Posting his fourth shutout of the season, Steve Blass pitched the Pirates to a 3-0 victory over the Astros. Al Oliver homered off Larry Dierker to decide the duel in the seventh inning. The Pirates added their two other runs in the ninth on a single by Vic Davalillo, a wild pitch, intentional pass to Willie Stargell and singles by Richie Hebner and Manny Sanguillen. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Houston Astros 0
Game Played on Tuesday, June      15, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  2  -   3  7  2
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cash 2b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .315      Alou rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .319
Davalillo 1b          4   1   1   0     0   0   .280      Morgan 2b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .251
Clemente rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .305      Cedeno lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .249
Stargell lf           2   1   0   0     2   0   .312      Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .293
Hebner 3b             4   0   1   1     0   2   .292      Menke 3b              4   0   2   0     0   1   .243
Oliver cf             4   1   2   1     0   1   .261      Wynn cf               3   0   0   0     1   1   .215
Sanguillen c          4   0   1   1     0   0   .323      Edwards c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .219
J. Hernandez ss       2   0   0   0     0   0   .197      Metzger ss            4   0   2   0     0   0   .232
  Sands ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .600      Dierker p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .098
  Clines pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .276        Mayberry ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .190
  Alley ss            1   0   0   0     0   0   .173        Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Blass p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .125        Lemaster p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .083
                                                            Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .237

Totals               32   3   7   3     2   4             Totals               34   0   6   0     2   4

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 16,307
Left on Base: Pirates 5, Astros 9
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 0
Errors: J. Hernandez, Blass
Doubles: Oliver (10), Metzger (8)
Home Runs: Oliver (3)
Caught Stealing: Clines (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Blass (5)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blass W(7-3)            9     6   0   0   2   4   0  36   3.07
Totals                  9     6   0   0   2   4   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker L(10-3)         7     3   1   1   1   2   1  25   1.80
Culver                  1.1   2   1   1   0   1   0   5   2.30
Lemaster                0.1   1   1   1   1   1   0   3   2.25
Forsch                  0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.19
Totals                  9     7   3   3   2   4   1  35

Wild Pitches: Lemaster (5)

Umpires: HP - Mel Steiner, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Stan Landes, 3B - Ed Sudol


PIRATES 1ST: Cash singled to right; Davalillo grounded out
(first unassisted) [Cash to second]; Clemente reached on a
fielder's choice [Cash out at third (pitcher to third)];
Stargell walked [Clemente to second]; Hebner struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Alou popped to catcher in foul territory; Morgan
flied out to center; Cedeno grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Oliver doubled to right; Sanguillen flied out to
center [Oliver to third]; J. Hernandez grounded out (third to
first); Blass grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (pitcher to first); Menke
singled to shortstop; Wynn walked [Menke to second]; Edwards
popped to third in foul territory; Metzger grounded out (first
to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Cash grounded out (shortstop to first); Davalillo
grounded out (pitcher to first); Clemente grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Dierker grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou made
an out to shortstop; Morgan singled; Cedeno flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Stargell flied out to left; Hebner flied out to
right; Oliver grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled to left; Menke singled to left
[Watson to second]; Wynn flied out to left; Edwards flied out to
right; Metzger grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Sanguillen made an out to first; J. Hernandez made
an out to catcher; Blass flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Dierker grounded out (second to first); Alou
grounded out (second to first); Morgan grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Cash grounded out (shortstop to first); Davalillo
flied out to center; Clemente grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno reached on an error by J. Hernandez; Watson
grounded out (second to first) [Cedeno to second]; Menke lined
into a double play (third to second) [Cedeno out at second]; 0
R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 7TH: Stargell popped to catcher in foul territory;
Hebner struck out; Oliver homered; Sanguillen made an out to
shortstop; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Wynn struck out; Edwards flied out to right; Metzger
doubled to left; MAYBERRY BATTED FOR DIERKER; Mayberry struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 8TH: CULVER REPLACED MAYBERRY (PITCHING); SANDS BATTED
FOR J. HERNANDEZ; Sands singled to center; CLINES RAN FOR SANDS;
Blass out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Clines to
second]; Clines was caught stealing third (pitcher to third);
Cash grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 8TH: ALLEY REPLACED CLINES (PLAYING SS); Alou grounded
out (first unassisted); Morgan walked; Cedeno flied out to
right; Watson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 9TH: Davalillo singled to center; Clemente was called
out on strikes; LEMASTER REPLACED CULVER (PITCHING); Lemaster
threw a wild pitch [Davalillo to second]; Stargell was walked
intentionally; Hebner singled to right [Stargell to third,
Davalillo scored]; Oliver was called out on strikes; FORSCH
REPLACED LEMASTER (PITCHING); Sanguillen singled to right
[Hebner to third, Stargell scored]; Alley made an out to
catcher; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 9TH: Menke struck out; Wynn reached on an error by Blass
[Wynn to second]; Edwards made an out to shortstop; Metzger
singled to left [Wynn to third]; MILLER BATTED FOR FORSCH;
Miller was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
3, Astros 0.