In a ragged affair reminiscent of married men playing against single men at a company picnic, the Cardinals outlasted the Astros, 15-12. The Redbirds trailed, 9-7, going into the bottom of the sixth inning but went ahead to stay on run-scoring singles by Garry Templeton, Tony Scott and George Hendrick. They put the game on ice with a five-run seventh on a two-run pinch-double by Sixto Lezcano, run-scoring triple by Templeton, RBI fielder's choice grounder by Scott and run-scoring single by Keith Hernandez. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 15, Houston Astros 12
Game Played on Tuesday, May       19, 1981 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  3  1    3  0  2    0  2  1  -  12 16  2
Cardinals    0  0  2    5  0  3    5  0  x  -  15 18  4


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               5   2   2   1     0   0   .258      Templeton ss          5   3   3   4     0   0   .271
Garcia ss             6   3   1   0     0   1   .255      Scott cf              5   2   3   4     0   0   .289
Woods rf              5   1   2   2     0   2   .119      Hernandez 1b          5   0   2   2     0   0   .319
Cruz lf               5   1   3   2     0   0   .271      Hendrick rf           5   1   3   1     0   0   .283
Howe 3b               3   2   3   2     2   0   .370      Iorg lf               2   1   1   0     0   0   .265
Roberts 1b            4   1   1   1     0   0   .222        Landrum lf          3   0   0   0     0   1   .100
Pujols c              5   1   1   2     0   0   .182      Oberkfell 3b          5   1   1   1     0   1   .295
Landestoy 2b          4   0   1   0     1   0   .149      Tenace c              4   2   1   0     1   1   .220
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Herr 2b               5   3   3   1     0   0   .262
Sutton p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Shirley p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .077
  Sprowl p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Otten p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Braun ph            0   1   0   0     1   0   .167
  Pittman ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .250        Kaat p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lezcano ph          1   1   1   2     0   0   .270
  Thon 2b             0   0   0   0     0   0   .125        Edelen p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Reynolds ph         1   1   1   0     0   0   .277        Sutter p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               42  12  16  10     3   4             Totals               42  15  18  15     2   4

Time of Game: 3:03   Attendance: 14,585
Left on Base: Astros 9, Cardinals 6
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 1
Errors: Roberts, Pujols, Templeton, Oberkfell 2, Kaat
Doubles: Howe (10), Landestoy (1), Woods 2 (2), Puhl (7), Cruz (6), Tenace (5), Herr (4), Lezcano (4)
Triples: Pujols (1), Reynolds (6), Templeton (6)
Stolen Bases: Pujols (1), Landestoy (3), Puhl (9), Scott (8)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Woods (2), Otten (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Roberts (1), Puhl (3)
GIDP: Pujols (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton                  3.2   8   7   7   1   2   0  20   3.88
Sprowl L(0-1)           2     4   3   3   0   0   0  10   4.86
Andujar                 0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   4.09
D. Smith                1     5   5   5   1   1   0  10   6.18
Sambito                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.42
Totals                  8    18  15  15   2   4   0  45

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Shirley                 2     5   4   2   0   2   0  13   3.93
Otten                   2     5   3   3   1   0   0  11   5.19
Kaat W(2-0)             3     2   2   0   2   0   0  15   2.12
Edelen                  0     3   2   2   0   0   0   3  10.45
Sutter                  2     1   1   1   0   2   0   6   3.04
Totals                  9    16  12   8   3   4   0  48

