A three-run first inning triggered the Astros to a 6-3 victory over the Padres. The first-inning tallies came on an RBI single by Jose Cruz, squeeze bunt by Art Howe and run-scoring single by Rafael Landestoy. After Landestoy and Terry Puhl walked in the third inning, Craig Reynolds crashed a tripled and then came in on a sacrifice fly by Cesar Cedeno.

Howe, who had set a club record by hitting in 23 consecutive games, saw his streak end as he went hitless in three official at-bats. He was removed in the eighth with a pulled hamstring. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, San Diego Padres 3
Game Played on Monday, May       25, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  1  1    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   3 10  0
Astros       3  0  0    3  0  0    0  0  x  -   6  7  0


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Smith ss              5   2   2   0     0   0   .250      Puhl rf               4   2   2   0     1   2   .247
Jones cf              5   0   2   0     0   1   .220      Reynolds ss           4   1   1   2     0   0   .255
Richards lf           4   0   2   0     1   0   .265      Cedeno cf             2   1   0   1     1   1   .311
Perkins 1b            3   0   2   2     0   0   .355      Cruz lf               4   1   1   1     0   0   .273
Kennedy c             3   1   1   0     1   0   .313      Howe 3b               3   0   0   1     0   0   .367
Lefebvre rf           2   0   0   0     1   1   .228        Garcia 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .233
Bonilla 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .299      Walling 1b            2   0   0   0     2   1   .206
Salazar 3b            3   0   1   1     0   0   .268      Ashby c               4   0   2   0     0   1   .252
Mura p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .050      Landestoy 2b          2   1   1   1     2   0   .154
  Flannery ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Lollar p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .286        Sambito p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Evans ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Boone p             0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000

Totals               33   3  10   3     3   2             Totals               28   6   7   6     6   6

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance: 19,025
Left on Base: Padres 9, Astros 7
DP: Padres 0, Astros 2
Triples: Reynolds (7)
Stolen Bases: Smith (12), Puhl 2 (13)
Sacrifice Hits: Howe (1), Niekro (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Salazar (2), Perkins (2), Cedeno (2)
GIDP: Kennedy (2), Evans (3)
Hit by Pitch: Lefebvre (1,by Sambito)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Mura L(1-7)             4     6   6   6   4   1   0  22   4.31
Lollar                  3     1   0   0   2   3   0  12   7.45
Boone                   1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   1.99
Totals                  8     7   6   6   6   6   0  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(6-3)           6.2   9   3   2   3   1   0  31   2.26
Sambito SV(4)           2.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   8   1.80
Totals                  9    10   3   2   3   2   0  39

Passed Balls: Ashby (3)
Hit by Pitch: Sambito (1)
Wild Pitches: Mura (3), Lollar (4)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Dave Pallone, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Charlie Williams


PADRES 1ST: Smith grounded out (second to first); Jones flied
out to right; Richards singled to shortstop; Perkins flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to right; Puhl stole second; Reynolds
flied out to right; Cedeno walked; Cruz singled to center [Puhl
scored, Cedeno to third]; Howe out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to first) [Cedeno scored, Cruz to second]; Walling walked; Ashby
singled to second [Cruz to third, Walling to second]; Landestoy
singled to left [Cruz scored, Walling to third, Ashby to
second]; Niekro flied out to left; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Padres
0, Astros 3.

PADRES 2ND: Kennedy singled to center; Lefebvre walked [Kennedy
to second]; Ashby allowed a passed ball [Kennedy to third,
Lefebvre to second]; Bonilla made an out to first; Salazar hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Kennedy scored (unearned), Lefebvre to
third]; Mura grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Puhl singled to first; Puhl stole second; Reynolds
made an out to shortstop; Cedeno struck out; Cruz grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 3.

PADRES 3RD: Smith singled to left; Smith stole second; Jones
flied out to left; Richards walked; Perkins singled to right
[Smith scored, Richards to second]; Kennedy grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Perkins out at
second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Walling
flied out to center; Ashby grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 3.

PADRES 4TH: Lefebvre flied out to right; Bonilla grounded out
(third to first); Salazar grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Landestoy walked; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to second) [Landestoy to second]; Mura threw a wild
pitch [Landestoy to third]; Puhl walked; Reynolds tripled to
right [Landestoy scored, Puhl scored]; Cedeno hit a sacrifice
fly to left [Reynolds scored]; Cruz flied out to right; 3 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 6.

PADRES 5TH: FLANNERY BATTED FOR MURA; Flannery flied out to
left; Smith singled to left; Jones singled to right [Smith to
second]; Richards singled to shortstop [Smith to third, Jones to
second]; Perkins hit a sacrifice fly to right [Smith scored];
Kennedy walked [Jones to third, Richards to second]; Lefebvre
struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 6.

ASTROS 5TH: LOLLAR REPLACED FLANNERY (PITCHING); Howe grounded
out (shortstop to first); Walling struck out; Ashby singled to
left; Lollar threw a wild pitch [Ashby to second]; Landestoy was
walked intentionally; Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 6.

PADRES 6TH: Bonilla flied out to right; Salazar made an out to
second; Lollar made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 3, Astros 6.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl struck out; Reynolds made an out to first;
Cedeno grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 3, Astros 6.

PADRES 7TH: Smith flied out to left; Jones singled to right;
Richards forced Jones (shortstop to second); Perkins singled to
center [Richards to third]; SAMBITO REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING);
Kennedy grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Padres 3, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Howe flied out
to right; Walling walked; Ashby struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 6.

PADRES 8TH: GARCIA REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 3B); Lefebvre was hit
by a pitch; Bonilla forced Lefebvre (second to shortstop);
Salazar singled to left [Bonilla to second]; EVANS BATTED FOR
LOLLAR; Evans grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Salazar out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3,
Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: BOONE REPLACED EVANS (PITCHING); Landestoy flied out
to center; Sambito struck out; Puhl struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 6.

PADRES 9TH: Smith flied out to left; Jones struck out; Richards
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 6.