The Astros stepped off to a three-run lead in the first inning and defeated the Giants, 5-2. Joe Morgan singled, Cesar Cedeno doubled and Bob Watson brought them home with a single to startthe  scoring.

After Denis Menke forced Watson, Doug Rader walked and Jim Wynn singled to add the other tally. Jack Billingham, who has never lost to the Giants in his career, beat them for the fourth time with the help of George Culver. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, San Francisco Giants 2
Game Played on Tuesday, July      6, 1971 (Night game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       3  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   5  9  1
Giants       0  1  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   2  6  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            4   2   1   0     1   0   .215      Speier ss             4   0   1   0     0   0   .264
Morgan 2b             3   1   3   0     1   0   .251      Fuentes 2b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .278
Cedeno cf             5   1   3   1     0   0   .249      Mays 1b               3   0   1   0     1   0   .286
Watson lf             3   0   1   2     2   1   .287      Bonds rf              3   1   1   1     0   1   .306
Menke 1b              4   1   0   1     1   1   .256      Henderson lf          3   0   0   0     1   0   .240
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     1   1   .238      Healy c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .351
Wynn rf               4   0   1   1     0   0   .215        J. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hiatt c               4   0   0   0     0   2   .326        Wicker ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
Billingham p          4   0   0   0     0   3   .108      Rosario cf            3   1   1   0     0   0   .247
  Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Lanier 3b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .222
                                                            Gallagher ph        1   0   1   0     0   0   .255
                                                          Bryant p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .186
                                                            Carrithers p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Goodson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .227
                                                            McMahon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Dietz c             2   0   0   0     0   0   .272

Totals               35   5   9   5     6   8             Totals               31   2   6   1     2   3

Time of Game: 2:37   Attendance:  5,765
Left on Base: Astros 10, Giants 7
DP: Astros 2, Giants 1
Errors: Rader
Doubles: Cedeno (17)
Home Runs: Bonds (19)
Stolen Bases: Carrithers (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Morgan (5), Carrithers (1)
GIDP: Menke (10), Lanier (4), Healy (2)
Hit by Pitch: Bonds (2,by Billingham), Rosario (1,by Billingham)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(4-8)       7.1   5   2   1   2   3   1  30   3.31
Culver SV(5)            1.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   6   1.81
Totals                  9     6   2   1   2   3   1  36

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bryant L(7-4)           0.2   4   3   3   1   0   0   7   2.68
Carrithers              4.1   3   0   0   1   2   0  16   3.55
McMahon                 1.2   1   1   1   3   3   0   9   4.65
J. Johnson              2.1   1   1   1   1   3   0  10   2.65
Totals                  9     9   5   5   6   8   0  42

Hit by Pitch: Billingham 2 (10)
Wild Pitches: McMahon (1)

Umpires: HP - Shag Crawford, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - John Kibler


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger lined to pitcher; Morgan singled to right;
Cedeno doubled to right [Morgan to third]; Watson singled to
right [Cedeno scored, Morgan scored]; Menke forced Watson
(shortstop to second); Rader walked [Menke to second]; Wynn
singled to right [Rader to third, Menke scored]; CARRITHERS
REPLACED BRYANT (PITCHING); Hiatt was called out on strikes; 3
R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Speier grounded out (pitcher to first); Fuentes
flied out to center; Mays walked; Bonds was hit by a pitch [Mays
to second]; Henderson popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Billingham grounded out (second to first); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Morgan singled; Cedeno made an
out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Healy grounded out (second to first); Rosario
singled; Lanier singled to right [Rosario to second]; Carrithers
reached on an error by Rader on a sacrifice bunt [Rosario scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Lanier to third, Carrithers to first];
Carrithers stole second; Speier flied out to right; Fuentes
struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Menke
grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader made an out to second;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 1.

GIANTS 3RD: Mays grounded out (first to pitcher); Bonds struck
out; Henderson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Giants 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn grounded out (third to first); Hiatt grounded
out (shortstop to first); Billingham struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Healy struck out; Rosario was hit by a pitch; Lanier
grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Rosario out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Morgan
singled to right; Cedeno singled to right [Morgan to third,
Cedeno to second (on throw)]; Watson was walked intentionally;
Menke grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Watson out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants
1.

GIANTS 5TH: GOODSON BATTED FOR CARRITHERS; Goodson made an out
to shortstop; Speier made an out to second; Fuentes flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 1.

ASTROS 6TH: MCMAHON REPLACED GOODSON (PITCHING); Rader struck
out; Wynn flied out to right; Hiatt was called out on strikes; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 1.

GIANTS 6TH: Mays grounded out (shortstop to first); Bonds
homered; Henderson walked; Healy grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Henderson out at second]; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Billingham struck out; Metzger singled to center;
Morgan walked [Metzger to second]; Cedeno flied out to left;
McMahon threw a wild pitch [Morgan to second, Metzger to third];
Watson walked; Menke walked [Metzger scored, Morgan to third,
Watson to second]; J. JOHNSON REPLACED HEALY (PITCHING); DIETZ
REPLACED MCMAHON (PLAYING C ); Rader grounded out (pitcher to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 2.

GIANTS 7TH: Rosario grounded out (first unassisted); Lanier
grounded out (shortstop to first); Dietz flied to left in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Wynn made an out to first; Hiatt grounded out
(shortstop to first); Billingham struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 2.

GIANTS 8TH: Speier singled to right; Fuentes flied out to right;
Mays singled to center [Speier to second]; CULVER REPLACED
BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Bonds forced Mays (second to shortstop)
[Speier to third]; Henderson made an out to first; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Metzger walked; Morgan reached on a fielder's choice
on a sacrifice bunt [Metzger to second]; Cedeno singled to
center [Morgan to third, Metzger scored]; Watson was called out
on strikes; Menke struck out; Rader forced Cedeno (shortstop to
second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Giants 2.

GIANTS 9TH: WICKER BATTED FOR J. JOHNSON; Wicker flied out to
left; Rosario grounded out (pitcher to first); GALLAGHER BATTED
FOR LANIER; Gallagher singled to center; Dietz forced Gallagher
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Giants 2.