Jumping off for three runs in the first inning, the Reds went on to a 9-5 decision over the Astros as Bruce Berenyi, going 8 2/3 innings, notched his third victory of the season. The Reds scored in the opening frame on a two-run double by George Foster and run-scoring single by Johnny Bench. Bench also drilled his 358th career homer with a mate aboard in the sixth stanza to tie Yogi Berra for ninth place on the all-time list. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Houston Astros 5
Game Played on Saturday, May       9, 1981 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  3  -   5 10  2
Reds         3  2  1    0  1  2    0  0  x  -   9 11  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               4   1   1   0     1   0   .240      Collins rf            4   1   0   0     1   1   .356
Reynolds ss           3   0   1   0     0   0   .248      Griffey cf            3   1   2   1     2   0   .264
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Concepcion ss         4   1   1   1     1   0   .320
  Ivie ph             1   1   1   2     0   0   .259      Foster lf             5   2   2   2     0   1   .265
Cedeno cf             5   0   1   2     0   1   .287      Bench 1b              5   1   2   2     0   0   .271
Cruz lf               4   0   1   0     1   0   .241      Nolan c               3   2   2   1     0   0   .297
Heep 1b               4   0   2   0     0   0   .273      Knight 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .226
Howe 3b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .330      Oester 2b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .282
Ashby c               4   1   2   0     0   1   .227      Berenyi p             2   0   0   1     0   0   .100
Thon 2b,ss            3   1   0   0     1   0   .108        Price p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Andujar p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Pittman ph          0   1   0   0     1   0   .200
  Sprowl p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Roberts ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .133
  Landestoy 2b        1   0   0   0     0   0   .133

Totals               35   5  10   4     4   3             Totals               34   9  11   8     4   2

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance: 30,860
Left on Base: Astros 8, Reds 8
DP: Astros 0, Reds 3
Errors: Reynolds, Andujar, Concepcion, Oester
Doubles: Puhl (6), Reynolds (3), Ivie (5), Foster (6), Griffey (6)
Home Runs: Bench (2)
Stolen Bases: Nolan (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (5), Berenyi (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Nolan (2), Berenyi (1)
GIDP: Reynolds (4), Ashby (1), Roberts (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar L(1-2)          4     7   6   5   2   1   0  23   4.15
Sprowl                  2     4   3   3   0   0   1  10   7.04
LaCorte                 2     0   0   0   2   1   0   8   2.19
Totals                  8    11   9   8   4   2   1  41

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Berenyi W(3-1)          8.2  10   5   5   4   3   0  39   4.50
Price                   0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4.02
Totals                  9    10   5   5   4   3   0  40

Balks: Berenyi (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl doubled to center; Reynolds out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to first) [Puhl to third]; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Puhl scored]; Cruz walked; Heep lined to
third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Collins walked; Griffey walked [Collins to second];
Concepcion forced Griffey (third to second) [Collins to third];
Foster doubled to left [Collins scored, Concepcion scored];
Bench singled to right [Foster to third]; Nolan hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Foster scored]; Knight forced Bench (third to
second); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe grounded out (first unassisted); Ashby singled
to second; Thon forced Ashby (second to shortstop); Andujar was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

REDS 2ND: Oester singled to left; Berenyi out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher unassisted) [Oester to second]; Collins struck
out; Griffey doubled to left [Oester scored]; Concepcion singled
to left [Griffey scored]; Foster flied to left; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 5.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl flied to right; Reynolds flied to center;
Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 5.

REDS 3RD: Bench grounded out (third to first); Nolan singled to
center; Nolan stole second; Knight flied to center; Oester
reached on an error by Andujar [Nolan to third]; Berenyi reached
on an error by Reynolds [Nolan scored (unearned) (no RBI),
Oester to second]; Collins forced Berenyi (shortstop to second);
1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 6.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz flied to center; Heep singled to left; Howe
singled to right [Heep to second]; Ashby struck out; Thon flied
to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 6.

REDS 4TH: Griffey singled to right; Concepcion flied to center;
Foster forced Griffey (shortstop to second); Bench forced Foster
(second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 6.

ASTROS 5TH: PITTMAN BATTED FOR ANDUJAR; Pittman walked; Puhl
walked [Pittman to second]; Reynolds grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Pittman to third, Puhl out at
second]; Berenyi balked [Pittman scored]; Cedeno grounded out
(first unassisted); 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 6.

REDS 5TH: SPROWL REPLACED PITTMAN (PITCHING); Nolan singled to
second; Knight singled to third [Nolan to second]; Oester flied
to center [Nolan to third]; Berenyi hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Nolan scored]; Collins grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz singled to second; Heep singled to center [Cruz
to second]; Howe popped to shortstop; Ashby grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Heep out at second];
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 7.

REDS 6TH: Griffey flied to center; Concepcion grounded out
(shortstop to first); Foster singled to right; Bench homered
[Foster scored]; Nolan grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 9.

ASTROS 7TH: Thon reached on an error by Concepcion; ROBERTS
BATTED FOR SPROWL; Roberts grounded into a double play
(shortstop to shortstop to first) [Thon out at second]; Puhl
reached on an error by Oester; Reynolds doubled to right [Puhl
to third]; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2,
Reds 9.

REDS 7TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED ROBERTS (PLAYING 2B); LACORTE
REPLACED REYNOLDS (PITCHING); THON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
SS); Knight flied to center; Oester flied to left; Berenyi
popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Reds 9.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz popped to shortstop; Heep grounded out (second
to first); Howe grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 9.

REDS 8TH: Collins flied to left; Griffey walked; Concepcion
walked [Griffey to second]; Foster struck out; Bench lined to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 9.

ASTROS 9TH: Ashby singled to right; Thon walked [Ashby to
second]; Landestoy flied to left; Puhl flied to right; IVIE
BATTED FOR LACORTE; Ivie doubled to right [Ashby scored, Thon
scored]; Cedeno singled to center [Ivie scored]; PRICE REPLACED
BERENYI (PITCHING); Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 3 R, 3
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 9.