Bob Knepper, allowing six hits, raised his record to 5-0 and posted his fourth shutout of the season in pitching the Astros to a 1-0 victory over the Padres. The lefty lowered his ERA to 1.02. The lone run came in the fourth inning when Dave Roberts singled with one out, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Luis Pujols. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 1, San Diego Padres 0
Game Played on Wednesday, May       27, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  0
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   1  5  0


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Smith ss              4   0   2   0     0   0   .251      Puhl rf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .253
Bonilla 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Pittman 3b            3   0   1   0     1   0   .389
Richards lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .266      Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .294
Salazar cf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .269      Cruz lf               3   0   0   0     0   1   .263
Perkins 1b            3   0   0   0     1   1   .333      Roberts 1b            3   1   1   0     0   0   .242
Evans 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .327        Walling 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .197
Kennedy c             4   0   1   0     0   1   .312      Garcia ss             3   0   0   0     0   2   .222
Edwards rf            3   0   0   0     0   1   .100      Pujols c              3   0   1   1     0   0   .205
Welsh p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .067      Landestoy 2b          2   0   0   0     1   0   .159
  Swisher ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Knepper p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .130
  Littlefield p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Boone p             0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000

Totals               33   0   6   0     1   5             Totals               26   1   5   1     2   3

Time of Game: 1:50   Attendance: 21,256
Left on Base: Padres 7, Astros 4
DP: Padres 1, Astros 0
Triples: Puhl (3)
Stolen Bases: Smith (13), Roberts (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Knepper (3)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Welsh L(2-3)            6     5   1   1   2   3   0  23   3.33
Littlefield             1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.34
Boone                   1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.90
Totals                  8     5   1   1   2   3   0  29

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Knepper W(5-0)          9     6   0   0   1   5   0  34   1.02
Totals                  9     6   0   0   1   5   0  34

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


PADRES 1ST: Smith grounded out (shortstop to first); Bonilla
grounded out (second to first); Richards grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl made an out to third; Pittman walked; Cedeno
grounded out (third to first) [Pittman to second]; Cruz popped
to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 2ND: Salazar flied out to right; Perkins struck out;
Evans grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Roberts flied out to center; Garcia struck out;
Pujols grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Kennedy grounded out (first unassisted); Edwards
grounded out (third to first); Welsh struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Landestoy walked; Knepper out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Landestoy to second]; Puhl singled to left
[Landestoy out at home (shortstop to third)]; Pittman singled to
right [Puhl to third]; Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 4TH: Smith singled to left; Bonilla lined to shortstop;
Smith stole second; Richards grounded out (first unassisted)
[Smith to third]; Salazar grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Roberts singled
to left; Roberts stole second; Garcia struck out; Pujols singled
to center [Roberts scored]; Landestoy made an out to second; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.

PADRES 5TH: Perkins grounded out (shortstop to first); Evans
singled to left; Kennedy was called out on strikes; Edwards
popped to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Knepper grounded out (second to first); Puhl tripled
to right; Pittman hit into a double play (right to catcher)
[Puhl out at home]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.

PADRES 6TH: Welsh grounded out (shortstop to first); Smith
singled to left; Bonilla flied out to right; Richards singled to
center [Smith to second]; Salazar struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno made an out to second; Cruz struck out;
Roberts grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Padres 0, Astros 1.

PADRES 7TH: WALLING REPLACED ROBERTS (PLAYING 1B); Perkins
walked; Evans made an out to second; Kennedy singled to right
[Perkins to second]; Edwards struck out; SWISHER BATTED FOR
WELSH; Swisher forced Kennedy (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: LITTLEFIELD REPLACED SWISHER (PITCHING); Garcia
flied out to left; Pujols grounded out (shortstop to first);
Landestoy grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Padres 0, Astros 1.

PADRES 8TH: Smith flied out to right; Bonilla grounded out
(shortstop to first); Richards grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: BOONE REPLACED LITTLEFIELD (PITCHING); Knepper lined
to shortstop; Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Pittman
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
0, Astros 1.

PADRES 9TH: Salazar singled to shortstop; Perkins popped to
first; Evans flied out to left; Kennedy out on an unknown play;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.