Newcomer Mike Ivie, obtained in a recent deal with San Francisco, doubled home a pair of runs with two out in the top of the ninth to lift the Astros to their fifth consecutive victory on a 5-3 decision over the Pirates. After two were out, Houston's Jose Cruz reached first on a throwing error by third baseman Bill Madlock, and Art Howe singled before Ivie's decisive blow. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Friday, May       1, 1981 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  0  2    0  0  0    1  0  2  -   5 12  1
Pirates      2  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3 10  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          5   0   0   0     0   2   .143      Moreno cf             5   1   1   0     0   1   .267
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Foli ss               3   0   0   0     0   0   .235
Garcia ss             5   1   2   0     0   1   .444      Easler rf             4   1   2   1     0   1   .326
Cedeno cf             4   1   2   0     1   0   .295      Thompson 1b           3   1   1   0     1   0   .209
Cruz lf               5   2   2   3     0   0   .231      Madlock 3b            4   0   2   1     0   0   .341
Howe 3b               5   1   2   0     0   1   .286      Milner lf             3   0   1   1     0   0   .273
Ivie 1b               4   0   3   2     1   0   .278        Lacy lf             1   0   1   0     0   0   .357
Woods rf              4   0   0   0     0   3   .111      Nicosia c             2   0   0   0     1   0   .122
Pujols c              2   0   0   0     1   0   .154        Bevacqua ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Ashby ph,c          0   0   0   0     1   0   .170        Solomon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Ryan p                2   0   1   0     0   0   .167      Law 2b                4   0   1   0     0   1   .167
  Pittman ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .333      Scurry p              1   0   0   0     1   1   .000
  Sprowl p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Garner ph           1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000
  Puhl ph             0   0   0   0     0   0   .183        D. Robinson p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Roberts ph,2b       1   0   0   0     0   1   .143        Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Pena c              1   0   0   0     0   0   .111

Totals               38   5  12   5     4   9             Totals               33   3  10   3     3   4

Time of Game: 3:01   Attendance:  7,012
Left on Base: Astros 11, Pirates 7
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 0
Errors: Garcia, Madlock
Doubles: Ivie 2 (4), Garcia (1), Cruz (5)
Home Runs: Cruz (4)
Stolen Bases: Moreno (7), Easler (2)
Caught Stealing: Law (1), Garner (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Woods (1), Foli (4)
GIDP: Nicosia (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan                    5     7   3   3   3   1   0  24   2.37
Sprowl                  2     2   0   0   0   2   0   6   0.00
Sambito W(1-1)          2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   2.31
Totals                  9    10   3   3   3   4   0  37

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Scurry                  6     7   2   2   3   7   1  28   1.77
D. Robinson             1.1   3   1   1   1   0   0   7   4.91
Jackson                 0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   1.17
Solomon L(0-1)          1     2   2   0   0   1   0   6   1.29
Totals                  9    12   5   3   4   9   1  43

Wild Pitches: Ryan (4), Scurry (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy flied to center; Garcia singled to center;
Scurry threw a wild pitch [Garcia to second]; Cedeno walked;
Cruz flied to right in foul territory; Howe struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Moreno singled to center; Moreno stole second; Foli
out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Moreno to third];
Easler singled to right [Moreno scored]; Thompson popped to
first in foul territory; Easler stole second; Ryan threw a wild
pitch [Easler to third]; Madlock singled to right [Easler
scored]; Milner grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Ivie walked; Woods was called out on strikes; Pujols
forced Ivie (shortstop to second); Ryan grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 2ND: Nicosia walked; Law grounded out (second to first)
[Nicosia to second]; Scurry walked; Moreno flied to left in foul
territory; Foli lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Landestoy struck out; Garcia flied to center; Cedeno
singled to left; Cruz homered [Cedeno scored]; Howe singled to
right; Ivie forced Howe (shortstop to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Easler flied to center; Thompson singled to center;
Madlock singled to third [Thompson to second]; Milner singled to
center [Thompson scored, Madlock to third]; Nicosia grounded
into a double play (shortstop to shortstop to first) [Milner out
at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Woods flied to right; Pujols flied to center; Ryan
singled to right; Landestoy was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 4TH: Law grounded out (third to first); Scurry struck
out; Moreno grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Garcia struck out; Cedeno singled to third; Cruz
popped to second; Howe lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 5TH: Foli grounded out (third to first); Easler singled
to left; Thompson walked [Easler to second]; Madlock flied to
right; Milner grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Ivie doubled to center; Woods was called out on
strikes; Pujols walked; PITTMAN BATTED FOR RYAN; Pittman struck
out; Landestoy grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 6TH: SPROWL REPLACED PITTMAN (PITCHING); Nicosia lined
to right; Law singled to center; GARNER BATTED FOR SCURRY; Law
was caught stealing second (pitcher to first to shortstop);
Garner singled to right; Garner was caught stealing second
(pitcher to first to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 7TH: D. ROBINSON REPLACED GARNER (PITCHING); LACY
REPLACED MILNER (PLAYING LF); Garcia doubled to left; Cedeno
grounded out (second to first) [Garcia to third]; Cruz doubled
to left [Garcia scored, Cruz out at third (left to shortstop to
third)]; Howe grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 7TH: Moreno struck out; Foli grounded out (shortstop to
first); Easler struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Pirates 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Ivie singled to center; Woods out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Ivie to second]; ASHBY BATTED FOR
PUJOLS; Ashby walked; PUHL BATTED FOR SPROWL; JACKSON REPLACED
D. ROBINSON (PITCHING); ROBERTS BATTED FOR PUHL; Roberts struck
out; Landestoy forced Ashby (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 8TH: ROBERTS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); ASHBY STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING C ); SAMBITO REPLACED LANDESTOY (PITCHING);
Thompson flied to center; Madlock grounded out (third to first);
Lacy singled to shortstop [Lacy to second (error by Garcia)];
BEVACQUA BATTED FOR NICOSIA; Bevacqua flied to center; 0 R, 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 9TH: PENA REPLACED JACKSON (PLAYING C ); SOLOMON REPLACED
BEVACQUA (PITCHING); Garcia grounded out (pitcher to first);
Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Cruz reached on an error
by Madlock; Howe singled to left [Cruz to third]; Ivie doubled
to left [Cruz scored (unearned), Howe scored (unearned)]; Woods
struck out; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 9TH: Law struck out; Pena grounded out (shortstop to
first); Moreno grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 3.