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.