Art Howe drove in two runs, with a single in the first inning and a triple in the third, to lead the Astros to a 5-3 decision over the Braves. Jose Cruz and Dickie Thon each had three hits for the Astros, and Bob Knepper hit his second career home run. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Thursday, September 24, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  0  1    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  5  0
Astros       2  1  2    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   5 14  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Linares lf            4   0   2   1     0   0   .279      Thon 3b               5   0   3   0     0   1   .253
Washington rf         4   0   0   0     0   2   .293      Garner 2b             4   1   1   0     1   0   .260
Horner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .271      Scott cf              4   1   1   1     0   0   .275
Chambliss 1b          2   1   0   0     2   0   .275      Cruz lf               4   1   3   0     0   0   .267
Murphy cf             4   1   1   1     0   0   .251      Howe 1b               4   1   2   2     0   0   .309
Hubbard 2b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .233      Woods rf              1   0   0   1     0   0   .212
  Butler ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .258        Puhl ph,rf          2   0   0   0     0   1   .254
Sinatro c             2   1   1   1     1   0   .333      Garcia ss             4   0   0   0     0   0   .265
  Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .280      Pujols c              4   0   1   0     0   1   .234
Gomez ss              1   0   0   0     0   0   .219      Knepper p             3   1   2   1     0   0   .159
  Jacoby ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .333        D. Smith p          1   0   1   0     0   0   .286
  Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Royster ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .207
  Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .183
McWilliams p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Bedrosian p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Ramirez ss          2   0   0   0     0   0   .216

Totals               31   3   5   3     4   5             Totals               36   5  14   5     1   3

Time of Game: 2:17   Attendance: 23,341
Left on Base: Braves 5, Astros 9
DP: Braves 0, Astros 1
Doubles: Linares 2 (9), Murphy (12), Scott (18)
Triples: Howe (4), Cruz (3)
Home Runs: Knepper (1)
Caught Stealing: Thon (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Woods (2)
GIDP: Linares (10)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McWilliams L(1-1)       2.1   8   5   5   1   1   1  15   3.45
Bedrosian               0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.79
Garber                  3     3   0   0   0   1   0  12   2.92
Camp                    2     3   0   0   0   1   0   9   1.87
Totals                  8    14   5   5   1   3   1  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Knepper W(9-4)          7.2   5   3   3   4   4   0  31   2.04
D. Smith SV(8)          1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.83
Totals                  9     5   3   3   4   5   0  35

Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Satch Davidson


BRAVES 1ST: Linares flied out to right; Washington was called
out on strikes; Horner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Thon singled to left; Garner walked [Thon to
second]; Thon was caught stealing third (catcher to third)
[Garner to second (on throw to 3b)]; Scott doubled to left
[Garner scored]; Cruz singled to first [Scott to third]; Howe
singled to right [Scott scored, Cruz to second]; Woods flied out
to center; Garcia flied out to right; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Chambliss flied out to right; Murphy grounded out
(third to first); Hubbard made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Pujols struck out; Knepper homered; Thon made an out
to pitcher; Garner singled to third; Scott grounded out (second
to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Sinatro walked; Gomez made an out to second;
McWilliams struck out; Linares doubled to center [Sinatro
scored]; Washington struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Cruz singled to shortstop; Howe tripled to center
[Cruz scored]; Woods hit a sacrifice fly to center [Howe
scored]; BEDROSIAN REPLACED MCWILLIAMS (PITCHING); Garcia
grounded out (second to first); Pujols flied out to right; 2 R,
2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 5.

BRAVES 4TH: Horner grounded out (third to first); Chambliss
walked; Murphy doubled to left [Chambliss scored]; Hubbard made
an out to third; Sinatro singled to left [Murphy scored]; JACOBY
BATTED FOR GOMEZ; Jacoby was called out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 4TH: GARBER REPLACED JACOBY (PITCHING); RAMIREZ REPLACED
BEDROSIAN (PLAYING SS); Knepper grounded out (second to first);
Thon struck out; Garner grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

BRAVES 5TH: Ramirez flied out to center; Linares doubled to
center; Washington flied out to left; Horner made an out to
first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Scott flied out to center; Cruz tripled to left;
Howe grounded out (third to first); PUHL BATTED FOR WOODS; Puhl
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 5.

BRAVES 6TH: PUHL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Chambliss made an
out to shortstop; Murphy flied out to center; Hubbard singled to
left; Sinatro grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Garcia grounded out (shortstop to first); Pujols
grounded out (third to first); Knepper singled to center; Thon
singled to left [Knepper to second]; Garner forced Thon (third
to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

BRAVES 7TH: ROYSTER BATTED FOR GARBER; Royster walked; Ramirez
flied out to right; Linares grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Royster out at second]; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: CAMP REPLACED ROYSTER (PITCHING); Scott grounded out
(second to first); Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
3, Astros 5.

BRAVES 8TH: Washington flied out to center; Horner flied out to
left; Chambliss walked; D. SMITH REPLACED KNEPPER (PITCHING);
Murphy forced Chambliss (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Braves 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Puhl struck out; Garcia grounded out (second to
first); Pujols singled to right; D. Smith singled to right
[Pujols to second]; Thon singled to pitcher [Pujols to third, D.
Smith to second]; Garner made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 3 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

BRAVES 9TH: BUTLER BATTED FOR HUBBARD; Butler flied to left in
foul territory; ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR SINATRO; Asselstine
grounded out (second to first); POCOROBA BATTED FOR CAMP;
Pocoroba was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 3, Astros 5.