Nolan Ryan and Joe Sambito combined on a three-hitter as the Astros posted a 5-0 victory over the Expos for their ninth straight triumph. Houston took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Jose Cruz stroked a two-out single, stole second and scored on a single by Cesar Cedeno. Ryan helped his own cause with an RBI single in the sixth and Cedeno cracked an RBI single in the seventh and a run-scoring double in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Montreal Expos 0
Game Played on Friday, September 4, 1981 (Night game) at Stade Olympique
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  1    1  0  2  -   5 13  0
Expos        0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  3  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Scott cf              5   0   1   0     0   2   .258      Raines lf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .302
Garner 2b             5   1   2   0     0   1   .249      Scott 2b              2   0   0   0     1   0   .209
Puhl rf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .261        Wallach ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .225
Cruz lf               5   2   1   0     0   2   .275        Gorman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cedeno 1b             5   2   4   3     0   0   .289      Dawson cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .317
Howe 3b               5   0   1   0     0   0   .312      Carter c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .239
Ashby c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .278      Cromartie rf          3   0   0   0     1   1   .293
Reynolds ss           3   0   0   0     1   1   .244      Milner 1b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .217
Ryan p                3   0   2   1     0   0   .194      Parrish 3b            3   0   1   0     0   1   .222
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Speier ss             2   0   0   0     1   1   .233
                                                          Gullickson p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .143
                                                            Office ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .118
                                                            Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            White ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .241
                                                            Phillips 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .212

Totals               38   5  13   4     2   6             Totals               29   0   3   0     3   7

Time of Game: 2:54   Attendance: 32,580
Left on Base: Astros 10, Expos 5
DP: Astros 0, Expos 0
Doubles: Garner (7), Cedeno 2 (18)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (4), Cedeno (11), Scott (26)
Sacrifice Hits: Puhl (4), Ryan (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan W(8-3)             7     2   0   0   3   7   0  26   1.29
Sambito SV(8)           2     1   0   0   0   0   0   6   1.77
Totals                  9     3   0   0   3   7   0  32

Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gullickson L(4-7)       6     9   2   2   2   5   0  28   2.85
Jackson                 2     3   1   1   0   0   0   9   2.62
Gorman                  1     1   2   2   0   1   0   5   4.50
Totals                  9    13   5   5   2   6   0  42

Wild Pitches: Gorman 2 (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Scott grounded out (second to first); Garner doubled
to left; Puhl walked; Cruz flied out to left; Cedeno grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos
0.

EXPOS 1ST: Raines flied out to left; Scott walked; Scott stole
second; Dawson flied out to left; Carter grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe singled to center; Ashby singled to left [Howe
to second]; Reynolds flied out to center; Ryan popped to first
in foul territory; Scott struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Expos 0.

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

ASTROS 3RD: Garner grounded out (pitcher to first); Puhl flied
out to left; Cruz singled to center; Cruz stole second; Cedeno
singled to right [Cruz scored]; Cedeno stole second; Howe
reached on a fielder's choice [Cedeno out at third (third
unassisted)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Speier grounded out (shortstop to first); Gullickson
was called out on strikes; Raines was called out on strikes; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby flied out to center; Reynolds struck out
(catcher to first); Ryan singled to center; Scott was credited
with a single when a runner was hit by the batted ball [Ryan out
at second (first unassisted)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Expos 0.

EXPOS 4TH: Scott flied out to center; Dawson flied out to right;
Carter made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Expos 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Garner struck out; Puhl lined to second; Cruz was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 0.

EXPOS 5TH: Cromartie struck out; Milner made an out to third;
Parrish was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Expos 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno doubled to left; Howe grounded out (first
unassisted) [Cedeno to third]; Ashby popped to catcher in foul
territory; Reynolds was walked intentionally; Ryan singled to
left [Cedeno scored, Reynolds to second]; Scott struck out; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 0.

EXPOS 6TH: Speier was called out on strikes; OFFICE BATTED FOR
GULLICKSON; Office was called out on strikes; Raines grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 0.

ASTROS 7TH: JACKSON REPLACED OFFICE (PITCHING); Garner singled
to left; Puhl out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Garner to second]; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Garner to third]; Cedeno singled to center [Garner scored];
Howe flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos
0.

EXPOS 7TH: Scott flied out to center; Dawson singled to left;
Carter made an out to shortstop; Cromartie walked [Dawson to
second]; Milner grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Ashby singled to left; Reynolds flied out to right;
Ryan out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher unassisted) [Ashby to
second]; Scott grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 0.

EXPOS 8TH: Parrish singled to center; Speier walked [Parrish to
second]; SAMBITO REPLACED RYAN (PITCHING); WHITE BATTED FOR
JACKSON; White flied out to center; Raines singled to center
[Parrish to third, Speier to second]; Raines was picked off
first (catcher to first); WALLACH BATTED FOR SCOTT; Wallach made
an out to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 0.

ASTROS 9TH: GORMAN REPLACED WALLACH (PITCHING); PHILLIPS
REPLACED WHITE (PLAYING 2B); Garner flied out to center; Puhl
popped to third in foul territory; Cruz struck out but advanced
to first on a wild pitch; Cedeno doubled to left [Cruz scored,
Cedeno to third (on throw to home)]; Gorman threw a wild pitch
[Cedeno scored]; Howe grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 0.

EXPOS 9TH: Dawson flied out to right; Carter popped to first in
foul territory; Cromartie grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 0.