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.

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