Jim Merritt pitched six perfect innings to start the Reds off to a 5-2 victory over the Astros. Merritt's mastery ended in the seventh when Jesus Alou doubled. Bob Watson singled with two out to score Alou. Doug Rader homered in the eighth.

Merritt failed to finish, yielding the mound to Clay Carroll after Jim Wynn singled to open the ninth. Tony Perez led the Reds' attack with four hits, driving in two runs. Bernie Carbo contributed a homer. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 5, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Saturday, June      27, 1970 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  1  0    0  1  0    2  1  0  -   5 13  3
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  1  0  -   2  5  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose rf               5   1   2   0     0   0   .310      Alou lf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .278
Tolan cf              3   1   0   1     1   2   .321      Morgan 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .252
Perez 3b              5   0   4   2     0   0   .364        Bryant c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .235
Bench c               5   0   1   0     0   0   .306      Wynn cf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .284
May 1b                5   0   0   0     0   1   .270      Watson 1b             4   0   1   1     0   1   .299
Carbo lf              3   2   2   1     1   0   .310      Menke ss              4   0   1   0     0   0   .319
  Stewart lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .184      Cedeno rf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .138
Helms 2b              4   0   2   1     0   0   .218      Rader 3b              3   1   1   1     0   0   .231
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   0   .280      Edwards c             2   0   0   0     0   2   .178
Merritt p             3   1   1   0     0   1   .146        Torres ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Bouton p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .400
                                                          Griffin p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .043
                                                            DiLauro p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .267
                                                            Cook p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Martinez ph,2b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .276

Totals               37   5  13   5     2   4             Totals               33   2   5   2     0   7

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance: 28,913
Left on Base: Reds 9, Astros 4
DP: Reds 1, Astros 1
Errors: Bench, Helms, Concepcion
Doubles: Helms (10), Perez (10), Rose (18), Alou (10)
Home Runs: Carbo (11), Rader (14)
Stolen Bases: Tolan (22)
Sacrifice Hits: Merritt (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Tolan (5)
GIDP: Concepcion (9), Cedeno (1)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Merritt W(12-6)         8     4   2   2   0   6   1  30   3.48
Carroll SV(7)           1     1   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.76
Totals                  9     5   2   2   0   7   1  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin L(2-8)          6     9   4   4   2   3   0  28   4.50
DiLauro                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.55
Ray                     1.1   4   1   1   0   0   1   8   4.30
Cook                    0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   3.22
Bouton                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   6.20
Totals                  9    13   5   5   2   4   1  41

Umpires: HP - Chris Pelekoudas, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Augie Donatelli


REDS 1ST: Rose flied out to center; Tolan struck out; Perez
singled to center; Bench singled to left [Perez to second]; May
struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Bench dropped a foul fly hit by Alou for an error;
Alou grounded out (third to first); Morgan grounded out (first
unassisted); Wynn struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Carbo singled to right; Helms doubled to right [Carbo
scored]; Concepcion popped to second; Merritt flied out to
center [Helms to third]; Rose lined to pitcher; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (third to first); Menke flied
out to right; Cedeno popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Tolan grounded out (first unassisted); Perez doubled
to center; Bench popped to third; May grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader flied out to center; Edwards struck out;
Griffin struck out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Carbo flied out to center; Helms grounded out
(shortstop to first); Concepcion flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Alou popped to first; Morgan grounded out (pitcher
to first); Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

REDS 5TH: Merritt struck out; Rose grounded out (first to
pitcher); Tolan walked; Tolan stole second; Perez singled to
left [Tolan scored]; Bench grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson popped to second; Menke flied out to right;
Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 6TH: May flied out to left; Carbo walked; Helms singled to
right [Carbo to third]; Concepcion grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Helms out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader grounded out (third to first); Edwards struck
out; Griffin popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 7TH: Merritt singled to left; Rose doubled to right
[Merritt to third]; DILAURO REPLACED GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Tolan
hit a sacrifice fly to left [Merritt scored, Rose to third]; RAY
REPLACED DILAURO (PITCHING); Perez singled to center [Rose
scored]; Bench flied out to left; May forced Perez (shortstop to
second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Alou doubled to right; Morgan popped to shortstop;
Wynn flied out to center; Watson singled to center [Alou
scored]; Menke reached on an error by Helms [Watson to second,
Menke to first]; Cedeno flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 1.

REDS 8TH: Carbo homered; Helms flied out to right; Concepcion
singled to center; Merritt out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Concepcion to second]; Rose singled [Concepcion to
third]; COOK REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); Tolan struck out; 1 R, 3
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 5, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: STEWART REPLACED CARBO (PLAYING LF); Rader homered;
TORRES BATTED FOR EDWARDS; Torres reached on an error by
Concepcion [Torres to first]; MARTINEZ BATTED FOR COOK; Martinez
flied out to center; Alou forced Torres (third to second);
Morgan struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5, Astros 2.

REDS 9TH: BOUTON REPLACED TORRES (PITCHING); MARTINEZ STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 2B); BRYANT REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING C ); Perez
popped to first; Bench popped to first; May flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Wynn singled to center; CARROLL REPLACED MERRITT
(PITCHING); Watson struck out; Menke singled to right [Wynn to
second]; Cedeno grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Menke out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5,
Astros 2.