Recording their first victory of the season, the Astros bounced the Braves, 8-2. Terry Puhl cracked his 12th career leadoff homer in the first inning and the Astros added another run in the same frame on an RBI single by Jose Cruz, who broke an 0 for 17 slump. Alan Ashby doubled home a run in a three-run fifth and drove in another with a ninth-inning single. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Tuesday, April     14, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  1
Astros       2  0  0    2  3  1    0  0  x  -   8 13  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Washington rf         4   0   2   1     0   0   .350      Puhl rf               4   2   2   1     1   1   .400
Hubbard 2b            4   0   0   1     0   0   .118      Reynolds ss           5   0   1   1     0   0   .318
Horner 3b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .263      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   1     1   0   .318
Chambliss 1b          3   0   0   0     1   1   .385      Cruz lf               5   0   1   1     0   1   .045
Murphy cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .300      Heep 1b               3   1   2   0     1   0   .214
Linares lf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .100        Bergman 1b          1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Benedict c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .222      Howe 3b               5   2   2   0     0   0   .333
  Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Ashby c               4   1   2   2     1   1   .286
  Harper ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Landestoy 2b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .182
Ramirez ss            4   1   2   0     0   0   .294      Niekro p              3   1   1   2     1   0   .250
Walk p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hanna p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lum ph              0   1   0   0     1   0   .000
  Mahler p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Pocoroba ph,c       1   0   1   0     0   0   .500

Totals               32   2   7   2     2   4             Totals               38   8  13   8     5   3

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance: 21,440
Left on Base: Braves 6, Astros 11
DP: Braves 0, Astros 0
Errors: Linares
Doubles: Washington (5), Ashby (1), Puhl (2), Howe (2)
Home Runs: Puhl (1)
Stolen Bases: Murphy (1), Cedeno (1)
Caught Stealing: Washington (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Walk (1)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Walk L(0-1)             3.2   6   4   4   4   2   1  21   9.82
Hanna                   0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Mahler                  2     7   4   4   1   0   0  14  12.00
Garber                  2     0   0   0   0   1   0   7   6.75
Totals                  8    13   8   8   5   3   1  43

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(1-1)           9     7   2   2   2   4   0  35   2.25
Totals                  9     7   2   2   2   4   0  35

Wild Pitches: Niekro (2)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Eric Gregg


BRAVES 1ST: Washington singled to right; Washington was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Hubbard grounded out (third
to first); Horner struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl homered; Reynolds made an out to second; Cedeno
walked; Cedeno stole second; Cruz singled to right [Cedeno
scored]; Heep singled to left [Cruz to second]; Howe forced Heep
(second to shortstop) [Cruz to third]; Ashby walked [Howe to
second]; Landestoy grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Chambliss struck out; Murphy singled to left; Murphy
stole second; Linares flied out to left; Benedict grounded out
(catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Niekro flied out to left; Puhl struck out; Reynolds
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Ramirez singled to left; Walk out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Ramirez to second]; Washington flied out
to right; Hubbard grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno flied out to center; Cruz was called out on
strikes; Heep singled to left; Howe forced Heep (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Horner grounded out (first unassisted); Chambliss
walked; Murphy flied out to right; Linares forced Chambliss
(third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby flied out to center; Landestoy flied out to
center; Niekro walked; Puhl walked [Niekro to second]; Reynolds
singled to center [Niekro scored, Puhl to third]; Cedeno singled
to center [Puhl scored, Reynolds to second]; HANNA REPLACED WALK
(PITCHING); Cruz flied out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 4.

BRAVES 5TH: Benedict was called out on strikes; Ramirez singled
to left; LUM BATTED FOR HANNA; Lum walked [Ramirez to second];
Washington doubled to left [Ramirez scored, Lum to third];
Hubbard grounded out (third to first) [Lum scored]; Horner
grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
2, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: MAHLER REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Heep walked; Howe
singled to right [Heep to third]; Ashby doubled to left [Heep
scored, Howe to third]; Landestoy flied out to left; Niekro
singled to center [Howe scored, Ashby scored]; Puhl doubled to
right [Niekro to third]; Reynolds grounded out (second to
first); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 7.

BRAVES 6TH: Chambliss made an out to shortstop; Murphy made an
out to second; Linares struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
2, Astros 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); Heep flied out
to left; Howe doubled to center; Ashby singled to right [Howe
scored]; Landestoy singled to center [Ashby to second]; Niekro
flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 8.

BRAVES 7TH: Benedict grounded out (shortstop to first); Ramirez
made an out to first; Danny Heep left with ankle sprain;
BERGMAN REPLACED HEEP (PLAYING 1B); POCOROBA BATTED FOR MAHLER;
Pocoroba singled to center; Washington flied out to center; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 8.

ASTROS 7TH: GARBER REPLACED BENEDICT (PITCHING); POCOROBA STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Puhl flied out to center; Reynolds flied
out to right; Cedeno reached on an error by Linares; Cruz
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
2, Astros 8.

BRAVES 8TH: Hubbard grounded out (first unassisted); Horner
singled to center; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Horner to second];
Chambliss flied out to right; Murphy grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 8.

ASTROS 8TH: Bergman grounded out (second to first); Howe
grounded out (shortstop to first); Ashby struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 8.

BRAVES 9TH: Linares grounded out (second to first); HARPER
BATTED FOR GARBER; Harper flied out to left; Ramirez grounded
out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros
8.