A three-run homer by Jose Cruz in the first inning triggered the Astros to a 5-4 decision over the Cubs. An error by shortstop Ivan DeJesus on a grounder by Terry Puhl and a walk to Danny Heep preceded the circuit clout. The Astros added two runs in the sixth on run-scoring singles by Alan Ashby and Kiko Garcia. The Cubs rallied for three in the ninth on a two-run double by Steve Dillard and an RBI single by Bill Buckner before Joe Sambito struck out Leon Durham for the final out with the tying run on third. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Chicago Cubs 4
Game Played on Monday, May       4, 1981 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       3  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   5  9  0
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  3  -   4 11  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   1   1   0     0   2   .198      Thompson cf           4   0   2   0     1   0   .171
Reynolds ss           4   0   0   0     1   2   .250      Fletcher 2b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .194
Heep rf               2   1   1   0     1   0   .250        Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Woods pr,rf         2   0   0   0     0   0   .083        Morales ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .340
Cruz lf               5   1   1   3     0   1   .231      Buckner 1b            5   0   3   1     0   0   .284
Ivie 1b               4   1   2   0     0   0   .265        Reuschel pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Howe 3b               4   1   1   0     0   0   .296      Henderson lf          5   0   0   0     0   4   .342
Ashby c               4   0   1   1     0   1   .183      Durham rf             5   0   2   0     0   2   .258
Garcia 2b             4   0   2   1     0   1   .429      Cruz 3b               4   1   1   1     0   1   .190
Andujar p             2   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Blackwell c           2   1   0   0     2   1   .163
  Sprowl p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      De Jesus ss           4   1   1   0     0   1   .149
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Krukow p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .143
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Capilla p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Dillard ph,2b       2   1   1   2     0   0   .286

Totals               36   5   9   5     3   8             Totals               38   4  11   4     3  12

Time of Game: 3:02   Attendance:  2,941
Left on Base: Astros 8, Cubs 10
DP: Astros 0, Cubs 1
Errors: Blackwell, De Jesus
Doubles: Thompson (1), Buckner (8), Dillard (1)
Home Runs: Cruz (5), Cruz (1)
Stolen Bases: Durham 2 (4)
GIDP: Reynolds (3)
Hit by Pitch: Puhl (1,by Krukow)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar W(1-1)          5.1   7   1   1   1   8   1  24   2.55
Sprowl                  2.2   3   3   3   2   1   0  13   4.76
LaCorte                 0.2   1   0   0   0   2   0   3   1.86
Sambito SV(1)           0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   2.40
Totals                  9    11   4   4   3  12   1  41

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Krukow L(1-2)           5     8   5   3   2   4   1  26   4.26
Capilla                 2     0   0   0   1   1   0   7   3.18
Eastwick                2     1   0   0   0   3   0   7   2.92
Totals                  9     9   5   3   3   8   1  40

Hit by Pitch: Krukow (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Montague, 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Dutch Rennert


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl reached on an error by De Jesus; Reynolds
struck out; Heep walked [Puhl to second]; Cruz homered [Puhl
scored (unearned), Heep scored]; Ivie singled to center; Howe
flied to center; Ashby lined to shortstop; 3 R (2 ER), 2 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Thompson grounded out (second to first); Fletcher
struck out; Buckner grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Garcia struck out; Andujar walked; On a bunt Puhl
singled to third [Andujar to second]; Reynolds grounded into a
double play (shortstop to first) [Puhl out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Henderson struck out; Durham singled to left; Durham
stole second; Cruz struck out; Blackwell walked; De Jesus forced
Blackwell (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
3, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Heep grounded out (first unassisted); Cruz grounded
out (pitcher to first); Ivie flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Krukow struck out; Thompson singled to center;
Fletcher forced Thompson (shortstop to second); Buckner singled
to right [Fletcher to second]; Henderson was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe flied to center; Ashby flied to left; Garcia
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Durham singled to center; Cruz popped to second;
Durham stole second; Blackwell struck out; De Jesus was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Andujar was called out on strikes; Puhl was hit by a
pitch; Reynolds flied to center; Heep singled to center [Puhl to
third]; WOODS RAN FOR HEEP; Cruz was called out on strikes; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

CUBS 5TH: WOODS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Krukow grounded out
(shortstop to first); Thompson doubled to center; Fletcher
singled to shortstop [Thompson to third]; Buckner flied to left;
Henderson forced Fletcher (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Blackwell dropped a foul fly hit by Ivie for an
error; Ivie singled to center; Howe singled to third [Ivie to
second]; Ashby singled to right [Ivie scored (unearned), Howe to
second]; Garcia singled to left [Howe scored, Ashby to third];
CAPILLA REPLACED KRUKOW (PITCHING); Andujar grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Garcia to second]; Puhl was called out on
strikes; Reynolds walked; Woods flied to left; 2 R (1 ER), 4 H,
1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 0.

CUBS 6TH: Durham struck out; Cruz homered; SPROWL REPLACED
ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Blackwell flied to right; De Jesus flied to
right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz popped to first; Ivie grounded out (third to
first); Howe flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Cubs 1.

CUBS 7TH: DILLARD BATTED FOR CAPILLA; Dillard flied to center;
Thompson grounded out (second to first); Fletcher grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 8TH: DILLARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); EASTWICK
REPLACED FLETCHER (PITCHING); Ashby struck out; Garcia singled
to shortstop; On a bunt Sprowl forced Garcia (third to
shortstop); Puhl struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5,
Cubs 1.

CUBS 8TH: Buckner doubled to right; Henderson struck out; Durham
grounded out (second to first) [Buckner to third]; Cruz flied to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Reynolds struck out (catcher to first); Woods lined
to right; Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 1.

CUBS 9TH: Blackwell walked; De Jesus singled to left [Blackwell
to second]; Dillard doubled to center [Blackwell scored, De
Jesus scored]; Thompson walked; MORALES BATTED FOR EASTWICK;
LACORTE REPLACED SPROWL (PITCHING); On a bunt Morales struck
out; Buckner singled to center [Dillard scored, Thompson to
third]; REUSCHEL RAN FOR BUCKNER; Henderson struck out; SAMBITO
REPLACED LACORTE (PITCHING); Durham struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 4.