Pushing across a run in the 11th inning, the Astros edged the Dodgers, 1-0, to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five divisional series. After the teams battled through 10½ scoreless frames, Phil Garner led off the bottom of the 11th with a single and went to third on a single by Tony Scott. Terry Forster replaced Dave Stewart on the hill for Los Angeles and retired Jose Cruz on a fly to short left field.

Tom Niedenfuer then assumed the pitching chores and issued an intentional walk to Cesar Cedeno to load the bases. Art Howe struck out but Denny Walling, pinch-hitting for Dickie Thon, singled into the gap in deep right-center to plate Garner and end the game. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 1, Los Angeles Dodgers 0
Division Series Game 2 Played on Wednesday, October   7, 1981 (Day game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  -   0  9  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  -   1  9  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              5   0   2   0     0   2   .222      Puhl rf               5   0   1   0     0   0   .333
  Marshall ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Garner 2b             5   1   2   0     0   0   .250
  Stewart p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Scott cf              5   0   1   0     0   1   .222
  Forster p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cruz lf               5   0   2   0     0   0   .222
  Niedenfuer p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cedeno 1b             3   0   0   0     2   1   .286
Landreaux cf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Howe 3b               4   0   0   0     1   1   .125
Baker lf              4   0   1   0     1   0   .143      Thon ss               4   0   2   0     0   0   .500
Garvey 1b             5   0   1   0     0   0   .250        Walling ph          1   0   1   1     0   0  1.000
Monday rf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .167      Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Thomas rf           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Guerrero 3b           5   0   1   0     0   0   .125        Woods ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Scioscia c            4   0   1   0     0   0   .143        D. Smith p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Yeager ph,c         1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000        Pittman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Russell ss            2   0   0   0     3   0   .000        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Reuss p               4   0   0   0     0   4   .000
  Howe p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Smith ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Sax 2b              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               41   0   9   0     4   9             Totals               39   1   9   1     3   4

Time of Game: 3:39   Attendance: 42,398
Left on Base: Dodgers 13, Astros 10
DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 0
Errors: Russell
Doubles: Lopes (1), Yeager (1)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (1)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Landreaux (1), Pujols (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   9     5   0   0   2   3   0  33   0.00
Howe                    1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   0.00
Stewart L(0-2)          0     2   1   1   0   0   0   2  40.50
Forster                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Niedenfuer              0.1   1   0   0   1   1   0   3   0.00
Totals                 10.2   9   1   1   3   4   0  43

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  8     7   0   0   3   4   0  34   0.00
D. Smith                2     1   0   0   0   3   0   7   0.00
Sambito W(1-0)          1     1   0   0   1   2   0   5   0.00
Totals                 11     9   0   0   4   9   0  46

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - John McSherry, 3B - Lee Weyer, LF - Ed Montague, RF - Jerry Dale


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes was called out on strikes; Landreaux grounded
out (second to first); Baker walked; Garvey grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to left; Garner grounded out (third
to first); Scott grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Monday popped to shortstop; Guerrero grounded out
(shortstop to first); Scioscia singled to center; Russell walked
[Scioscia to second]; Reuss struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (third to first); Cedeno flied out
to center; Howe popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Lopes singled to right; Landreaux flied out to
left; Baker singled to center [Lopes to second]; Garvey popped
to catcher in foul territory; Monday grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Thon grounded out (second to first); Pujols flied
out to right; Niekro flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Guerrero popped to catcher in foul territory;
Scioscia popped to third in foul territory; Russell grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Garner
grounded out (second to first); Scott struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 5TH: Reuss struck out; Lopes grounded out (shortstop to
first); Landreaux singled to right; Baker flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Cedeno walked;
Cedeno was caught stealing second but was safe at second (error
by Russell; assist by Scioscia); Howe flied out to center; Thon
singled to shortstop [Cedeno out at home (shortstop to
catcher)]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 6TH: Garvey flied out to center; Monday singled to
center; Guerrero singled to right [Monday to second]; Scioscia
flied out to left; Russell walked [Monday to third, Guerrero to
second]; Reuss was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Pujols grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro
grounded out (second to first); Puhl singled to center; Garner
forced Puhl (third to shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 7TH: Lopes doubled to center; Landreaux out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Lopes to third]; Baker
grounded out (third to first); Garvey grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Scott grounded out (third to first); Cruz singled to
center; Cruz stole second; Cedeno struck out; Howe was walked
intentionally; Thon grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 8TH: Monday popped to shortstop; Guerrero flied out to
left; Scioscia flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 8TH: THOMAS REPLACED MONDAY (PLAYING RF); Pujols struck
out; WOODS BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Woods grounded out (shortstop to
first); Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 9TH: D. SMITH REPLACED WOODS (PITCHING); Russell popped
to shortstop; Reuss struck out; Lopes struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 9TH: Garner singled to center; Scott popped to first in
foul territory; Cruz singled to right [Garner to second]; Cedeno
popped to first in foul territory; Howe forced Garner (third
unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 10TH: Landreaux popped to third in foul territory; Baker
flied out to center; Garvey singled to center; Thomas struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 10TH: HOWE REPLACED REUSS (PITCHING); Thon singled to
left; Pujols out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Thon
to second]; PITTMAN BATTED FOR D. SMITH; Pittman flied out to
center; Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 11TH: SAMBITO REPLACED PITTMAN (PITCHING); Guerrero
flied out to center; YEAGER BATTED FOR SCIOSCIA; Yeager doubled
to left; Russell walked; SMITH BATTED FOR HOWE; Smith struck
out; MARSHALL BATTED FOR LOPES; Marshall struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 11TH: STEWART REPLACED MARSHALL (PITCHING); SAX REPLACED
SMITH (PLAYING 2B); YEAGER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Garner
singled to center; Scott singled to left [Garner to third];
FORSTER REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); Cruz flied out to left;
NIEDENFUER REPLACED FORSTER (PITCHING); Cedeno was walked
intentionally [Scott to second]; Howe struck out; WALLING BATTED
FOR THON; Walling singled to right [Garner scored, Scott to
third, Cedeno to second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 1.