A two-run double by Chris Chambliss in the ninth inning gave the Braves a 3-2 triumph over the Astros. Atlanta trailed, 2-1, going into the bottom of the ninth when leadoff batter Claudell Washington was hit by a pitch. After Billy Smith replaced Joe Sambito on the hill for Houston, Washington reached second on a single by Bob Horner, who was taken out for pinch-runner Eddie Miller. Chambliss then hit a line drive up the left-center alley to score both runners.

Houston first baseman Cesar Cedeno, incensed at something a spectator shouted at him from the stands after he struck out in the first inning, went into the stands and scuffled with a fan. He was immediately ejected from the game. [The Sporting News]



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


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Scott cf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .256      Butler lf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .228
Garner 2b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .241        Linares ph,lf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .262
Cedeno 1b             1   0   0   0     0   1   .285      Washington rf         3   1   1   0     0   0   .297
  Roberts 1b          2   0   0   0     0   0   .217      Horner 3b             4   0   3   0     0   0   .269
  Spilman ph,1b       1   0   1   0     0   0   .268        Miller pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .231
Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .266      Chambliss 1b          4   0   1   2     0   0   .272
Howe 3b               2   0   0   0     1   0   .317      Murphy cf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .259
  Thon pr,3b          1   1   0   0     0   0   .230      Hubbard 2b            3   0   0   0     0   0   .252
Woods rf              3   1   1   1     0   1   .213      Benedict c            2   1   1   1     1   0   .262
Garcia ss             3   0   2   1     0   0   .279      Ramirez ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .205
Pujols c              3   0   1   0     0   1   .228      McWilliams p          2   0   0   0     0   2   .000
Ruhle p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .267        Royster ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .181
  Ivie ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  B. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   2   5   2     1   5             Totals               29   3   7   3     1   2

Time of Game: 2:13   Attendance:  2,800
Left on Base: Astros 3, Braves 4
DP: Astros 2, Braves 1
Errors: Garcia
Doubles: Woods (4), Chambliss (20)
Home Runs: Benedict (5)
Caught Stealing: Murphy (4)
GIDP: Pujols (3), Chambliss (10), Linares (6)
Hit by Pitch: Washington (4,by Sambito)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle                   7     3   0   0   1   2   0  24   3.04
Sambito                 1     2   2   2   0   0   1   5   2.22
B. Smith L(1-1)         0     2   1   1   0   0   0   2   3.45
Totals                  8     7   3   3   1   2   1  31

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McWilliams              8     4   2   2   1   4   0  28   2.89
Camp W(8-2)             1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   1.67
Totals                  9     5   2   2   1   5   0  32

Hit by Pitch: Sambito (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Scott flied out to right; Garner struck out; Cedeno
struck out; Cesar Cedeno ejected by HP umpire Paul Pryor when
he entered the stands to attack a heckler who was chanting
'Killer, Killer' at Cedeno; Cedeno fined $5000 by NL; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: ROBERTS REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING 1B); Butler
grounded out (shortstop to first); Washington flied out to left;
Horner singled to left; Chambliss grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Howe flied out
to center; Woods was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

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

ASTROS 3RD: Garcia grounded out (third to first); Pujols struck
out; Ruhle grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Ramirez grounded out (shortstop to first);
McWilliams struck out; Butler grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Scott grounded out (third to first); Garner flied
out to left; Roberts grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Washington singled to center; Horner singled to left
[Washington to second]; Chambliss grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Washington to third, Horner out
at second]; Murphy grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Howe made an
out to second; Woods grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Hubbard grounded out (shortstop to first); Benedict
walked; Ramirez flied out to right; McWilliams was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Garcia singled to center; Pujols grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Garcia out at
second]; Ruhle grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Butler made an out to shortstop; Washington flied
out to left; Horner grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Scott flied out to center; Garner grounded out
(shortstop to first); Roberts flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Chambliss made an out to shortstop; Murphy reached
on an error by Garcia [Murphy to first]; Murphy was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Hubbard flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Howe walked;
THON RAN FOR HOWE; Woods doubled to right [Thon scored, Woods to
third (on throw to home)]; Garcia singled to center [Woods
scored]; Pujols singled to left [Garcia to third]; IVIE BATTED
FOR RUHLE; Ivie made an out to shortstop; Scott flied out to
right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED IVIE (PITCHING); THON STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 3B); Benedict homered; Ramirez flied out to right;
ROYSTER BATTED FOR MCWILLIAMS; Royster singled to left; LINARES
BATTED FOR BUTLER; Linares grounded into a double play (pitcher
to second to first) [Royster out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 9TH: CAMP REPLACED ROYSTER (PITCHING); LINARES STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING LF); Garner struck out; SPILMAN BATTED FOR
ROBERTS; Spilman singled to shortstop; Cruz forced Spilman
(second to shortstop); Thon grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: SPILMAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Washington was
hit by a pitch; B. SMITH REPLACED SAMBITO (PITCHING); Horner
singled to left [Washington to second]; MILLER RAN FOR HORNER;
Chambliss doubled to left [Washington scored, Miller scored]; 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 3.