A successful suicide squeeze bunt by Tommy Herr in the 10th inning drove home Gene Tenace with the winning run as the Cardinals nipped the Astros, 3-2. Tenace opened the 10th with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ken Oberkfell. Tenace then dived across the plate ahead of Joe Sambito's throw after Herr's bunt for the winning margin. The Redbirds had deadlocked the contest at 2-2 in the eighth on a two-out, run-scoring single by Garry Templeton. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 3, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Tuesday, May       12, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0    1  -   3  7  0
Astros       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0    0  -   2  7  4


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Templeton ss          4   0   2   1     1   0   .280      Puhl rf,cf            5   0   1   0     0   0   .248
Scott cf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .267      Reynolds ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .263
  Sutter p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cedeno cf             3   1   1   0     0   0   .311
  Ramsey ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .400        Woods rf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .033
  Kaat p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .500        Walling ph,rf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .273
Hernandez 1b          4   1   2   0     0   1   .315        Pittman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Hendrick rf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .230      Cruz lf               4   1   1   2     1   0   .258
Lezcano lf            3   0   0   1     0   0   .288      Heep 1b               4   0   2   0     0   0   .267
Tenace c              4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Howe 3b               4   0   2   0     0   0   .336
Oberkfell 3b          3   1   1   0     0   0   .289        Landestoy pr,2b     0   0   0   0     0   0   .133
Herr 2b               3   0   1   1     0   0   .259      Ashby c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .210
Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Thon 2b               2   0   0   0     1   1   .125
  Landrum ph,cf       2   0   0   0     0   1   .167        Ivie ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .255
                                                            Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                          Knepper p             3   0   0   0     0   0   .188
                                                            Garcia ph,3b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .270

Totals               34   3   7   3     1   4             Totals               35   2   7   2     3   2

Time of Game: 2:26   Attendance: 20,020
Left on Base: Cardinals 5, Astros 8
DP: Cardinals 0, Astros 2
Errors: Woods, Ashby 3
Doubles: Tenace (4), Howe (8)
Home Runs: Cruz (7)
Stolen Bases: Hernandez (3), Oberkfell (3), Landestoy (1)
Caught Stealing: Templeton (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Oberkfell (2), Herr (2), Reynolds (7)
Sacrifice Flies: Lezcano (2)
GIDP: Forsch (1)
Hit by Pitch: Garcia (1,by Sutter)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  7     5   2   2   2   1   1  27   4.03
Sutter W(1-1)           2     2   0   0   1   1   0  10   2.53
Kaat SV(2)              1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.53
Totals                 10     7   2   2   3   2   1  40

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Knepper                 9     6   2   1   0   3   0  32   0.99
Sambito L(1-2)          1     1   1   1   1   1   0   6   2.37
Totals                 10     7   3   2   1   4   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Sutter (1)

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Jim Quick


CARDINALS 1ST: Templeton singled to right; Scott struck out
while Templeton was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Tony Scott called for interference with Alan Ashby's
throw; Hernandez singled to right; Hendrick flied to right;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Reynolds flied
to center; Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Lezcano lined to second; Tenace flied to left;
Oberkfell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz flied to left; Heep singled to center; Howe
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Heep to second]; Heep was
picked off second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Herr lined to shortstop; Forsch popped to
shortstop; Templeton lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Ashby flied to center; Thon struck out; Knepper
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Scott grounded out (shortstop to first);
Hernandez singled to right; Hernandez stole second; Hendrick
reached on an error by Ashby [Hernandez to third]; Lezcano hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Hernandez scored (unearned)]; Tenace
flied to center; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); On a bunt
Reynolds grounded out (third to first); Cedeno singled to left;
Cruz homered [Cedeno scored]; Heep singled to center; Howe
doubled to right [Heep to third]; Ashby was walked
intentionally; Thon grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 4 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 5TH: Oberkfell lined to right; Herr singled to center;
Forsch grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Herr out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: On a bunt Knepper made an out to pitcher; Puhl flied
to center; Reynolds flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 6TH: Templeton grounded out (shortstop to first);
Scott struck out; Hernandez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno flied to center; Cruz flied to center; Heep
flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 7TH: Hendrick flied to center; Lezcano flied to
center; Tenace flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals
1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe popped to first; Ashby grounded out (second to
first); Thon walked; Knepper flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: WOODS REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING RF); PUHL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); Oberkfell singled to center; Oberkfell
stole second; Herr popped to first in foul territory; LANDRUM
BATTED FOR FORSCH; Landrum flied to left; Templeton singled to
right [Oberkfell scored, Templeton to second (error by Woods)];
Scott popped to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: LANDRUM STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); SUTTER REPLACED
SCOTT (PITCHING); Puhl singled to right; Reynolds out on a
sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Puhl to second]; WALLING
BATTED FOR WOODS; Walling grounded out (second to first) [Puhl
to third]; Cruz was walked intentionally; Heep grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: WALLING STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Hernandez
grounded out (first unassisted); Hendrick grounded out (second
to first); Lezcano lined to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Howe singled to center; LANDESTOY RAN FOR HOWE;
Landestoy stole second; On a bunt Ashby made an out to first;
IVIE BATTED FOR THON; Ivie struck out; GARCIA BATTED FOR
KNEPPER; Garcia was hit by a pitch; Puhl grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 10TH: SAMBITO REPLACED IVIE (PITCHING); LANDESTOY
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); GARCIA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B);
Tenace doubled to left; Oberkfell out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Tenace to third]; Herr reached on an error
by Ashby on a sacrifice bunt [Tenace scored, Herr to second
(error by Ashby)]; Landrum was called out on strikes; Templeton
was walked intentionally; RAMSEY BATTED FOR SUTTER; Ramsey
forced Herr (third unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals
3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 10TH: KAAT REPLACED RAMSEY (PITCHING); Reynolds grounded
out (shortstop to first); PITTMAN BATTED FOR WALLING; Pittman
popped to first; Cruz flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 3, Astros 2.