The relief pitching of Frank Linzy, who retired the side after coming in with two men on base and none out in the ninth inning, saved the Cardinals' 5-4 victory over the Astros. Ted Simmons, who had a single, double and triple, batted in what proved to be the Cardinals' winning run with his three-bagger in the sixth on a high fly that Bob Watson and Cesar Cedeno let drop between them. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 5, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Monday, April     12, 1971 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  0  3    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   4 13  1
Cardinals    2  0  1    0  1  1    0  0  x  -   5 10  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Alou rf               4   0   0   0     1   1   .348      Alou cf               4   1   0   0     1   0   .185
Morgan 2b             5   1   3   1     0   0   .241      Javier 2b             3   2   1   0     0   0   .105
Cedeno cf             5   1   1   0     0   2   .242        Schofield 2b        1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
Watson lf             5   0   3   1     0   0   .192      Brock lf              3   1   3   1     1   0   .375
Menke 1b              4   0   2   1     1   2   .276      Torre 3b              4   0   1   1     0   1   .320
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     1   1   .069      Cardenal rf           3   0   1   2     0   0   .238
Hiatt c               2   0   1   0     1   1   .750      Beauchamp 1b          4   1   1   0     0   1   .500
  Edwards ph,c        2   0   0   0     0   1   .227        Hague 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .176
Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .200      Sizemore ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .182
Blasingame p          1   1   1   1     0   0   .250        Maxvill ss          0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Wynn ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .200      Simmons c             4   0   3   1     0   0   .467
  Geronimo pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Carlton p             3   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Drabowsky p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Miller ph           1   1   1   0     0   0   .333        Brunet p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Linzy p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   4  13   4     5   8             Totals               33   5  10   5     3   3

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance: 11,270
Left on Base: Astros 13, Cardinals 8
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 2
Errors: Metzger, Torre
Doubles: Miller (1), Brock (2), Simmons (1)
Triples: Simmons (1)
Home Runs: Blasingame (1)
Stolen Bases: Beauchamp (1)
Caught Stealing: Menke (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Blasingame (1), Metzger (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Cardenal (1)
GIDP: Alou (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blasingame L(1-1)       5     6   4   3   2   1   0  23   2.70
Ray                     2     3   1   1   0   2   0   9   2.25
Gladding                1     1   0   0   1   0   0   5   0.00
Totals                  8    10   5   4   3   3   0  37

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Carlton W(2-0)          6.1   9   3   3   4   5   1  31   3.52
Drabowsky               1.1   1   1   1   1   2   0   6   2.70
Brunet                  0.1   3   0   0   0   0   0   4   0.00
Linzy SV(1)             1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   1.59
Totals                  9    13   4   4   5   8   1  44

Wild Pitches: Blasingame 2 (2)

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Augie Donatelli


ASTROS 1ST: Alou flied out to center; Morgan grounded out
(second to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Alou grounded out (pitcher to first); Javier
singled to center; Brock doubled to left [Javier scored]; Torre
grounded out (third to first); Cardenal singled to center [Brock
scored]; Beauchamp flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (second to first); Menke walked;
Rader walked [Menke to second]; Hiatt struck out while Menke was
caught stealing third (catcher to third); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 2ND: Sizemore grounded out (pitcher to first); Simmons
doubled to left; Carlton grounded out (first unassisted)
[Simmons to third]; Alou flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first);
Blasingame homered; Alou grounded out (shortstop to first);
Morgan singled to left; Cedeno singled to left [Morgan to
third]; Watson singled to right [Cedeno to third, Morgan
scored]; Menke singled to left [Watson to second, Cedeno
scored]; Rader flied out to center; 3 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 3RD: Javier reached on an error by Metzger; Brock
singled to left [Javier to second]; Torre grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Brock to second, Javier to third];
Cardenal hit a sacrifice fly to left [Javier scored (unearned)];
Blasingame threw a wild pitch [Brock to third]; Beauchamp struck
out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Hiatt walked; Metzger singled to left [Hiatt to
second]; Blasingame out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second)
[Metzger to second, Hiatt to third]; Alou struck out; Morgan
popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 4TH: Sizemore grounded out (pitcher to first); Simmons
grounded out (shortstop to first); Carlton lined to second; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson grounded out (shortstop to
first); Menke struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 5TH: Alou walked; Blasingame threw a wild pitch [Alou
to second]; Javier flied out to left; Brock walked; Torre
singled to left [Alou scored, Brock out at third (left to
third), Torre to second (on throw)]; Cardenal grounded out
(catcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader reached on an error by Torre; Hiatt singled to
left [Rader to second]; Metzger out on a sacrifice bunt (first
to second) [Hiatt to second, Rader to third]; WYNN BATTED FOR
BLASINGAME; Wynn was walked intentionally; GERONIMO RAN FOR
WYNN; Alou grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Geronimo out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
3, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 6TH: RAY REPLACED GERONIMO (PITCHING); Beauchamp
singled to left; Beauchamp stole second; Sizemore grounded out
(second to first) [Beauchamp to third]; Simmons tripled to
center [Beauchamp scored]; Carlton flied out to left; Alou
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 7TH: SCHOFIELD REPLACED JAVIER (PLAYING 2B); MAXVILL
REPLACED SIZEMORE (PLAYING SS); Morgan singled to center; Cedeno
struck out; Watson singled to right [Morgan to second];
DRABOWSKY REPLACED CARLTON (PITCHING); Menke was called out on
strikes; Rader flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
3, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 7TH: Schofield struck out; Brock singled to left;
Torre struck out; Cardenal grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 8TH: EDWARDS BATTED FOR HIATT; Edwards struck out;
Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher); MILLER BATTED FOR RAY;
Miller doubled to right; Alou walked; BRUNET REPLACED DRABOWSKY
(PITCHING); Morgan singled to right [Alou to third, Miller
scored]; Cedeno flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 8TH: GLADDING REPLACED MILLER (PITCHING); EDWARDS
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Beauchamp flied out to right;
Maxvill walked; Simmons singled to left [Maxvill to second];
Brunet flied out to center; Alou flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 9TH: HAGUE REPLACED BEAUCHAMP (PLAYING 1B); Watson
singled to right; Menke singled to left [Watson to second];
LINZY REPLACED BRUNET (PITCHING); Rader was called out on
strikes; Edwards forced Menke (second to shortstop) [Watson to
third]; Metzger forced Edwards (second unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 5.