Yielding just four hits in seven innings, Rod Scurry made his first major league start a successful one, combining with reliever Eddie Solomon to pitch the Pirates to a 2-0 victory over the Astros. The Bucs broke a scoreless tie in the eighth when John Milner stroked a leadoff pinch-single. Following a pinch-double by Dave Parker, Milner came home on a sacrifice fly by Omar Moreno. Jason Thompson provided insurance with a solo homer in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 2, Houston Astros 0
Game Played on Sunday, April     19, 1981 (Day game) at Astrodome
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  1  -   2  6  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Moreno cf             3   0   0   1     0   0   .182      Puhl rf               4   0   0   0     0   2   .226
Foli ss               3   0   0   0     1   1   .304      Landestoy 2b          2   0   0   0     1   1   .111
Lacy rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .417        Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Easler lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .308        Garcia 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Thompson 1b           4   1   1   1     0   1   .222      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .278
Berra 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .190      Cruz lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .162
Nicosia c             2   0   0   0     0   0   .174      Howe 3b               3   0   0   0     1   1   .273
  Milner ph           1   1   1   0     0   0   .400      Leonard 1b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .167
  Pena c              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   1   .200
Law 2b                3   0   0   0     0   2   .053      Reynolds ss           3   0   2   0     0   1   .306
Scurry p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .167
  Parker ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .226
  D. Robinson pr      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Solomon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   2   6   2     1   6             Totals               29   0   5   0     2   7

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 30,394
Left on Base: Pirates 5, Astros 5
DP: Pirates 0, Astros 0
Doubles: Parker (1), Cruz (2)
Triples: Leonard (1)
Home Runs: Thompson (3)
Stolen Bases: Lacy (2), Easler (1), Reynolds (1)
Caught Stealing: Landestoy (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Moreno (1)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Scurry W(1-0)           7     4   0   0   2   7   0  25   0.00
Solomon SV(1)           2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   1.50
Totals                  9     5   0   0   2   7   0  32

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(1-2)           9     6   2   2   1   6   1  34   2.16
Totals                  9     6   2   2   1   6   1  34

Passed Balls: Pujols (1)

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Dutch Rennert, 2B - Ed Montague, 3B - Lee Weyer


PIRATES 1ST: Moreno grounded out (pitcher to first); Foli lined
to third; Lacy singled to center; Lacy stole second; Pujols
allowed a passed ball [Lacy to third]; Easler flied to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl struck out; Landestoy grounded out (pitcher to
first); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Thompson struck out; Berra grounded out (third to
first); Nicosia flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (third to first); Howe flied to
center; Leonard grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Law struck out; Scurry grounded out (second to
first); Moreno grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Pujols popped to second; Reynolds singled to center;
Reynolds stole second; Niekro struck out; Puhl grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Foli flied to center; Lacy flied to center; Easler
singled to third; Easler stole second; Thompson flied to center;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Landestoy struck out; Cedeno singled to left [Cedeno
out at second (left to second)]; Cruz doubled to right; Howe was
walked intentionally; Leonard flied to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Berra flied to center; Nicosia grounded out
(pitcher to first); Law popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Pujols flied to left; Reynolds struck out (catcher
to first); Niekro flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Scurry struck out; Moreno grounded out (pitcher to
first); Foli walked; Lacy forced Foli (shortstop to second); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl was called out on strikes; Landestoy walked;
Landestoy was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Cedeno popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 7TH: Easler grounded out (first unassisted); Thompson
flied to center; Berra struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe struck
out; Leonard tripled to center; Pujols struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 8TH: MILNER BATTED FOR NICOSIA; Milner singled to right;
On a bunt Law struck out; PARKER BATTED FOR SCURRY; Parker
doubled to right [Milner to third]; D. ROBINSON RAN FOR PARKER;
Moreno hit a sacrifice fly to right [Milner scored]; Foli struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 8TH: PENA REPLACED MILNER (PLAYING C ); SOLOMON REPLACED
D. ROBINSON (PITCHING); Reynolds singled to left; Niekro out on
a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Reynolds to second]; Puhl
flied to right; WALLING BATTED FOR LANDESTOY; Walling flied to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 9TH: GARCIA REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING 2B); Lacy grounded
out (shortstop to first); Easler popped to shortstop; Thompson
homered; Berra singled to right; Pena flied to center; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
grounded out (second to first); Howe grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 0.