1981 – Rafael Landestoy steals a base and scores on a single by Terry Puhl as Houston outlasts the Giants, 8-7, in 14 innings. The Astros blew a lead in the ninth then blew a three-run lead in the 13th before putting this one away. Houston tallies 21 hits in the effort, including three by Joe Niekro.
1981 – Art Howe triples off Vida Blue to set a club-record 23-game hitting streak. San Francisco wins, however, 2-1. The only Houston run is on a solo shot by Luis Pujols.
1981 – Craig Reynolds ties a major-league mark with three triples during a 6-1 victory over Chicago. It is part of a four-hit night with four RBIs. His first triple sails to the gap in right-center. His other two hug the right field line. Nolan Ryan and Joe Sambito team up to tame the Cubs.
1981 – Don Sutton twirls a five-hit shutout to blank St. Louis, 3-0. Art Howe adds a two-run homer. Off the field, Mike Ivie is hospitalized for mental exhaustion less than a month after he was traded to Houston for Jeff Leonard and Dave Bergman. Expected to be the cleanup hitter, Ivie bats .237 with no homers in 19 games. He will miss the rest of the season.
Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Fernando Valenzuela pitches his third shutout in four starts, strikes out 11, and has the game’s only RBI with a single in a 1 – 0 win against the Houston Astros.
1981 – Don Sutton, signed as a free agent from Los Angeles over the winter, makes his Astro debut against the Dodgers, and surrenders six runs in a 7-4 loss.
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1981 – Astros deal pitcher Ken Forsch to the Angels for shortstop Dickie Thon. The versatile righthander compiled a 78-81 record for Houston, with 50 saves, nine shutouts, a 3.18 ERA and one memorable no-hitter.
1980 – Infielder Enos Cabell is dealt to San Francisco for pitcher Bob Knepper. Cabell eventually returns while Knepper earns a 93-100 record over nine seasons in an up-and-down Houston career.
Don Sutton, the winningest pitcher in Los Angeles Dodgers history, signs a four-year contract with the Houston Astros. Sutton posted a 13-5 record in 1980 with a National League leading 2.21 ERA.
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