Ron Hunt was hit by a pitched ball for the 31st time this season, tying the modern major league record, and scored the first of the Expos' runs in a 6-4 victory over the Astros. Louis (Steve) Evans of the Cardinals also was hit 31 times in the 1910 season.

After Hunt was plinked by Jack Billingham in the fourth inning, the Expos went on to score four runs with the aid of singles by Rusty Staub, Ron Fairly, Bob Bailey and Jim Gosger. Staub batted in another run with a single in the fifth and the Expos added a tally in the sixth on a walk and singles by Gosger and Bobby Wine. Joe Morgan and Jesus Alou homered for the Astros. [The Sporting News]



Montreal Expos 6, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Saturday, July      31, 1971 (Night game) at Parc Jarry
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  2    1  1  0  -   4  8  0
Expos        0  0  0    4  1  1    0  0  x  -   6 11  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   1   2   0     0   0   .229      Hunt 2b               2   1   0   0     0   0   .281
Morgan 2b             4   2   1   2     1   0   .260        Sutherland 2b       1   0   1   0     0   0   .258
Chiles lf             3   0   1   1     1   0   .343      Day cf                2   1   1   0     1   0   .269
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .262      Staub rf              4   1   2   2     0   0   .299
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .253      Fairly 1b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .270
Menke 1b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .254      Bailey 3b             3   2   1   1     1   1   .257
Alou rf               4   1   1   1     0   1   .314      Gosger lf             3   0   2   1     1   1   .156
Howard c              4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Bateman c             4   0   1   0     0   2   .239
Billingham p          2   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Wine ss               4   0   2   1     0   0   .193
  Lemaster p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Renko p               3   1   0   0     0   0   .182
  Geronimo ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .250        Marshall p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250

Totals               34   4   8   4     4   3             Totals               30   6  11   6     3   4

Time of Game: 2:04   Attendance: 14,306
Left on Base: Astros 7, Expos 5
DP: Astros 2, Expos 1
Errors: Day
Doubles: Metzger (10), Chiles (4)
Home Runs: Morgan (8), Alou (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Day (6)
GIDP: Alou (8), Renko (2), Wine (10)
Hit by Pitch: Hunt (31,by Billingham)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham L(5-9)       4.2   6   5   5   1   4   0  20   3.67
Lemaster                1.1   3   1   1   1   0   0   7   3.12
Culver                  2     2   0   0   1   0   0   8   2.40
Totals                  8    11   6   6   3   4   0  35

Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Renko W(10-11)          7     7   4   4   3   2   2  31   3.71
Marshall SV(13)         2     1   0   0   1   1   0   7   5.43
Totals                  9     8   4   4   4   3   2  38

Hit by Pitch: Billingham (12)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger out on an unknown play; Morgan out on an
unknown play; Chiles walked; Cedeno out on an unknown play; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 1ST: Hunt out on an unknown play; Day out on an unknown
play; Staub out on an unknown play; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Expos 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader out on an unknown play; Menke singled; Alou
struck out; Howard singled [Menke to third (error by Day)];
Billingham out on an unknown play; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Fairly out on an unknown play; Bailey struck out;
Gosger struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger out on an unknown play; Morgan out on an
unknown play; Chiles out on an unknown play; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Bateman struck out; Wine out on an unknown play;
Renko out on an unknown play; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Expos 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno out on an unknown play; Rader out on an
unknown play; Menke out on an unknown play; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 4TH: Hunt was hit by a pitch; Day singled [Hunt to
second]; Staub singled [Hunt scored, Day to third]; Fairly
singled [Day scored, Staub to second]; Bailey singled [Staub
scored, Fairly out at third (center to third), Bailey to
second]; Gosger singled [Bailey scored, Gosger out at second
(center to shortstop)]; Bateman struck out; 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Alou out on an unknown play; Howard struck out;
Billingham out on an unknown play; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Expos 4.

EXPOS 5TH: Wine singled; Renko reached on a fielder's choice
[Wine out at second]; Hunt lined; Day walked [Renko to second];
LEMASTER REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Staub singled [Renko
scored, Day to second]; Fairly lined; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Expos 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger doubled; Morgan homered [Metzger scored];
Chiles out on an unknown play; Cedeno out on an unknown play;
Rader out on an unknown play; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Expos 5.

EXPOS 6TH: Bailey walked; Gosger singled [Bailey to second];
Bateman out on an unknown play [Bailey to third, Gosger to
second]; On a bunt Wine singled [Bailey scored, Gosger to
third]; Renko grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Wine out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Expos 6.

ASTROS 7TH: SUTHERLAND REPLACED HUNT (PLAYING 2B); Menke out on
an unknown play; Alou homered; Howard out on an unknown play;
GERONIMO BATTED FOR LEMASTER; Geronimo walked; Metzger out on an
unknown play; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 6.

EXPOS 7TH: CULVER REPLACED GERONIMO (PITCHING); Sutherland
singled; Day out on a sacrifice bunt [Sutherland to second];
Staub out on an unknown play; Fairly out on an unknown play; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 6.

ASTROS 8TH: Morgan walked; Chiles doubled [Morgan scored];
Cedeno singled [Chiles to third]; MARSHALL REPLACED RENKO
(PITCHING); Rader struck out; Menke walked [Cedeno to second];
Alou grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Menke out
at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Expos 6.

EXPOS 8TH: Bailey out on an unknown play; Gosger walked; Bateman
singled [Gosger to second]; Wine grounded into a double play
(pitcher to second to first) [Bateman out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Expos 6.

ASTROS 9TH: Howard out on an unknown play; MILLER BATTED FOR
CULVER; Miller out on an unknown play; Metzger singled; Morgan
out on an unknown play; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Expos 6.