A bases-loaded triple by Doug Rader and homers by Lee May and Jim Wynn powered the Astros to a 7-3 victory over the Giants, spoiling opening night for the San Francisco turnout of 16,098. Rader's three-bagger in the fifth inning sent the Astros ahead, 5-1. May and Wynn followed with bases-empty roundtrippers for the Astros in the seventh and ninth innings, respectively. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, San Francisco Giants 3
Game Played on Friday, April     21, 1972 (Night game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  2  0    0  3  0    1  0  1  -   7  9  1
Giants       0  0  1    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   3  5  4


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     1   0   .091      Speier ss             5   1   2   0     0   0   .240
Cedeno cf             5   1   3   0     0   0   .440      Fuentes 2b            4   1   1   0     1   0   .267
Wynn rf               5   2   2   1     0   1   .320      Mays cf               3   0   0   1     2   0   .125
May 1b                5   1   1   1     0   1   .280      Bonds rf              5   0   1   0     0   0   .310
Watson lf             3   2   1   0     1   1   .350      Kingman 1b            3   0   0   1     1   0   .241
Rader 3b              4   0   1   3     0   1   .304      Henderson lf          1   0   0   1     3   0   .120
Helms 2b              4   1   0   0     0   0   .125      Healy c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .167
Hiatt c               3   0   1   0     1   0   .200      Gallagher 3b          4   0   1   0     0   1   .091
Wilson p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cumberland p          2   0   0   0     0   2   .250
  Ray p               2   0   0   0     0   2   .000        Barr p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Culver p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Howarth ph          0   1   0   0     1   0   .250
                                                            Bryant p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Rader ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Morris p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   7   9   5     3   7             Totals               32   3   5   3     8   5

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance: 16,898
Left on Base: Astros 6, Giants 10
DP: Astros 1, Giants 1
Errors: Metzger, Fuentes 2, Gallagher, Cumberland
Doubles: Hiatt (1), Speier (1)
Triples: Rader (2)
Home Runs: May (1), Wynn (1)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Wilson (1)
GIDP: May (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson                  2     2   0   0   1   2   0   9   3.86
Ray W(1-0)              4     2   3   2   5   1   0  20   3.68
Culver SV(2)            3     1   0   0   2   2   0  11   1.29
Totals                  9     5   3   2   8   5   0  40

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cumberland L(0-2)       4     5   4   2   2   3   0  21   5.79
Barr                    3     2   2   2   1   2   1  11   5.06
Bryant                  1     1   0   0   0   2   0   4  11.57
Morris                  1     1   1   1   0   0   1   4   6.75
Totals                  9     9   7   5   3   7   2  40

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Ed Vargo


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger flied to left in foul territory; Cedeno
singled to center; Cedeno stole second; Wynn struck out; May
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Speier flied out to center; Fuentes singled to
center; Mays flied out to center; Bonds forced Fuentes
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to center; Rader flied out to center;
Helms reached on an error by Fuentes [Watson scored (error by
Fuentes) (unearned) (no RBI), Helms to second]; Hiatt walked;
Wilson reached on an error by Cumberland on a sacrifice bunt
[Helms scored (unearned) (no RBI), Hiatt to second, Wilson to
first]; Metzger flied out to right; Cedeno singled to second
[Hiatt to third, Wilson to second]; Wynn forced Wilson (third
unassisted); 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 3 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Kingman grounded out (shortstop to first); Henderson
walked; Healy was called out on strikes; Gallagher singled to
pitcher [Henderson to second]; Cumberland struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 0.

ASTROS 3RD: May struck out; Watson grounded out (third to
first); Rader made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: RAY REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Speier doubled to
left; Fuentes flied out to center; Mays walked; Bonds flied out
to right; Kingman walked [Speier to third, Mays to second];
Henderson walked [Speier scored, Mays to third, Kingman to
second]; Healy forced Henderson (shortstop to second); 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Helms flied out to left; Hiatt flied out to right;
Ray struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Gallagher grounded out (shortstop to first);
Cumberland struck out; Speier made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger walked; Cedeno singled to center [Metzger to
second]; Wynn singled to right [Metzger to third, Cedeno to
second]; BARR REPLACED CUMBERLAND (PITCHING); May grounded into
a double play (pitcher to catcher to first) [Cedeno to third,
Wynn to second, Metzger out at home]; Watson was walked
intentionally; Rader tripled to right [Cedeno scored, Wynn
scored, Watson scored]; Helms grounded out (third to first); 3
R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Giants 1.

GIANTS 5TH: Fuentes flied out to center; Mays grounded out
(shortstop to first); Bonds singled to center; Kingman forced
Bonds (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5,
Giants 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Hiatt grounded out (shortstop to first); Ray struck
out; Metzger flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Giants 1.

GIANTS 6TH: Henderson made an out to shortstop; Healy grounded
out (third to first); Gallagher grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Giants 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Wynn
reached on an error by Gallagher [Wynn to first]; Wynn was
picked off first (pitcher to first); May homered; Watson struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Giants 1.

GIANTS 7TH: HOWARTH BATTED FOR BARR; Howarth walked; Speier
reached on an error by Metzger [Howarth to second, Speier to
first]; Fuentes walked [Howarth to third, Speier to second];
CULVER REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); Mays walked [Howarth scored,
Speier to third, Fuentes to second]; Bonds forced Speier
(pitcher to catcher) [Fuentes to third, Mays to second]; Kingman
hit into a double play (third to second to first) [Fuentes
scored (unearned) (RBI), Mays out at home (first to catcher),
Bonds to second]; 2 R (1 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Giants
3.

ASTROS 8TH: BRYANT REPLACED HOWARTH (PITCHING); Rader struck
out; Helms flied out to left; Hiatt doubled to center; Culver
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Giants 3.

GIANTS 8TH: Henderson walked; Healy grounded out (third to
first) [Henderson to second]; Gallagher struck out; RADER BATTED
FOR BRYANT; Rader struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6,
Giants 3.

ASTROS 9TH: MORRIS REPLACED RADER (PITCHING); Metzger grounded
out (shortstop to first); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to
first); Wynn homered; May popped to first in foul territory; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 3.

GIANTS 9TH: Speier singled to right; Fuentes forced Speier
(shortstop to second); Mays flied out to center; Bonds made an
out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 3.