Blasting off for four runs in the first inning, the Astros went on to a 7-3 triumph over the Giants. Houston sent nine men to the plate in the opening frame, knocking out San Francisco starter Gary Lavelle, who faced only five batters. The key blows were an RBI single by Jose Cruz and a two-out, two-run single by Luis Pujols. Lavelle started because Giants ace Vida Blue was out with an injury. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, San Francisco Giants 3
Game Played on Sunday, September 20, 1981 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       4  0  1    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   7 16  0
Giants       3  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Thon 3b               6   1   2   0     0   0   .232      Morgan 2b             2   0   0   0     2   0   .241
Garner 2b             6   0   2   0     0   0   .254      Cabell 1b             4   1   2   0     0   1   .251
Scott cf              5   2   4   1     1   0   .273      Clark rf              4   1   1   0     0   1   .263
Cruz lf               3   2   1   1     2   1   .261      Evans 3b              3   1   0   0     1   1   .246
Howe 1b               4   1   2   0     1   0   .314      Herndon lf            2   0   1   1     1   0   .282
Woods rf              0   0   0   0     0   0   .214      Leonard cf            4   0   2   2     0   1   .265
  Puhl ph,rf          3   1   2   2     2   0   .256      May c                 4   0   1   0     0   1   .306
Garcia ss             5   0   1   1     0   2   .273      LeMaster ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .260
Pujols c              5   0   2   2     0   0   .234        Bergman ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .256
Ryan p                5   0   0   0     0   1   .182      Lavelle p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .375
                                                            Ripley p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .133
                                                            Breining p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Smith ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .183
                                                            Holland p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Venable ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .154
                                                            Tufts p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Martin ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .251

Totals               42   7  16   7     6   4             Totals               31   3   7   3     4   8

Time of Game: 3:04   Attendance: 16,824
Left on Base: Astros 14, Giants 6
DP: Astros 2, Giants 0
Doubles: Scott (16), Puhl (17)
Home Runs: Scott (4)
Stolen Bases: Garner (8), Scott (15)
Sacrifice Flies: Herndon (3)
GIDP: LeMaster (9), Clark (11)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan W(9-5)             9     7   3   3   4   8   0  36   1.85
Totals                  9     7   3   3   4   8   0  36

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lavelle L(0-6)          0.1   3   4   4   1   0   0   5   4.23
Ripley                  1.2   6   1   1   1   2   0  12   4.07
Breining                3     0   0   0   2   0   0  11   2.95
Holland                 2     3   2   2   1   1   1  10   2.52
Tufts                   2     4   0   0   1   1   0  10   2.45
Totals                  9    16   7   7   6   4   1  48

Wild Pitches: Ryan 2 (14), Ripley (6)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Fred Brocklander, 2B - Charlie Williams, 3B - Paul Pryor


ASTROS 1ST: Thon singled to center; Garner flied out to center;
Scott doubled to left [Thon to third]; Cruz singled to right
[Thon scored, Scott to third]; Howe walked [Cruz to second];
RIPLEY REPLACED LAVELLE (PITCHING); PUHL BATTED FOR WOODS; Puhl
walked [Scott scored, Cruz to third, Howe to second]; Garcia
made an out to shortstop; Pujols singled to left [Cruz scored,
Howe scored, Puhl to second]; Ryan struck out; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: PUHL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Morgan walked;
Cabell singled to third [Morgan to second]; Clark forced Morgan
(third unassisted) [Cabell to second]; Ryan threw a wild pitch
[Cabell to third, Clark to second]; Evans walked; Herndon hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Cabell scored, Clark to third, Evans to
second]; Leonard singled to right [Clark scored, Evans scored];
May struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Thon flied out to left; Garner singled to center;
Garner stole second; Scott singled to left [Garner to third];
Cruz was called out on strikes; Howe made an out to shortstop; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

GIANTS 2ND: LeMaster flied out to center; Ripley grounded out
(second to first); Morgan walked; Cabell flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl doubled to left; Garcia singled to right [Puhl
scored]; Pujols singled to left [Garcia to second]; Ripley threw
a wild pitch [Garcia to third]; BREINING REPLACED RIPLEY
(PITCHING); Ryan made an out to pitcher; Thon lined to third;
Garner popped to first in foul territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 5, Giants 3.

GIANTS 3RD: Clark struck out; Evans flied out to center; Herndon
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Giants 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Scott walked; Scott stole second; Cruz made an out
to shortstop; Howe flied out to right; Puhl was walked
intentionally; Garcia forced Puhl (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Giants 3.

GIANTS 4TH: Leonard singled to left; May forced Leonard (second
to shortstop); LeMaster grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [May out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 5, Giants 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Pujols lined to shortstop; Ryan lined to right
(right to first); Thon flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Giants 3.

GIANTS 5TH: SMITH BATTED FOR BREINING; Smith struck out; Morgan
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Giants 3.

ASTROS 6TH: HOLLAND REPLACED SMITH (PITCHING); Garner flied out
to right; Scott homered; Cruz walked; Howe singled to right
[Cruz to third]; Puhl singled to pitcher [Cruz scored, Howe to
second]; Garcia struck out; Pujols grounded out (shortstop to
first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 3.

GIANTS 6TH: Clark singled to left; Ryan threw a wild pitch
[Clark to second]; Evans flied out to left; Herndon walked;
Leonard struck out; May grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Ryan grounded out (first to pitcher); Thon flied out
to center; Garner grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 3.

GIANTS 7TH: LeMaster grounded out (third to first); VENABLE
BATTED FOR HOLLAND; Venable grounded out (shortstop to first);
Morgan grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 7, Giants 3.

ASTROS 8TH: TUFTS REPLACED VENABLE (PITCHING); Scott singled to
center; Cruz walked [Scott out at second (catcher to
second)]; Tony Scott running on the pitch called ball four;
he did not know Jose Cruz walked and neither did 2B umpire
Charlie Williams, who called out Scott on a tag; Scott left the
bag and was tagged again; Howe singled to left [Cruz to
second]; Puhl flied out to right; Garcia struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 3.

GIANTS 8TH: Cabell singled to center; Clark grounded into a
double play (shortstop to first) [Cabell out at second]; Evans
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Pujols grounded out (third to first); Ryan grounded
out (shortstop to first); Thon singled to center; Garner singled
to shortstop [Thon to second]; Scott forced Garner (third to
second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 3.

GIANTS 9TH: Herndon singled to left; Leonard forced Herndon
(shortstop to second); May singled to right [Leonard to third];
BERGMAN BATTED FOR LEMASTER; Bergman struck out; MARTIN BATTED
FOR TUFTS; Martin struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7,
Giants 3.