Bearing down all the way, Jack Billingham allowed only two hits and pitched the Astros to a 1-0 victory over the Reds for his third shutout of the season. The Astros collected 10 hits, but scored only in the first inning.

Roger Metzger led off with a single and, after Joe Morgan was retired, Cesar Geronimo forced Metzger. Cesar Cedeno then decided the ultimate outcome of the game with a double that drove in Geronimo. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 1, Cincinnati Reds 0
Game Played on Friday, September 10, 1971 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1 10  2
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  2  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            4   0   2   0     0   0   .242      Rose rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .299
Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .253      Carbo lf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .222
Geronimo rf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .298      May 1b                4   0   0   0     0   2   .280
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   1     0   1   .264      Perez 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .273
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .244      Bench c               3   0   1   0     0   0   .243
Alou lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .279      Foster cf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .245
Mayberry 1b           4   0   2   0     0   0   .194      Helms 2b              2   0   0   0     1   0   .260
Edwards c             2   0   1   0     2   1   .231      Concepcion ss         2   0   0   0     0   1   .208
Billingham p          4   0   0   0     0   1   .125        Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .224
                                                            Woodward ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .238
                                                          McGlothlin p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .128
                                                            Merritt p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .154
                                                            Cline ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .207
                                                            Granger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               34   1  10   1     2   3             Totals               29   0   2   0     2   6

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance: 12,002
Left on Base: Astros 8, Reds 4
DP: Astros 1, Reds 3
Errors: Alou, Billingham
Doubles: Cedeno (36)
GIDP: Billingham (2), Cedeno (8), Foster (17)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(8-14)      9     2   0   0   2   6   0  31   3.60
Totals                  9     2   0   0   2   6   0  31

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McGlothlin L(7-12)      4     7   1   1   1   0   0  18   3.33
Merritt                 4     2   0   0   0   2   0  13   4.52
Granger                 1     1   0   0   1   1   0   5   2.92
Totals                  9    10   1   1   2   3   0  36

Umpires: HP - Chris Pelekoudas, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Tom Gorman


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger singled; Morgan made an out to second;
Geronimo forced Metzger (second to shortstop); Cedeno doubled
[Geronimo scored]; Rader made an out to first; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose reached on an error by Alou [Rose to second];
Carbo grounded out (pitcher to first) [Rose to third]; May
struck out; Perez flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Alou grounded out (pitcher to first); Mayberry
singled; Edwards singled [Mayberry to second]; On a bunt
Billingham grounded into a double play (pitcher to third to
second) [Mayberry out at third]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench grounded out (shortstop to first); Foster
grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger flied out to center; Morgan singled;
Geronimo singled [Morgan to second]; Cedeno grounded into a
double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Geronimo out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion grounded out (third to first); McGlothlin
struck out; Rose singled; Carbo walked [Rose to second]; May
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader made an out to second; Alou grounded out
(third to first); Mayberry singled; Edwards walked [Mayberry to
second]; Billingham forced Edwards (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Perez flied out to left; Bench singled; Foster
grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Bench out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 5TH: MERRITT REPLACED MCGLOTHLIN (PITCHING); Metzger
singled; Morgan forced Metzger (first to shortstop); Geronimo
singled [Morgan to second]; Cedeno lined into a double play
(shortstop to second) [Morgan out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 5TH: Helms walked; Helms was picked off first but was safe
on an error by Billingham [Helms to second]; Concepcion struck
out; Merritt struck out; Rose flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader lined to second; Alou flied out to right;
Mayberry grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 6TH: Carbo flied out to left; May flied out to left; Perez
lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Edwards struck out; Billingham grounded out
(shortstop to first); Metzger popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 7TH: Bench grounded out (third to first); Foster struck
out; Helms flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Morgan grounded out (second to first); Geronimo
grounded out (first unassisted); Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 8TH: STEWART BATTED FOR CONCEPCION; Stewart grounded out
(first unassisted); CLINE BATTED FOR MERRITT; Cline grounded out
(second to first); Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 9TH: WOODWARD REPLACED STEWART (PLAYING SS); GRANGER
REPLACED CLINE (PITCHING); Rader grounded out (third to first);
Alou singled; Mayberry flied out to right; Edwards walked [Alou
to second]; Billingham struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
1, Reds 0.

REDS 9TH: Carbo made an out to shortstop; May popped to third in
foul territory; Perez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 1, Reds 0.