Scoring with two out in the 11th inning, the Astros edged the Cardinals, 4-3. The game was tied, 3-3, going into the 11th, when Bruce Sutter took up the pitching chores for the Cards and retired the first two batters. But Alan Ashby bounced a single up the middle and Rafael Landestoy, who had only one RBI for the season going into the game, lashed a triple to right-center to chase Ashby home with the decisive run. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, St. Louis Cardinals 3
Game Played on Wednesday, May       20, 1981 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  1  2    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  -   4 11  0
Cardinals    3  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  -   3 10  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               5   0   0   0     0   1   .248      Templeton ss          5   1   2   0     0   0   .276
Reynolds ss           5   0   1   0     0   0   .274      Scott cf              5   0   1   0     0   0   .286
Walling rf,1b         4   1   1   0     1   1   .224      Hernandez 1b          4   1   2   1     1   1   .325
Cruz lf               5   2   3   1     0   0   .282      Hendrick rf           4   1   0   0     1   1   .274
Howe 3b               5   0   2   1     0   0   .371      Iorg lf               5   0   1   1     0   1   .256
Heep 1b               5   0   0   0     0   1   .226        Sutter p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Woods rf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .119      Oberkfell 3b          4   0   1   0     1   0   .293
Ashby c               4   1   1   0     1   0   .239      Tenace c              5   0   1   1     0   2   .217
Landestoy 2b          5   0   2   2     0   0   .173      Herr 2b               5   0   2   0     0   1   .269
Niekro p              4   0   1   0     0   1   .120      Sorensen p            4   0   0   0     0   2   .091
  Pittman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .222        Kaat p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Landrum lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .100
                                                            Lezcano ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .267

Totals               43   4  11   4     2   4             Totals               42   3  10   3     3   8

Time of Game: 2:47   Attendance: 19,175
Left on Base: Astros 8, Cardinals 9
DP: Astros 1, Cardinals 1
Errors: Oberkfell
Doubles: Cruz (7), Iorg (1), Herr (5)
Triples: Cruz (1), Landestoy (1), Templeton (7)
Stolen Bases: Howe (1), Templeton (4), Hernandez (4), Scott (9), Herr (2)
GIDP: Walling (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(5-3)          10    10   3   3   3   8   0  42   2.22
Sambito SV(3)           1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.31
Totals                 11    10   3   3   3   8   0  45

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sorensen                9     7   3   3   2   3   0  36   3.02
Kaat                    1     2   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.00
Sutter L(1-2)           1     2   1   1   0   1   0   5   3.25
Totals                 11    11   4   4   2   4   0  45

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl was called out on strikes; Reynolds popped to
shortstop; Walling was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Templeton singled to left; Templeton stole
second; Scott grounded out (first unassisted) [Templeton to
third]; Hernandez singled to right [Templeton scored]; Hernandez
stole second; Hendrick walked; Iorg doubled to left [Hernandez
scored, Hendrick to third]; Oberkfell was walked intentionally;
Tenace singled to left [Hendrick scored, Iorg to third,
Oberkfell to second]; Herr struck out; Sorensen struck out; 3 R,
4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to center; Howe grounded out (shortstop
to first) [Cruz to second]; Heep grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Cruz to third]; Ashby walked; Landestoy singled to left
[Cruz scored, Ashby to second]; Niekro reached on an error by
Oberkfell [Ashby to third, Landestoy to second]; Puhl forced
Niekro (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 2ND: Templeton grounded out (second to first); Scott
singled to center; Scott stole second; Hernandez grounded out
(second to first) [Scott to third]; Hendrick struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds flied to left; Walling walked; Cruz tripled
to center [Walling scored]; Howe singled to center [Cruz
scored]; Heep forced Howe (third to second); Ashby grounded out
(second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 3RD: Iorg popped to second; Oberkfell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Tenace struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Landestoy lined to center; Niekro grounded out
(shortstop to first); Puhl popped to third in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 4TH: Herr singled to left; On a bunt Sorensen made an
out to first; Herr stole second; Templeton flied to center [Herr
to third]; Scott grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Reynolds singled to center; Walling grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Reynolds out at
second]; Cruz popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 5TH: Hernandez singled to center; Hendrick lined to
second; Iorg lined into a double play (third to third to first)
[Hernandez out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe grounded out (second to first); Heep flied to
left; Ashby flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 6TH: Oberkfell grounded out (first to pitcher); Tenace
struck out; Herr doubled to center; Sorensen grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Landestoy lined to left; Niekro singled to center;
Puhl lined to right; Reynolds grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 7TH: Templeton tripled to center; Scott flied to
center; Hernandez was walked intentionally; Hendrick popped to
first in foul territory; Iorg struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Walling flied to center; Cruz grounded out (first
unassisted); Howe singled to center; Howe stole second; Heep
popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals
3.

CARDINALS 8TH: Oberkfell singled to right; On a bunt Tenace
forced Oberkfell (pitcher to shortstop); Herr flied to left;
Sorensen struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals
3.

ASTROS 9TH: Ashby grounded out (third to first); Landestoy flied
to center; Niekro was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 9TH: Templeton popped to shortstop; Scott flied to
right; Hernandez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 10TH: KAAT REPLACED SORENSEN (PITCHING); Puhl grounded
out (second to first); Reynolds grounded out (second to first);
Walling singled to center; Cruz doubled to right [Walling out at
home (right to second to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 10TH: Hendrick grounded out (third to first); Iorg
flied to right; Oberkfell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 11TH: SUTTER REPLACED IORG (PITCHING); LANDRUM REPLACED
KAAT (PLAYING LF); Howe flied to right; Heep struck out; Ashby
singled to center; Landestoy tripled to center [Ashby scored];
PITTMAN BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Pittman grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 11TH: SAMBITO REPLACED PITTMAN (PITCHING); WOODS
REPLACED HEEP (PLAYING RF); WALLING CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
1B); Tenace flied to left; Herr lined to left; LEZCANO BATTED
FOR LANDRUM; Lezcano grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 3.