Ed Acosta, who was released by the Houston organization after the 1968 season before making a comeback that brought him to the major leagues, pitched the Padres to a 5-2 victory and stopped the Astros on an eight-game winning streak.

The Padres scored all their runs in the first inning. After singles by Enzo Hernandez, Johnny Jeter and Nate Colbert loaded the bases, Cito Gaston was hit by a pitch to force in the first run. Another scored on a wild pitch by Wade Blasingame. Jerry Morales singled for a run to chase Blasingame. After Scipio Spinks relieved, Garry Jestadt singled to drive in the Padres' final two tallies. [The Sporting News]



San Diego Padres 5, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Tuesday, September 14, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       5  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   5  8  3
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  1  0  -   2  5  0


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Hernandez ss          4   1   1   0     0   1   .223      Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .243
Mason 2b              5   0   0   0     0   1   .218      Morgan 2b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .255
Jeter cf              5   1   1   0     0   4   .278      Cedeno cf             3   0   1   0     1   0   .262
Colbert 1b            3   1   1   0     1   1   .274      Watson lf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .295
Gaston lf             3   1   0   1     0   0   .228      Mayberry 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .194
Morales rf            3   1   1   1     1   1   .167      Geronimo rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .250
Jestadt 3b            4   0   2   2     0   1   .290      Menke 3b              3   1   1   0     0   0   .258
Ivie c                3   0   2   0     0   0   .538      Edwards c             3   0   1   0     0   0   .231
Acosta p              4   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Blasingame p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .204
                                                            Spinks p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Thomas ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Chiles ph           0   0   0   1     0   0   .228
                                                            Guinn p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   5   8   4     2  11             Totals               30   2   5   1     2   4

Time of Game: 2:19   Attendance:  5,986
Left on Base: Padres 7, Astros 4
DP: Padres 2, Astros 1
Errors: Hernandez, Mason, Jestadt
Doubles: Metzger (14)
Stolen Bases: Morales (1), Cedeno (16)
Sacrifice Flies: Chiles (1)
GIDP: Ivie (2), Cedeno (9), Watson (14)
Hit by Pitch: Gaston (2,by Blasingame), Ivie (1,by Spinks), Hernandez (3,by Griffin)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Acosta W(2-2)           9     5   2   0   2   4   0  33   1.72
Totals                  9     5   2   0   2   4   0  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blasingame L(9-11)      0.1   4   5   5   0   0   0   6   4.60
Spinks                  5.2   3   0   0   1   6   0  21   2.16
Griffin                 2     1   0   0   1   4   0   9   4.79
Guinn                   1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9     8   5   5   2  11   0  39

Passed Balls: Edwards (8)
Hit by Pitch: Blasingame (13), Spinks (1), Griffin (2)
Wild Pitches: Acosta (1), Blasingame (10), Spinks (1), Griffin (3)
Balks: Acosta (1)

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


PADRES 1ST: Hernandez singled; Mason made an out to catcher;
Jeter singled [Hernandez to second]; Colbert singled [Hernandez
to third, Jeter to second]; Gaston was hit by a pitch [Hernandez
scored, Jeter to third, Colbert to second]; Blasingame threw a
wild pitch [Jeter scored, Colbert to third, Gaston to second];
Morales singled [Colbert scored, Gaston to third]; SPINKS
REPLACED BLASINGAME (PITCHING); Spinks threw a wild pitch
[Morales to second]; Jestadt singled [Gaston scored, Morales
scored]; Ivie grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Jestadt out at second]; 5 R, 5 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 5,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Morgan
singled; Cedeno grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Morgan out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
5, Astros 0.

PADRES 2ND: Acosta struck out; Hernandez struck out; Mason
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
5, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; Acosta balked [Watson to second];
Mayberry made an out to third; Geronimo struck out; Menke flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Jeter struck out; Colbert was called out on strikes;
Gaston grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 5, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Edwards singled; Spinks popped to catcher in foul
territory; Metzger flied out to center; Morgan forced Edwards
(shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros
0.

PADRES 4TH: Morales grounded out (shortstop to first); Jestadt
singled; Ivie singled [Jestadt to second]; Acosta made an out to
pitcher; Hernandez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno singled; Watson grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Cedeno out at second]; Mayberry grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 0.

PADRES 5TH: Mason grounded out (third to first); Jeter struck
out; Colbert grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Geronimo flied out to left; Menke grounded out
(third to first); Edwards flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 0.

PADRES 6TH: Gaston flied out to center; Morales walked; Morales
stole second; Jestadt flied out to left; Ivie was hit by a
pitch; Acosta struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 5,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: THOMAS BATTED FOR SPINKS; Thomas struck out;
Debut game for Derrell Thomas; Metzger flied out to center;
Morgan reached on an error by Mason [Morgan to first]; Acosta
threw a wild pitch [Morgan to second]; Cedeno reached on an
error by Hernandez [Morgan scored (unearned) (no RBI), Cedeno
out at second (first to shortstop)]; 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 2 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 1.

PADRES 7TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED THOMAS (PITCHING); Hernandez was
hit by a pitch; Griffin threw a wild pitch [Hernandez to
second]; Edwards allowed a passed ball [Hernandez to third];
Mason struck out; Jeter struck out; Colbert walked; Gaston made
an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson grounded out (second to first); Mayberry
flied out to left; Geronimo grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 1.

PADRES 8TH: Morales struck out; Jestadt struck out; Ivie
singled; Acosta flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 5, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Menke singled to third [Menke to second (error by
Jestadt)]; Edwards flied out to center [Menke to third]; CHILES
BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Chiles hit a sacrifice fly to right [Menke
scored (unearned)]; Metzger doubled; Morgan was called out on
strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 2.

PADRES 9TH: GUINN REPLACED CHILES (PITCHING); Hernandez flied
out to center; Mason grounded out (second to first); Jeter
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Watson was
called out on strikes; Mayberry flied out to center; Geronimo
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 5,
Astros 2.