Marv Staehle's failure to cover second base promptly on what would have been the third out enabled the Astros to score a run in the ninth inning to defeat the Braves, 5-4. Triples by Jesus Alou and Roger Metzger helped the Astros take an early 4-1 lead, but the Braves rallied to tie the score in the ninth.

Jim Wynn singled with one out in the Astros' half and took third on a single by Johnny Edwards. Metzger struck out. Norm Miller then grounded to Zoilo Versalles at short and when Staehle was late covering on the attempted forceout, Cesar Geronimo, running for Edwards, slid into the base safely as Wynn scored the winning run. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Atlanta Braves 4
Game Played on Friday, June      11, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  3  -   4  9  0
Astros       0  0  2    1  1  0    0  0  1  -   5 11  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Versalles ss          4   1   2   1     1   0   .294      Alou rf               4   1   2   2     0   0   .337
Garr lf               3   0   1   0     2   0   .355      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .260
H. Aaron rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .314      Cedeno lf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .247
Cepeda 1b             4   1   2   0     0   0   .294      Watson 1b             3   1   1   0     0   0   .286
Williams 3b           4   1   1   0     0   0   .237        Rader 3b            1   0   0   0     0   1   .202
Lum cf                4   0   1   0     0   2   .190      Menke 3b,1b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .234
Staehle 2b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .091      Wynn cf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .231
Didier c              4   1   1   1     0   1   .225      Edwards c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .227
Nash p                2   0   0   0     0   2   .160        Geronimo pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .235
  Perez ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .213      Metzger ss            4   2   2   0     0   1   .230
  Wilhelm p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Blasingame p          2   0   0   0     1   0   .190
  Garrido ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .183        Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Priddy p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Miller ph           1   0   0   1     0   0   .246

Totals               35   4   9   3     3   7             Totals               35   5  11   4     1   2

Time of Game: 2:22   Attendance: 14,885
Left on Base: Braves 7, Astros 5
DP: Braves 1, Astros 2
Errors: Menke
Doubles: Didier (3), Cedeno 2 (11), Metzger (7)
Triples: Metzger (4)
GIDP: Didier (3), Wynn (4)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Nash                    7     8   4   4   1   0   0  28   5.34
Wilhelm                 1     1   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.00
Priddy L(2-3)           0.2   2   1   1   0   1   0   5   4.02
Totals                  8.2  11   5   5   1   2   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blasingame              8.2   8   4   3   3   7   0  36   3.53
Gladding W(2-1)         0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   1.40
Totals                  9     9   4   3   3   7   0  38

Passed Balls: Edwards (5)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Versalles singled to left; Edwards allowed a passed
ball [Versalles to second]; Garr walked; H. Aaron made an out to
first; Cepeda reached on an error by Menke [Garr to third,
Versalles scored (unearned) (no RBI)]; Williams flied into a
double play (center to catcher) [Garr out at home]; 1 R (0 ER),
1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Alou grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan flied
out to left; Cedeno doubled to right; Watson popped to first in
foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Lum struck out; Staehle struck out; Didier struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Menke flied out to center; Wynn flied out to center;
Edwards flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1,
Astros 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Nash struck out; Versalles made an out to first;
Garr grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger tripled to right; Blasingame grounded out
(second to first); Alou singled to left [Metzger scored]; Morgan
made an out to third; Cedeno doubled to left [Alou scored,
Cedeno out at third (left to third)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 2.

BRAVES 4TH: H. Aaron flied out to left; Cepeda flied out to
right; Williams grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled to center; Menke singled to left
[Watson to third]; Wynn grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Watson scored, Menke out at second]; Edwards
flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Lum struck out; Staehle grounded out (second to
first); Didier grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger doubled to left; Blasingame flied out to
center; Alou singled to right [Metzger scored]; Morgan made an
out to first; Cedeno flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Nash struck out; Versalles walked; Garr walked
[Versalles to second]; H. Aaron popped to first in foul
territory; Cepeda singled to third [Garr to second, Versalles to
third]; Williams flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson lined to center; Menke flied out to left;
Wynn flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros
4.

BRAVES 7TH: RADER REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 3B); MENKE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Lum singled to center; Staehle made an
out to shortstop; Didier grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Lum out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Edwards grounded out (first to pitcher); Metzger
flied out to center; Blasingame walked; Alou made an out to
third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 4.

BRAVES 8TH: PEREZ BATTED FOR NASH; Perez made an out to second;
Versalles flied out to right; Garr singled to third; H. Aaron
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: WILHELM REPLACED PEREZ (PITCHING); Morgan singled to
first; Morgan was picked off first (pitcher to first); Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 4.

BRAVES 9TH: Cepeda singled; Williams singled to left [Cepeda to
second]; Lum flied out to center; Staehle flied out to center;
Didier doubled to left [Williams to third, Cepeda scored];
GARRIDO BATTED FOR WILHELM; Garrido singled to third [Didier to
third, Williams scored]; GLADDING REPLACED BLASINGAME
(PITCHING); Versalles singled to right [Garrido to second,
Didier scored]; Garr forced Versalles (shortstop to second); 3
R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 4.

ASTROS 9TH: PRIDDY REPLACED GARRIDO (PITCHING); Menke flied out
to left; Wynn singled to left; Edwards singled to right [Wynn to
third]; GERONIMO RAN FOR EDWARDS; Metzger struck out; MILLER
BATTED FOR GLADDING; Miller reached on a fielder's choice
[Geronimo to second, Wynn scored]; Marv Staehle late covering
2B, allowing run to score; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4,
Astros 5.