With Nolan Ryan going the route for the first time in five starts this season, the Astros breezed to a 5-0 blanking of the Reds. The fireballing righthander spaced seven hits and struck out 11 while recording his 45th career shutout and raising his strikeout total to 3,148, third on the all-time list. It was the 133rd time he had struck out at least 10 batters in one game.

The Astros scored three runs in the first inning on a run-scoring double by Cesar Cedeno, RBI single by Art Howe and bases-loaded walk to Alan Ashby. Jose Cruz cracked a two-run homer in the fifth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Cincinnati Reds 0
Game Played on Monday, May       11, 1981 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       3  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   5 11  0
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  7  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf,cf            4   1   1   0     1   1   .250      Collins rf            4   0   1   0     1   2   .358
Reynolds ss           4   1   2   0     0   0   .273      Griffey cf            5   0   0   0     0   3   .250
Cedeno cf             3   2   2   1     0   0   .310      Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   2   .321
  Woods rf            2   0   0   0     0   0   .033      Foster lf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .270
Cruz lf               4   1   2   2     0   0   .259      Bench 1b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .304
Heep 1b               3   0   0   0     1   0   .244      Nolan c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .267
Howe 3b               4   0   2   1     0   1   .330      Knight 3b             2   0   1   0     1   1   .222
Ashby c               3   0   0   1     1   0   .218      Oester 2b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .302
Thon 2b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .130      LaCoss p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Ryan p                4   0   1   0     0   0   .154        Spilman ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .154
                                                            Moskau p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Biittner ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .357

Totals               35   5  11   5     3   2             Totals               32   0   7   0     3  11

Time of Game: 2:36   Attendance: 11,795
Left on Base: Astros 7, Reds 11
DP: Astros 0, Reds 2
Doubles: Cedeno (6), Nolan (3)
Home Runs: Cruz (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (6), LaCoss 2 (4)
GIDP: Thon (2), Heep (1)
Hit by Pitch: Knight (1,by Ryan)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan W(2-1)             9     7   0   0   3  11   0  38   1.29
Totals                  9     7   0   0   3  11   0  38

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
LaCoss L(1-4)           6     9   5   5   2   2   1  27   6.84
Moskau                  3     2   0   0   1   0   0  12   2.95
Totals                  9    11   5   5   3   2   1  39

Hit by Pitch: Ryan (1)
Wild Pitches: Ryan (5)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Eric Gregg


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to right; On a bunt Reynolds singled to
third [Puhl to second]; Cedeno doubled to left [Puhl scored,
Reynolds to third]; Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Heep
was walked intentionally; Howe singled to right [Reynolds
scored, Cedeno to third, Heep to second]; Ashby walked [Cedeno
scored, Heep to third, Howe to second]; Thon grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Ashby out at
second]; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Collins singled to left; Griffey struck out;
Concepcion was called out on strikes; Foster singled to left
[Collins to third]; Bench struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ryan grounded out (third to first); Puhl was called
out on strikes; Reynolds singled to right; Cedeno grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Nolan doubled to left; Knight was hit by a pitch;
Oester struck out; LaCoss out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
first) [Nolan to third, Knight to second]; Collins walked;
Griffey struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cruz singled to second; Heep grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Cruz out at second]; Howe
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion flied to right; Foster flied to right;
Bench singled to center; Nolan popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby grounded out (second to first); Thon flied to
left; Ryan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 3, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Knight walked; Oester singled to center [Knight to
second]; LaCoss out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Knight to third, Oester to second]; Collins struck out; Griffey
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3,
Reds 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); Reynolds
flied to right; Cedeno singled to left; Cruz homered [Cedeno
scored]; Heep flied to right; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Reds 0.

REDS 5TH: WOODS REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING RF); PUHL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); Concepcion struck out; Foster struck
out; Bench grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe flied to left; Ashby grounded out (shortstop to
first); Thon singled to left; Ryan grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

REDS 6TH: Nolan grounded out (second to first); Knight singled
to third; Oester flied to center; SPILMAN BATTED FOR LACOSS;
Spilman walked [Knight to second]; Collins struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

ASTROS 7TH: MOSKAU REPLACED SPILMAN (PITCHING); Puhl walked;
Reynolds out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Puhl to
second]; Woods popped to second; Cruz flied to right; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

REDS 7TH: Griffey grounded out (third to first); Concepcion
singled to center; Ryan threw a wild pitch [Concepcion to
second]; Foster flied to center; Bench grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Heep grounded out (second to first); Howe singled to
center; Ashby forced Howe (shortstop to second); Thon grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

REDS 8TH: Nolan flied to center; Knight struck out; Oester flied
to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

ASTROS 9TH: Ryan singled to center; Puhl popped to third;
Reynolds popped to center; Woods popped to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

REDS 9TH: BIITTNER BATTED FOR MOSKAU; Biittner flied to left;
Collins grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffey struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.