Winning pitcher Joe Niekro combined with Dave Smith on a seven-hitter and helped his own cause with a two-run single, and Alan Ashby contributed three hits including a homer to lead the Astros to a 5-2 decision over the Giants. Jack Clark homered for San Francisco. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 5, San Francisco Giants 2

Game Played on Saturday, September 12, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome

Giants 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 - 2 7 1 Astros 0 0 1 3 0 1 0 0 x - 5 9 1 Giants AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Morgan 2b 5 0 2 0 0 0 .238 Scott cf 4 0 1 1 0 1 .257 Venable cf 4 0 1 0 1 0 .250 Garner 2b 2 1 1 0 2 0 .243 Clark rf 4 1 1 1 1 1 .255 Puhl rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .252 Evans 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .244 Cruz lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .265 Herndon lf 3 1 1 0 1 1 .282 Cedeno 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .281 Bergman 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .267 Howe 3b 2 1 0 0 1 0 .315 May c 3 0 1 1 1 1 .307 Garcia 3b 1 0 1 0 0 0 .294 LeMaster ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .259 Ashby c 4 2 3 1 0 0 .286 Whitson p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .103 Reynolds ss 3 1 1 0 1 1 .246 Lavelle p 0 0 0 0 1 0 .375 Niekro p 2 0 1 2 0 0 .209 Cabell ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .245 D. Smith p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .167 Rowland p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Wohlford ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .200 Holland p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .167 Totals 34 2 7 2 5 7 Totals 31 5 9 5 4 5 Time of Game: 2:39 Attendance: 35,867 Left on Base: Giants 10, Astros 7 DP: Giants 0, Astros 0 Errors: May, Ashby Doubles: Ashby (12) Triples: Puhl (4) Home Runs: Clark (15), Ashby (3) Stolen Bases: Venable (1), Herndon (13), Garner 2 (6) Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (10) Giants IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Whitson L(5-8) 3.1 6 4 4 3 1 0 19 4.07 Lavelle 2.2 2 1 1 1 2 1 11 3.74 Rowland 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1.93 Holland 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 2.31 Totals 8 9 5 5 4 5 1 36 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Niekro W(8-7) 6.2 4 1 1 5 4 1 29 2.91 D. Smith SV(7) 2.1 3 1 1 0 3 0 10 3.02 Totals 9 7 2 2 5 7 1 39 Umpires: HP - Lanny Harris, 1B - Eric Gregg, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Nick Colosi GIANTS 1ST: Morgan grounded out (shortstop to first); Venable made an out to first; Clark walked; Evans made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Scott grounded out (second to first); Garner walked; Garner stole second; Puhl flied out to center; Cruz was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. GIANTS 2ND: Herndon struck out; Bergman grounded out (first unassisted); May made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 2ND: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe flied out to right; Ashby singled to center; Reynolds flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. GIANTS 3RD: LeMaster lined to third; Whitson struck out; Morgan grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 3RD: Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); Scott grounded out (first to pitcher); Garner singled to shortstop; Garner stole second [Garner to third (error by May)]; Puhl tripled to right [Garner scored]; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 1. GIANTS 4TH: Venable walked; Venable stole second [Venable to third (error by Ashby)]; Clark flied out to right; Evans made an out to second; Herndon walked; Herndon stole second; Bergman grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 1. ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); Howe walked; Ashby doubled to right [Howe to third]; Reynolds was walked intentionally; Niekro singled to center [Howe scored, Ashby scored, Reynolds to third]; Scott singled to pitcher [Reynolds scored, Niekro to second]; LAVELLE REPLACED WHITSON (PITCHING); Garner made an out to shortstop; Puhl forced Scott (shortstop to second); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 4. GIANTS 5TH: May struck out; LeMaster grounded out (shortstop to first); Lavelle walked; Morgan singled to center [Lavelle to third]; Venable forced Morgan (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 4. ASTROS 5TH: Cruz struck out; Cedeno flied out to right; Howe made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 0, Astros 4. GIANTS 6TH: GARCIA REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 3B); Clark homered; Evans flied out to left; Herndon made an out to second; Bergman grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 1, Astros 4. ASTROS 6TH: Ashby homered; Reynolds singled to center; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Reynolds to second]; Scott struck out; Garner was walked intentionally; Puhl flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Giants 1, Astros 5. GIANTS 7TH: May walked; LeMaster flied out to left; CABELL BATTED FOR LAVELLE; Cabell struck out; Morgan singled to center [May to second]; Venable singled to center [May to third, Morgan to second]; D. SMITH REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Clark struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Giants 1, Astros 5. ASTROS 7TH: ROWLAND REPLACED CABELL (PITCHING); Cruz popped to first in foul territory; Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Garcia singled to third; Garcia was picked off first (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 1, Astros 5. GIANTS 8TH: Evans struck out; Herndon singled to center; Bergman singled to right [Herndon to second]; May singled to right [Herndon scored, Bergman to second]; LeMaster struck out; WOHLFORD BATTED FOR ROWLAND; Wohlford forced May (second to shortstop); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Giants 2, Astros 5. ASTROS 8TH: HOLLAND REPLACED WOHLFORD (PITCHING); Ashby flied out to center; Reynolds struck out; D. Smith struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 2, Astros 5. GIANTS 9TH: Morgan flied out to right; Venable flied out to right; Clark grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Giants 2, Astros 5.

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