The Astros rallied for five runs in the seventh inning, with the help of an error by Bill Mazeroski, and defeated the Pirates, 6-5. Two walks and a one-out single by Denis Menke produced the first run in the uprising, chasing Luke Walker. Bob Miller, in relief, yielded a run-scoring single by Jesus Alou.

After Bob Veale took over, Joe Morgan grounded to Gene Alley, but Mazeroski dropped the throw to second, loading the bases. Dave Giusti became the Pirates' fourth pitcher of the inning. Cesar Cedeno greeted him with a two-run single and Doug Rader hit a sacrifice fly to add what proved to be the winning tally. Roberto Clemente drove in four runs for the Pirates with a single, homer and sacrifice fly. Mazeroski reached the 2,000 hit plateau with a double. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 5

Game Played on Tuesday, August 17, 1971 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium

Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    5  0  0  -   6  6  1
Pirates      2  0  0    0  2  0    1  0  0  -   5  9  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Alou lf               3   1   1   1     1   1   .308      Cash 3b,2b            5   0   1   0     0   0   .304
  Ray p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .133      Clines cf             3   2   2   0     0   1   .307
Morgan 2b             5   2   2   0     0   0   .266        Oliver ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .271
Cedeno cf             5   0   1   2     0   3   .254        Briles p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .217
Watson 1b             3   0   0   1     1   1   .283      Clemente rf           3   2   2   4     0   0   .325
Rader 3b              3   0   0   1     0   1   .245      Stargell lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .310
Wynn rf               2   1   0   0     2   0   .211      Sanguillen c          4   0   2   0     0   1   .330
Hiatt c               2   0   1   0     2   0   .285      Robertson 1b          4   0   1   1     0   1   .264
Metzger ss            4   1   0   0     0   0   .232      Alley ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .237
Blasingame p          2   0   0   0     0   0   .182        May ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .231
  Menke ph            1   0   1   1     0   0   .262        J. Hernandez ss     0   0   0   0     0   0   .201
  Geronimo pr,lf      1   1   0   0     0   1   .231      Mazeroski 2b          2   0   1   0     0   1   .260
                                                            Davalillo ph,cf     2   1   0   0     0   1   .281
                                                          Walker p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .026
                                                            Miller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Veale p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .375
                                                            Giusti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .071
                                                            Hebner ph,3b        2   0   0   0     0   1   .280

Totals               32   6   6   6     6   8             Totals               35   5   9   5     1   7

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance: 16,694
Left on Base: Astros 7, Pirates 5
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 0
Errors: Watson, Cash, Alley, Mazeroski
Doubles: Hiatt (8), Clines (8), Mazeroski (3)
Triples: Morgan (7), Clines (4)
Home Runs: Clemente (12)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (25)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (6), Morgan (8)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson (2), Rader (5), Clemente (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blasingame W(9-9)       6     7   4   4   0   5   1  25   4.23
Ray SV(3)               3     2   1   0   1   2   0  12   2.37
Totals                  9     9   5   4   1   7   1  37

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Walker                  6.1   4   4   3   4   5   0  27   3.47
Miller L(7-5)           0     1   1   0   0   0   0   1   2.06
Veale                   0     0   1   0   0   0   0   1   7.41
Giusti                  0.2   1   0   0   2   0   0   5   3.28
Briles                  2     0   0   0   0   3   0   6   3.77
Totals                  9     6   6   3   6   8   0  40

Wild Pitches: Blasingame (9)

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - Ed Sudol


ASTROS 1ST: Alou grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan
tripled; Cedeno reached on an error by Alley [Morgan stayed at
third, Cedeno to first]; Watson hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Morgan scored (unearned)]; Cedeno was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Cash flied out to center; Clines doubled; Clemente
singled [Clines scored]; Stargell made an out to shortstop;
Sanguillen singled [Clemente to second]; Robertson singled
[Clemente scored, Sanguillen to second]; Alley forced Robertson
(shortstop to second); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates
2.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader flied out to left; Wynn flied out to center;
Hiatt doubled; Metzger grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 2ND: Mazeroski doubled; Blasingame threw a wild pitch
[Mazeroski to third]; Walker struck out; Cash grounded out
(third to first); Clines struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Blasingame grounded out (catcher to first); Alou
struck out; Morgan singled; Morgan stole second; Cedeno struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Clemente grounded out (second to first); Stargell
made an out to catcher; Sanguillen lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson struck out; Rader grounded out (third to
first); Wynn lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 4TH: Robertson struck out; Alley made an out to first;
Mazeroski struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Hiatt walked; Metzger grounded out (third to first)
[Hiatt to second]; Blasingame grounded out (second to first)
[Hiatt to third]; Alou walked; Morgan forced Alou (second to
shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Walker made an out to shortstop; Cash grounded out
(shortstop to first); Clines tripled; Clemente homered [Clines
scored]; Stargell grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson grounded out (third to
first); Rader struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Pirates 4.

PIRATES 6TH: Sanguillen struck out; Robertson flied out to
center; Alley grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Wynn walked; Hiatt walked [Wynn to second]; Metzger
forced Hiatt (second to shortstop) [Wynn to third]; MENKE BATTED
FOR BLASINGAME; Menke singled [Wynn scored, Metzger to second];
MILLER REPLACED WALKER (PITCHING); GERONIMO RAN FOR MENKE; Alou
singled [Metzger scored, Geronimo to second]; VEALE REPLACED
MILLER (PITCHING); Morgan reached on a fielder's choice
[Geronimo to third, Alou to second (error by Mazeroski; assist
by Alley)]; GIUSTI REPLACED VEALE (PITCHING); Cedeno singled
[Geronimo scored, Alou scored (unearned), Morgan to third,
Cedeno to second (on throw)]; Watson was walked intentionally;
Rader hit a sacrifice fly to right [Morgan scored (unearned),
Cedeno to third, Watson to second]; Wynn was walked
intentionally; Hiatt lined to center; 5 R (3 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 6, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 7TH: GERONIMO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); RAY REPLACED
ALOU (PITCHING); DAVALILLO BATTED FOR MAZEROSKI; Davalillo
reached on an error by Watson [Davalillo to first]; HEBNER
BATTED FOR GIUSTI; Hebner struck out; Cash singled [Davalillo to
second]; OLIVER BATTED FOR CLINES; Oliver walked [Davalillo to
third, Cash to second]; Clemente hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Davalillo scored (unearned), Cash to third]; Stargell made an
out to second; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Pirates 5.

ASTROS 8TH: HEBNER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); DAVALILLO STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING CF); CASH CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B);
BRILES REPLACED OLIVER (PITCHING); Metzger grounded out
(shortstop to first); Geronimo struck out; Ray struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 8TH: Sanguillen singled; Robertson lined into a double
play (third to first) [Sanguillen out at first]; MAY BATTED FOR
ALLEY; May lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6,
Pirates 5.

ASTROS 9TH: J. HERNANDEZ REPLACED MAY (PLAYING SS); Morgan
reached on an error by Cash [Morgan to first]; Morgan was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Cedeno struck out; Watson
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
6, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 9TH: Davalillo struck out; Hebner flied out to left;
Cash grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 6, Pirates 5.

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