Larry Dierker held the Padres to one hit -- a single by Ollie Brown with two out in the seventh inning -- and posted an 8-0 victory as the Astros completed the sweep of a twi-night doubleheader after winning the first game, 2-1. In the opener, righthander Al Santorini started for the Padres against an Astro batting order that was stacked with seven lefthanded swingers. However, after Santorini retired the first batter, manager Preston Gomez of the Padres brought southpaw Dave Roberts to the mound. Although the Astros made quick switches in their lineup, the Padres' strategic move worked until the ninth inning when the Astros broke a 1-1 tie with a run after two out on singles by Doug Rader, Jack Hiatt and Bob Watson, who batted for Wade Blasingame.

Santorini also started the nightcap and this time pitched six innings. The Astros' attack included a triple by Johnny Edwards with the bases loaded in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, San Diego Padres 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Wednesday, May       26, 1971 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  1  -   2  9  2
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  4  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Hernandez ss          4   0   0   0     0   0   .270
Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .249      Jestadt 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .182
Alou rf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .373      Gaston cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .272
Chiles lf             1   0   0   0     0   1   .429      Colbert 1b            4   1   0   0     0   2   .295
  Cedeno ph,lf        2   0   0   0     1   0   .184      Brown rf              3   0   0   0     0   1   .269
Mayberry 1b           4   0   1   0     0   2   .222      Murrell lf            3   0   0   0     0   2   .294
Miller cf             0   0   0   0     0   0   .245      Campbell 3b           3   0   1   1     0   0   .226
  Wynn ph,cf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .217      Barton c              3   0   2   0     0   0   .315
Rader 3b              4   2   3   0     0   0   .196      Santorini p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Edwards c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .204        Roberts p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .190
  Hiatt c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .395
Blasingame p          2   0   1   1     1   0   .250
  Watson ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .282
  Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   2   9   2     2   4             Totals               30   1   4   1     0   6

Time of Game: 2:11
Left on Base: Astros 8, Padres 4
DP: Astros 0, Padres 1
Errors: Rader 2
Doubles: Jestadt (1)
Caught Stealing: Campbell (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Roberts (3), Brown (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blasingame W(3-5)       8     4   1   0   0   5   0  29   3.19
Culver SV(3)            1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   1.99
Totals                  9     4   1   0   0   6   0  32

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Santorini               0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.55
Roberts L(3-5)          8.2   9   2   2   2   4   0  36   2.97
Totals                  9     9   2   2   2   4   0  37

Umpires: HP - Stan Landes, 1B - Mel Steiner, 3B - Bob Engel


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (second to first); ROBERTS
REPLACED SANTORINI (PITCHING); Morgan singled to right; Alou
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Morgan to second]; Chiles
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Hernandez lined to center; Jestadt doubled to left;
Gaston flied out to right; Colbert grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Mayberry grounded out (first unassisted); WYNN
BATTED FOR MILLER; Wynn singled to center; Rader flied into a
double play (center to shortstop to first) [Wynn out at first];
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: WYNN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); HIATT REPLACED
EDWARDS (PLAYING C ); Brown was called out on strikes; Murrell
made an out to shortstop; Campbell made an out to third; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Hiatt grounded out (shortstop to first); Blasingame
walked; Metzger forced Blasingame (shortstop to second); Morgan
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Barton grounded out (third to first); Roberts struck
out; Hernandez grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Alou struck out; CEDENO BATTED FOR CHILES; Cedeno
grounded out (second to first); Mayberry was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 4TH: CEDENO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Jestadt flied
out to center; Gaston grounded out (third to first); Colbert
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Wynn lined to third; Rader singled to center; Hiatt
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Rader to second]; Blasingame
singled to center [Rader scored]; Metzger flied out to center; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 5TH: Brown grounded out (third to first); Murrell struck
out; Campbell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Morgan grounded out (second to first); Alou made an
out to third; Cedeno walked; Mayberry singled to center [Cedeno
to second]; Wynn flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 6TH: Barton singled to left; Roberts out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Barton to second]; Hernandez reached
on an error by Rader; Jestadt flied out to right; Gaston forced
Hernandez (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Rader singled to left; Hiatt flied out to left;
Blasingame popped to third in foul territory; Metzger forced
Rader (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 0.

PADRES 7TH: Colbert reached on an error by Rader; Brown out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Colbert to second]; Murrell
struck out; Campbell singled to left [Colbert scored
(unearned)]; Barton singled to right [Campbell to second];
Campbell was picked off and caught stealing third (catcher to
shortstop to third); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Morgan made an out to third; Alou grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 1.

PADRES 8TH: Roberts grounded out (second to first); Hernandez
grounded out (first unassisted); Jestadt grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Mayberry struck out; Wynn flied out to left; Rader
singled to center; Hiatt singled to center [Rader to second];
WATSON BATTED FOR BLASINGAME; Watson singled to left [Hiatt to
third, Rader scored]; Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher); 1
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 1.

PADRES 9TH: CULVER REPLACED WATSON (PITCHING); Gaston flied out
to center; Colbert struck out; Brown grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 1.