Jose Cruz cracked a two-run homer in the sixth inning to support the pitching of Vern Ruhle and reliever Dave Smith as the Astros edged the Expos, 2-1. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, Montreal Expos 1
Game Played on Thursday, September 3, 1981 (Night game) at Stade Olympique
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   2  5  0
Expos        0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Scott cf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .259      Raines lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .303
Garner 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .245      Scott 2b              3   0   1   0     1   1   .211
Puhl rf               4   1   1   0     0   1   .264      Dawson cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .318
Cruz lf               4   1   1   2     0   0   .276      Carter c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .243
Cedeno 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .279      Cromartie rf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .297
Howe 3b               3   0   0   0     1   0   .314      Milner 1b             2   0   0   0     1   0   .223
Ashby c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .274        Phillips pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .212
Reynolds ss           3   0   1   0     0   0   .247        Hutton 1b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .103
  D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Parrish 3b            3   1   1   1     0   1   .221
Ruhle p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .308        Francona ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .318
  Garcia ss           1   0   1   0     0   0   .271      Speier ss             3   0   1   0     0   0   .236
                                                          Sanderson p           1   0   0   0     1   0   .125
                                                            White ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .244
                                                            Fryman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500

Totals               32   2   5   2     1   2             Totals               31   1   6   1     3   2

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance: 24,833
Left on Base: Astros 4, Expos 6
DP: Astros 0, Expos 1
Errors: Scott
Doubles: Puhl (14), Garcia (4)
Triples: Cromartie (2)
Home Runs: Cruz (12), Parrish (5)
Stolen Bases: Raines (66)
Caught Stealing: Dawson (3), Phillips (1)
GIDP: Ashby (5)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle W(3-3)            6     4   1   1   2   0   1  23   3.38
D. Smith SV(6)          3     2   0   0   1   2   0  11   3.15
Totals                  9     6   1   1   3   2   1  34

Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sanderson L(7-5)        7     4   2   2   1   1   1  26   2.36
Fryman                  2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   1.86
Totals                  9     5   2   2   1   2   1  33

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


ASTROS 1ST: Scott flied out to left; Garner grounded out
(shortstop to first); Puhl flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 1ST: Raines singled to center; Raines stole second; Scott
walked; Dawson flied out to left; Carter flied out to left;
Cromartie flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Expos 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz flied out to right; Cedeno grounded out
(pitcher to first); Howe popped to catcher in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Milner grounded out (first unassisted); Parrish flied
out to center; Speier grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Ashby flied out to center; Reynolds flied out to
right; Ruhle was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Sanderson grounded out (pitcher to first); Raines
grounded out (first unassisted); Scott singled to center; Dawson
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Expos 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Scott flied out to center; Garner singled to
pitcher; Puhl forced Garner (second to shortstop); Cruz reached
on an error by Scott [Puhl to second, Cruz to first]; Cedeno
forced Puhl (third unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Expos 0.

EXPOS 4TH: Carter grounded out (third to first); Cromartie
grounded out (first unassisted); Milner grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe walked; Ashby grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Howe out at second]; Reynolds
singled to left; Ruhle flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 5TH: Parrish homered; Speier grounded out (third to
first); Sanderson walked; Raines flied out to center; Scott
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Expos 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Scott flied out to center; Garner flied out to
center; Puhl doubled to right; Cruz homered [Puhl scored];
Cedeno flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Expos 1.

EXPOS 6TH: Dawson singled to center; Dawson was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Carter grounded out (shortstop to
first); Cromartie flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Expos 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe flied out to left; Ashby flied out to left;
Reynolds grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Expos 1.

EXPOS 7TH: D. SMITH REPLACED REYNOLDS (PITCHING); GARCIA
REPLACED RUHLE (PLAYING SS); Milner walked; PHILLIPS RAN FOR
MILNER; Phillips was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Parrish struck out; Speier singled to center; WHITE
BATTED FOR SANDERSON; White popped to third in foul territory; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 1.

ASTROS 8TH: FRYMAN REPLACED WHITE (PITCHING); HUTTON REPLACED
PHILLIPS (PLAYING 1B); Garcia doubled to right; Scott grounded
out (pitcher to first); Garner flied out to center [Garcia to
third]; Puhl struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos
1.

EXPOS 8TH: Raines grounded out (first unassisted); Scott struck
out; Dawson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz flied out to right; Cedeno grounded out
(pitcher to first); Howe flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 1.

EXPOS 9TH: Carter grounded out (third to first); Cromartie
tripled to right; Hutton grounded out (second to first);
FRANCONA BATTED FOR PARRISH; Francona grounded out (pitcher to
second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 1.