Although needing relief help, Ken Forsch received credit for his fourth victory of the season as the Astros took a 4-2 decision over the Cardinals. The score was tied, 1-1, in the third inning when the Astros went ahead on a double by Rafael Landestoy and single by Terry Puhl.

Jose Cruz hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth frame and Forsch drilled a run-scoring single in the sixth. Reliever Frank LaCorte came on in the ninth with two on and one out and struck out Bobby Bonds and Garry Templeton. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Game Played on Sunday, May       4, 1980 (Day game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  1  1    1  0  1    0  0  0  -   4  9  2
Cardinals    1  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   2 10  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          5   1   1   0     0   0   .167      Templeton ss          5   1   1   0     0   1   .330
Gonzalez ss           5   0   1   0     0   0   .188      Oberkfell 2b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .206
Puhl rf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .288        Simmons ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .316
Howe 1b               3   0   0   0     1   1   .186        Phillips 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cabell 3b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .301      Hernandez 1b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .313
Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .333      Iorg lf               4   0   3   1     0   1   .240
Cruz lf               2   1   1   2     1   0   .321      Kennedy c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .375
Pujols c              4   0   0   0     0   1   .190      xHendrick rf          3   1   1   0     0   1   .000
Forsch p              3   0   2   1     0   1   .333      Reitz 3b              2   0   1   1     1   0   .389
  Sambito p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Herr pr             0   0   0   0     0   0   .267
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Scott cf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .187
                                                          Sykes p               1   0   1   0     0   0   .400
                                                            Thomas p            1   0   1   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Carbo ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Littell p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bonds ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .213

Totals               35   4   9   4     2   4             Totals               34   2  10   2     1   5

Time of Game: 2:37   Attendance: 17,262
Left on Base: Astros 7, Cardinals 8
DP: Astros 3, Cardinals 1
Errors: Cabell, Pujols, Kennedy, Reitz
Doubles: Cabell (5), Landestoy (2), Forsch (1)
Triples: Cedeno (2), Hendrick (2)
Stolen Bases: Gonzalez (1), Cruz 2 (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (3), Reitz (3)
GIDP: Cabell (5), Oberkfell (6), Kennedy (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(4-0)           6.2   9   2   2   1   1   0  28   2.23
Sambito                 1.2   1   0   0   0   2   0   7   3.14
LaCorte SV(3)           0.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   2   0.66
Totals                  9    10   2   2   1   5   0  37

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sykes L(1-3)            4     7   3   3   1   1   0  19   8.83
Thomas                  3     2   1   0   0   2   0  12   6.17
Littell                 2     0   0   0   1   1   0   7   7.88
Totals                  9     9   4   3   2   4   0  38

Umpires: HP - Dutch Rennert, 1B - Steve Fields, 3B - Frank Pulli


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy grounded out (third to first); Gonzalez
flied out to center; Puhl singled to center; Howe forced Puhl
(third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Templeton singled to right; Oberkfell lined to
left; Hernandez singled to left [Templeton to second]; Iorg
singled to center [Templeton scored, Hernandez to third];
Kennedy hit into a double play (right to catcher) [Hernandez out
at home]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell doubled to left; Cedeno grounded out (second
to first) [Cabell to third]; Cruz singled to center [Cabell
scored]; Pujols forced Cruz (shortstop to second); Forsch struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hendrick grounded out (third to first); Reitz
grounded out (third to first); Scott flied out to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Landestoy doubled to right; Gonzalez lined to first;
Puhl singled to right [Landestoy scored, Puhl to second (on
throw to home)]; Howe walked; Cabell grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Howe out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 3RD: Sykes singled to right; Templeton popped to
third; Oberkfell popped to third in foul territory; Hernandez
forced Sykes (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno tripled to right; Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to
left [Cedeno scored]; Pujols lined to shortstop; Forsch doubled
to left; Landestoy grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 4TH: Iorg singled to left; Kennedy flied out to
center; Hendrick struck out; Reitz walked [Iorg to second];
Scott grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 5TH: THOMAS REPLACED SYKES (PITCHING); Gonzalez singled
to right; Gonzalez stole second; Puhl grounded out (second to
first) [Gonzalez to third]; Howe struck out; Cabell grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 5TH: Thomas singled to center; Templeton flied out to
left; Oberkfell grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Thomas out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno flied out to right; Cruz reached on an error
by Reitz; Cruz stole second; Pujols struck out; Forsch singled
to right [Cruz scored (unearned)]; Landestoy forced Forsch
(second to shortstop); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 6TH: Hernandez grounded out (first unassisted); Iorg
singled to right; Kennedy grounded into a double play (first to
shortstop to first) [Iorg out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Gonzalez flied to left in foul territory; Puhl lined
to right; Howe grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 7TH: Hendrick tripled to left; Reitz hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Hendrick scored]; Scott singled to first; CARBO
BATTED FOR THOMAS; Carbo flied out to left; Templeton reached on
an error by Cabell [Scott to second]; SAMBITO REPLACED FORSCH
(PITCHING); SIMMONS BATTED FOR OBERKFELL; Simmons struck out; 1
R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 8TH: PHILLIPS REPLACED SIMMONS (PLAYING 2B); LITTELL
REPLACED CARBO (PITCHING); Cabell grounded out (second to
first); Cedeno struck out; Cruz walked; Cruz stole second;
Pujols flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: Hernandez grounded out (second to first); Iorg
was called out on strikes; Kennedy grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Sambito flied out to center; Landestoy popped to
shortstop; Gonzalez popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: Hendrick reached on catcher's interference by
Pujols; Reitz singled to center [Hendrick to second]; HERR RAN
FOR REITZ; On a bunt Scott forced Hendrick (catcher to third)
[Herr to second]; LACORTE REPLACED SAMBITO (PITCHING); BONDS
BATTED FOR LITTELL; Bonds struck out; Templeton struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 2.