Winning pitcher Don Sutton drew two key walks as the Astros downed the Pirates, 3-1. The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Sutton walked with the bases loaded. After the Bucs tied the game in the third on a run-scoring double by Omar Moreno, the Astros went ahead in the fourth when Alan Ashby, who had reached first on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a walk to Sutton and scored on a single by Terry Puhl. Houston tallied an insurance marker in the eighth on a leadoff triple by Art Howe and run-scoring single by Kiko Garcia. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Game Played on Sunday, May       3, 1981 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  1  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   3  9  0
Pirates      0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf,cf            5   0   2   1     0   0   .195      Moreno cf             5   0   1   1     0   2   .239
Reynolds ss           4   0   0   0     1   0   .263      Garner 2b             3   0   1   0     2   1   .600
Cedeno cf             4   0   2   0     0   1   .295      Easler rf             4   0   1   0     0   2   .308
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Madlock 3b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .340
  Sprowl p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Milner lf             2   0   0   0     1   0   .286
  D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lacy ph,lf          1   0   0   0     0   1   .333
Cruz lf               4   1   1   0     1   0   .233      Thompson 1b           4   0   0   0     0   3   .176
Ivie 1b               5   0   0   0     0   2   .244      Berra ss              2   0   0   0     0   0   .265
Howe 3b               3   1   2   0     1   1   .299        Parker ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Ashby c               4   1   1   0     0   0   .179        Law ss              0   0   0   0     0   0   .159
Garcia 2b             3   0   1   1     1   1   .412        Foli ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .232
Sutton p              0   0   0   1     3   0   .000      Pena c                2   1   2   0     2   0   .273
  Woods ph,rf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .100      Bibby p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .100
                                                            Stargell ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            Romo p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bevacqua ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .250

Totals               34   3   9   3     7   5             Totals               30   1   7   1     6   9

Time of Game: 3:15   Attendance: 10,438
Left on Base: Astros 11, Pirates 10
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 2
Doubles: Moreno (2), Madlock (4)
Triples: Howe (1), Pena (1)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (1), Cedeno (5), Puhl (3)
Caught Stealing: Madlock (1), Garner (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Bibby 2 (2)
GIDP: Woods (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton W(2-3)           7     5   1   1   4   5   0  28   3.62
LaCorte                 0.1   1   0   0   1   0   0   3   2.00
Sprowl                  0.2   1   0   0   1   2   0   4   0.00
D. Smith SV(2)          1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   3.12
Totals                  9     7   1   1   6   9   0  38

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bibby L(1-1)            7     6   2   2   5   5   0  32   2.32
Romo                    2     3   1   1   2   0   0   9   6.75
Totals                  9     9   3   3   7   5   0  41

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl lined to first; Reynolds popped to shortstop;
Cedeno flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates
0.

PIRATES 1ST: Moreno flied to left; Garner flied to left; Easler
flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to right; Cruz stole second; Ivie
struck out; Howe walked; Ashby flied to center; Garcia walked
[Cruz to third, Howe to second]; Sutton walked [Cruz scored,
Howe to third, Garcia to second]; Puhl lined to right; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Madlock singled to center; Madlock was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Milner flied to right;
Thompson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds flied to right; Cedeno singled to left;
Cruz popped to catcher in foul territory; Ivie flied to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Berra grounded out (third to first); Pena walked;
Bibby out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Pena to
second]; Moreno doubled to right [Pena scored]; Garner walked;
Easler struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe singled to shortstop; Ashby forced Howe (second
to shortstop); Garcia struck out; Sutton walked [Ashby to
second]; Puhl singled to center [Ashby scored, Sutton to
second]; Reynolds flied to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Madlock grounded out (second to first); Milner
grounded out (first to pitcher); Thompson grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno struck out; Cruz flied to center; Ivie was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates
1.

PIRATES 5TH: Berra grounded out (third to first); Pena walked;
Bibby out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Pena to
second]; Moreno popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe struck out; Ashby singled to second; Garcia
flied to center; Sutton walked [Ashby to second]; Puhl flied to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 6TH: Garner singled to center; Easler struck out while
Garner was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Madlock doubled to left; Milner walked; Thompson struck out; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Reynolds grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
singled to left; Cedeno stole second; Cruz flied to right
[Cedeno to third]; Ivie flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 7TH: PARKER BATTED FOR BERRA; Parker flied to center;
Pena tripled to center; STARGELL BATTED FOR BIBBY; Stargell
lined to first; Moreno struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 8TH: LAW REPLACED PARKER (PLAYING SS); ROMO REPLACED
STARGELL (PITCHING); Howe tripled to left; Ashby grounded out
(first unassisted); Garcia singled to left [Howe scored]; WOODS
BATTED FOR SUTTON; Woods grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Garcia out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 8TH: WOODS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); PUHL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); LACORTE REPLACED CEDENO (PITCHING);
Garner walked; Easler singled to right [Garner to second];
Madlock forced Easler (shortstop to second) [Garner to third];
SPROWL REPLACED LACORTE (PITCHING); LACY BATTED FOR MILNER; Lacy
was called out on strikes; Thompson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 9TH: LACY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Puhl singled to
third; Puhl stole second; Reynolds walked; On a bunt Sprowl hit
into a double play (pitcher to pitcher to second) [Reynolds out
at second]; Cruz was walked intentionally; Ivie forced Puhl
(third unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 9TH: FOLI BATTED FOR LAW; Foli walked; Pena singled to
center [Foli to second]; BEVACQUA BATTED FOR ROMO; D. SMITH
REPLACED SPROWL (PITCHING); Bevacqua flied to right [Foli to
third]; Moreno struck out; Garner struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 1.