Due to the two-month players' strike, the 1981 season was split into two halves, with division leaders of each half facing each other in a temporary best-of-five Division Series format. The winners advanced to the League Championship Series, and the Dodgers won this series in five en route to their World Series championship.

The Astros won the first two games at home on walk-offs and riding dominant starting performances by Nolan Ryan (Game 1) and Joe Niekro (Game 2). But this also was the year of "Fernandomania" in Los Angeles, as Fernando Valenzuela, a rookie left-hander and NL Cy Young winner from Mexico, carried over his regular-season excitement by outdueling Vern Ruhle in a Game 4 masterpiece.

The Dodgers won all three games at home, and for the second year in a row as an Astro, Ryan's combined 14 strikeouts went for naught.

Path to the ALDS:  Los Angeles (36-21) won the NL West first half and Houston (33-20) won the NL West second half 

Managers: Tommy Lasorda, LAD; Bill Virdon, HOU