Scoring four runs in the third inning, the Astros coasted to a 9-1 rout of the Expos. Alan Ashby began the Houston third with a double and came home on a triple by Joe Pittman. A one-out single by Tony Scott registered Pittman.

After a single by Craig Reynolds put runners on first and second, Terry Puhl cleared the sacks with a double. Winning pitcher Nolan Ryan left the game for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning after surrendering just two hits, striking out eight and lowering his league-leading ERA to 1.29. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, Montreal Expos 1
Game Played on Wednesday, August    19, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Expos        0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  5  1
Astros       0  0  4    0  0  1    2  2  x  -   9 13  2


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Raines lf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .309      Scott cf              5   1   2   1     0   0   .251
Scott 2b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .212      Reynolds ss           5   1   2   1     0   0   .252
Dawson cf             4   0   1   0     0   3   .329      Puhl rf               4   1   2   2     1   0   .274
Cromartie rf          4   1   2   0     0   0   .290      Walling lf            4   2   1   2     1   0   .226
Parrish 3b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .207      Cedeno 1b             4   1   1   0     1   2   .293
Wallach 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .211      Howe 3b               4   0   1   0     0   1   .307
Phillips ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .210      Ashby c               4   1   1   1     0   0   .242
Ramos c               3   0   1   0     0   1   .219      Pittman 2b            4   1   1   2     0   1   .287
Sanderson p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .150      Ryan p                2   0   1   0     0   1   .143
  Bahnsen p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Spilman ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .241
  Hutton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .095        D. Smith p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .200
  Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
  Francona ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Reardon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   1   5   0     0   9             Totals               38   9  13   9     3   6

Time of Game: 2:39   Attendance: 27,169
Left on Base: Expos 6, Astros 8
DP: Expos 1, Astros 0
Errors: Phillips, Cedeno, Howe
Doubles: Cromartie (10), Ashby (8), Puhl (13), Cedeno (13)
Triples: Pittman (2)
Home Runs: Walling (4)
Caught Stealing: Howe (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Scott (9)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sanderson L(6-4)        4     7   4   4   0   4   0  19   2.47
Bahnsen                 1     0   0   0   2   0   0   5   4.60
Sosa                    2     4   3   3   1   1   0  12   4.79
Reardon                 1     2   2   2   0   1   1   5   3.34
Totals                  8    13   9   9   3   6   1  41

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan W(7-3)             6     2   0   0   0   8   0  21   1.29
D. Smith SV(5)          3     3   1   0   0   1   0  13   3.83
Totals                  9     5   1   0   0   9   0  34

Wild Pitches: Ryan (11)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Crawford, 1B - Eric Gregg, 2B - Charlie Williams, 3B - Doug Harvey


EXPOS 1ST: Raines struck out; Scott struck out; Dawson struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Scott flied out to center; Reynolds flied out to
right; Puhl flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0,
Astros 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Cromartie grounded out (second to first); Parrish
grounded out (third to first); Wallach was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Walling flied out to center; Cedeno was called out
on strikes; Howe was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Phillips was called out on strikes; Ramos flied out
to right; Sanderson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Ashby doubled to center; Pittman tripled to left
[Ashby scored]; Ryan struck out; Scott singled to right [Pittman
scored]; Reynolds singled to right [Scott to second]; Puhl
doubled to right [Scott scored, Reynolds scored]; Walling
grounded out (second to first) [Puhl to third]; Cedeno grounded
out (third to first); 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 4.

EXPOS 4TH: Raines flied out to center; Scott flied out to left;
Dawson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe singled to center; Ashby reached on an error by
Phillips [Ashby to first, Howe to second]; Pittman struck out
while Howe was caught stealing third (catcher to third) [Ashby
to second]; Ryan singled to right [Ashby to third]; Scott made
an out to second; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 4.

EXPOS 5TH: Cromartie flied out to center; Parrish grounded out
(shortstop to first); Wallach reached on an error by Howe
[Wallach to first]; Ryan threw a wild pitch [Wallach to second];
Phillips grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: BAHNSEN REPLACED SANDERSON (PITCHING); Reynolds
flied out to right; Puhl walked; Walling grounded out (second to
first) [Puhl to second]; Cedeno walked; Howe flied out to right;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 4.

EXPOS 6TH: Ramos singled to right; HUTTON BATTED FOR BAHNSEN;
Hutton made an out to shortstop; Raines singled to left [Ramos
to second]; Scott out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Ramos to third, Raines to second]; Dawson struck out; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: SOSA REPLACED HUTTON (PITCHING); Ashby grounded out
(first unassisted); Pittman flied out to right; SPILMAN BATTED
FOR RYAN; Spilman singled to right; Scott singled to center
[Spilman to second]; Reynolds singled to right [Spilman scored,
Scott to third]; Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 5.

EXPOS 7TH: D. SMITH REPLACED SPILMAN (PITCHING); Cromartie
doubled to right; Parrish grounded out (first unassisted)
[Cromartie to third]; Wallach popped to catcher in foul
territory; Phillips reached on an error by Cedeno [Cromartie
scored (unearned) (no RBI)]; Ramos was called out on strikes; 1
R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Walling walked; Cedeno doubled to right [Walling to
third]; Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Ashby reached on
a fielder's choice [Walling scored, Cedeno to third]; Pittman
forced Ashby (second to shortstop) [Cedeno scored]; D. Smith
struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 7.

EXPOS 8TH: FRANCONA BATTED FOR SOSA; Francona grounded out
(first unassisted); Debut game for Terry Francona; Raines
popped to catcher in foul territory; Scott grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 7.

ASTROS 8TH: REARDON REPLACED FRANCONA (PITCHING); Scott flied
out to left; Reynolds flied out to center; Puhl singled to
right; Walling homered [Puhl scored]; Cedeno was called out on
strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 9.

EXPOS 9TH: Dawson singled to shortstop; Cromartie singled to
right [Dawson to second]; Parrish flied out to right; Wallach
flied out to center; Phillips grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 9.