The Astros achieved the first triple play in their history while defeating the Mets, 9-4, to snap a six-game losing streak. In the third inning, after Ken Boswell singled and Tommie Agee walked, Cleon Jones hit a one-hop line drive to Roger Metzger, who stepped on second, forcing Agee, and threw to first to retire Jones.

Boswell had retreated toward second and was thrown out when he belatedly tried for third on Denis Menke's peg across the diamond to Doug Rader. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, New York Mets 4
Game Played on Friday, July      16, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Mets         1  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  1  -   4 10  2
Astros       3  1  1    1  1  0    2  0  x  -   9 14  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Foli ss               1   0   0   0     1   1   .230      Metzger ss            4   3   3   1     1   1   .220
  Martinez ss         2   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Morgan 2b             0   1   0   0     2   0   .261
  Clendenon ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .233        Martinez 2b         3   0   1   1     0   0   .263
Boswell 2b            5   1   2   0     0   2   .238      Cedeno cf             5   1   2   1     0   1   .248
Agee cf               2   0   0   0     2   1   .290      Watson lf             5   1   3   1     0   0   .293
Jones lf              4   0   1   2     0   0   .310      Rader 3b              4   1   2   1     1   2   .237
Kranepool 1b          4   0   1   1     0   0   .280      Wynn rf               5   0   1   0     0   0   .221
Singleton rf          4   0   0   0     0   2   .250      Menke 1b              4   1   1   1     1   0   .248
Aspromonte 3b         4   1   2   0     0   0   .247      Edwards c             3   0   0   0     1   1   .236
Grote c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .291      Billingham p          3   1   1   1     0   1   .167
Ryan p                1   0   1   0     0   0   .094        Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Taylor p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Jorgensen ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .245
  McAndrew p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .077
  Marshall ph         1   1   1   0     0   0   .242
  Williams p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .067
  Dyer ph             1   0   1   1     0   0   .281

Totals               34   4  10   4     3   7             Totals               36   9  14   7     6   6

Time of Game: 2:47   Attendance: 20,621
Left on Base: Mets 7, Astros 10
DP: Mets 2, Astros 1
Errors: Aspromonte, McAndrew, Watson
Doubles: Cedeno (21), Martinez (2)
Triples: Metzger (8)
Sacrifice Flies: Billingham (1)
GIDP: Kranepool (3), Watson (8), Wynn (6)
Hit by Pitch: Grote (2,by Billingham)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan L(8-7)             1.1   3   4   2   4   2   0  12   2.38
Taylor                  2.2   5   2   2   0   1   0  12   3.35
McAndrew                3     5   3   3   2   2   0  15   5.16
Williams                1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   4.59
Totals                  8    14   9   7   6   6   0  43

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(5-8)       8.1  10   4   4   3   6   0  36   3.51
Gladding SV(11)         0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   1.69
Totals                  9    10   4   4   3   7   0  38

Passed Balls: Grote (7)
Hit by Pitch: Billingham (11)
Wild Pitches: McAndrew (3)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Al Barlick


METS 1ST: Foli walked; Boswell singled to center [Foli to
third]; Agee struck out; Jones reached on a fielder's choice
[Foli out at home (third to catcher), Boswell to second];
Kranepool singled to center [Boswell scored, Jones to third];
Singleton grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Mets 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger walked; Morgan walked [Metzger to second];
Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first) [Morgan to second,
Metzger to third]; Watson singled to shortstop [Metzger scored,
Morgan stayed at second]; Rader walked [Morgan to third, Watson
to second]; Wynn made an out to second; Menke reached on an
error by Aspromonte [Menke to second, Morgan scored (unearned)
(no RBI), Watson scored (unearned) (no RBI), Rader to third];
Edwards struck out; 3 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros
3.

METS 2ND: Aspromonte grounded out (third to first); Grote flied
out to left; Ryan singled to center; Foli struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Billingham struck out; Metzger singled to left;
Morgan walked [Metzger to second]; Cedeno singled to right
[Morgan to second, Metzger scored]; TAYLOR REPLACED RYAN
(PITCHING); Watson grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Cedeno out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 4.

METS 3RD: Boswell singled to left; Agee walked [Boswell to
second]; Jones lined into a triple play (shortstop to second to
third) [Boswell out at third, Agee out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader singled to right; Wynn singled to right [Rader
to third]; Menke singled to right [Wynn to second, Rader
scored]; Edwards flied out to left; Billingham forced Wynn
(pitcher to third) [Menke to second]; Metzger struck out; 1 R, 3
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 5.

METS 4TH: MARTINEZ REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); Kranepool
grounded out (first to pitcher); Singleton was called out on
strikes; Aspromonte singled to left; Grote flied out to center;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 5.

ASTROS 4TH: MARTINEZ REPLACED FOLI (PLAYING SS); Martinez
grounded out (second to first); Cedeno doubled to left; Grote
allowed a passed ball [Cedeno to third]; Watson made an out to
third; Rader singled to right [Cedeno scored]; Wynn forced Rader
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 6.

METS 5TH: JORGENSEN BATTED FOR TAYLOR; Jorgensen flied out to
right; Martinez grounded out (shortstop to first); Boswell
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 5TH: MCANDREW REPLACED JORGENSEN (PITCHING); Menke
walked; McAndrew threw a wild pitch [Menke to second]; Menke was
picked off second but was safe on an error by McAndrew [Menke to
third]; Edwards walked; Billingham hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Menke scored]; Metzger singled to left [Edwards to second];
Martinez made an out to shortstop; Cedeno struck out; 1 R, 1 H,
1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 7.

METS 6TH: Agee walked; Jones flied out to center; Kranepool
grounded into a double play (first to shortstop) [Agee out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson singled to left; Rader struck out; Wynn
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Watson
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 7.

METS 7TH: Singleton was called out on strikes; Aspromonte
grounded out (third to first); Grote struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 7.

ASTROS 7TH: Menke flied out to right; Edwards grounded out
(first to pitcher); Billingham singled to center; Metzger
tripled to left [Billingham scored]; Martinez doubled to right
[Metzger scored]; Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 3
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 9.

METS 8TH: MARSHALL BATTED FOR MCANDREW; Marshall singled to
center; Martinez singled to left [Marshall to second]; Boswell
grounded out (first to pitcher) [Martinez to second, Marshall to
third]; Agee made an out to shortstop; Jones singled to right
[Martinez scored, Marshall scored]; Kranepool flied out to left;
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 9.

ASTROS 8TH: WILLIAMS REPLACED MARSHALL (PITCHING); Watson
singled to center; Rader struck out; Wynn flied out to center;
Menke flied to right in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 3, Astros 9.

METS 9TH: Singleton grounded out (first to pitcher); Aspromonte
singled to right; Grote was hit by a pitch [Aspromonte to
second]; DYER BATTED FOR WILLIAMS; Dyer singled to left [Dyer to
second (error by Watson), Grote to third, Aspromonte scored];
CLENDENON BATTED FOR MARTINEZ; GLADDING REPLACED BILLINGHAM
(PITCHING); Clendenon lined to second; Boswell struck out; 1 R,
2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 4, Astros 9.