With help from Clay Carroll in the eighth inning, Jim Merritt gained his fifth victory in six decisions this season when the Reds defeated the Astros, 5-3. The Astros, who went down to their eighth straight loss, collected six doubles among their eight hits off Merritt. Carroll yielded two hits, including a homer by Joe Pepitone in the ninth.

The Reds broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth when Bernie Carbo drew a pass from Tom Griffin with the bases loaded. In the seventh, Bobby Tolan doubled, Tony Perez was passed intentionally and Johnny Bench followed with a game-winning double, driving in both runners. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 5, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Wednesday, April     29, 1970 (Day game) at Crosley Field
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  1    0  0  1  -   3 10  0
Reds         0  0  1    1  0  1    2  0  x  -   5  6  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Morgan 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .215      Rose rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .247
  Martinez ph,2b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Helms 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .213
Alou rf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .263      Tolan cf              3   2   1   0     1   0   .264
Wynn cf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .293      Perez 3b              1   2   0   0     2   1   .455
Davis lf              4   0   1   1     0   0   .323      Bench c               3   0   1   2     0   0   .244
Menke ss              4   0   1   0     0   0   .295      May 1b                3   0   1   1     1   0   .267
Rader 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .247      Carbo lf              2   1   1   1     2   0   .314
Pepitone 1b           4   1   3   1     0   0   .269      Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   1   .246
Edwards c             3   1   1   0     0   2   .159      Merritt p             2   0   1   1     0   0   .118
  Lampard ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .429        Carroll p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Griffin p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .125
  Billingham p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Beauchamp ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .455
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   3  10   3     0   4             Totals               27   5   6   5     6   2

Time of Game: 2:07   Attendance:  6,766
Left on Base: Astros 5, Reds 7
DP: Astros 1, Reds 1
Doubles: Rader (2), Edwards (2), Alou 2 (3), Wynn (5), Davis (3), May (5), Tolan (8), Bench (4)
Home Runs: Pepitone (4)
Stolen Bases: Carbo (3)
Caught Stealing: Pepitone (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Merritt (3), Bench (1)
GIDP: Rader (3)
Hit by Pitch: Perez (1,by Griffin)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin L(1-3)          5.1   3   3   3   5   1   0  25   5.40
Billingham              0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   5.84
Gladding                2     3   2   2   1   0   0   9   6.23
Totals                  8     6   5   5   6   2   0  36

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Merritt W(5-1)          7.1   8   2   2   0   3   0  29   1.97
Carroll SV(3)           1.2   2   1   1   0   1   1   6   4.09
Totals                  9    10   3   3   0   4   1  35

Hit by Pitch: Griffin (1)

Umpires: HP - Tony Venzon, 1B - Frank Secory, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


ASTROS 1ST: Morgan lined to second; Alou popped to catcher; Wynn
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (first unassisted); Helms flied out
to right; Tolan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Davis flied out to center; Menke popped to first;
Rader doubled to center; Pepitone lined to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez struck out; Bench flied out to left; May popped
to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Edwards doubled to right; Griffin lined to pitcher;
Morgan popped to first; Alou doubled to center [Edwards scored];
Wynn grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Carbo walked; Concepcion grounded out (third to first)
[Carbo to second]; Merritt singled to center [Carbo scored];
Rose flied out to center; Helms popped to catcher; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Davis grounded out (pitcher to first); Menke flied
out to right; Rader popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Tolan popped to pitcher in foul territory; Perez
walked; Bench popped to third; May doubled to left [Perez
scored]; Carbo grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Pepitone singled to center; Pepitone was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Edwards struck out;
Griffin popped to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Concepcion singled to left; Merritt out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Concepcion to second]; Rose flied out
to right; Helms flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Morgan popped to first; Alou flied out to center;
Wynn doubled to right; Davis doubled to center [Wynn scored];
Menke flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds
2.

REDS 6TH: Tolan walked; Perez was hit by a pitch [Tolan to
second]; Bench out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Tolan
to third, Perez to second]; May walked; Carbo walked [Tolan
scored, Perez to third, May to second]; BILLINGHAM REPLACED
GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Concepcion struck out; Merritt forced Carbo
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); Pepitone
singled to center; Edwards struck out; BEAUCHAMP BATTED FOR
BILLINGHAM; Beauchamp struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Reds 3.

REDS 7TH: GLADDING REPLACED BEAUCHAMP (PITCHING); Rose grounded
out (pitcher to second to first); Helms grounded out (third to
first); Tolan doubled to left; Perez was walked intentionally;
Bench doubled to left [Tolan scored, Perez scored, Bench to
third (on throw to home)]; May popped to second; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 5.

ASTROS 8TH: MARTINEZ BATTED FOR MORGAN; Martinez popped to
first; Alou doubled to left; CARROLL REPLACED MERRITT
(PITCHING); Wynn popped to catcher in foul territory; Davis
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Reds 5.

REDS 8TH: MARTINEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Carbo singled to
pitcher; Carbo stole second; Concepcion hit into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Carbo out at third (first to third)];
Carroll grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Reds 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Menke singled to left; Rader grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Menke out at second];
Pepitone homered; LAMPARD BATTED FOR EDWARDS; Lampard struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 5.