Gaylord Perry pitched a three-hitter and the Giants took advantage of an unearned run to defeat the Astros, 2-1, and pull three games ahead of the idle Dodgers in the West division race. Willie McCovey homered for the Giants' first run in the fourth inning.

The Giants loaded the bases against Don Wilson in the fifth when Perry and Ken Henderson singled and Tito Fuentes was safe on an error by Denis Menke. After Bobby Bonds went out on a short fly, McCovey was hit on the foot by a pitched ball, forcing in what proved to be the winning run. John Mayberry homered for the Astros' run in their half of the fifth. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Thursday, September 23, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  3  3


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Henderson cf,lf       4   0   3   0     1   0   .262      Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .238
Fuentes 2b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .265      Morgan 2b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .260
Bonds rf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .287      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .266
McCovey 1b            3   1   1   2     0   2   .263      Watson lf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .288
Kingman lf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .260      Wynn rf               3   0   0   0     0   1   .207
  Mays cf             0   0   0   0     0   0   .275      Menke 3b              2   0   0   0     1   1   .254
Gallagher 3b          4   0   1   0     0   2   .283      Mayberry 1b           3   1   1   1     0   0   .182
  Lanier 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Howard c              2   0   0   0     0   2   .229
Speier ss             4   0   1   0     0   1   .238        Edwards ph,c        1   0   0   0     0   0   .229
Healy c               4   0   0   0     0   2   .289      Wilson p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .159
Perry p               4   1   1   0     0   1   .106        Chiles ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .226
                                                            Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   2   7   2     2  11             Totals               28   1   3   1     2   6

Time of Game: 2:06   Attendance: 12,281
Left on Base: Giants 9, Astros 2
DP: Giants 1, Astros 0
Errors: Menke 2, Howard
Doubles: Morgan (27)
Home Runs: McCovey (18), Mayberry (7)
Stolen Bases: Henderson (17), Cedeno (19)
Caught Stealing: Speier (7), Metzger (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Fuentes (13)
GIDP: Mayberry (2)
Hit by Pitch: McCovey (4,by Wilson)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Perry W(15-12)          9     3   1   1   2   6   1  30   2.86
Totals                  9     3   1   1   2   6   1  30

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson L(16-9)          8     7   2   1   1  10   1  34   2.46
Gladding                1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   1.94
Totals                  9     7   2   1   2  11   1  38

Hit by Pitch: Wilson (7)

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


GIANTS 1ST: Henderson singled; Fuentes out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to second) [Henderson to second]; Bonds struck out;
McCovey struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger singled; Metzger was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Morgan walked; Cedeno forced Morgan
(shortstop to second); Cedeno stole second; Watson struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Kingman made an out to shortstop; Gallagher was
called out on strikes; Speier singled to right; Speier was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Wynn flied out to right; Menke walked; Mayberry
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Menke out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Healy flied out to center; Perry flied out to
center; Henderson singled; Henderson stole second; Fuentes
walked; Bonds struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard struck out; Wilson made an out to second;
Metzger flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0,
Astros 0.

GIANTS 4TH: McCovey homered; Kingman flied out to left;
Gallagher was called out on strikes; Speier was called out on
strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Morgan doubled; Cedeno struck out; Watson grounded
out (shortstop to first); Wynn struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Giants 1, Astros 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Healy made an out to second; Perry singled to left;
Henderson singled to center [Perry to second]; Fuentes reached
on an error by Menke [Henderson to second, Perry to third];
Howard dropped a foul fly hit by Bonds for an error; Bonds flied
out to right; McCovey was hit by a pitch [Perry scored
(unearned), Henderson to third, Fuentes to second]; Kingman
struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Menke popped to catcher in foul territory; Mayberry
homered; Howard struck out; Wilson flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

GIANTS 6TH: Gallagher grounded out (shortstop to first); Speier
grounded out (shortstop to first); Healy struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger flied out to right; Morgan flied out to
center; Cedeno popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

GIANTS 7TH: Perry struck out; Henderson grounded out (second to
first); Fuentes grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson made an out to second; Wynn grounded out
(shortstop to first); Menke was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

GIANTS 8TH: Bonds made an out to shortstop; McCovey was called
out on strikes; Kingman reached on an error by Menke; Gallagher
singled to right [Kingman to second]; Speier grounded out (first
to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: MAYS REPLACED KINGMAN (PLAYING CF); HENDERSON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); LANIER REPLACED GALLAGHER
(PLAYING 3B); Mayberry flied out to center; EDWARDS BATTED FOR
HOWARD; Edwards flied out to left; CHILES BATTED FOR WILSON;
Chiles grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 2, Astros 1.

GIANTS 9TH: EDWARDS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); GLADDING
REPLACED CHILES (PITCHING); Healy struck out; Perry grounded out
(shortstop to first); Henderson walked; Fuentes grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan
popped to catcher in foul territory; Cedeno grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.