The change in the Reds' fortunes since last year was emphasized when the defending champions suffered their seventh shutout of the season, losing to the Astros, 2-0. In 1970, the Reds were blanked only once in the entire campaign.

Don Wilson applied the whitewash on a five-hitter. The Astros scored intially in the fourth inning when Jesus Alou singled, took third on a single by Joe Morgan and crossed the plate on a forceout by Cesar Cedeno. John Mayberry singled and Doug Rader tripled for the other run in the fifth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, Cincinnati Reds 0
Game Played on Tuesday, June      8, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  1
Astros       0  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  x  -   2  7  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose rf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .298      Alou rf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .346
Concepcion ss         4   0   0   0     0   1   .216      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .262
May 1b                4   0   0   0     0   0   .305      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   1     0   1   .230
Bench c               4   0   1   0     0   1   .220      Watson lf             3   0   2   0     1   0   .292
Perez 3b              4   0   1   0     0   2   .224        Geronimo pr,lf      0   0   0   0     0   0   .235
Foster cf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .277      Menke ss,1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .233
Carbo lf              3   0   1   0     0   0   .221      Mayberry 1b           2   1   1   0     1   1   .180
Woodward 2b           2   0   0   0     0   0   .270        Metzger pr,ss       0   0   0   0     0   0   .225
  Ferrara ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .133      Rader 3b              3   0   1   1     0   2   .206
  Helms 2b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .270      Hiatt c               3   0   0   0     0   2   .362
Nolan p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .037      Wilson p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .114
  Cline ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .218
  McGlothlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .200

Totals               32   0   5   0     1   8             Totals               30   2   7   2     2  10

Time of Game: 2:00   Attendance: 17,402
Left on Base: Reds 6, Astros 6
DP: Reds 2, Astros 1
Errors: Perez, Menke
Doubles: Carbo (9), Watson (10)
Triples: Rader (2)
GIDP: Concepcion (6), Menke 2 (6)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Nolan L(3-7)            7     6   2   2   1  10   0  28   3.05
McGlothlin              1     1   0   0   1   0   0   4   4.39
Totals                  8     7   2   2   2  10   0  32

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson W(5-3)           9     5   0   0   1   8   0  33   2.63
Totals                  9     5   0   0   1   8   0  33

Wild Pitches: Wilson (2)

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


REDS 1ST: Rose flied out to left; Concepcion flied out to right;
May flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Alou flied out to left; Morgan struck out; Cedeno
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench singled to left; Wilson threw a wild pitch
[Bench to second]; Perez struck out; Foster walked; Carbo
grounded out (pitcher unassisted) [Foster to second, Bench to
third]; Woodward flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to center; Menke grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Watson out at
second]; Mayberry struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Nolan struck out; Rose grounded out (second to first);
Concepcion struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader struck out; Hiatt struck out; Wilson grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: May grounded out (third to first); Bench grounded out
(third to first); Perez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Alou singled to center; Morgan singled to left [Alou
to third]; Cedeno forced Morgan (shortstop to second) [Alou
scored]; Watson flied out to center; Menke struck out; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 5TH: Foster reached on an error by Menke; Carbo grounded
out (second to first) [Foster to second]; Woodward grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Foster to third]; Nolan grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Mayberry singled to first; Rader tripled [Mayberry
scored]; Hiatt made an out to shortstop; Wilson struck out; Alou
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 2.

REDS 6TH: Rose singled to center; Concepcion flied out to right;
May flied out to center; Bench struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Morgan flied out to left; Cedeno grounded out
(pitcher to first); Watson doubled to right; Menke reached on an
error by Perez; Mayberry walked [Watson to third, Menke to
second]; METZGER RAN FOR MAYBERRY; Rader was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 7TH: METZGER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); MENKE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Perez flied out to right; Foster struck
out; Carbo doubled to left; FERRARA BATTED FOR WOODWARD; Ferrara
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: HELMS REPLACED FERRARA (PLAYING 2B); Hiatt struck
out; Wilson struck out; Alou grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 8TH: CLINE BATTED FOR NOLAN; Cline singled to left; Rose
struck out; Concepcion grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Cline out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: MCGLOTHLIN REPLACED CLINE (PITCHING); Morgan
grounded out (first to pitcher); Cedeno singled; Watson walked
[Cedeno to second]; GERONIMO RAN FOR WATSON; Menke grounded into
a double play (third to second to first) [Geronimo out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 9TH: GERONIMO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); May grounded out
(shortstop to first); Bench flied out to center; Perez singled;
Foster grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 2.