Jack Billingham struck out 11 and J.R. Richard fanned 15 in his major league debut as the Astros tied the major league record for most strikeouts in a doubleheader with a total of 26 while defeating the Giants, 1-0 and 5-3. Richard, a rookie righthander from Oklahoma City (American Association), also tied the record set by Karl Spooner of the Dodgers against the Giants in 1954 for the most strikeouts by a pitcher in his first major league game.

Billingham was the winner of the opener on an unearned run in the second inning. Denis Menke and Johnny Edwards walked and Gaylord Perry, pitching for the Giants, beat himself by throwing wildly on a tap to the mound by Ray Busse. Cesar Geronimo and Cesar Cedeno each batted in two runs in support of Richard in the nightcap. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 1, San Francisco Giants 0 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, September 5, 1971 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  1
Giants       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Geronimo rf,lf        4   0   2   0     0   1   .273      Henderson lf          3   0   0   0     1   2   .276
Morgan 2b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .253      Fuentes 2b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .274
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .265      Mays cf,1b            3   0   2   0     1   0   .294
Watson lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .297      McCovey 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .266
  Wynn rf             0   0   0   0     0   0   .214        Rosario cf          3   0   0   0     0   1   .231
Mayberry 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .165      Bonds rf              4   0   0   0     0   4   .299
Menke 3b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .259      Dietz c               4   0   1   0     0   1   .256
Edwards c             4   0   2   0     0   1   .231      Gallagher 3b          3   0   1   0     0   0   .293
Busse ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Speier ss             3   0   0   0     0   1   .244
Billingham p          4   0   0   0     0   2   .133      Perry p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .107
                                                            Hart ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            J. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .111

Totals               35   1   6   0     1   6             Totals               30   0   5   0     2  11

Time of Game: 2:44
Left on Base: Astros 8, Giants 6
DP: Astros 0, Giants 1
Errors: Busse, Fuentes, Speier, Perry
Doubles: Geronimo (1), Cedeno (34)
Stolen Bases: Menke (4)
Caught Stealing: Mays (3), Dietz (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Rosario (3)
GIDP: Billingham (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(7-14)      9     5   0   0   2  11   0  33   3.78
Totals                  9     5   0   0   2  11   0  33

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Perry L(14-11)          8     6   1   0   1   5   0  32   3.02
J. Johnson              1     0   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.43
Totals                  9     6   1   0   1   6   0  36

Wild Pitches: Perry (6)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Geronimo singled to right; Morgan grounded out
(first unassisted) [Geronimo to second]; ROSARIO REPLACED
MCCOVEY (PLAYING CF); MAYS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B);
Cedeno grounded out (second to first) [Geronimo to third];
Watson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Henderson struck out; Fuentes struck out; Mays made
an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Mayberry struck out; Menke singled to center;
Edwards singled to center [Menke to second]; Busse reached on an
error by Perry [Edwards to third, Menke scored (unearned)];
Perry threw a wild pitch [Busse to second]; Billingham was
called out on strikes; Geronimo struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Rosario struck out; Bonds struck out; Dietz singled
to center; Gallagher singled to right [Dietz to second]; Speier
flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Morgan walked; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Morgan to second]; Watson made an out to second;
Mayberry grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Perry grounded out (second to first); Henderson
grounded out (second to first); Fuentes grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Menke popped to first in foul territory; Edwards
singled to center; Busse reached on an error by Fuentes [Edwards
to second]; Billingham grounded into a double play (pitcher to
shortstop to first) [Busse out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Mays walked; Mays was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Rosario flied out to left; Bonds was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Geronimo doubled to left; Morgan popped to catcher
in foul territory; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Geronimo to third]; Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Dietz reached on an error by Busse; Dietz was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Gallagher grounded out
(shortstop to first); Speier grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Mayberry grounded out (second to first); Menke was
called out on strikes; Edwards flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 6TH: Perry struck out; Henderson struck out; Fuentes
singled; Mays singled to left [Fuentes to second]; Rosario
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Busse flied out to center; Billingham struck out;
Geronimo grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 7TH: Bonds struck out; Dietz struck out; Gallagher popped
to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Giants 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Morgan grounded out (first unassisted); Cedeno
doubled; Watson grounded out (second to first) [Cedeno to
third]; Mayberry grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 8TH: WYNN REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING RF); GERONIMO CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Speier struck out; HART BATTED FOR
PERRY; Hart made an out to first; Henderson walked; Fuentes
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Giants 0.

ASTROS 9TH: J. JOHNSON REPLACED HART (PITCHING); Menke reached
on an error by Speier; Menke stole second; Edwards struck out;
Busse made an out to second; Billingham grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 9TH: Mays singled to center; Rosario out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Mays to second]; Bonds was called out
on strikes; Dietz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.