reynolds to second]; Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes flied out to center; Landreaux doubled to
left; Baker made an out to second; Garvey flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe walked; Roberts flied out to center [Howe to
second]; Thon grounded out (second to first) [Howe to third];
Pujols made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Cey grounded out (shortstop to first); Guerrero
singled to right; Guerrero stole second; Scioscia struck out;
Russell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro walked; Puhl grounded into a double play
(first to first to shortstop) [Niekro out at second]; Reynolds
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Valenzuela lined to second; Lopes grounded out
(shortstop to first); Landreaux flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno struck out; Cruz lined to first; Howe made an
out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Baker flied out to left; Garvey tripled to right;
Cey hit a sacrifice fly to left [Garvey scored]; Guerrero
singled to left; Scioscia flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Roberts flied out to center; Thon grounded out
(shortstop to first); Pujols singled to second; Niekro struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 5TH: Russell singled to left; Valenzuela popped to
pitcher; Russell was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Lopes walked; Lopes stole second; Landreaux flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl popped to catcher in foul territory; Reynolds
singled to center; Cedeno doubled to left [Reynolds to third];
Cruz lined to shortstop; Howe grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Baker flied out to left; Garvey singled to left;
Cey grounded out (catcher to first) [Garvey to second]; Niekro
threw a wild pitch [Garvey to third]; Guerrero doubled to left
[Garvey scored]; Scioscia made an out to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Roberts flied out to center; Thon flied out to
center; Pujols struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 7TH: Russell singled to left; Valenzuela out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Russell to second]; Lopes
grounded out (third to first); Landreaux popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 8TH: LEONARD BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Leonard struck out; Puhl
grounded out (pitcher to first); Reynolds grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 8TH: D. SMITH REPLACED LEONARD (PITCHING); Baker struck
out; Garvey struck out; Cey walked; Guerrero popped to first in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno popped to third in foul territory; Cruz
grounded out (third to first); Howe singled to center; Roberts
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.