A wild pitch by Mike Marshall allowed the winning run to score as the Astros edged the Mets, 3-2, for Houston's sixth straight victory. The game was tied, 2-2, when Alan Ashby cracked a one-out pinch-double in the bottom of the ninth and was then replaced by pinch-runner Scott Loucks, who moved to third on a grounder by Phil Garner. With pinch-hitter Harry Spilman at bat, Marshall uncorked a wild pitch to end the game. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, New York Mets 2
Game Played on Tuesday, September 1, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  5  2
Astros       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  1  -   3  8  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wilson cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .290      Scott cf              3   0   0   0     0   0   .253
Taveras ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .237      Garcia ss             4   0   1   0     0   0   .263
Brooks 3b             2   1   0   0     2   2   .302      Cedeno 1b             3   1   1   0     0   0   .280
Kingman 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .219      Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .277
Mazzilli lf           3   1   1   1     1   0   .223      Howe 3b               3   1   1   1     1   0   .313
Jorgensen rf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .233      Woods rf              3   0   2   0     0   0   .209
Trevino c             3   0   1   0     1   0   .271        Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .248
Flynn 2b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .218      Pujols c              3   0   0   1     0   0   .212
  Staub ph            1   0   1   1     0   0   .311        Ashby ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .262
  Gardenhire pr,2b    1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Loucks pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Falcone p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Thon 2b               2   0   1   0     0   0   .225
  Hodges ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .308        Garner ph,2b        2   0   0   0     0   0   .251
  Leach p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Niekro p              1   0   1   0     0   0   .179
  Cubbage ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .220        D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Marshall p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Puhl ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .268
                                                            Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Spilman ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .231

Totals               31   2   5   2     4   6             Totals               31   3   8   2     1   1

Time of Game: 2:39   Attendance: 16,339
Left on Base: Mets 6, Astros 6
DP: Mets 2, Astros 1
Errors: Brooks, Falcone
Doubles: Mazzilli (10), Cedeno (15), Howe (19), Ashby (11)
Stolen Bases: Mazzilli (14), Jorgensen (4), Woods (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (8), Scott (5), Cedeno (2)
GIDP: Thon (3), Cedeno (4)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Falcone                 5     6   2   2   0   0   0  21   2.90
Leach                   1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   1.06
Marshall L(2-1)         2.2   2   1   1   0   1   0  10   3.38
Totals                  8.2   8   3   3   1   1   0  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  6.1   3   2   2   2   5   0  23   2.99
D. Smith                0.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   4   3.32
Sambito W(4-5)          2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   1.85
Totals                  9     5   2   2   4   6   0  35

Passed Balls: Pujols (4)
Wild Pitches: Marshall (1)

Umpires: HP - Charlie Williams, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Dave Pallone, 3B - Fred Brocklander


METS 1ST: Wilson singled to right; Taveras lined into a double
play (shortstop to first) [Wilson out at first]; Brooks struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Scott flied out to left; Garcia grounded out (second
to first); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

METS 2ND: Kingman grounded out (second to first); Mazzilli
walked; Mazzilli stole second; Jorgensen reached on a fielder's
choice [Mazzilli out at third (pitcher to third to second)];
Jorgensen stole second; Pujols allowed a passed ball [Jorgensen
to third]; Trevino grounded out (first unassisted); Alex
Trevino called for interference; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz made an out to shortstop; Howe flied out to
center; Woods singled to center; Woods stole second; Pujols
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 0.

METS 3RD: Flynn grounded out (pitcher to first); Falcone struck
out; Wilson grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Thon singled to center; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Thon to second]; Scott flied out to
left; Garcia grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

METS 4TH: Taveras struck out; Brooks struck out; Kingman
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno doubled to left; Cruz grounded out (second to
first) [Cedeno to third]; Howe doubled to center [Cedeno
scored]; Woods singled to second [Howe to third]; Pujols reached
on an error by Brooks [Howe scored, Woods to second, Pujols to
first]; Thon grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Pujols out at second]; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 2.

METS 5TH: Mazzilli flied out to right; Jorgensen flied out to
center; Trevino grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Niekro singled to left; Scott reached on an error by
Falcone on a sacrifice bunt [Niekro to second]; Garcia made an
out to pitcher; Cedeno grounded into a double play (third to
first) [Niekro out at third, Scott out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 2.

METS 6TH: Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first); HODGES BATTED
FOR FALCONE; Hodges singled to left; Wilson struck out; Taveras
forced Hodges (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets
0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: LEACH REPLACED HODGES (PITCHING); Cruz flied out to
left; Howe walked; Woods flied out to left; Pujols forced Howe
(third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 2.

METS 7TH: Brooks walked; Kingman popped to catcher in foul
territory; Mazzilli doubled to center [Brooks scored]; D. SMITH
REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Jorgensen grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Mazzilli to third]; Trevino walked; STAUB BATTED FOR
FLYNN; Staub singled to left [Mazzilli scored, Trevino to
second]; GARDENHIRE RAN FOR STAUB; CUBBAGE BATTED FOR LEACH;
Cubbage flied out to center; Debut game for Ron
Gardenhire; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: GARDENHIRE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); MARSHALL
REPLACED CUBBAGE (PITCHING); GARNER BATTED FOR THON; Garner
grounded out (shortstop to first); PUHL BATTED FOR D. SMITH;
Puhl made an out to second; Scott flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 2.

METS 8TH: GARNER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); SAMBITO REPLACED
PUHL (PITCHING); Wilson grounded out (first unassisted); Taveras
grounded out (shortstop to first); Brooks walked; Kingman struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Garcia singled to left; Cedeno out on a sacrifice
bunt (first unassisted) [Garcia to second]; Cruz was called out
on strikes; Howe grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 2.

METS 9TH: Mazzilli flied out to left; Jorgensen popped to first
in foul territory; Trevino singled to center; Gardenhire
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: WALLING BATTED FOR WOODS; Walling grounded out
(shortstop to first); ASHBY BATTED FOR PUJOLS; Ashby doubled to
center; LOUCKS RAN FOR ASHBY; Garner grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Loucks to third]; SPILMAN BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Marshall
threw a wild pitch [Loucks scored]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
2, Astros 3.