Denis Menke hit a grand-slam homer in the first inning and added a fifth RBI with a single in the third to help the Astros snap their five-game losing streak with a 9-5 victory over the Dodgers, who were stopped on a seven-game winning string. Jesus Alou and Joe Morgan singled and Bob Watson walked to put the ducks on the pond for Menke's jackpot wallop. Doug Rader also hit a homer for the Astros, while Willie Davis had an inside-the-park job for the Dodgers. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, Los Angeles Dodgers 5
Game Played on Thursday, July      9, 1970 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      1  0  1    0  1  0    1  0  1  -   5 12  0
Astros       4  0  1    1  2  1    0  0  x  -   9 14  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Grabarkewitz ss       4   0   0   0     1   2   .336      Alou rf               5   1   3   1     0   0   .295
Mota lf               5   1   1   0     0   1   .307      Morgan 2b             4   2   2   0     1   0   .266
Davis cf              4   3   2   1     1   1   .304      Watson 1b             3   1   2   1     2   0   .308
Parker 1b             4   1   4   2     1   0   .295        Geronimo pr,lf      0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
Lefebvre 2b           5   0   1   1     0   1   .293      Pepitone lf           4   1   1   0     0   1   .251
Haller c              4   0   3   1     1   0   .283        Torres ss           0   0   0   0     0   0   .205
Garvey 3b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .107      Menke ss,1b           5   1   2   5     0   1   .311
Crawford rf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .226      Cedeno cf             5   1   1   0     0   1   .215
Foster p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .073      Rader 3b              4   1   1   1     1   2   .225
  Gabrielson ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .136      Edwards c             4   1   1   1     0   0   .177
  Lamb p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Billingham p          3   0   1   0     0   0   .077
  Norman p            1   0   1   0     0   0   .500        Ray p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
  Joshua ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .270
  Mikkelsen p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   5  12   5     4   8             Totals               38   9  14   9     4   6

Time of Game: 3:14   Attendance: 12,798
Left on Base: Dodgers 10, Astros 10
DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 1
Doubles: Haller (8), Davis (13), Parker (26), Lefebvre (9), Morgan (14), Watson (10)
Home Runs: Davis (3), Menke (5), Rader (15)
Stolen Bases: Pepitone (5), Cedeno (2)
GIDP: Garvey (3)
Hit by Pitch: Pepitone (1,by Mikkelsen)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Foster L(6-8)           3     7   5   5   2   2   1  18   3.85
Lamb                    1.2   5   3   3   1   1   0  11   4.13
Norman                  2.1   1   1   1   1   1   1   9   4.25
Mikkelsen               1     1   0   0   0   2   0   5   3.29
Totals                  8    14   9   9   4   6   2  43

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(7-2)       6.1  10   4   4   4   6   1  33   3.41
Ray SV(2)               2.2   2   1   1   0   2   0   9   4.24
Totals                  9    12   5   5   4   8   1  42

Hit by Pitch: Mikkelsen (1)

Umpires: HP - Al Barlick, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Dick Stello


DODGERS 1ST: Grabarkewitz struck out; Mota singled to center;
Davis grounded out (second to first) [Mota to second]; Parker
singled to right [Mota scored]; Lefebvre grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Alou singled to center; Morgan singled to second
[Alou to third]; Watson walked [Morgan to second]; Pepitone
struck out; Menke homered [Alou scored, Morgan scored, Watson
scored]; Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Rader flied out
to center; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 4.

DODGERS 2ND: Haller singled to left; Garvey flied out to center;
Crawford struck out; Foster grounded out (first to pitcher); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 2ND: Edwards grounded out (second to first); Billingham
singled to right; Alou singled to left [Billingham to second];
Morgan forced Alou (second to shortstop) [Billingham to third];
Watson flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 1,
Astros 4.

DODGERS 3RD: Grabarkewitz struck out; Mota struck out; Davis hit
an inside the park homer to center; Parker walked; Lefebvre
lined to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Pepitone singled to right; Pepitone stole second;
Menke singled to right [Pepitone scored]; Cedeno struck out;
Rader walked [Menke to second]; Edwards flied out to right;
Billingham grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Dodgers 2, Astros 5.

DODGERS 4TH: Haller doubled to right; Garvey made an out to
second; Crawford grounded out (first unassisted) [Haller to
third]; GABRIELSON BATTED FOR FOSTER; Gabrielson lined to left;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 5.

ASTROS 4TH: LAMB REPLACED GABRIELSON (PITCHING); Alou grounded
out (shortstop to first); Morgan doubled to left; Watson singled
to right [Morgan scored, Watson to second (on throw to home)];
Pepitone grounded out (first unassisted) [Watson to third];
Menke lined to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros
6.

DODGERS 5TH: Grabarkewitz grounded out (shortstop to first);
Mota grounded out (second to first); Davis doubled to left;
Parker singled to center [Davis scored]; Lefebvre struck out; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 6.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno singled to third; Cedeno stole second; Rader
struck out; Edwards singled to left [Cedeno scored, Edwards to
second (on throw to home)]; Billingham grounded out (second to
first) [Edwards to third]; Alou singled to center [Edwards
scored]; Morgan walked [Alou to second]; NORMAN REPLACED LAMB
(PITCHING); Watson walked [Alou to third, Morgan to second];
Pepitone popped to catcher in foul territory; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 8.

DODGERS 6TH: Haller walked; Garvey was called out on strikes;
Crawford made an out to shortstop; Norman singled to pitcher
[Haller to second]; Grabarkewitz walked [Haller to third, Norman
to second]; Mota grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 8.

ASTROS 6TH: Menke grounded out (third to first); Cedeno flied
out to left; Rader homered; Edwards flied out to center; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 9.

DODGERS 7TH: Davis walked; Parker singled to center [Davis to
second]; Lefebvre lined to right [Davis to third]; Haller
singled to center [Davis scored, Parker to second]; RAY REPLACED
BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Garvey grounded into a double play
(pitcher to second to first) [Haller out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 9.

ASTROS 7TH: Ray struck out; Alou flied out to left; Morgan flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 9.

DODGERS 8TH: Crawford was called out on strikes; JOSHUA BATTED
FOR NORMAN; Joshua grounded out (second to first); Grabarkewitz
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 4, Astros 9.

ASTROS 8TH: MIKKELSEN REPLACED JOSHUA (PITCHING); Watson doubled
to right; GERONIMO RAN FOR WATSON; Pepitone was hit by a pitch;
Menke struck out; Cedeno flied out to left; Rader struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 9.

DODGERS 9TH: TORRES REPLACED PEPITONE (PLAYING SS); MENKE
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); GERONIMO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
LF); Mota flied out to center; Davis struck out; Parker doubled
to left; Lefebvre doubled to left [Parker scored]; Haller flied
out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 9.