With Joe Torre as chief gunner, the Cardinals shot down the Astros, 7-2, to end the Houston club's nine-game winning streak. Torre collected four hits including a triple and double, and drove in three runs. Last year's batting champ also scored twice on sacrifice flies by Joe Hague. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 7, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Friday, April     28, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  5    0  0  2  -   7 13  2
Astros       0  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   2 10  1


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              5   0   1   1     0   3   .250      Metzger ss            4   0   1   1     0   0   .130
Sizemore 2b           5   1   1   0     0   1   .213      Miller rf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Alou rf               4   1   2   0     1   0   .326        Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .429
  Melendez pr,rf      0   1   0   0     0   0   .000        Blasingame p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Torre 3b              5   2   4   3     0   0   .382        York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Simmons c             3   0   1   0     0   1   .364      Wynn cf               4   0   3   0     0   1   .356
  McNertney c         1   0   0   0     1   0   .250      May 1b                4   0   0   0     0   1   .260
Hague 1b              2   0   0   2     1   1   .259      Watson lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .227
Cruz cf               3   1   1   0     1   0   .244        Stinson lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Crosby ss             3   1   2   0     0   0   .357      Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .277
  Maxvill ss          2   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Helms 2b              4   1   2   0     0   0   .208
Cleveland p           3   0   1   1     0   1   .111      Edwards c             3   1   1   0     1   0   .306
  Shaw p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Dierker p             1   0   1   1     0   0   .167
  Drabowsky p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Stewart ph,rf       2   0   1   0     0   0   .200

Totals               37   7  13   7     4   8             Totals               34   2  10   2     1   4

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance: 35,275
Left on Base: Cardinals 10, Astros 8
DP: Cardinals 2, Astros 1
Errors: Torre, Crosby, Edwards
Doubles: Torre (3), Edwards (4)
Triples: Torre (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Cruz (1), Dierker (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Hague 2 (2), Metzger (1)
GIDP: McNertney (1), Watson (1)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cleveland W(1-0)        6.2   7   2   2   1   2   0  28   3.92
Shaw                    0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   0.00
Drabowsky SV(1)         2     2   0   0   0   2   0   7   0.00
Totals                  9    10   2   2   1   4   0  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker L(1-1)          5.2  10   5   5   1   6   0  28   5.95
Ray                     1.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.31
Blasingame              1     0   0   0   1   2   0   5   5.79
York                    1     2   2   2   2   0   0   7  18.00
Totals                  9    13   7   7   4   8   0  44

Wild Pitches: York (1)

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Tom Gorman


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock grounded out (second to first); Sizemore
was called out on strikes; Alou singled to right; Torre singled
to left [Alou to second]; Simmons popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger flied out to left; Miller singled to center;
Wynn was called out on strikes; May forced Miller (third to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hague was called out on strikes; Cruz popped to
shortstop; Crosby singled to right; Cleveland flied to right in
foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (first unassisted); Rader flied
out to right; Helms flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Brock struck out; Sizemore flied out to center;
Alou grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Edwards walked; Dierker out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Edwards to second]; Metzger grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Edwards to third]; Miller lined to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Torre grounded out (third to first); Simmons
singled to right; Hague grounded out (second to first) [Simmons
to second]; Cruz lined to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn singled to center; May popped to third in foul
territory; Watson forced Wynn (shortstop unassisted) [Watson to
second (error by Crosby)]; Rader grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Crosby grounded out (shortstop to first);
Cleveland struck out; Brock struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms singled to left; Edwards doubled to right
[Helms to third]; Dierker singled to second [Helms scored,
Edwards to third]; Metzger hit a sacrifice fly to left [Edwards
scored]; Miller hit into a double play (second to shortstop)
[Miller out at second (first to shortstop), Dierker out at
second]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 6TH: Sizemore singled to left; Alou singled to right
[Sizemore to second]; Torre tripled to right [Sizemore scored,
Alou scored]; Simmons struck out; Hague hit a sacrifice fly to
right [Torre scored]; Cruz walked; Crosby singled to center
[Cruz to third]; Cleveland singled to center [Cruz scored,
Crosby to third]; Brock singled to left [Crosby scored,
Cleveland to second]; RAY REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING); Sizemore
flied out to center; 5 R, 6 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros
2.

ASTROS 6TH: MCNERTNEY REPLACED SIMMONS (PLAYING C ); Wynn
singled to left; May flied out to right; Watson struck out;
Rader reached on an error by Torre [Wynn to third, Rader to
first]; Helms popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 7TH: Alou grounded out (third to first); Torre singled
to right; McNertney grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Torre out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: MAXVILL REPLACED CROSBY (PLAYING SS); Edwards
grounded out (first unassisted); STEWART BATTED FOR RAY; Stewart
grounded out (second to first); Metzger singled to shortstop;
SHAW REPLACED CLEVELAND (PITCHING); ALOU BATTED FOR MILLER; Alou
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: STEWART STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); BLASINGAME
REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Hague walked; Cruz reached on an error
by Edwards on a sacrifice bunt [Hague to second, Cruz to first];
Maxvill popped to second; On a bunt Shaw struck out; Brock
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Wynn singled to left; DRABOWSKY REPLACED SHAW
(PITCHING); May struck out; Watson grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Wynn out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: STINSON REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING LF); YORK
REPLACED BLASINGAME (PITCHING); Sizemore flied out to center;
Alou walked; MELENDEZ RAN FOR ALOU; Torre doubled to left
[Melendez scored]; York threw a wild pitch [Torre to third];
McNertney walked; Hague hit a sacrifice fly to center [Torre
scored]; Cruz singled to right [McNertney to third]; Maxvill
flied out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 7, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: MELENDEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Rader was
called out on strikes; Helms singled to center; Edwards flied
out to left; Stewart singled to center [Helms to second];
Metzger flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 7,
Astros 2.