A homer by Johnny Bench broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning and carried the Reds to a 2-1 victory over the Astros. This was the fourth time this season that Jack Billingham, the Astros' loser, had been defeated by a score of 2-1. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Wednesday, June      9, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    1  1  0  -   2  8  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  8  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose rf               4   0   0   1     0   0   .292      Alou rf               5   0   1   0     0   0   .342
Carbo lf              3   0   0   0     1   2   .216      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .261
  Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cedeno cf             4   0   2   0     0   1   .236
May 1b                3   0   1   0     0   2   .306      Watson lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .286
Bench c               4   1   2   1     0   0   .225      Menke 1b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .234
Perez 3b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .229      Rader 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .207
Foster cf             4   0   1   0     0   3   .276      Hiatt c               2   0   1   0     1   0   .367
Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .266        Mayberry ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .176
Woodward ss           2   0   0   0     0   0   .264        Edwards c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .232
  Cline ph,lf         1   1   1   0     0   0   .232      Metzger ss            4   1   1   0     0   0   .225
Grimsley p            2   0   1   0     0   0   .083      Billingham p          3   0   0   0     0   2   .115
  Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .212        Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .236
  Concepcion ss       1   0   0   0     0   1   .214

Totals               32   2   8   2     2   8             Totals               36   1   8   1     1   6

Time of Game: 2:19   Attendance: 16,354
Left on Base: Reds 7, Astros 9
DP: Reds 0, Astros 1
Errors: Helms, Billingham
Doubles: Cedeno (9)
Home Runs: Bench (15)
Caught Stealing: Foster (2), Cline (1)
GIDP: Woodward (4)
Hit by Pitch: May (1,by Billingham), Cline (2,by Billingham)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Grimsley                6     6   1   1   1   4   0  26   2.50
Carroll W(3-2)          3     2   0   0   0   2   0  11   2.36
Totals                  9     8   1   1   1   6   0  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham L(3-6)       9     8   2   1   2   8   1  36   2.73
Totals                  9     8   2   1   2   8   1  36

Hit by Pitch: Billingham 2 (6)
Wild Pitches: Grimsley (1), Billingham (3)

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


REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); Carbo struck
out; May was hit by a pitch; Bench singled to center [May to
second]; Perez made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Alou lined to first; Morgan grounded out (first
unassisted); Cedeno doubled to left; Watson struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster struck out; Helms flied out to left; Woodward
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Menke singled to right; Rader lined to right; Hiatt
flied out to center; Metzger forced Menke (shortstop to second);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Grimsley singled to center; Rose forced Grimsley
(pitcher to shortstop); Carbo walked [Rose to second]; May was
credited with a single when a runner was hit by the batted ball
to shortstop [Rose out at third (shortstop unassisted), Carbo to
second]; Bench popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Billingham struck out; Alou grounded out (third to
first); Morgan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Perez singled to shortstop; Billingham threw a wild
pitch [Perez to second]; Foster struck out; Helms walked;
Woodward grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Helms
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno singled; Watson flied out to center; Menke
flied out to center; Rader struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 5TH: Grimsley grounded out (third to first); Rose grounded
out (second to first); Carbo was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Hiatt singled to right; Metzger singled to center
[Hiatt to second]; Grimsley threw a wild pitch [Hiatt to third];
Billingham struck out; Alou reached on a fielder's choice [Hiatt
out at home (second to catcher to third), Metzger to second];
Morgan singled to right [Alou to third, Metzger scored]; Cedeno
popped to first in foul territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 1.

REDS 6TH: May struck out; Bench lined to first; Perez singled to
center; Foster was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Menke
reached on an error by Helms; Rader forced Menke (third to
second); Hiatt walked [Rader to second]; Metzger grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 7TH: Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); CLINE BATTED
FOR WOODWARD; Cline singled; STEWART BATTED FOR GRIMSLEY;
Stewart reached on an error by Billingham [Cline to second];
Rose forced Stewart (shortstop unassisted) [Cline scored
(unearned)]; Carbo grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R (0 ER),
1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: CLINE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); CONCEPCION
REPLACED STEWART (PLAYING SS); CARROLL REPLACED CARBO
(PITCHING); Billingham grounded out (pitcher to first); Alou
singled to left; Morgan made an out to third; Cedeno was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

REDS 8TH: May struck out; Bench homered; Perez flied out to
right; Foster singled to right; Foster was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson grounded out (second to first); Menke
grounded out (pitcher to first); Rader singled to left; MAYBERRY
BATTED FOR HIATT; Mayberry struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 2, Astros 1.

REDS 9TH: EDWARDS REPLACED MAYBERRY (PLAYING C ); Helms flied
out to center; Cline was hit by a pitch; Cline was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Concepcion struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); MILLER
BATTED FOR BILLINGHAM; Miller flied out to left; Alou grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.