After pitching hitless ball for 7 1/3 innings, Clay Kirby wound up with a tough-luck defeat when the Astros edged the Padres, 3-2. Johnny Edwards doubled for the first hit off Kirby. Then, with two away, a single by Roger Metzger and triple by Joe Morgan gave the Astros two runs to tie the score.

With two out in the ninth, Cesar Geronimo was safe on an error by Nate Colbert, who had driven in both of the Padres' runs. After stealing second, Geronimo sped home and scored the winning run when Garry Jestadt missed connections with a grounder by Denis Menke. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, San Diego Padres 2
Game Played on Monday, September 13, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       1  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  9  2
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  1  -   3  3  1


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Hernandez ss          4   0   0   0     0   1   .222      Metzger ss            4   1   1   1     0   0   .242
  Stahl ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .257      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .255
  Dean ss             0   0   0   0     0   0   .117      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .261
Mason 2b              4   1   1   0     1   0   .222      Watson lf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .297
Jeter cf              4   1   2   0     0   1   .308      Mayberry 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .202
Colbert 1b            4   0   2   2     0   1   .273      Geronimo rf           3   1   0   0     1   1   .266
Lee lf                4   0   1   0     0   2   .271      Menke 3b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .257
  Gaspar lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Edwards c             3   1   1   0     0   0   .230
Morales rf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .111      Forsch p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .065
Jestadt 3b            3   0   1   0     1   0   .284        Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .278
Kendall c             4   0   2   0     0   0   .178        Spinks p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Murrell pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .239        Chiles ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .228
  Barton c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .241        Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .176
Kirby p               3   0   0   0     0   2   .108

Totals               34   2   9   2     3   7             Totals               31   3   3   2     3   5

Time of Game: 2:17   Attendance:  7,476
Left on Base: Padres 9, Astros 5
DP: Padres 0, Astros 1
Errors: Colbert, Jestadt, Metzger
Doubles: Edwards (11)
Triples: Morgan (10)
Stolen Bases: Jeter (1), Geronimo 2 (2)
Caught Stealing: Mason (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Kirby (5)
GIDP: Kendall (4)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kirby L(13-13)          8.2   3   3   2   3   5   0  34   3.12
Totals                  8.2   3   3   2   3   5   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  6     8   2   2   1   4   0  27   2.85
Spinks                  2     0   0   0   1   3   0   6   3.27
Ray W(10-4)             1     1   0   0   1   0   0   5   2.37
Totals                  9     9   2   2   3   7   0  38

Wild Pitches: Forsch (8)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - Augie Donatelli, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Doug Harvey


PADRES 1ST: Hernandez flied out to right; Mason singled; Jeter
singled [Mason to second]; Colbert singled [Mason scored, Jeter
to second]; Lee struck out; Morales popped to catcher in foul
territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger flied out to center; Morgan flied out to
center; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1,
Astros 0.

PADRES 2ND: Jestadt singled; Kendall grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Jestadt out at second]; Kirby struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Mayberry
grounded out (second to first); Geronimo walked; Geronimo stole
second; Menke struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1,
Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Hernandez made an out to shortstop; Mason grounded
out (shortstop to first); Jeter singled; Jeter stole second;
Forsch threw a wild pitch [Jeter to third]; Colbert singled
[Jeter scored]; Lee singled [Colbert to third]; Morales flied
out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Edwards grounded out (second to first); Forsch
struck out; Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

PADRES 4TH: Jestadt lined to shortstop; Kendall singled; Kirby
out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Kendall to second];
Hernandez struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Morgan flied out to right; Cedeno lined to left;
Watson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2,
Astros 0.

PADRES 5TH: Mason grounded out (second to first); Jeter grounded
out (second to first); Colbert flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Mayberry made an out to second; Geronimo grounded
out (second to first); Menke walked; Edwards flied out to left;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

PADRES 6TH: Lee flied out to left; Morales grounded out
(shortstop to first); Jestadt walked; Kendall reached on an
error by Metzger [Jestadt to second, Kendall to first]; Kirby
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: ALOU BATTED FOR FORSCH; Alou flied out to right;
Metzger grounded out (second to first); Morgan flied out to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

PADRES 7TH: SPINKS REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Hernandez grounded
out (second to first); Mason walked; Mason was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Jeter was called out on strikes;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Cedeno grounded out (first unassisted); Watson
walked; Mayberry grounded out (second to first) [Watson to
second]; Geronimo struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2,
Astros 0.

PADRES 8TH: Colbert struck out; Lee struck out; Morales flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 8TH: GASPAR REPLACED LEE (PLAYING LF); Menke grounded out
(shortstop to first); Edwards doubled; CHILES BATTED FOR SPINKS;
Chiles grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger singled [Edwards
scored, Metzger to second (on throw)]; Morgan tripled [Metzger
scored]; Cedeno struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2,
Astros 2.

PADRES 9TH: RAY REPLACED CHILES (PITCHING); Jestadt popped to
catcher in foul territory; Kendall singled; MURRELL RAN FOR
KENDALL; Kirby forced Murrell (pitcher to shortstop); STAHL
BATTED FOR HERNANDEZ; Stahl walked [Kirby to second]; Mason
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres
2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: DEAN REPLACED STAHL (PLAYING SS); BARTON REPLACED
MURRELL (PLAYING C ); Watson flied out to center; Mayberry made
an out to second; Geronimo reached on an error by Colbert
[Geronimo to first]; Geronimo stole second; Menke reached on an
error by Jestadt [Geronimo scored (unearned) (no RBI), Menke to
first]; 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 3.