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl popped to third; Garcia flied to left; Woods
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Templeton grounded out (third to first); Scott
grounded out (second to first); Hernandez flied to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe doubled
to center; Roberts reached on an error by Oberkfell [Howe to
third]; Pujols tripled to center [Howe scored, Roberts scored
(unearned)]; Pujols stole home; Landestoy doubled to left;
Landestoy stole third; Sutton struck out; Puhl flied to left; 3
R (2 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hendrick grounded out (shortstop to first); Iorg
grounded out (first to pitcher); Oberkfell was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Garcia reached on an error by Templeton; Woods
doubled to right [Garcia to third]; Cruz singled to right
[Garcia scored (unearned), Woods to third, Cruz to second (on
throw to home)]; OTTEN REPLACED SHIRLEY (PITCHING); Howe was
walked intentionally; Roberts forced Woods (first to catcher)
[Cruz to third, Howe to second]; Pujols forced Cruz (third to
catcher) [Howe to third, Roberts to second]; Landestoy grounded
out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 4,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Tenace doubled to left; Herr singled to right
[Tenace scored]; Otten out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Herr to second]; Templeton grounded out (first unassisted)
[Herr to third]; Scott singled to center [Herr scored];
Hernandez grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Sutton grounded out (third to first); On a bunt Puhl
singled to third; Puhl stole second; Garcia singled to second
[Puhl to third]; Woods doubled to right [Puhl scored, Garcia
scored]; Cruz singled to center [Woods scored]; Cruz was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Howe singled to left;
Roberts grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 7, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hendrick singled to right; Iorg singled to right
[Hendrick to second]; Oberkfell singled to left [Hendrick
scored, Iorg to second]; Tenace was called out on strikes; Herr
flied to center; BRAUN BATTED FOR OTTEN; Braun walked [Iorg to
third, Oberkfell to second]; Templeton singled to center [Iorg
scored, Oberkfell scored, Braun to third]; Scott singled to
right [Braun scored, Templeton to third]; SPROWL REPLACED SUTTON
(PITCHING); Hernandez singled to right [Templeton scored, Scott
to second]; Hendrick grounded out (shortstop to first); 5 R, 6
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Cardinals 7.

ASTROS 5TH: KAAT REPLACED BRAUN (PITCHING); LANDRUM REPLACED
IORG (PLAYING LF); Pujols popped to first; Landestoy grounded
out (pitcher to first); Sprowl flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 7, Cardinals 7.

CARDINALS 5TH: Landrum grounded out (shortstop to first);
Oberkfell grounded out (third to first); Tenace flied to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Cardinals 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl doubled to right; Garcia reached on an error by
Oberkfell; Woods reached on an error by Kaat on a sacrifice bunt
[Puhl to third, Garcia to second]; Cruz popped to second; Howe
walked [Puhl scored (unearned), Garcia to third, Woods to
second]; Roberts hit a sacrifice fly to left [Garcia scored
(unearned)]; Pujols forced Howe (shortstop to second); 2 R (0
ER), 1 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 9, Cardinals 7.

CARDINALS 6TH: Herr doubled to left; Kaat grounded out
(shortstop to first); Templeton singled to center [Herr scored,
Templeton to third (error by Roberts)]; Scott singled to center
[Templeton scored]; Hernandez grounded out (second to first)
[Scott to second]; ANDUJAR REPLACED SPROWL (PITCHING); Hendrick
singled to left [Scott scored]; Landrum flied to center; 3 R, 4
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9, Cardinals 10.

ASTROS 7TH: Landestoy walked; PITTMAN BATTED FOR ANDUJAR;
Pittman singled to right [Landestoy to second]; Puhl forced
Landestoy (third to shortstop) [Pittman to second]; Garcia flied
to right; Woods grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 9, Cardinals 10.

CARDINALS 7TH: D. SMITH REPLACED PITTMAN (PITCHING); Oberkfell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Tenace walked; Herr singled
to right [Tenace to second]; LEZCANO BATTED FOR KAAT; Lezcano
doubled to right [Tenace scored, Herr scored]; Templeton tripled
to right [Lezcano scored]; Scott reached on a fielder's choice
[Templeton scored]; Scott stole second [Scott to third (error by
Pujols)]; Hernandez singled to center [Scott scored]; Hendrick
singled to center [Hernandez to third]; Landrum struck out;
Oberkfell forced Hendrick (second to shortstop); 5 R, 5 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 9, Cardinals 15.

ASTROS 8TH: EDELEN REPLACED LEZCANO (PITCHING); Cruz doubled to
right; Howe singled to center [Cruz scored]; Roberts singled to
center [Howe to third]; SUTTER REPLACED EDELEN (PITCHING);
Pujols grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Howe scored (no RBI), Roberts out at second]; Landestoy
grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
11, Cardinals 15.

CARDINALS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED LANDESTOY (PITCHING); THON
REPLACED D. SMITH (PLAYING 2B); Tenace popped to shortstop; Herr
flied to center; Sutter struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 11, Cardinals 15.

ASTROS 9TH: REYNOLDS BATTED FOR THON; Reynolds tripled to
center; Puhl hit a sacrifice fly to right [Reynolds scored];
Garcia struck out; Woods struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 12, Cardinals 15.