Spacing eight hits, Bob Knepper posted his second straight 1-0 shutout as the Astros defeated the Reds. Knepper had beaten the Dodgers by the same score in his last start. The only run of the contest came when Denny Walling laced Mario Soto's third pitch of the game into the right field seats for his first homer of the year. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 1, Cincinnati Reds 0
Game Played on Sunday, April     26, 1981 (Day game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  8  0
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   1  6  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Collins rf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .421      Walling 1b            4   1   2   1     0   0   .200
Griffey cf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .231      Reynolds ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .283
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   0   .298      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .286
Foster lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .224      Cruz lf               2   0   0   0     1   1   .180
Knight 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .286      Puhl rf               3   0   0   0     0   2   .203
Driessen 1b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .200      Howe 3b               3   0   2   0     0   1   .273
Kennedy 2b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .167      Ashby c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .158
O'Berry c             2   0   1   0     0   0   .167      Thon 2b               3   0   0   0     0   0   .160
  Vail ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Knepper p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .286
  Nolan c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .231
Soto p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Mejias ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .667
  Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   0   8   0     1   3             Totals               29   1   6   1     1   6

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 23,428
Left on Base: Reds 6, Astros 5
DP: Reds 1, Astros 1
Errors: Knepper
Doubles: Cedeno (4)
Home Runs: Walling (1)
Stolen Bases: Collins (6)
Caught Stealing: Concepcion (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Soto (2)
GIDP: Concepcion (4), Thon (1)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Soto L(1-3)             7     5   1   1   1   6   1  26   1.74
Hume                    1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   3.27
Totals                  8     6   1   1   1   6   1  30

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Knepper W(2-0)          9     8   0   0   1   3   0  33   0.43
Totals                  9     8   0   0   1   3   0  33

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


REDS 1ST: Collins struck out; Griffey grounded out (shortstop to
first); Concepcion singled to left; Concepcion was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Walling homered; Reynolds popped to first in foul
territory; Cedeno popped to second; Cruz struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 2ND: Foster flied to right; Knight singled to right;
Driessen popped to second; Kennedy grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Puhl struck out; Howe singled to shortstop; Ashby
flied to right; Thon flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 3RD: O'Berry singled to right; Soto out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [O'Berry to second]; Collins singled to
center [O'Berry out at home (center to catcher)]; Griffey flied
to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Knepper popped to second; Walling grounded out
(second to first); Reynolds singled to center; Cedeno doubled to
right [Reynolds to third]; Cruz walked; Puhl struck out; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 4TH: Concepcion grounded out (first unassisted); Foster
grounded out (shortstop to first); Knight singled to right;
Knight was picked off first but was safe on an error by Knepper
[Knight to second]; Driessen struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe struck out; Ashby grounded out (second to
first); Thon flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 1.

REDS 5TH: Kennedy grounded out (third to first); O'Berry flied
to center; Soto popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Knepper struck out; Walling grounded out (second to
first); Reynolds grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 6TH: Collins grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffey
singled to center; Concepcion grounded into a double play (third
to second to first) [Griffey out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); Cruz popped
to catcher in foul territory; Puhl grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 7TH: Foster popped to first; Knight flied to right;
Driessen walked; Kennedy singled to left [Driessen to second];
VAIL BATTED FOR O'BERRY; Vail popped to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: NOLAN REPLACED VAIL (PLAYING C ); Howe singled to
center; Ashby struck out; Thon grounded into a double play
(shortstop to shortstop to first) [Howe out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 8TH: MEJIAS BATTED FOR SOTO; Mejias singled to left;
Collins forced Mejias (pitcher to shortstop); Collins stole
second; Griffey flied to left; Concepcion flied to right; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: HUME REPLACED MEJIAS (PITCHING); Knepper popped to
first; Walling singled to center; Reynolds flied to right;
Cedeno forced Walling (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 9TH: Foster struck out; Knight flied to right; Driessen
flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.