Don Sutton gained his first victory in a Houston uniform after three losses, combining on a three-hitter with Dave Smith to hurl the Astros to a 2-1 triumph over the Braves. The Astros scored in the second inning on a leadoff double by Jose Cruz and a two-out, run-scoring single by Alan Ashby, and scored again in the fourth on a solo homer by Cruz, who was hitting only .180 entering the contest. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, Atlanta Braves 1
Game Played on Tuesday, April     28, 1981 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  1  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  0
Braves       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  3  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Walling 1b            3   0   1   0     1   0   .217      Miller lf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .205
Reynolds ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .270      Ramirez ss            3   0   0   0     0   1   .212
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .269        Linares ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .114
Cruz lf               4   2   2   1     0   0   .200      Washington rf         4   0   0   0     0   0   .278
Puhl rf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .206      Horner 3b             3   1   1   1     0   0   .258
Howe 3b               3   0   3   0     1   0   .310      Chambliss 1b          3   0   1   0     0   0   .304
Ashby c               2   0   1   1     2   0   .175      Murphy cf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .234
Thon 2b               2   0   0   0     1   1   .148      Hubbard 2b            3   0   0   0     0   2   .217
  Woods ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .200      Benedict c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .244
  D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Montefusco p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Sutton p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .294
  Landestoy ph,2b     1   0   0   0     0   0   .182        Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lum ph              1   0   1   0     0   0   .100
                                                            Royster pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .158

Totals               30   2   8   2     5   4             Totals               29   1   3   1     0   8

Time of Game: 2:34   Attendance:  8,669
Left on Base: Astros 7, Braves 2
DP: Astros 0, Braves 0
Doubles: Cruz (4), Howe 2 (5)
Home Runs: Cruz (2), Horner (4)
Caught Stealing: Walling (1), Ashby (1), Howe (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (1), Miller (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton W(1-3)           8     2   1   1   0   8   1  26   4.26
D. Smith SV(1)          1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   3.14
Totals                  9     3   1   1   0   8   1  30

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Montefusco L(1-2)       6     5   2   2   3   2   1  22   3.09
Garber                  2.1   3   0   0   2   1   0  12   4.66
Camp                    0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   1.86
Totals                  9     8   2   2   5   4   1  36

Umpires: HP - Jerry Crawford, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Terry Tata


ASTROS 1ST: Walling singled to center; Reynolds flied out to
right; Walling was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Miller was called out on strikes; Ramirez was called
out on strikes; Washington flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz doubled to right; Puhl flied out to right [Cruz
to third]; Howe walked; Ashby singled to right [Cruz scored,
Howe out at third (right to third)]; Ashby was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Horner flied out to right; Chambliss grounded out
(third to first); Murphy was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Thon grounded out (pitcher to first); Sutton flied
out to center; Walling flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Hubbard struck out; Benedict grounded out (shortstop
to first); Montefusco struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Braves 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Reynolds grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
grounded out (second to first); Cruz homered; Puhl struck out; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Miller flied out to center; Ramirez grounded out
(shortstop to first); Washington grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe doubled to left; Ashby walked; Howe was caught
stealing third (catcher to shortstop to third); Thon struck out;
Sutton grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Horner homered; Chambliss grounded out (second to
pitcher); Murphy flied out to center; Hubbard grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Walling walked; Reynolds out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to first) [Walling to second]; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Benedict struck out; POCOROBA BATTED FOR MONTEFUSCO;
Pocoroba struck out; Miller grounded out (catcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 7TH: GARBER REPLACED POCOROBA (PITCHING); Puhl grounded
out (first unassisted); Howe doubled to right; Ashby grounded
out (pitcher to first); Thon was walked intentionally; Sutton
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Ramirez made an out to first; Washington grounded
out (pitcher to first); Horner flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Walling grounded out (first unassisted); Reynolds
grounded out (first to pitcher); Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Chambliss singled to center; Murphy flied out to
left; Hubbard was called out on strikes; Benedict grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Puhl singled
to center; Howe singled to left [Puhl to second]; Ashby walked
[Puhl to third, Howe to second]; CAMP REPLACED GARBER
(PITCHING); WOODS BATTED FOR THON; Woods struck out; LANDESTOY
BATTED FOR SUTTON; Landestoy flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: D. SMITH REPLACED WOODS (PITCHING); LANDESTOY STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); LUM BATTED FOR CAMP; Lum singled to right;
ROYSTER RAN FOR LUM; Miller out on a sacrifice bunt (first to
second) [Royster to second]; LINARES BATTED FOR RAMIREZ; Linares
popped to first in foul territory; Washington grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.