Don Wilson, who allowed only three hits, overcame a siege of wildness in the fourth inning and pitched the Astros to a 5-1 victory over the Mets. Roger Metzger doubled and Jim Wynn homered for the Astros' first two runs in the third.

Wilson walked four batters to force in the Mets' run with one out in the fourth but regained his control and retired Bob Aspromonte on a foul and Duffy Dyer on a grounder. The Astros knocked out Nolan Ryan in the fifth and iced the decision with three runs on a walk, an error and singles by Cesar Cedeno, Doug Rader and Denis Menke. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, New York Mets 1
Game Played on Friday, July      23, 1971 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  2    0  3  0    0  0  0  -   5 10  1
Mets         0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  3  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   1   1   0     0   1   .223      Martinez ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .256
Morgan 2b             2   1   0   0     3   0   .264      Boswell 2b            3   1   1   0     1   0   .258
Wynn rf               3   2   1   2     2   0   .218      Agee cf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .296
Cedeno cf             5   1   2   1     0   0   .252      Jones lf              3   0   0   0     1   1   .302
Rader 3b              5   0   2   1     0   0   .250      Kranepool rf          3   0   0   0     1   0   .275
Menke 1b              5   0   2   1     0   0   .247      Clendenon 1b          3   0   0   1     1   2   .234
Alou lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .304      Aspromonte 3b         4   0   0   0     0   1   .244
Edwards c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .226      Dyer c                3   0   0   0     0   1   .274
Wilson p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .148      Ryan p                1   0   0   0     0   1   .091
                                                            Sadecki p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .273
                                                            Jorgensen ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .224
                                                            Williams p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .063
                                                            Marshall ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .252
                                                            Taylor p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               36   5  10   5     5   1             Totals               30   1   3   1     4   7

Time of Game: 2:13   Attendance: 37,227
Left on Base: Astros 11, Mets 6
DP: Astros 1, Mets 1
Errors: Metzger, Aspromonte
Doubles: Metzger (9), Marshall (4)
Triples: Menke (2)
Home Runs: Wynn (6)
Stolen Bases: Morgan 2 (20)
GIDP: Boswell (9)
Hit by Pitch: Alou (3,by Ryan), Wilson (1,by Ryan)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson W(7-7)           9     3   1   1   4   7   0  34   3.11
Totals                  9     3   1   1   4   7   0  34

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan L(8-8)             4     7   5   4   3   1   1  23   2.63
Sadecki                 1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.41
Williams                2     2   0   0   1   0   0   9   5.30
Taylor                  2     0   0   0   1   0   0   7   3.21
Totals                  9    10   5   4   5   1   1  43

Hit by Pitch: Ryan 2 (10)

Umpires: HP - Stan Landes, 1B - Mel Steiner, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Shag Crawford


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger was called out on strikes; Morgan walked;
Morgan stole second; Wynn walked; Cedeno grounded out (second to
first) [Wynn to second, Morgan to third]; Rader grounded out
(first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Martinez singled to right; Boswell grounded into a
double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Martinez out at
second]; Agee grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Menke tripled to right; Alou was hit by a pitch;
Edwards hit into a double play (first unassisted) [Menke out at
home (first to third to shortstop to catcher to shortstop), Alou
to third]; Wilson made an out to pitcher; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Jones popped to first in foul territory; Kranepool
grounded out (shortstop to first); Clendenon struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger doubled to left; Morgan flied out to center
[Metzger to third]; Wynn homered [Metzger scored]; Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader singled to left; Menke
flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Aspromonte struck out; Dyer reached on an error by
Metzger; Ryan struck out; Martinez forced Dyer (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Alou singled to center [Alou out at second (center
to second)]; Edwards made an out to shortstop; Wilson was hit by
a pitch; Metzger forced Wilson (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Boswell walked; Agee grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Boswell to second]; Jones walked; Kranepool walked [Boswell to
third, Jones to second]; Clendenon walked [Boswell scored, Jones
to third, Kranepool to second]; Aspromonte popped to catcher in
foul territory; Dyer grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 0 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Morgan walked; Morgan stole second; Wynn reached on
an error by Aspromonte [Morgan to third]; Cedeno singled to left
[Wynn to second, Morgan scored]; Rader singled to center [Wynn
scored (unearned), Cedeno to third]; SADECKI REPLACED RYAN
(PITCHING); Menke singled to left [Rader to second, Cedeno
scored]; Alou forced Menke (shortstop to second); Edwards made
an out to shortstop; Wilson made an out to first; 3 R (2 ER), 3
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: JORGENSEN BATTED FOR SADECKI; Jorgensen struck out;
Martinez made an out to second; Boswell singled to right; Agee
made an out to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

ASTROS 6TH: WILLIAMS REPLACED JORGENSEN (PITCHING); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Morgan walked; Wynn flied out to
left; Cedeno singled to right [Morgan to third]; Rader lined to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

METS 6TH: Jones struck out; Kranepool lined to shortstop;
Clendenon was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 5, Mets 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Menke flied out to left; Alou made an out to
pitcher; Edwards singled to center; Wilson forced Edwards
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

METS 7TH: Aspromonte grounded out (shortstop to first); Dyer was
called out on strikes; MARSHALL BATTED FOR WILLIAMS; Marshall
doubled to left; Martinez popped to first in foul territory; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

ASTROS 8TH: TAYLOR REPLACED MARSHALL (PITCHING); Metzger flied
out to left; Morgan grounded out (pitcher to first); Wynn
walked; Cedeno flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
5, Mets 1.

METS 8TH: Boswell grounded out (third to first); Agee made an
out to first; Jones grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Rader made an out to second; Menke grounded out
(third to first); Alou flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

METS 9TH: Kranepool made an out to first; Clendenon grounded out
(pitcher to first); Aspromonte flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.