A winner for the first time since July 18, Jack Billingham pitched the Astros to a 3-0 victory over the Cubs. Billingham had a perfect game in the works for the first six innings before Don Kessinger spoiled his efforts with a single.

The Astros jumped on Bill Hands for two runs in the third on a homer by Jack Hiatt and triples by Roger Metzger and Joe Morgan. Singles by Cesar Cedeno and Rich Chiles, around an infield out, added the other run in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Chicago Cubs 0
Game Played on Saturday, August    21, 1971 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       0  0  2    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   3  7  0
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  3  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Alou rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .308      Kessinger ss          4   0   1   0     0   0   .257
  Geronimo rf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .231      Beckert 2b            3   0   0   0     0   0   .348
Morgan 2b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .268      Williams lf           3   0   1   0     0   0   .308
Cedeno cf             3   1   1   0     1   0   .251      Pepitone 1b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .306
Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .280      Santo 3b              3   0   0   0     0   2   .262
  Menke 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .260      Callison rf           3   0   1   0     0   0   .203
Chiles lf             4   0   1   1     0   1   .273      James cf              3   0   0   0     0   1   .263
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .245      Martin c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .246
Hiatt c               3   1   1   1     0   0   .282      Hands p               2   0   0   0     0   2   .065
Metzger ss            3   1   2   0     0   0   .235        Davis ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .278
Billingham p          2   0   0   0     0   1   .145

Totals               31   3   7   3     1   4             Totals               28   0   3   0     0   5

Time of Game: 2:05   Attendance: 26,386
Left on Base: Astros 3, Cubs 1
DP: Astros 2, Cubs 1
Errors: Kessinger
Triples: Metzger (10), Morgan (8)
Home Runs: Hiatt (1)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Billingham (4)
GIDP: Rader (9), James (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(6-12)      9     3   0   0   0   5   0  28   3.55
Totals                  9     3   0   0   0   5   0  28

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hands L(10-15)          9     7   3   3   1   4   1  33   3.33
Totals                  9     7   3   3   1   4   1  33

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


ASTROS 1ST: Alou grounded out (third to first); Morgan grounded
out (second to first); Cedeno lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Kessinger grounded out (second to first); Beckert
grounded out (second to first); Williams grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to left; Chiles flied out to
center; Rader struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs
0.

CUBS 2ND: Pepitone grounded out (second to first); Santo struck
out; Callison flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Hiatt homered; Metzger tripled to center; Billingham
struck out; Alou grounded out (third to first); Morgan tripled
to left [Metzger scored]; Cedeno walked; Cedeno was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: James grounded out (first to pitcher); Martin flied
out to left; Hands struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cubs 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled to left; Chiles struck out; Rader
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Watson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Kessinger lined to third; Beckert grounded out (second
to first); Williams grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Hiatt lined to right; Metzger singled to right;
Billingham out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Metzger
to second]; Alou reached on an error by Kessinger [Metzger out
at home (shortstop to second to catcher), Alou to first]; 0 R, 1
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 5TH: Pepitone popped to shortstop; Santo grounded out
(first unassisted); Callison grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Morgan grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
grounded out (third to first); Watson grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 6TH: James struck out; Martin grounded out (shortstop to
first); Hands struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs
0.

ASTROS 7TH: Chiles grounded out (second to first); Rader
grounded out (shortstop to first); Hiatt grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 7TH: Kessinger singled to third; Beckert lined into a
double play (first unassisted) [Kessinger out at first];
Williams singled to center; Pepitone grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Billingham
flied out to right; Alou grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 8TH: GERONIMO REPLACED ALOU (PLAYING RF); Santo struck out;
Callison singled to shortstop; James grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Callison out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 9TH: Morgan grounded out (first unassisted); Cedeno
singled to center; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Cedeno to second]; Chiles singled to right [Cedeno scored];
Rader struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

CUBS 9TH: MENKE REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); Martin flied out
to center; DAVIS BATTED FOR HANDS; Davis grounded out (pitcher
to first); Kessinger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.