Starting with a grand-slam homer by Doug Rader in the first inning, the Astros trounced the Cardinals, 12-4. Rader also drove in two runs with a double in the third to tie the Houston club record of six RBIs in a game. Oddly, the Astros built up their big margin of victory although getting only one more hit than the Cardinals, 17-16. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 12, St. Louis Cardinals 4
Game Played on Sunday, May       16, 1971 (Day game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  1  1    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   4 16  2
Astros       4  0  3    4  1  0    0  0  x  -  12 17  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              5   1   2   0     0   1   .358      Metzger ss            5   2   3   1     0   0   .257
  Linzy p             0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000      Morgan 2b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .252
Alou cf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .318      Cedeno rf             5   2   2   2     0   2   .200
  Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Wynn cf               4   2   2   1     1   0   .217
  Melendez ph,cf      1   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Menke 1b              3   2   1   1     2   0   .242
Simmons c             5   0   2   1     0   0   .336      Rader 3b              4   2   2   6     0   1   .175
Torre 3b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .346      Alou lf               3   0   1   1     0   0   .377
  Schofield 3b        1   0   0   0     0   0   .219        Geronimo lf         1   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Hague 1b              5   1   2   1     0   1   .223      Hiatt c               4   0   3   0     0   1   .440
Cardenal rf,cf,rf     4   1   1   0     0   0   .197      Dierker p             2   2   2   0     0   0   .130
Sizemore ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .234        Ray p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Javier 2b             4   1   3   1     0   0   .288
Reuss p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .143
  Zachary p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Drabowsky p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lee ph,rf,lf        2   0   1   0     0   1   .235

Totals               41   4  16   4     0   4             Totals               37  12  17  12     3   5

Time of Game: 2:39   Attendance: 14,983
Left on Base: Cardinals 10, Astros 5
DP: Cardinals 2, Astros 2
Errors: Sizemore, Zachary
Doubles: Javier (2), Brock (8), Simmons (11), Metzger (4), Cedeno (5), Rader (5), Menke (6), Dierker (1)
Home Runs: Hague (4), Rader (2)
Caught Stealing: Alou (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Dierker (2)
GIDP: Cardenal (2), Melendez (2)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss L(4-4)            1.1   4   4   4   2   1   1  10   4.53
Zachary                 2     6   6   5   1   0   0  11   7.71
Drabowsky               1.2   4   2   2   0   2   0   8   5.11
Hrabosky                2     2   0   0   0   2   0   8   0.00
Linzy                   1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   1.53
Totals                  8    17  12  11   3   5   1  41

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(6-1)          6    13   3   3   0   4   0  30   2.29
Ray SV(1)               3     3   1   1   0   0   1  11   2.20
Totals                  9    16   4   4   0   4   1  41

Passed Balls: Simmons (7)
Wild Pitches: Dierker (4)

Umpires: HP - Ken Burkhart, 1B - Ed Sudol, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Nick Colosi


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock struck out; Alou lined to pitcher; Simmons
singled to right; Torre flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger doubled to right; Morgan lined to center;
Cedeno struck out; Wynn walked; Menke walked [Metzger to third,
Wynn to second]; Rader homered [Metzger scored, Wynn scored,
Menke scored]; Alou grounded out (second to first); 4 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hague was called out on strikes; Cardenal singled
to third; Sizemore flied out to right; Javier doubled to right
[Cardenal scored]; Reuss struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 2ND: Hiatt singled to center; Dierker out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to second) [Hiatt to second]; Metzger singled to
center [Hiatt to third]; ZACHARY REPLACED REUSS (PITCHING);
Morgan hit into a double play (first to catcher to third to
catcher) [Hiatt out at home]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals
1, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 3RD: Brock doubled to left; Alou singled to right
[Brock to third]; Simmons forced Alou (shortstop to second)
[Brock scored]; Torre singled to center [Simmons to third];
Hague singled to pitcher [Simmons stayed at third, Torre to
second]; Cardenal popped to second; Sizemore grounded out (third
to first); 1 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno doubled to left; Simmons allowed a passed
ball [Cedeno to third]; Wynn popped to second; Menke walked;
Rader doubled to left [Menke scored, Cedeno scored]; Alou
singled to center [Rader scored]; Alou was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Hiatt singled [Hiatt out at
second (center to second)]; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2,
Astros 7.

CARDINALS 4TH: Javier singled to left; Zachary flied out to
right; Brock forced Javier (shortstop to second); Alou grounded
out (pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2,
Astros 7.

ASTROS 4TH: Dierker singled to shortstop [Dierker to second
(error by Sizemore)]; Metzger reached on an error by Zachary;
Morgan grounded out (first unassisted) [Metzger to second,
Dierker to third]; Cedeno singled to left [Dierker scored,
Metzger scored (unearned), Cedeno to second (on throw)];
DRABOWSKY REPLACED ZACHARY (PITCHING); Wynn singled to center
[Cedeno scored]; Menke doubled to right [Wynn scored]; Rader was
called out on strikes; Alou grounded out (third to first); 4 R
(3 ER), 4 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 11.

CARDINALS 5TH: GERONIMO REPLACED ALOU (PLAYING LF); Simmons
doubled to left; Torre singled to left [Simmons to third]; Hague
lined to second; Cardenal grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Torre out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Cardinals 2, Astros 11.

ASTROS 5TH: Hiatt struck out; Dierker doubled to right; Metzger
singled to right [Dierker scored]; Morgan lined into a double
play (first unassisted) [Metzger out at first]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 12.

CARDINALS 6TH: Sizemore flied out to center; Javier singled to
right; LEE BATTED FOR DRABOWSKY; Lee struck out; Brock singled
to center [Javier to third]; Alou singled to center [Brock to
third, Javier scored]; Dierker threw a wild pitch [Alou to
second]; Simmons flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 3, Astros 12.

ASTROS 6TH: LEE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); CARDENAL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); HRABOSKY REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING);
Cedeno was called out on strikes; Wynn grounded out (third to
first); Menke grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 12.

CARDINALS 7TH: RAY REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING); Torre flied out
to center; Hague homered; Cardenal lined to second; Sizemore
singled to left; Javier flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 12.

ASTROS 7TH: SCHOFIELD REPLACED TORRE (PLAYING 3B); Rader
grounded out (first unassisted); Geronimo singled to center;
Hiatt singled to center [Geronimo to second]; Ray struck out;
Metzger forced Hiatt (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 12.

CARDINALS 8TH: Lee singled to right; Brock flied out to left;
MELENDEZ BATTED FOR HRABOSKY; Melendez grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Lee out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 12.

ASTROS 8TH: MELENDEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); LEE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); CARDENAL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF);
LINZY REPLACED BROCK (PITCHING); Morgan grounded out (second to
first); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Wynn singled
to left; Menke forced Wynn (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 12.

CARDINALS 9TH: Simmons grounded out (second to first); Schofield
flied out to center; Hague popped to third in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 12.