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.

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