A leadoff homer by Jose Cruz in the ninth inning snapped a 2-2 tie and lifted the Astros to a 3-2 triumph over the Braves. Houston had tied it in the fifth on Tony Scott's run-scoring single. Atlanta had runners in scoring position the last three innings but failed to get the key hit. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Monday, September 7, 1981 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  1  -   3  8  2
Braves       0  0  1    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  5  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Scott cf              4   0   1   1     0   1   .260      Linares lf            4   0   0   1     0   0   .263
Garner 2b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .245        Miller pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .231
Puhl rf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .252      Washington rf         3   0   0   0     1   0   .296
  D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Horner 3b             4   1   2   1     0   1   .259
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Chambliss 1b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .272
  Garcia ss           0   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Murphy cf             3   0   1   0     1   0   .262
Cruz lf               2   1   1   2     1   0   .269      Hubbard 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Cedeno 1b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .286      Benedict c            3   0   0   0     1   0   .260
Howe 3b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .319      Ramirez ss            3   1   1   0     0   0   .208
Ashby c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .281        Pocoroba ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .185
Reynolds ss           4   1   1   0     0   0   .245        Butler pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .241
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Boggs p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .162
Knepper p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .132        Royster ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .171
  Walling ph,rf       1   0   1   0     0   0   .252        Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Asselstine ph       0   0   0   0     0   0   .299
                                                            Owen ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   3   8   3     1   4             Totals               31   2   5   2     4   1

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance:  7,358
Left on Base: Astros 5, Braves 7
DP: Astros 1, Braves 1
Errors: Howe, Knepper, Boggs
Doubles: Ramirez (14), Pocoroba (4)
Home Runs: Cruz (13), Horner (8)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (18), Hubbard (4), Miller (20)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Knepper (5), Boggs (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (6)
GIDP: Chambliss (9)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Knepper                 7     4   2   2   3   0   1  27   1.84
D. Smith W(4-3)         1     0   0   0   1   1   0   5   2.98
LaCorte                 0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.16
Sambito SV(9)           0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1.89
Totals                  9     5   2   2   4   1   1  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Boggs                   7     5   2   1   1   2   0  26   4.02
Camp L(7-2)             1.1   3   1   1   0   2   1   7   1.70
Hrabosky                0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   1.32
Totals                  9     8   3   2   1   4   1  35

Passed Balls: Benedict (7)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Scott popped to second in foul territory; Garner
flied out to left; Puhl flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Linares grounded out (shortstop to first);
Washington walked; Horner singled to center [Washington to
second]; Chambliss grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Horner out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz walked; Cruz was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Cedeno was called out on strikes; Howe
reached on an error by Boggs; Ashby grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy flied out to right; Hubbard grounded out
(second to first); Benedict grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds flied out to right; Knepper grounded out
(pitcher to first); Scott grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Ramirez doubled to left; Boggs out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Ramirez to third]; Linares grounded out
(third to first) [Ramirez scored]; Washington flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Garner singled to right; Puhl singled to right
[Garner to third]; Puhl stole second; Cruz out on a sacrifice
fly to center [Garner scored]; Cedeno flied out to right; Howe
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Horner homered; Chambliss flied out to center;
Murphy walked; Murphy was picked off first but was safe on an
error by Knepper [Murphy to third]; Hubbard flied out to right;
Benedict grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Ashby grounded out (second to first); Reynolds
singled to second; Knepper out on a sacrifice bunt (first to
second) [Reynolds to second]; Benedict allowed a passed ball
[Reynolds to third]; Scott singled to second [Reynolds scored
(unearned)]; Garner grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER),
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Ramirez lined to shortstop; Boggs grounded out
(shortstop to first); Linares grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl struck out; Cruz flied out to left; Cedeno
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Washington grounded out (shortstop to first); Horner
flied out to center; Chambliss grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Ashby
singled to center; Reynolds lined into a double play (first
unassisted) [Ashby out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: Murphy singled to left; Hubbard forced Murphy (first
to shortstop); Hubbard stole second; Benedict walked; Ramirez
made an out to shortstop; ROYSTER BATTED FOR BOGGS; Royster
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

ASTROS 8TH: CAMP REPLACED ROYSTER (PITCHING); WALLING BATTED FOR
KNEPPER; Walling singled to second; Scott struck out; Garner
flied out to center; Puhl lined to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 8TH: D. SMITH REPLACED PUHL (PITCHING); WALLING STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING RF); Linares reached on an error by Howe [Linares
to first]; MILLER RAN FOR LINARES; Miller stole second;
Washington made an out to shortstop; Horner struck out;
Chambliss was walked intentionally; Murphy forced Chambliss
(second unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

ASTROS 9TH: MILLER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Cruz homered;
Cedeno struck out; Howe singled to center; HRABOSKY REPLACED
CAMP (PITCHING); Ashby popped to catcher in foul territory;
Reynolds flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3,
Braves 2.

BRAVES 9TH: LACORTE REPLACED D. SMITH (PITCHING); Hubbard popped
to catcher in foul territory; Benedict made an out to third;
POCOROBA BATTED FOR RAMIREZ; Pocoroba doubled to right; BUTLER
RAN FOR POCOROBA; ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR HRABOSKY; SAMBITO
REPLACED REYNOLDS (PITCHING); GARCIA REPLACED LACORTE (PLAYING
SS); OWEN BATTED FOR ASSELSTINE; Owen made an out to shortstop;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 2.