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.