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.

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