Pushing across a run in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Astros shaded the Padres, 2-1. Tony Scott opened the ninth with a single and was forced at second by Jose Cruz. Alan Ashby and Cesar Cedeno then walked to load the sacks and Art Howe followed with a checked-swing single through the right side. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 2, San Diego Padres 1

Game Played on Monday, September 28, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome

Padres 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 1 6 1 Astros 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 2 6 1 Padres AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Smith ss 3 0 1 0 1 0 .230 Puhl rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .251 Bonilla 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .293 Garner 2b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .260 Richards lf 3 0 2 0 1 0 .294 Scott cf 4 0 2 0 0 1 .271 Jones cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .249 Cruz lf 4 1 0 0 0 0 .270 Kennedy c 4 1 2 1 0 0 .295 Ashby c 3 0 1 0 1 0 .281 Perkins 1b 2 0 0 0 1 1 .277 Cedeno 1b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .275 Salazar rf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .303 Howe 3b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .303 Flannery 3b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .259 Reynolds ss 3 0 1 0 0 0 .255 Eichelberger p 3 0 0 0 0 0 .093 Niekro p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .176 Walling ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .234 Sambito p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 29 1 6 1 3 3 Totals 30 2 6 1 4 2 Time of Game: 2:07 Attendance: 21,576 Left on Base: Padres 4, Astros 6 DP: Padres 2, Astros 3 Errors: Eichelberger, Cedeno Doubles: Garner (9) Home Runs: Kennedy (2) Caught Stealing: Smith (12), Richards (8) GIDP: Jones (6), Perkins (5), Salazar (7), Cedeno (5), Cruz (7) Padres IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Eichelberger L(8-8) 8.2 6 2 2 4 2 0 34 3.48 Totals 8.2 6 2 2 4 2 0 34 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Niekro 8 5 1 1 2 3 1 27 2.72 Sambito W(5-5) 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 5 1.96 Totals 9 6 1 1 3 3 1 32 Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Joe West PADRES 1ST: Smith grounded out (third to first); Bonilla reached on an error by Cedeno [Bonilla to first]; Richards singled to center [Bonilla to third]; Jones grounded into a double play (first to shortstop) [Richards out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Garner walked; Scott struck out; Garner was picked off first but was safe on an error by Eichelberger [Garner to second]; Cruz lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. PADRES 2ND: Kennedy singled to center; Perkins grounded into a double play (first to shortstop) [Kennedy out at second]; Salazar struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 2ND: Ashby singled to right; Cedeno grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Ashby out at second]; Howe flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. PADRES 3RD: Flannery flied out to center; Eichelberger grounded out (third to first); Smith walked; Smith was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds grounded out (first to pitcher); Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl lined to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. PADRES 4TH: Bonilla flied out to right; Richards grounded out (second to first); Jones struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 4TH: Garner grounded out (second to first); Scott grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. PADRES 5TH: Kennedy flied out to center; Perkins walked; Salazar grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Perkins out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 5TH: Ashby flied out to right; Cedeno popped to third in foul territory; Howe flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. PADRES 6TH: Flannery grounded out (first unassisted); Eichelberger grounded out (shortstop to first); Smith singled to catcher; Bonilla forced Smith (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 6TH: Reynolds grounded out (second to first); Niekro flied out to center; Puhl grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 0, Astros 0. PADRES 7TH: Richards singled to center; Richards was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Jones flied out to center; Kennedy homered; Perkins struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 1, Astros 0. ASTROS 7TH: Garner doubled to right; Scott singled to center [Garner to third]; Cruz grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Garner scored, Scott out at second]; Ashby grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 1, Astros 1. PADRES 8TH: Salazar grounded out (third to first); Flannery grounded out (shortstop to first); Eichelberger grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 1, Astros 1. ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno struck out; Howe flied out to left; Reynolds singled to right; WALLING BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Walling walked [Reynolds to second]; Puhl flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Padres 1, Astros 1. PADRES 9TH: SAMBITO REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Smith flied out to center; Bonilla singled to center; Richards walked [Bonilla to second]; Jones flied out to center; Kennedy popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Padres 1, Astros 1. ASTROS 9TH: Garner flied out to right; Scott singled to center; Cruz forced Scott (third to second); Ashby walked [Cruz to second]; Cedeno walked [Cruz to third, Ashby to second]; Howe singled to right [Cruz scored, Ashby to third, Cedeno to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Padres 1, Astros 2.

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