Joe Niekro and Dave Smith combined on a two-hitter as the Astros blanked the Padres, 3-0. Joe Pittman began the eighth inning with a single, was sacrificed to second by Niekro and scored on Tony Scott's single to break the scoreless tie. Scott moved to second when Terry Puhl was hit by a pitch and came home on a single by Gary Woods. Scott singled in his second run of the game in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, San Diego Padres 0
Game Played on Sunday, August    16, 1981 (Day game) at Jack Murphy Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  1  -   3  9  0
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  2  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Scott cf              5   1   2   2     0   0   .234      Smith ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Reynolds ss           5   0   0   0     0   1   .243      Jones cf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .249
Puhl rf               3   0   0   0     0   0   .270      Richards lf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .266
Walling lf            3   0   0   0     0   0   .221      Kennedy c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .308
  Woods ph,lf         1   0   1   1     0   0   .176      Bass 1b               2   0   0   0     1   1   .234
Cedeno 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .289      Lefebvre rf           3   0   0   0     0   0   .219
Howe 3b               4   0   2   0     0   1   .318        Lucas p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
Ashby c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .252      Salazar 3b            3   0   0   0     0   1   .285
Pittman 2b            3   2   2   0     1   0   .310      Bonilla 2b            3   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Niekro p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .171      Mura p                2   0   1   0     0   0   .147
  D. Smith p          1   0   1   0     0   0   .250        Edwards rf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Moreno ph,rf        1   0   0   0     0   0   .125

Totals               34   3   9   3     1   4             Totals               29   0   2   0     2   2

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance:  5,880
Left on Base: Astros 8, Padres 4
DP: Astros 0, Padres 0
Doubles: Howe (13), Jones (19)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro 2 (6)
Hit by Pitch: Puhl (3,by Lucas)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(7-6)           7     2   0   0   1   1   0  24   2.73
D. Smith SV(4)          2     0   0   0   1   1   0   7   4.08
Totals                  9     2   0   0   2   2   0  31

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Mura L(4-9)             7.1   6   2   2   0   0   0  28   4.05
Lucas                   1.2   3   1   1   1   4   0  10   2.30
Totals                  9     9   3   3   1   4   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Lucas (2)

Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Satch Davidson


ASTROS 1ST: Scott grounded out (first unassisted); Reynolds
flied out to right; Puhl flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Smith flied out to center; Jones lined to right;
Richards lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres
0.

ASTROS 2ND: Walling grounded out (first unassisted); Cedeno made
an out to shortstop; Howe doubled to left; Ashby flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Kennedy flied out to center; Bass walked; Lefebvre
flied out to left; Salazar forced Bass (third to second); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Pittman singled to right; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Pittman to second]; Scott flied out to
left; Reynolds flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Bonilla flied out to right; Mura singled to right;
Smith forced Mura (second to shortstop); Jones grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl flied out to left; Walling grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 4TH: Richards flied out to center; Kennedy grounded out
(second to first); Bass grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe made an out to second; Ashby grounded out
(first to pitcher); Pittman flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 5TH: Lefebvre grounded out (first unassisted); Salazar
grounded out (pitcher to first); Bonilla lined to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); Scott
flied out to left; Reynolds made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 6TH: Mura flied out to left; Smith flied out to right;
Jones doubled to center; Richards flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Puhl flied out to right; Walling grounded out
(second to first); Cedeno singled to center; Howe singled to
right [Cedeno to second]; Ashby flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 7TH: Kennedy flied out to left; Bass struck out; Lefebvre
grounded out (pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Pittman singled to left; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to second) [Pittman to second]; Scott singled to
right [Pittman scored]; LUCAS REPLACED LEFEBVRE (PITCHING);
EDWARDS REPLACED MURA (PLAYING RF); Reynolds struck out; Puhl
was hit by a pitch [Scott to second]; WOODS BATTED FOR WALLING;
Woods singled to left [Scott scored, Puhl to second]; Cedeno
struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 0.

PADRES 8TH: D. SMITH REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); WOODS STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING LF); Salazar struck out; Bonilla grounded out
(third to first); MORENO BATTED FOR EDWARDS; Moreno lined to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 0.

ASTROS 9TH: MORENO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Howe was called
out on strikes; Ashby struck out; Pittman walked; D. Smith
singled to center [Pittman to third]; Scott singled to third
[Pittman scored, D. Smith to second]; Reynolds grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 0.

PADRES 9TH: Smith flied out to left; Jones grounded out (second
to first); Richards walked; Kennedy grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 0.