The Dodgers downed the Astros, 7-2, in a game in which both teams substituted freely after the Astros learned in the third inning they had clinched the N.L. West "second season" championship with the defeat of Cincinnati by Atlanta. Pedro Guerrero drove in three runs for the winners with a pair of singles, and Bob Welch upped his record to 9-5, giving up just three hits in six innings. Houston's Alan Knicely stroked his first major league homer in the sixth stanza. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Saturday, October   3, 1981 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   2  7  1
Dodgers      1  0  0    2  3  1    0  0  x  -   7 13  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               3   0   1   0     0   1   .251      Sax 2b                3   2   1   0     2   1   .282
  Woods ph,rf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .204      Landreaux cf          4   2   3   0     1   0   .251
Garner 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .248        Stewart p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .400
  Pittman 2b          1   0   0   0     0   1   .273      Baker lf              4   0   2   2     0   1   .321
Scott cf              3   0   0   0     0   1   .264        Bradley pr,lf       1   0   1   0     0   0   .250
  Loucks cf           1   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Garvey 1b             3   2   1   1     0   0   .282
Cruz lf               2   0   0   0     0   0   .265        Marshall ph,1b      1   0   0   0     1   1   .217
  Tolman ph,lf        2   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Monday rf             2   0   1   0     1   0   .315
Cedeno 1b             3   0   1   0     0   1   .271        Thomas pr,rf,3b     2   0   0   0     0   0   .251
  Spilman pr,1b       1   1   0   0     0   0   .259      Guerrero 3b           4   0   3   3     0   0   .300
Ashby c               2   0   0   0     0   1   .271        Maldonado pr,rf     1   0   0   0     0   0   .091
  Roberts 3b          2   0   1   0     0   1   .231      Scioscia c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .276
Howe 3b               2   0   0   0     0   0   .296        Grote ph,c          1   0   0   0     0   1   .293
  Pladson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Russell ss            4   1   1   0     0   0   .231
  Ivie ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .254        Weiss ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Sprowl p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Welch p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  B. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Johnstone ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .207
  Pena ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .500        Howe p              0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Reynolds ss           2   0   1   0     0   0   .261        Mitchell cf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Garcia ph,ss        1   0   0   1     0   0   .263
Niekro p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .176
  Knicely c           2   1   1   1     0   0   .667

Totals               33   2   7   2     0   6             Totals               36   7  13   6     6   5

Time of Game: 2:43   Attendance: 42,272
Left on Base: Astros 6, Dodgers 11
DP: Astros 1, Dodgers 0
Errors: Scott, Sax
Doubles: Bradley (1)
Home Runs: Knicely (1)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (22), Landreaux (18)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (11)
Sacrifice Flies: Garcia (1)
GIDP: Baker (9)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(9-9)           4     4   3   3   2   1   0  17   2.82
Pladson                 2     7   4   4   2   2   0  15   9.00
Sprowl                  1     1   0   0   2   1   0   6   5.97
B. Smith                1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   3.05
Totals                  8    13   7   7   6   5   0  42

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Welch W(9-5)            6     3   1   1   0   4   1  21   3.44
Howe                    2     4   1   0   0   1   0  11   2.50
Stewart                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.49
Totals                  9     7   2   1   0   6   1  35

Wild Pitches: Sprowl 2 (3)
Balks: Pladson (1)

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Paul Runge


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

DODGERS 1ST: Sax walked; Landreaux singled to center [Sax to
third]; Baker grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Sax scored, Landreaux out at second]; Garvey grounded
out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cedeno was called out on strikes; Ashby struck out;
Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Monday flied out to center; Guerrero grounded out
(pitcher to second to first); Scioscia popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds singled to left; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Reynolds to second]; Puhl grounded out
(second to first) [Reynolds to third]; Garner flied out to left;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Russell grounded out (shortstop to first); Welch
made an out to shortstop; Sax flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Scott made an out to shortstop; Cruz flied out to
center; Cedeno flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Landreaux singled to left; Landreaux stole second;
Baker struck out; Garvey singled to left [Landreaux to third];
Monday walked [Garvey to second]; Guerrero singled to right
[Landreaux scored, Garvey scored, Monday to second]; Scioscia
flied out to right [Monday to third]; Russell flied out to left;
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Ashby grounded out (first unassisted); Howe flied
out to center; Reynolds flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 3.

DODGERS 5TH: PLADSON REPLACED HOWE (PITCHING); ROBERTS REPLACED
ASHBY (PLAYING 3B); KNICELY REPLACED NIEKRO (PLAYING C ); Welch
grounded out (second to first); Sax singled to right; Landreaux
singled to center [Sax to third, Landreaux to second (error by
Scott)]; Baker singled to center [Sax scored, Landreaux to
third]; Garvey forced Baker (third to second) [Landreaux
scored]; Monday singled to center [Garvey to second]; THOMAS RAN
FOR MONDAY; Guerrero singled to left [Garvey scored, Thomas to
second]; Scioscia forced Guerrero (shortstop to second); 3 R, 5
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 6.

ASTROS 6TH: THOMAS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Knicely homered;
Puhl was called out on strikes; Garner grounded out (second to
first); Scott struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Dodgers 6.

DODGERS 6TH: PITTMAN REPLACED GARNER (PLAYING 2B); LOUCKS
REPLACED SCOTT (PLAYING CF); Russell singled to left; JOHNSTONE
BATTED FOR WELCH; Johnstone struck out; Sax struck out;
Landreaux walked [Russell to second]; Pladson balked [Russell to
third, Landreaux to second]; Baker singled to third [Russell
scored, Landreaux to third]; BRADLEY RAN FOR BAKER; MARSHALL
BATTED FOR GARVEY; Marshall walked [Bradley to second]; Thomas
made an out to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1,
Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 7TH: BRADLEY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); MARSHALL STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); HOWE REPLACED JOHNSTONE (PITCHING); TOLMAN
BATTED FOR CRUZ; Tolman flied out to right; Cedeno singled to
center; SPILMAN RAN FOR CEDENO; Roberts singled to center
[Spilman to second]; IVIE BATTED FOR PLADSON; Ivie reached on a
fielder's choice [Spilman to third, Roberts to second (error by
Sax)]; GARCIA BATTED FOR REYNOLDS; Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Spilman scored (unearned)]; Knicely forced Ivie (third
to second); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 7.

DODGERS 7TH: TOLMAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); SPILMAN STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); GARCIA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); SPROWL
REPLACED IVIE (PITCHING); Guerrero singled to third; MALDONADO
RAN FOR GUERRERO; Sprowl threw a wild pitch [Maldonado to
second]; GROTE BATTED FOR SCIOSCIA; Grote struck out; Russell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe walked; Sprowl threw a
wild pitch [Maldonado to third, Howe to second]; Sax walked;
Landreaux grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
 Astros 2, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 8TH: MALDONADO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); GROTE STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING C ); THOMAS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B);
WOODS BATTED FOR PUHL; WEISS REPLACED RUSSELL (PLAYING SS);
Woods flied out to center; Pittman was called out on strikes;
Loucks singled to shortstop; Tolman singled to right [Loucks to
second]; Spilman made an out to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 7.

DODGERS 8TH: WOODS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); B. SMITH
REPLACED SPROWL (PITCHING); Bradley doubled to left; Marshall
struck out; Thomas flied out to center; Maldonado grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 9TH: STEWART REPLACED LANDREAUX (PITCHING); MITCHELL
REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING CF); Roberts struck out; PENA BATTED FOR
B. SMITH; Pena flied out to left; Garcia flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 7.