Don Sutton flirted with a no-hitter for six innings but then settled for a two-hitter in twirling the Astros to a 4-1 triumph over the Dodgers. Houston's first run came in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Terry Puhl, and the Astros put the game away with a three-run outburst in the seventh. Sutton, 11-8, improved his "second season" record to 7-1. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 1
Game Played on Sunday, September 27, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  2  1
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  0    3  0  x  -   4  7  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .206      Puhl rf               3   0   1   2     0   0   .255
  Sax 2b              2   1   1   1     0   0   .298      Garner 2b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .259
Landreaux cf          4   0   1   0     0   1   .249      Scott cf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .268
Baker lf              3   0   0   0     0   1   .316      Cruz lf               3   1   0   0     1   1   .273
Garvey 1b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .279      Cedeno 1b             2   1   1   0     1   0   .278
Monday rf             3   0   0   0     0   2   .304      Howe 3b               3   0   1   1     0   0   .303
Guerrero 3b           3   0   0   0     0   2   .298      Pujols c              3   0   1   1     0   2   .237
Scioscia c            2   0   0   0     1   0   .281      Thon ss               3   2   2   0     0   1   .267
Russell ss            2   0   0   0     0   2   .227      Sutton p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .137
  Johnstone ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .219
Valenzuela p          2   0   0   0     0   0   .258
  Niedenfuer p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Smith ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .212

Totals               28   1   2   1     1   9             Totals               27   4   7   4     2   6

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 41,686
Left on Base: Dodgers 1, Astros 3
DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 0
Errors: Scioscia
Doubles: Cedeno (19)
Home Runs: Sax (2)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (12), Thon (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Sutton (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Puhl (5)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Valenzuela L(13-6)      7     7   4   4   2   5   0  28   2.59
Niedenfuer              1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.96
Totals                  8     7   4   4   2   6   0  31

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton W(11-8)          9     2   1   1   1   9   1  29   2.59
Totals                  9     2   1   1   1   9   1  29

Umpires: HP - Joe West, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Bruce Froemming


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes grounded out (shortstop to first); Landreaux
made an out to second; Baker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Garner
grounded out (second to first); Scott struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Garvey flied out to center; Monday made an out to
second; Guerrero was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz was called out on strikes; Cedeno walked;
Cedeno stole second [Cedeno to third (error by Scioscia)]; Howe
grounded out (shortstop to first); Pujols was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Scioscia walked; Russell struck out; Valenzuela
grounded out (second to first) [Scioscia to second]; Lopes
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Thon singled to left; Sutton out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to first) [Thon to second]; Thon stole third; Puhl hit
a sacrifice fly to right [Thon scored]; Garner made an out to
third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Landreaux flied out to center; Baker flied out to
left; Garvey was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Scott grounded out (third to first); Cruz flied out
to center; Cedeno lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 5TH: Monday was called out on strikes; Guerrero flied
out to right; Scioscia popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: SAX REPLACED LOPES (PLAYING 2B); Howe flied out to
right; Pujols was called out on strikes; Thon was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Russell struck out; Valenzuela grounded out
(shortstop to first); Sax grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Sutton flied out to right; Puhl grounded out (second
to first); Garner singled to right; Scott forced Garner (third
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 7TH: Landreaux singled to center; Landreaux was picked
off first (pitcher to first); Baker made an out to shortstop;
Garvey made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz walked; Cedeno doubled to left [Cruz to third];
Howe singled to left [Cruz scored, Cedeno to third, Howe out at
second (left to third to second)]; Pujols singled to left
[Cedeno scored]; Thon singled to center [Pujols to second];
Sutton forced Pujols (pitcher to third) [Thon to second]; Puhl
singled to left [Thon scored, Sutton to third, Puhl out at
second (left to catcher to second)]; 3 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 4.

DODGERS 8TH: Monday was called out on strikes; Guerrero struck
out; Scioscia grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: NIEDENFUER REPLACED VALENZUELA (PITCHING); Garner
was called out on strikes; Scott grounded out (second to first);
Cruz made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 4.

DODGERS 9TH: JOHNSTONE BATTED FOR RUSSELL; Johnstone grounded
out (shortstop to first); SMITH BATTED FOR NIEDENFUER; Smith
grounded out (second to first); Sax homered; Landreaux struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 4.