The Astros, with Jose Cruz driving in two runs with sacrifice flies and Bob Knepper pitching a six-hitter, trimmed the Cubs, 6-0, for their ninth victory in the last 11 games. It was Knepper's third victory and third shutout of the season. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Chicago Cubs 0
Game Played on Thursday, May       7, 1981 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       2  2  0    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   6  9  0
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               3   3   1   0     2   1   .215      De Jesus ss           4   0   1   0     0   1   .153
Reynolds ss           4   2   2   1     1   0   .253      Thompson cf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .163
Heep 1b               5   0   2   1     0   3   .259      Buckner 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .277
Cruz lf               2   0   1   2     1   1   .248      Henderson lf          3   0   1   0     1   0   .345
Howe 3b               5   0   2   1     0   0   .323      Durham rf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .269
Woods rf              4   0   0   0     1   1   .042      Reitz 3b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .194
Ashby c               3   0   0   0     1   1   .209      Davis c               3   0   2   0     0   0   .333
Garcia 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .294      Tyson 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .182
Knepper p             4   1   1   0     0   1   .231      Martz p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Kravec p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Dillard ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .300
                                                            McGlothen p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
                                                            Cruz ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .222
                                                            Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   6   9   5     6   8             Totals               31   0   6   0     2   5

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance:  3,112
Left on Base: Astros 9, Cubs 6
DP: Astros 2, Cubs 0
Errors: Reitz
Doubles: Heep (1)
Triples: Puhl (2), Reynolds (1)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz 2 (3)
GIDP: Reitz (4), Buckner (7)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Knepper W(3-0)          9     6   0   0   2   5   0  33   0.99
Totals                  9     6   0   0   2   5   0  33

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Martz L(1-1)            1     3   4   4   4   0   0  10   4.20
Kravec                  5     4   2   2   2   4   0  21   6.98
McGlothen               2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   3.48
Eastwick                1     2   0   0   0   2   0   5   2.70
Totals                  9     9   6   6   6   8   0  42

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl walked; Puhl stole second; On a bunt Reynolds
singled to third [Puhl scored (error by Reitz) (no RBI)]; Heep
singled to right [Reynolds to third]; Cruz hit a sacrifice fly
to center [Reynolds scored]; Howe grounded out (third to first)
[Heep to second]; Woods walked; Ashby walked [Heep to third,
Woods to second]; Garcia forced Ashby (shortstop to second); 2
R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus grounded out (second to first); Thompson
grounded out (second to first); Buckner grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Knepper singled to right; Puhl walked [Knepper to
second]; KRAVEC REPLACED MARTZ (PITCHING); Reynolds walked
[Knepper to third, Puhl to second]; Heep was called out on
strikes; Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to left [Knepper scored, Puhl
to third]; Howe singled to center [Puhl scored, Reynolds to
second]; Woods grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first); Durham
singled to center; Reitz grounded into a double play (pitcher to
shortstop to first) [Durham out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Ashby flied to right; Garcia popped to catcher in
foul territory; Knepper lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Davis popped to second; Tyson popped to right; Kravec
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl struck out; Reynolds grounded out (second to
first); Heep was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: De Jesus grounded out (third to first); Thompson flied
to center; Buckner grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz walked; Howe grounded out (third to first)
[Cruz to second]; Woods grounded out (shortstop to first) [Cruz
to third]; Ashby grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

CUBS 5TH: Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first); Durham
grounded out (second to first); Reitz walked; Davis singled to
center [Reitz to second]; Tyson forced Davis (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Garcia flied to right; Knepper grounded out (pitcher
unassisted); Puhl tripled to center; Reynolds tripled to center
[Puhl scored]; Heep doubled to left [Reynolds scored]; Cruz
struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 0.

CUBS 6TH: DILLARD BATTED FOR KRAVEC; Dillard singled to center;
De Jesus singled to center [Dillard to third]; Thompson struck
out; Buckner grounded into a double play (shortstop to shortstop
to first) [De Jesus out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 6, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 7TH: MCGLOTHEN REPLACED DILLARD (PITCHING); Howe grounded
out (shortstop to first); Woods grounded out (third to first);
Ashby struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 0.

CUBS 7TH: Henderson singled to left; Durham struck out; Reitz
popped to catcher in foul territory; Davis singled to left
[Henderson to second]; Tyson grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Garcia flied to center; Knepper was called out on
strikes; Puhl grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 0.

CUBS 8TH: CRUZ BATTED FOR MCGLOTHEN; Cruz popped to second; De
Jesus struck out; Thompson grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 9TH: EASTWICK REPLACED CRUZ (PITCHING); Reynolds grounded
out (first to pitcher); Heep was called out on strikes; Cruz
singled to left; Howe singled to center [Cruz to second]; Woods
struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 0.

CUBS 9TH: Buckner grounded out (second to first); Henderson
walked; Durham grounded out (catcher to first) [Henderson to
second]; Reitz struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs
0.