After striking out his first three times at bat, Bob Gibson came up with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth inning and won his own game, hitting an infield single to give the Cardinals a 3-2 victory over the Astros. Lou Brock and Joe Torre combined for the Cardinals' first two runs of the game and Joe Morgan counted both of the Astros' tallies.

In the ninth, Jose Cruz walked with two out, Ted Kubiak was safe on an error by Roger Metzger and Bob Burda drew a pass to load the bases. Gibson hit a grounder into the hole between third and short. Metzger made a diving stop of the ball but was unable to recover in time for a throw as Cruz scored. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 3, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Monday, August    23, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  1  -   3  6  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  1  0  -   2  7  1


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              4   2   2   0     1   1   .324      Alou rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .300
Sizemore rf,2b        4   0   0   0     0   0   .258      Morgan 2b             4   2   2   0     0   0   .269
Alou 1b,rf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .312      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   1     0   1   .253
Torre 3b              4   0   2   2     0   0   .358      Watson 1b             3   0   2   1     1   0   .288
Simmons c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .304      Chiles lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .257
Cruz cf               3   1   0   0     1   0   .250      Menke 3b              4   0   1   0     0   2   .260
Kubiak 2b,ss          4   0   1   0     0   0   .235      Hiatt c               3   0   0   0     0   2   .276
Maxvill ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .213        Edwards ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .224
  Burda ph,1b         0   0   0   0     1   0   .321        Geronimo pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .231
Gibson p              4   0   1   1     0   3   .200      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     1   0   .234
                                                          Wilson p              2   0   0   0     0   2   .155
                                                            Wynn ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .214

Totals               34   3   6   3     3   4             Totals               33   2   7   2     2   7

Time of Game: 1:52   Attendance: 19,167
Left on Base: Cardinals 7, Astros 7
DP: Cardinals 0, Astros 0
Errors: Metzger
Doubles: Torre (26), Menke (23)
Triples: Morgan (9)
Stolen Bases: Brock 2 (44), Morgan (26)
Sacrifice Hits: Wilson (5)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gibson W(12-11)         9     7   2   2   2   7   0  36   3.28
Totals                  9     7   2   2   2   7   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson L(11-8)          9     6   3   2   3   4   0  37   2.87
Totals                  9     6   3   2   3   4   0  37

Wild Pitches: Wilson (5)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - John McSherry, 3B - Ken Burkhart


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock walked; Brock stole second; Sizemore
grounded out (second to first) [Brock to third]; Alou popped to
catcher in foul territory; Torre singled to center [Brock
scored]; Simmons popped to third in foul territory; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

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

CARDINALS 2ND: Cruz flied out to left; Kubiak popped to catcher
in foul territory; Maxvill flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to left; Chiles flied out to center;
Menke doubled to right [Watson to third]; Hiatt was called out
on strikes; Metzger walked; Wilson struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Gibson was called out on strikes; Brock singled
to center; Sizemore flied out to left; Alou grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Alou grounded out (second to first); Morgan grounded
out (second to first); Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Torre grounded out (shortstop to first); Simmons
grounded out (second to first); Cruz lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (third to first); Chiles flied
out to right; Menke was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Kubiak flied out to right; Maxvill made an out to
second; Gibson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Hiatt struck out; Metzger singled to center; Wilson
out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Metzger to second];
Alou grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: Brock singled to left; Brock stole second;
Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou flied out to
center; Torre doubled to center [Brock scored]; Simmons flied
out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Morgan tripled to left; Cedeno grounded out (second
to first) [Morgan scored]; Watson walked; Chiles grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Watson to second]; Menke grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 7TH: Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); Kubiak
singled to center; Wilson threw a wild pitch [Kubiak to second];
Maxvill flied out to right; Gibson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Hiatt grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
flied out to center; Wilson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 2, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 8TH: Brock grounded out (second to first); Sizemore
flied out to right; Alou flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Alou flied out to right; Morgan singled to center;
Morgan stole second; Cedeno struck out; Watson singled to left
[Morgan scored, Watson to second (on throw)]; Chiles grounded
out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2,
Astros 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: Torre flied out to right; Simmons flied out to
center; Cruz walked; Kubiak reached on an error by Metzger [Cruz
to third, Kubiak to first]; BURDA BATTED FOR MAXVILL; Burda
walked [Kubiak to second]; Gibson singled to left [Cruz scored
(unearned), Kubiak to third, Burda to second]; Brock was called
out on strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 3,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: BURDA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); ALOU CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); SIZEMORE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B);
KUBIAK CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Menke was called out on
strikes; EDWARDS BATTED FOR HIATT; Edwards singled to center;
GERONIMO RAN FOR EDWARDS; Metzger forced Geronimo (second to
shortstop); WYNN BATTED FOR WILSON; Wynn flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 2.