Mario Soto and Tom Hume combined on a five-hitter to give the Reds a 5-2 triumph over the Astros, moving Cincinnati to within a half-game of first place in the N.L. West. George Foster belted a solo homer in the fifth and the Reds tallied twice in the sixth on a triple by Ron Oester, RBI single by Dave Collins and run-scoring double by Dave Concepcion. The Reds got another pair in the seventh on an error by Houston catcher Alan Ashby and RBI single by Oester. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 5, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Wednesday, September 30, 1981 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   2  5  1
Reds         0  0  0    0  1  2    2  0  x  -   5  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .251      Collins rf            3   0   1   1     0   0   .280
Garner 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .257        Mejias rf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Scott cf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .269      Griffey cf            4   1   0   0     0   0   .308
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Concepcion ss         4   0   1   1     0   0   .304
Cruz lf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .268      Foster lf             3   1   1   1     0   0   .295
Ashby c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .273      Bench 1b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .331
Cedeno 1b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .275      Nolan c               2   1   1   0     1   0   .316
Howe 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .297        O'Berry c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .154
Reynolds ss           3   1   1   1     0   0   .257      Knight 3b             3   1   1   0     0   1   .253
Ruhle p               2   0   0   0     0   2   .250      Oester 2b             3   1   2   1     0   0   .267
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Kennedy 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Spilman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .264      Soto p                3   0   0   0     0   1   .071
  D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .286        Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Loucks cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   2   5   2     2   3             Totals               29   5   7   4     1   2

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance: 24,394
Left on Base: Astros 5, Reds 1
DP: Astros 0, Reds 1
Errors: Ashby, Concepcion
Doubles: Puhl (19), Concepcion (28), Knight (21)
Triples: Oester (7)
Home Runs: Reynolds (4), Cedeno (4), Foster (21)
Caught Stealing: Nolan (2)
GIDP: Cedeno (6)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle L(4-6)            5.2   5   3   3   0   2   1  21   2.97
LaCorte                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.93
D. Smith                1     2   2   1   1   0   0   5   2.84
Sambito                 1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.93
Totals                  8     7   5   4   1   2   1  30

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Soto W(11-9)            8     5   2   2   2   3   2  32   3.47
Hume SV(13)             1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.80
Totals                  9     5   2   2   2   3   2  34

Wild Pitches: Soto (4)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl doubled to right; Garner grounded out (pitcher
to first); Phil Garner called for interference; Scott
reached on a fielder's choice [Puhl out at third (pitcher to
shortstop to third)]; Cruz flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Collins grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffey
grounded out (second to first); Concepcion flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ashby grounded out (first unassisted); Cedeno
grounded out (pitcher to first); Howe flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster grounded out (third to first); Bench flied out
to right; Nolan flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds homered; Ruhle struck out; Puhl singled to
center; Soto threw a wild pitch [Puhl to second]; Garner reached
on an error by Concepcion [Garner to first]; Scott made an out
to shortstop; Cruz flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Knight grounded out (shortstop to first); Oester flied
out to right; Soto struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby grounded out (second to first); Cedeno made an
out to first; Howe made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Collins grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffey
made an out to shortstop; Concepcion flied out to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Reynolds grounded out (first unassisted); Ruhle
struck out; Puhl flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 5TH: Foster homered; Bench flied out to center; Nolan
singled to center; Nolan was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Knight struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Garner singled to right; Scott forced Garner
(shortstop to second); Cruz flied out to center; Ashby flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 6TH: Oester tripled to center; Soto grounded out (third to
first); Collins singled to right [Oester scored]; Griffey forced
Collins (second to shortstop); Concepcion doubled to left
[Griffey scored]; LACORTE REPLACED RUHLE (PITCHING); Foster
popped to first in foul territory; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Reds 3.

ASTROS 7TH: MEJIAS REPLACED COLLINS (PLAYING RF); Cedeno
homered; Howe made an out to second; Reynolds grounded out
(second to first); SPILMAN BATTED FOR LACORTE; Spilman flied out
to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 3.

REDS 7TH: D. SMITH REPLACED SPILMAN (PITCHING); Bench grounded
out (third to first); Nolan walked; Knight doubled to left
[Nolan scored (error by Ashby; assists by Cruz and Reynolds)
(unearned), Knight to third (on throw to home)]; Oester singled
to right [Knight scored, Oester out at second (right to
second)]; Ron Oester hurt right shoulder sliding into 2B;
Soto grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 5.

ASTROS 8TH: O'BERRY REPLACED NOLAN (PLAYING C ); KENNEDY
REPLACED OESTER (PLAYING 2B); Puhl made an out to shortstop;
Garner flied out to left; Scott struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 5.

REDS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED SCOTT (PITCHING); LOUCKS REPLACED D.
SMITH (PLAYING CF); Mejias made an out to second; Griffey flied
out to left; Concepcion flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz walked; Ashby walked [Cruz to second]; HUME
REPLACED SOTO (PITCHING); Cedeno grounded into a double play
(second to first) [Cruz to third, Ashby out at second]; Howe
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Reds 5.