The Cardinals, after falling behind by two runs in each game, came back to defeat the Astros in a twi-night doubleheader, 5-2 and 9-5. Steve Carlton, who pitched the opener, gave up the Astros' runs in the first inning on a walk and singles by Joe Morgan, Cesar Cedeno and Bob Watson. The Cardinals promptly tied the score in their half and went ahead to stay with two more runs in the third on a single by Lou Brock, double by Joe Torre and error by Bob Watson, who dropped a fly by Joe Hague.

After the Astros again went ahead, 2-0, in the nightcap, the Cardinals exploded for four runs in the third and four more in the fourth. Julian Javier tripled in each stanza and batted in four runs, his second three-bagger coming with the bases loaded. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 5, Houston Astros 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Friday, July      9, 1971 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  5  1
Cardinals    2  0  2    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   5  6  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            2   1   0   0     2   0   .217      Brock lf              3   2   2   1     1   0   .338
  Lemaster p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Alou rf               3   1   1   1     1   0   .313
Morgan 2b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .254        Melendez pr,rf      0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   1     0   2   .251      Simmons c             2   0   0   1     1   0   .289
Watson lf,1b          3   0   1   1     1   2   .294      Torre 3b              4   1   1   1     0   1   .358
Menke 1b,ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .247      Hague 1b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .206
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .235      Cruz cf               4   0   0   0     0   2   .129
Wynn rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .214      Sizemore 2b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .260
Hiatt c               3   0   1   0     0   1   .314      Maxvill ss            3   1   2   0     1   0   .234
Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .042      Carlton p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .196
  Alou ph,lf          1   0   1   0     0   0   .325

Totals               30   2   5   2     4   9             Totals               28   5   6   4     5   6

Time of Game: 2:02
Left on Base: Astros 5, Cardinals 6
DP: Astros 1, Cardinals 1
Errors: Watson
Doubles: Torre (14)
Triples: Alou (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Carlton (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Simmons (5)
GIDP: Menke (11), Maxvill (5)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(5-2)           6     6   5   4   2   5   0  27   2.32
Lemaster                2     0   0   0   3   1   0   8   1.73
Totals                  8     6   5   4   5   6   0  35

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Carlton W(12-5)         9     5   2   2   4   9   0  34   3.68
Totals                  9     5   2   2   4   9   0  34

Umpires: HP - Al Barlick, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Bruce Froemming


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger walked; Morgan singled to right [Metzger to
third]; Cedeno singled to right [Metzger scored, Morgan to
third]; Watson singled to left [Morgan scored, Cedeno to
second]; Watson was picked off first (pitcher to first); Menke
struck out; Rader struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock walked; Alou tripled to right [Brock
scored]; Simmons hit a sacrifice fly to left [Alou scored];
Torre flied out to center; Hague was called out on strikes; 2 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Wynn popped to second; Hiatt struck out; Forsch was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 2ND: Cruz was called out on strikes; Sizemore struck
out; Maxvill singled to left; Carlton struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Morgan
grounded out (first unassisted); Cedeno was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 3RD: Brock singled to left; Alou grounded out (second
to first) [Brock to second]; Simmons grounded out (second to
first) [Brock to third]; Torre doubled to left [Brock scored];
Hague reached on an error by Watson [Torre scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Hague to second]; Cruz popped to catcher in foul
territory; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson struck out; Menke lined to third; Rader flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 4TH: Sizemore popped to second; Maxvill singled to
center; Carlton out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Maxvill to second]; Brock singled to center [Maxvill scored];
Alou popped to first in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Wynn flied out to right; Hiatt flied out to right;
Forsch grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 5TH: Simmons grounded out (first unassisted); Torre
struck out; Hague popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger walked; Morgan walked [Metzger to second];
Cedeno forced Morgan (first to shortstop) [Metzger to third];
Watson walked [Cedeno to second]; Menke grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Watson out at second]; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 6TH: Cruz popped to shortstop; Sizemore flied out to
center; Maxvill walked; Carlton flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Rader struck out; Wynn flied to left in foul
territory; Hiatt singled to center; ALOU BATTED FOR FORSCH; Alou
singled to left [Hiatt to second]; Metzger popped to second; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 7TH: ALOU STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); LEMASTER
REPLACED METZGER (PITCHING); WATSON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
1B); MENKE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Brock flied out to
left; Alou walked; MELENDEZ RAN FOR ALOU; Simmons walked
[Melendez to second]; Torre forced Simmons (third to second)
[Melendez to third]; Hague flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 8TH: MELENDEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Morgan flied
out to right; Cedeno struck out; Watson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 8TH: Cruz was called out on strikes; Sizemore walked;
Maxvill grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Sizemore out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Menke flied out to center; Rader popped to first;
Wynn flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 5.