Tom Seaver, helping his own cause with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, recorded his 248th major league victory and 54th career shutout as the Reds downed the Astros, 4-0. The Reds tallied their first runs in the fourth frame on a two-run single by Ray Knight. Seaver's round-tripper, the 12th of his majoe league career, came off reliever Dave Smith with Ron Oester on base and cleared the left field wall. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 4, Houston Astros 0
Game Played on Friday, May       8, 1981 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  0
Reds         0  0  0    2  0  0    2  0  x  -   4  8  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               3   0   3   0     1   0   .240      Collins rf            4   0   2   0     0   0   .371
Reynolds ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .245        Mejias rf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Heep 1b               2   0   0   0     2   0   .241      Griffey cf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .252
Cruz lf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .240      Concepcion ss         4   1   2   0     0   0   .323
Howe 3b               3   0   2   0     1   0   .333      Foster lf             3   1   0   0     1   0   .258
Woods rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .036      Bench 1b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .256
Ashby c               4   0   1   0     0   1   .211      Nolan c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .265
Garcia 2b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .270      Knight 3b             3   0   1   2     0   0   .225
Sutton p              2   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Oester 2b             3   1   1   0     0   2   .284
  Cedeno ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .292      Seaver p              3   1   1   2     0   1   .118
  D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Ivie ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .245

Totals               29   0   6   0     6   4             Totals               31   4   8   4     1   3

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 31,961
Left on Base: Astros 9, Reds 4
DP: Astros 0, Reds 2
Errors: Oester
Doubles: Howe (7), Concepcion (9)
Triples: Collins (4)
Home Runs: Seaver (1)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (1), Knight (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (4)
GIDP: Woods (3), Cruz (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton L(2-4)           6     5   2   2   1   3   0  23   3.52
D. Smith                2     3   2   2   0   0   1   9   3.27
Totals                  8     8   4   4   1   3   1  32

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver W(3-1)           9     6   0   0   6   4   0  36   2.06
Totals                  9     6   0   0   6   4   0  36

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to right; Puhl was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Reynolds popped to third in foul
territory; Heep walked; Cruz popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Collins flied to center; Griffey grounded out
(shortstop to first); Concepcion singled to center; Foster
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe doubled to left; Woods struck out; Ashby was
called out on strikes; Garcia walked; Sutton was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench grounded out (shortstop to first); Nolan
grounded out (second to first); Knight grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl singled to right; Reynolds out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to first) [Puhl to second]; Heep grounded out (first
unassisted) [Puhl to third]; Cruz walked; Howe walked [Cruz to
second]; Woods lined to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0,
Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Oester struck out; Seaver grounded out (shortstop to
first); Collins tripled to center; Griffey lined to right; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby grounded out (second to first); Garcia
grounded out (shortstop to first); Sutton struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Concepcion doubled to left; Foster walked; Bench flied
to center; Nolan grounded out (pitcher to first) [Concepcion to
third, Foster to second]; Knight singled to center [Concepcion
scored, Foster scored]; Knight was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl singled to right; Reynolds popped to catcher in
foul territory; Heep flied to center; Cruz grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Oester was called out on strikes; Seaver struck out;
Collins grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 0, Reds 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe singled to center; Woods grounded into a double
play (shortstop to shortstop to first) [Howe out at second];
Ashby popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds
2.

REDS 6TH: Griffey singled to center; Concepcion flied to center
[Griffey to second]; Foster grounded out (shortstop to first);
Bench grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Garcia grounded out (shortstop to first); CEDENO
BATTED FOR SUTTON; Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); Puhl
walked; Reynolds grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 2.

REDS 7TH: D. SMITH REPLACED CEDENO (PITCHING); Nolan flied to
center; Knight grounded out (third to first); On a bunt Oester
singled to third; Seaver homered [Oester scored]; Collins
singled to first; Griffey grounded out (first unassisted); 2 R,
3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 4.

ASTROS 8TH: MEJIAS REPLACED COLLINS (PLAYING RF); Heep walked;
Cruz grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Heep out at second]; Howe flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 4.

REDS 8TH: Concepcion flied to right; Foster grounded out
(shortstop to first); Bench popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Woods popped to catcher in foul territory; Ashby
singled to center; Garcia forced Ashby (shortstop to second)
[Garcia to second (error by Oester)]; IVIE BATTED FOR D. SMITH;
Ivie popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 4.