A two-run pinch-double by Alan Ashby in the top of the ninth inning lifted the Astros to a 4-3 victory over the Cubs. The Astros trailed, 3-2, when Jose Cruz began the ninth with a single, advanced to second on an infield hit by Art Howe and reached third when Chicago shortstop Scott Fletcher threw the ball away.

After Gary Woods flied out and Kiko Garcia struck out, Dickie Thon, running for Howe, stole second. Ashby, hitting for Luis Pujols, the drilled a double just inside the left field line to plate the decisive runs. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Chicago Cubs 3
Game Played on Tuesday, May       5, 1981 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  2  -   4  9  0
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  0  -   3  6  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   0   1   0     0   2   .200      Thompson cf           5   0   1   3     0   0   .175
Reynolds ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .239      Fletcher 2b,ss        4   0   0   0     0   0   .171
Heep 1b               4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Buckner 1b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .282
Cruz lf               4   2   3   0     0   0   .253      Henderson lf          4   0   3   0     0   0   .364
Howe 3b               3   0   2   0     1   1   .310      Durham rf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .246
  Thon pr,2b          0   1   0   0     0   0   .121      Cruz 3b               3   1   1   0     1   1   .208
Woods rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .063        Reitz 3b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .196
Garcia 2b,3b          4   0   1   1     0   1   .400      Blackwell c           4   0   0   0     0   2   .149
Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   1   .125      De Jesus ss           2   0   0   0     0   1   .145
  Ashby ph,c          1   0   1   2     0   0   .197        Tracy ph            0   1   0   0     1   0   .154
Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   3   .067        Smith p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  D. Smith p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Tyson ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .231
                                                          Reuschel p            2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Krug ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .500
                                                            Dillard pr,2b       1   1   0   0     0   1   .250

Totals               35   4   9   3     1   9             Totals               33   3   6   3     4   5

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance:  2,092
Left on Base: Astros 5, Cubs 7
DP: Astros 0, Cubs 1
Errors: Fletcher, Cruz
Doubles: Howe (6), Ashby (2), Henderson (3), Buckner (9), Thompson (2)
Stolen Bases: Thon (4), Henderson (2)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (4)
GIDP: Woods (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  6.1   5   3   3   3   4   0  27   2.39
D. Smith W(1-3)         2.2   1   0   0   1   1   0  10   2.70
Totals                  9     6   3   3   4   5   0  37

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuschel                7     6   2   2   1   6   0  27   4.75
Smith L(0-2)            2     3   2   2   0   3   0   9   1.99
Totals                  9     9   4   4   1   9   0  36

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl struck out; Reynolds grounded out (second to
first); Heep grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Thompson lined to left; Fletcher grounded out (third
to first); Buckner flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to center; Cruz was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Howe struck out; Woods reached on
an error by Cruz; On a bunt Garcia grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Henderson singled to center; Henderson stole second;
Durham walked; Cruz struck out; Blackwell struck out; De Jesus
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs
0.

ASTROS 3RD: Pujols grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro was
called out on strikes; Puhl singled to first; Reynolds grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Reuschel grounded out (pitcher to first); Thompson
grounded out (second to first); Fletcher grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Heep singled to center; Cruz singled to right [Heep
to second]; Howe walked [Heep to third, Cruz to second]; Woods
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Heep
scored (no RBI), Cruz to third, Howe out at second]; Garcia
singled to shortstop [Cruz scored]; Pujols flied to right; 2 R,
3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Buckner grounded out (second to first); Henderson
doubled to right; Durham grounded out (pitcher unassisted)
[Henderson to third]; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Niekro struck out; On a bunt Puhl grounded out
(pitcher to first); Reynolds grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 5TH: Blackwell grounded out (second to first); De Jesus
grounded out (second to first); Reuschel grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Heep flied to left; Cruz grounded out (third to
first); Howe doubled to left; Woods grounded out (catcher
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 6TH: Thompson grounded out (third to first); On a bunt
Fletcher grounded out (third to first); Buckner doubled to
right; Henderson singled to second [Buckner to third]; Durham
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cubs 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Garcia lined to pitcher; Pujols struck out; Niekro
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 7TH: Cruz singled to right; Blackwell struck out; TRACY
BATTED FOR DE JESUS; Tracy walked [Cruz to second]; KRUG BATTED
FOR REUSCHEL; Krug walked [Cruz to third, Tracy to second];
DILLARD RAN FOR KRUG; D. SMITH REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING);
Thompson doubled to center [Cruz scored, Tracy scored, Dillard
scored]; Fletcher grounded out (shortstop to first); Buckner
popped to shortstop; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 3.

ASTROS 8TH: DILLARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); FLETCHER
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); SMITH REPLACED TRACY (PITCHING);
Puhl struck out; Reynolds flied to center; Heep grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 3.

CUBS 8TH: Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first); Durham
lined to left; Cruz walked; Blackwell grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 3.

ASTROS 9TH: REITZ REPLACED CRUZ (PLAYING 3B); Cruz singled to
left; Howe singled to shortstop [Cruz to third (error by
Fletcher)]; THON RAN FOR HOWE; Woods flied to right; Thon stole
second; Garcia was called out on strikes; ASHBY BATTED FOR
PUJOLS; Ashby doubled to left [Cruz scored, Thon scored]; D.
Smith was called out on strikes; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
4, Cubs 3.

CUBS 9TH: ASHBY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); THON STAYED IN GAME
(PLAYING 2B); GARCIA CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); TYSON
BATTED FOR SMITH; Tyson grounded out (first to pitcher); Dillard
was called out on strikes; Thompson grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 3.