The Astros were forced to call on four relief pitchers, but succeeded in defeating the Giants, 8-5, before an opening-day crowd of 30,933 in the first game played on Candlestick Park's new AstroTurf surface. With the Giants leading, 3-2, Tommy Davis singled in the seventh inning, Doug Rader walked and Norm Miller, batting for Larry Dierker, smashed a homer to send the Astros ahead. Joe Morgan walked, stole second and scored on a single by Jim Wynn before the inning ended.

Gaylord Perry, who was the loser, inherited the opening-day assignment because Juan Marichal was hospitalized with an ear infection and an allergic reaction to shots of penicillin. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 8, San Francisco Giants 5

Game Played on Tuesday, April 7, 1970 (Day game) at Candlestick Park

Astros       0  0  0    2  0  0    4  1  1  -   8  9  1
Giants       1  0  0    0  2  0    2  0  0  -   5 10  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Morgan 2b             3   1   1   0     2   0   .333      Bonds rf              4   2   1   0     1   0   .250
Pepitone rf           3   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Gallagher 3b          5   2   2   1     0   1   .400
  Lampard ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Mays cf               5   0   2   1     0   0   .400
  Billingham p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      McCovey 1b            3   1   0   1     2   1   .000
  DiLauro p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Henderson lf          3   0   2   2     2   0   .667
  Bouton p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Dietz c               5   0   1   0     0   3   .200
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Fuentes 2b            5   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Wynn cf               4   1   1   1     1   2   .250      Lanier ss             3   0   1   0     1   0   .333
Mayberry 1b           4   1   0   0     1   0   .000      Perry p               3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Menke ss              4   2   2   1     0   0   .500        McMahon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Davis lf              5   1   2   0     0   2   .400        Whitaker ph         1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000
Rader 3b              3   1   1   0     1   0   .333        Mason pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Edwards c             4   0   0   0     0   2   .000        Linzy p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Dierker p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Miller ph,rf        1   1   1   3     1   0  1.000

Totals               35   8   9   5     6   8             Totals               37   5  10   5     6   5

Time of Game: 3:22   Attendance: 30,933
Left on Base: Astros 7, Giants 11
DP: Astros 1, Giants 0
Errors: Menke, Lanier
Doubles: Henderson 2 (2)
Triples: Gallagher (1)
Home Runs: Miller (1)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (1), Wynn (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Menke (1)
GIDP: McCovey (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(1-0)          6     5   3   2   4   3   0  27   3.00
Billingham              0.1   2   2   2   0   0   0   3  54.00
DiLauro                 0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   0.00
Bouton                  0.2   3   0   0   0   0   0   5   0.00
Gladding SV(1)          1.2   0   0   0   1   2   0   6   0.00
Totals                  9    10   5   4   6   5   0  43

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Perry L(0-1)            7     9   7   6   3   6   1  33   7.71
McMahon                 1     0   0   0   2   2   0   5   0.00
Linzy                   1     0   1   1   1   0   0   4   9.00
Totals                  9     9   8   7   6   8   1  42

Wild Pitches: Perry 2 (2), McMahon (1)

Umpires: HP - Shag Crawford, 1B - Stan Landes, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Frank Dezelan


ASTROS 1ST: Morgan grounded out (first unassisted); Pepitone
singled to right; Wynn was called out on strikes; Mayberry flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Bonds reached on an error by Menke; Gallagher
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Bonds to second]; Debut game
for Al Gallagher; Mays singled to left [Bonds scored
(unearned)]; McCovey walked [Mays to second]; Henderson grounded
out (second to first) [McCovey to second, Mays to third]; Dietz
struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Menke flied out to right; Davis was called out on
strikes; Rader singled to left [Rader out at second (left to
shortstop to second)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 1.

GIANTS 2ND: Fuentes flied out to left; Lanier walked; Perry
popped to catcher in foul territory; Bonds walked [Lanier to
second]; Gallagher popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Edwards flied out to left; Dierker struck out;
Morgan walked; Pepitone grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 1.

GIANTS 3RD: Mays singled to center; McCovey grounded into a
double play (first to shortstop to pitcher) [Mays out at
second]; Henderson doubled to left; Dietz struck out; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn flied out to center; Mayberry walked; Menke
singled to right [Mayberry to third]; Perry threw a wild pitch
[Menke to second, Mayberry scored]; Perry threw a wild pitch
[Menke to third]; Davis struck out; Rader reached on an error by
Lanier [Menke scored (unearned)]; Edwards forced Rader (first to
shortstop); 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Fuentes grounded out (shortstop to first); Lanier
flied out to left; Perry grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Dierker flied out to left; Morgan grounded out
(second to first); Pepitone grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 1.

GIANTS 5TH: Bonds flied out to right; Gallagher singled to
right; Mays flied out to center; McCovey walked [Gallagher to
second]; Henderson doubled to left [McCovey scored, Gallagher
scored]; Dietz struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Giants 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Wynn was called out on strikes; Mayberry grounded
out (second to first); Menke flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 3.

GIANTS 6TH: Fuentes popped to first in foul territory; Lanier
flied out to left; Perry flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Davis singled to left; Rader walked [Davis to
second]; Edwards was called out on strikes; MILLER BATTED FOR
DIERKER; Miller homered [Davis scored, Rader scored]; Morgan
singled to left; LAMPARD BATTED FOR PEPITONE; Morgan stole
second; Lampard grounded out (first unassisted) [Morgan to
third]; Wynn singled to center [Morgan scored]; Mayberry flied
out to right; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Giants 3.

GIANTS 7TH: MILLER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); BILLINGHAM
REPLACED LAMPARD (PITCHING); Bonds singled to center; Gallagher
tripled to right [Bonds scored]; Mays grounded out (third to
first); DILAURO REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); McCovey grounded
out (second to first) [Gallagher scored]; Henderson walked;
BOUTON REPLACED DILAURO (PITCHING); Dietz singled to right
[Henderson to second]; Fuentes made an out to second; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Giants 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Menke singled to left; Davis singled to left [Menke
to second]; MCMAHON REPLACED PERRY (PITCHING); Rader made an out
to shortstop; Edwards struck out; Miller walked [Menke to third,
Davis to second]; McMahon threw a wild pitch [Miller to second,
Davis to third, Menke scored]; Morgan was walked intentionally;
Bouton was called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros
7, Giants 5.

GIANTS 8TH: Lanier singled to center; WHITAKER BATTED FOR
MCMAHON; Whitaker singled to center [Lanier to second]; MASON
RAN FOR WHITAKER; Bonds forced Lanier (shortstop to third)
[Mason to second]; GLADDING REPLACED BOUTON (PITCHING);
Gallagher struck out; Mays popped to catcher in foul territory;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 5.

ASTROS 9TH: LINZY REPLACED MASON (PITCHING); Wynn walked; Wynn
stole second; Mayberry grounded out (first unassisted) [Wynn to
third]; Menke hit a sacrifice fly to left [Wynn scored]; Davis
grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
8, Giants 5.

GIANTS 9TH: McCovey struck out; Henderson walked; Dietz grounded
out (third to first) [Henderson to second]; Fuentes grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Giants 5.

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