Craig Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Jose Cruz duplicated that feat in the third as the Astros defeated the Braves, 5-1, for their fourth victory in succession. Joe Niekro pitched a five-hitter for his third complete game. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Atlanta Braves 1
Game Played on Thursday, April     30, 1981 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       2  0  3    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   5  4  1
Braves       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  5  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Walling 1b            1   2   0   0     3   0   .250      Miller lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .213
Reynolds ss           3   1   1   2     0   0   .286      Washington rf         4   0   1   0     0   1   .283
Cedeno cf             4   1   1   1     0   0   .284      Murphy cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Cruz lf               3   1   2   2     1   0   .219      Horner 3b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .260
Puhl rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .183      Chambliss 1b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .297
Howe 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .277      Hubbard 2b            4   0   2   0     0   1   .259
Ashby c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .170      Benedict c            2   0   1   1     0   0   .280
Thon 2b               4   0   0   0     0   1   .121      Ramirez ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .190
Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .083      Boggs p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .308
                                                            Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hanna p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Royster ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            Mahler p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               29   5   4   5     5   2             Totals               31   1   5   1     1   2

Time of Game: 2:19   Attendance: 10,006
Left on Base: Astros 3, Braves 5
DP: Astros 0, Braves 1
Errors: Cedeno
Doubles: Washington (7)
Home Runs: Reynolds (2), Cruz (3)
Stolen Bases: Miller (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Benedict (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(2-3)           9     5   1   1   1   2   0  33   2.11
Totals                  9     5   1   1   1   2   0  33

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Boggs L(1-3)            5     3   5   5   3   1   2  21   4.01
Hanna                   3     1   0   0   2   0   0  11   2.70
Mahler                  1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   4.82
Totals                  9     4   5   5   5   2   2  35

Passed Balls: Ashby (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Walling walked; Reynolds homered [Walling scored];
Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz grounded out
(pitcher to first); Puhl popped to catcher in foul territory; 2
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Miller grounded out (second to first); Washington
struck out; Murphy grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe grounded out (third to first); Ashby grounded
out (second to first); Thon grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Horner made an out to shortstop; Chambliss popped to
third in foul territory; Hubbard singled to left; Benedict
singled to center [Hubbard to third, Benedict to second (error
by Cedeno)]; Ramirez popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 2
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro struck out; Walling walked; Reynolds grounded
out (second to first) [Walling to second]; Cedeno singled to
center [Walling scored]; Cruz homered [Cedeno scored]; Puhl
flied out to center; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Boggs grounded out (shortstop to first); Miller
flied out to left; Washington doubled to left; Ashby allowed a
passed ball [Washington to third]; Murphy grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe grounded out (third to first); Ashby walked;
Thon forced Ashby (shortstop to second); Niekro popped to first
in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Horner walked; Chambliss flied out to left; Hubbard
singled to center [Horner to third]; Benedict hit a sacrifice
fly to left [Horner scored, Hubbard to second]; Ramirez popped
to first in foul territory; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5,
Braves 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Walling flied out to center; Reynolds grounded out
(second to first); Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR BOGGS; Asselstine grounded out
(third to first); Miller made an out to third; Washington made
an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 1.

ASTROS 6TH: HANNA REPLACED ASSELSTINE (PITCHING); Cruz singled
to center; Puhl hit into a double play (center to first) [Cruz
out at second]; Howe made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Murphy grounded out (shortstop to first); Horner
made an out to shortstop; Chambliss flied out to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Ashby made an out to shortstop; Thon grounded out
(pitcher to first); Niekro flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Hubbard struck out; Benedict flied out to left;
Ramirez grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 5, Braves 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Walling walked; Reynolds out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Walling to second]; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cruz walked; Puhl grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: ROYSTER BATTED FOR HANNA; Royster flied out to
right; Miller singled to left; Miller stole second; Washington
flied out to left; Murphy grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 1.

ASTROS 9TH: MAHLER REPLACED ROYSTER (PITCHING); Howe grounded
out (pitcher unassisted); Ashby grounded out (first unassisted);
Thon was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: Horner flied out to center; Chambliss flied out to
center; Hubbard flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 5, Braves 1.