The Astros, capitalizing on 11 walks and the seven-hit pitching of Nolan Ryan, downed the Reds, 8-1, and increased their lead in the National League West to 1½ games. With the Astros leading, 1-0, in the seventh inning, Reds reliever Joe Price walked Phil Garner and Jose Cruz with the bases filled to make the score 3-0. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, Cincinnati Reds 1
Game Played on Thursday, October   1, 1981 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  5  -   8 10  0
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               2   1   1   0     1   0   .253      Collins rf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .277
  Woods ph,rf         1   0   0   0     0   1   .208        Mejias rf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
  Walling ph,rf       1   1   1   2     0   0   .239      Griffey cf            4   0   2   0     0   1   .310
Garner 2b             3   0   0   2     1   1   .254      Concepcion ss         4   0   2   0     0   1   .306
Scott cf              3   1   1   0     2   2   .269      Foster lf             4   0   1   0     0   2   .294
Cruz lf               3   1   0   1     2   0   .266      Bench 1b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .324
Cedeno 1b             4   1   0   0     1   1   .271      Nolan c               4   1   0   0     0   0   .310
Ashby c               4   0   1   1     1   1   .273      Knight 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .256
Howe 3b               2   1   2   1     3   0   .301      Oester 2b             1   0   0   0     3   1   .267
Reynolds ss           5   1   2   1     0   0   .259      Berenyi p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .190
Ryan p                5   1   2   0     0   1   .216        LaCoss p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Price p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Moskau p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Biittner ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .232
                                                            Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Leibrandt p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Edelen p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Householder ph      1   0   0   0     0   1   .246

Totals               33   8  10   8    11   7             Totals               33   1   7   0     3   9

Time of Game: 3:12   Attendance: 26,484
Left on Base: Astros 10, Reds 8
DP: Astros 1, Reds 2
Errors: Nolan
Doubles: Ryan (1), Knight (22)
Home Runs: Walling (5)
Stolen Bases: Puhl 2 (21), Scott (18)
Caught Stealing: Ashby (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Garner (4)
GIDP: Ryan (1), Berenyi (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan W(11-5)            9     7   1   1   3   9   0  36   1.69
Totals                  9     7   1   1   3   9   0  36

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Berenyi L(9-6)          6     3   3   2   6   3   0  26   3.50
LaCoss                  0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   6.12
Price                   0.2   0   0   0   2   2   0   4   2.52
Moskau                  0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   4.17
Hume                    1.1   4   5   5   2   1   1   9   3.43
Leibrandt               0     2   0   0   1   0   0   3   3.60
Edelen                  0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   6.11
Totals                  9    10   8   7  11   7   1  45

Wild Pitches: Ryan (16), Berenyi (7)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to shortstop; Puhl stole second [Puhl
to third (error by Nolan)]; Garner hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Puhl scored (unearned)]; Scott walked; Cruz flied out to
center; Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

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

ASTROS 2ND: Ashby singled to left; Howe walked [Ashby to
second]; Reynolds flied out to left; Ashby was caught stealing
third (catcher to third); Ryan struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster was called out on strikes; Bench grounded out
(third to first); Nolan flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl walked; Puhl stole second; Garner struck out;
Scott struck out; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Knight singled to center; Oester struck out; Berenyi
was called out on strikes; Collins flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Ashby lined to
shortstop; Howe walked; Reynolds forced Howe (second to
shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Griffey singled to left; Concepcion singled to right
[Griffey to second]; Foster struck out; Bench made an out to
shortstop; Nolan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Ryan grounded out (second to first); Puhl grounded
out (first to pitcher); Garner made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 5TH: Knight popped to catcher in foul territory; Oester
walked; On a bunt Berenyi grounded into a double play (pitcher
to shortstop to second) [Oester out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Scott walked; Scott stole second; Cruz flied out to
right; Berenyi threw a wild pitch [Scott to third]; Cedeno
grounded out (third to first); Ashby grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 6TH: Collins grounded out (second to first); Griffey flied
out to center; Concepcion grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe walked; Reynolds singled to left [Howe to
second]; LACOSS REPLACED BERENYI (PITCHING); Ryan singled to
shortstop [Howe to third, Reynolds to second]; PRICE REPLACED
LACOSS (PITCHING); WOODS BATTED FOR PUHL; Woods struck out;
Garner walked [Howe scored, Reynolds to third, Ryan to second];
Scott struck out; Cruz walked [Reynolds scored, Ryan to third,
Garner to second]; Joe Price ejected by HP umpire Joe
West; MOSKAU REPLACED PRICE (PITCHING); Cedeno was called
out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

REDS 7TH: WOODS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Foster singled to
center; Bench struck out; Nolan forced Foster (first to
shortstop); Knight doubled to right [Nolan to third]; Ryan threw
a wild pitch [Nolan scored, Knight to third]; Oester walked;
BIITTNER BATTED FOR MOSKAU; Biittner flied out to left; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 1.

ASTROS 8TH: HUME REPLACED BIITTNER (PITCHING); Ashby struck out;
Howe singled to third; Reynolds lined into a double play (third
to first) [Howe out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Reds 1.

REDS 8TH: Collins struck out; Griffey singled to second;
Concepcion singled to left [Griffey to second]; Foster forced
Concepcion (second to shortstop) [Griffey to third]; Bench flied
out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 1.

ASTROS 9TH: MEJIAS REPLACED COLLINS (PLAYING RF); Ryan doubled
to right; WALLING BATTED FOR WOODS; Walling homered [Ryan
scored]; Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); Scott singled
to left; Cruz walked [Scott to second]; Cedeno walked [Scott to
third, Cruz to second]; LEIBRANDT REPLACED HUME (PITCHING);
Ashby walked [Scott scored, Cruz to third, Cedeno to second];
Howe singled to left [Cruz scored, Cedeno to third, Ashby to
second]; Reynolds singled to center [Cedeno scored, Ashby to
third, Howe to second]; EDELEN REPLACED LEIBRANDT (PITCHING);
Ryan grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Reynolds out at second]; 5 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 8, Reds
1.

REDS 9TH: WALLING STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Nolan flied out
to center; Knight grounded out (shortstop to first); Oester
walked; HOUSEHOLDER BATTED FOR EDELEN; Householder struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Reds 1.