Completing the three-game series sweep, the Astros reached the .500 mark for the first time this season by beating the Cubs, 6-1, behind the combined five-hit pitching of Bob Knepper and Frank LaCorte. The Astros tallied a second-inning run on a bases-loaded walk and scored three times in the third on an RBI grounder by Art Howe, run-scoring single by Rafael Landestoy and another bases-loaded walk. Howe stroked a single in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, longest in the majors this year. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Chicago Cubs 1
Game Played on Sunday, May       17, 1981 (Day game) at Astrodome
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  5  0
Astros       0  1  3    0  0  0    2  0  x  -   6  9  0


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
De Jesus ss           2   1   0   0     3   0   .164      Puhl cf               2   0   1   2     3   1   .252
Strain 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Reynolds ss           5   0   1   2     0   1   .271
  Capilla p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Walling rf,1b         4   1   0   0     1   0   .222
  Cruz ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Cruz lf               5   1   3   0     0   0   .259
  Tidrow p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Heep 1b               3   1   0   0     1   0   .246
  Tracy ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .192        Woods rf            1   0   0   0     0   0   .081
Buckner 1b            4   0   1   1     0   0   .291      Howe 3b               5   1   2   1     0   0   .356
Henderson lf          3   0   0   0     1   0   .268      Ashby c               2   1   1   0     2   1   .239
Durham rf             4   0   0   0     0   3   .263      Landestoy 2b          3   1   1   1     1   1   .140
Morales cf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .304      Knepper p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .167
Reitz 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .180        LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Davis c               2   0   1   0     1   0   .250
  Lum ph              1   0   1   0     0   0   .167
Krukow p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  McGlothen p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .091
  Dillard ph,2b       1   0   0   0     2   0   .188

Totals               30   1   5   1     7   5             Totals               32   6   9   6     8   5

Time of Game: 2:34   Attendance: 34,068
Left on Base: Cubs 10, Astros 12
DP: Cubs 0, Astros 1
Doubles: Buckner (13)
Stolen Bases: Puhl 2 (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Krukow (1), Knepper (2)
GIDP: Durham (4)
Hit by Pitch: Knepper (1,by Krukow)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Krukow L(1-4)           2.1   3   4   4   6   2   0  17   5.91
McGlothen               1.2   2   0   0   1   2   0   8   3.18
Capilla                 3     4   2   2   1   1   0  14   2.84
Tidrow                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.13
Totals                  8     9   6   6   8   5   0  42

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Knepper W(4-0)          7.1   4   1   1   4   3   0  30   1.03
LaCorte                 1.2   1   0   0   3   2   0   8   1.80
Totals                  9     5   1   1   7   5   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Krukow (2)
Wild Pitches: Capilla (3), LaCorte (2)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Crawford, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - Terry Tata


CUBS 1ST: De Jesus flied out to center; Strain grounded out
(pitcher to first); Buckner flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl walked; Puhl stole second; Reynolds was called
out on strikes; Walling grounded out (pitcher to first) [Puhl to
third]; Cruz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

CUBS 2ND: Henderson lined to pitcher; Durham was called out on
strikes; Morales singled to center; Reitz flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Heep flied out to center; Howe singled to center;
Ashby walked [Howe to second]; Landestoy was called out on
strikes; Knepper was hit by a pitch [Howe to third, Ashby to
second]; Puhl walked [Howe scored, Ashby to third, Knepper to
second]; Reynolds forced Puhl (first to shortstop); 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 3RD: Davis singled to shortstop; Krukow out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to second) [Davis to second]; De Jesus flied out to
right; Strain grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Walling walked; Cruz singled to right [Walling to
third]; Heep walked [Cruz to second]; Howe grounded out (first
to pitcher) [Walling scored, Cruz to third, Heep to second];
Ashby was walked intentionally; Landestoy singled to left [Cruz
scored, Heep to third, Ashby to second]; MCGLOTHEN REPLACED
KRUKOW (PITCHING); Knepper struck out; Puhl walked [Heep scored,
Ashby to third, Landestoy to second]; Reynolds popped to first;
3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 4.

CUBS 4TH: Buckner grounded out (second to first); Henderson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Durham struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Walling grounded out (third to first); Cruz singled
to center; Heep forced Cruz (first to shortstop); Howe singled
to right [Heep to third]; Ashby struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 4.

CUBS 5TH: Morales flied out to center; Reitz flied out to
center; Davis walked; DILLARD BATTED FOR MCGLOTHEN; Dillard
walked [Davis to second]; De Jesus walked [Davis to third,
Dillard to second]; Strain grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: DILLARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); CAPILLA
REPLACED STRAIN (PITCHING); Landestoy popped to shortstop;
Knepper grounded out (first unassisted); Puhl singled to first;
Puhl stole second; Reynolds flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 4.

CUBS 6TH: Buckner grounded out (first unassisted); Henderson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Durham struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Walling flied out to left; Cruz singled to center;
Capilla threw a wild pitch [Cruz to second]; Heep flied out to
center; Howe flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Astros 4.

CUBS 7TH: WOODS REPLACED HEEP (PLAYING RF); WALLING CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Morales grounded out (shortstop to
first); Reitz grounded out (shortstop to first); Davis flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Ashby singled to center; Landestoy walked [Ashby to
second]; Knepper out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Landestoy to second, Ashby to third]; Puhl struck out; Reynolds
singled to first [Ashby scored, Landestoy scored]; Walling
popped to third; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 6.

CUBS 8TH: Dillard flied out to center; De Jesus walked; CRUZ
BATTED FOR CAPILLA; Cruz singled to left [De Jesus to third];
Buckner doubled to left [De Jesus scored, Cruz to third];
LACORTE REPLACED KNEPPER (PITCHING); Henderson walked; Durham
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Henderson out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros
6.

ASTROS 8TH: TIDROW REPLACED CRUZ (PITCHING); Cruz flied out to
center; Woods grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 6.

CUBS 9TH: Morales flied out to left; Reitz struck out; LUM
BATTED FOR DAVIS; Lum singled to left; Dillard walked [Lum to
second]; LaCorte threw a wild pitch [Lum to third, Dillard to
second]; De Jesus walked; TRACY BATTED FOR TIDROW; Tracy was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 6.