Nolan Ryan became the first pitcher in baseball history to toss five career no-hitters as the Astros beat the Dodgers, 5-0. The righthander struck out 10 or more batters for the 136th time in his career and retired the final 19 batters following a two-out walk in the third inning. Houston right fielder Terry Puhl saved the no-hitter when he ranged far to his right and backhanded a long fly off the bat of Mike Scioscia in the seventh inning.

The Astros scored twice in the third frame when Tony Scott reached first on an error by Dodgers shortstop Derrel Thomas, Jose Cruz doubled and Alan Ashby singled both runners home. Houston added three markers in the eighth on RBI singles by Craig Reynolds, Kiko Garcia and Cruz. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 0

Game Played on Saturday, September 26, 1981 (Day game) at Astrodome

Dodgers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 1 Astros 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 x - 5 11 0 Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Lopes 2b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .208 Puhl rf 4 1 1 0 1 0 .254 Smith ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .219 Garner 2b 4 0 2 1 1 1 .259 Landreaux cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .249 Scott cf 5 1 0 0 0 1 .271 Baker lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .318 Cruz lf 4 1 3 1 1 0 .275 Garvey 1b 2 0 0 0 1 1 .281 Ashby c 4 0 1 2 1 0 .280 Guerrero 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .301 Howe 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .303 Scioscia c 3 0 0 0 0 2 .283 Spilman 1b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .269 Roenicke rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Pittman ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .277 Thomas ss 2 0 0 0 1 0 .257 Walling 1b 0 1 0 0 1 0 .234 Power p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Reynolds ss 4 1 2 1 0 0 .254 Goltz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .063 Ryan p 2 0 1 0 1 1 .196 Perconte ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .167 Forster p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Johnstone ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .222 Stewart p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .400 Howe p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 27 0 0 0 3 11 Totals 34 5 11 5 6 3 Time of Game: 2:46 Attendance: 32,115 Left on Base: Dodgers 3, Astros 12 DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 0 Errors: Thomas Doubles: Cruz (16), Reynolds (10) Triples: Reynolds (12) Stolen Bases: Garvey (3), Thomas (7), Garner (10), Cruz (5) Caught Stealing: Garner (8) Sacrifice Hits: Ryan (4) Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Power L(1-3) 3.1 6 2 1 3 1 0 19 3.14 Goltz 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3.62 Forster 3 2 0 0 1 2 0 12 4.34 Stewart 0.1 2 3 3 2 0 0 5 2.68 Howe 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2.70 Totals 8 11 5 4 6 3 0 41 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Ryan W(10-5) 9 0 0 0 3 11 0 30 1.74 Totals 9 0 0 0 3 11 0 30 Passed Balls: Scioscia (11) Wild Pitches: Stewart (4), Ryan (15) Umpires: HP - Bruce Froemming, 1B - Joe West, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - John Kibler DODGERS 1ST: Lopes grounded out (shortstop to first); Landreaux was called out on strikes; Baker grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Garner walked; Garner stole second; Scott struck out; Cruz walked; Ashby made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. DODGERS 2ND: Garvey walked; Garvey stole second; Ryan threw a wild pitch [Garvey to third]; Guerrero struck out; Scioscia was called out on strikes; Roenicke made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 2ND: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Spilman grounded out (second to first); Reynolds tripled to right; Ryan walked; Puhl made an out to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. DODGERS 3RD: Thomas walked; Thomas stole second; Power struck out; Lopes was called out on strikes; Landreaux walked; Baker grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 3RD: Garner singled to left; Garner was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Scott reached on an error by Thomas; Cruz doubled to right [Scott to third]; Ashby singled to center [Scott scored (unearned), Cruz scored]; Howe flied out to right; Spilman flied out to center; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. DODGERS 4TH: Garvey struck out; Guerrero flied out to right; Scioscia struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. ASTROS 4TH: Reynolds grounded out (second to first); Ryan singled to center; Puhl singled to right [Ryan to second]; GOLTZ REPLACED POWER (PITCHING); Garner forced Puhl (third to second) [Ryan to third]; Scott grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. DODGERS 5TH: Roenicke flied out to right; Thomas grounded out (third to first); PERCONTE BATTED FOR GOLTZ; Perconte struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. ASTROS 5TH: FORSTER REPLACED PERCONTE (PITCHING); Cruz singled to right; Cruz stole second; Ashby flied out to left; Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); PITTMAN BATTED FOR SPILMAN; Pittman singled to shortstop [Cruz to third]; Reynolds grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. DODGERS 6TH: WALLING REPLACED PITTMAN (PLAYING 1B); Lopes struck out; Landreaux grounded out (second to first); Baker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. ASTROS 6TH: Ryan struck out; Puhl grounded out (second to first); Garner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. DODGERS 7TH: Garvey grounded out (second to first); Guerrero grounded out (shortstop to first); Scioscia flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. ASTROS 7TH: Scott made an out to second; Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Ashby walked; Howe forced Ashby (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. DODGERS 8TH: Roenicke flied out to left; Thomas grounded out (second to first); JOHNSTONE BATTED FOR FORSTER; Johnstone grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 2. ASTROS 8TH: STEWART REPLACED JOHNSTONE (PITCHING); Walling walked; Stewart threw a wild pitch [Walling to second]; Reynolds doubled to right [Walling scored]; Ryan out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Reynolds to third]; Puhl was walked intentionally; Garner singled to left [Reynolds scored, Puhl to second]; HOWE REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); Scott flied out to right; Cruz singled to right [Puhl scored, Garner to second]; Scioscia allowed a passed ball [Garner to third, Cruz to second]; Ashby flied out to left; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 5. DODGERS 9TH: SMITH BATTED FOR LOPES; Smith struck out; Landreaux grounded out (first unassisted); Baker grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 5.

The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet.
Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org".