Striking out 12 batters, Bruce Berenyi throttled Houston on four hits as the Reds topped the Astros, 4-2. Johnny Bench drove in two runs in the first inning with a single and also stroked a run-scoring single in the eighth. The Reds tallied a run in the fourth on an error by Denny Walling. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 4, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Monday, September 14, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         2  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   4 11  1
Astros       2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  4  2


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Householder rf        5   0   0   0     0   2   .241      Scott cf              4   0   1   0     0   2   .258
Griffey cf            5   1   2   0     0   0   .313      Garner 2b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .241
Concepcion ss         4   2   3   0     0   0   .321      Puhl rf               4   1   1   0     0   2   .248
Foster lf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .284      Cruz lf               4   0   0   1     0   1   .263
Bench 1b              4   0   3   3     0   0   .359      Walling 1b            4   0   1   1     0   1   .239
  Milner pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Ashby c               4   0   0   0     0   2   .280
  Driessen 1b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .223      Garcia 3b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .278
Knight 3b             4   1   0   0     0   0   .261      Reynolds ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .251
Nolan c               4   0   2   0     0   1   .309        LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
Oester 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .255        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Berenyi p             4   0   1   0     0   3   .189      Ruhle p               2   0   0   0     0   2   .235
                                                            Pena ss             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Spilman ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .298
                                                            Thon ss             0   0   0   0     0   0   .230

Totals               37   4  11   3     0   7             Totals               32   2   4   2     1  12

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 19,742
Left on Base: Reds 7, Astros 4
DP: Reds 0, Astros 2
Errors: Bench, Walling, Pena
Doubles: Concepcion (27), Puhl (15)
Caught Stealing: Griffey (4)
GIDP: Oester (8), Householder (2)
Hit by Pitch: Foster (2,by Ruhle)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Berenyi W(8-5)          9     4   2   1   1  12   0  33   3.60
Totals                  9     4   2   1   1  12   0  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle L(3-4)            7.1  11   4   3   0   6   0  32   3.10
LaCorte                 0     0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.00
Sambito                 1.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   5   2.15
Totals                  9    11   4   3   0   7   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Ruhle (1)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Ed Montague


REDS 1ST: Householder struck out; Griffey singled to left;
Concepcion singled to right [Griffey to second]; Foster grounded
out (first to pitcher) [Griffey to third, Concepcion to second];
Bench singled to center [Griffey scored, Concepcion scored];
Knight grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Scott struck out; Garner walked; Puhl doubled to
right [Garner to third]; Cruz reached on an error by Bench
[Garner scored, Puhl to third]; Walling forced Cruz (second to
shortstop) [Puhl scored (unearned)]; Ashby grounded out (first
unassisted); 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 2.

REDS 2ND: Nolan singled to right; Oester grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Nolan out at second];
Berenyi was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Garcia struck out; Reynolds grounded out (shortstop
to first); Ruhle struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2,
Astros 2.

REDS 3RD: Householder flied out to center; Griffey singled to
left; Griffey was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Concepcion singled to right; Foster was called out on strikes; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Scott singled to second; Garner singled to right
[Scott to third]; Puhl struck out; Cruz struck out; Walling
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2,
Astros 2.

REDS 4TH: Bench singled to left; Knight forced Bench (shortstop
to second); Nolan singled to left [Knight to second]; Oester
reached on an error by Walling [Knight scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Nolan to second]; Berenyi singled to shortstop [Nolan to
third, Oester to second]; Householder grounded into a double
play (first to catcher to pitcher) [Nolan out at home]; 1 R (0
ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby grounded out (second to first); Garcia flied
out to center; Reynolds grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

REDS 5TH: Griffey flied out to center; Concepcion made an out to
second; Foster grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Ruhle was called out on strikes; Scott grounded out
(third to first); Garner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

REDS 6TH: Bench made an out to third; Knight grounded out (third
to first); Nolan was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl struck out; Cruz grounded out (first
unassisted); Walling struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3,
Astros 2.

REDS 7TH: Oester flied out to right; Berenyi was called out on
strikes; Householder struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Ashby struck out; Garcia grounded out (first
unassisted); Reynolds flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Reds 3, Astros 2.

REDS 8TH: Griffey grounded out (second to first); Concepcion
doubled to right; Foster was hit by a pitch; Bench singled to
center [Concepcion scored, Foster to second]; MILNER RAN FOR
BENCH; LACORTE REPLACED REYNOLDS (PITCHING); PENA REPLACED RUHLE
(PLAYING SS); Knight reached on a fielder's choice [Foster to
third (error by Pena), Milner to second]; Debut game for Bert
Pena; SAMBITO REPLACED LACORTE (PITCHING); Nolan made an out
to shortstop; Oester grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H,
1 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: SPILMAN BATTED FOR PENA; DRIESSEN REPLACED MILNER
(PLAYING 1B); Spilman struck out; Scott struck out; Garner flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 2.

REDS 9TH: THON REPLACED SPILMAN (PLAYING SS); Berenyi struck
out; Householder grounded out (first unassisted); Griffey flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cruz grounded
out (pitcher to first); Walling singled to center; Ashby struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 2.