Taking advantage of Ken Forsch's defensive difficulties, the Cardinals scored two runs in the 11th inning to defeat the Astros, 4-2. Forsch knocked down a grounder by Matty Alou but was unable to locate the ball in time to throw out the Cardinal batter, who reached first with his fourth hit of the game.

Joe Torre followed with a single, pinch-runner Luis Melendez stopping at second. Joe Hague then bunted to Forsch, who threw wildly to third trying for a forceout, and Melendez scored on the error. Jerry McNertney added an extra run with a single. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 4, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Saturday, April     29, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  -   4 12  0
Astros       1  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  -   2  9  1


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              4   0   0   0     1   1   .231      Metzger ss            5   0   0   0     0   1   .118
Sizemore 2b           5   0   1   0     0   1   .212      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     1   0   .395
Alou rf               5   1   4   0     0   0   .375      Wynn rf               5   1   1   1     0   2   .340
  Melendez pr,rf      0   1   0   0     0   0   .000      May 1b                4   0   3   1     1   1   .296
Torre 3b              5   2   3   2     0   0   .410      Watson lf             4   0   1   0     1   0   .229
Hague 1b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .226      Rader 3b              4   0   1   0     1   1   .275
Cruz cf               5   0   1   0     0   0   .239      Helms 2b              5   0   1   0     0   0   .208
McNertney c           4   0   2   1     0   2   .375      Edwards c             4   0   0   0     1   1   .275
Crosby ss             5   0   0   0     0   0   .303      Forsch p              4   0   1   0     0   3   .111
  Maxvill ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Blasingame p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Spinks p              3   0   1   0     0   1   .333        Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Santorini p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .300

Totals               41   4  12   3     1   5             Totals               40   2   9   2     5   9

Time of Game: 2:49   Attendance: 24,614
Left on Base: Cardinals 7, Astros 10
DP: Cardinals 0, Astros 2
Errors: Forsch
Doubles: Alou (3), McNertney (1), May (2)
Home Runs: Torre (1), Wynn (4)
Stolen Bases: Brock (5)
Caught Stealing: Edwards (1), May (1)
Sacrifice Hits: McNertney (1), Hague (1)
GIDP: Brock (1), Torre (1)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Spinks                  7.1   8   2   2   4   7   1  33   2.53
Santorini W(2-1)        3.2   1   0   0   1   2   0  12   0.00
Totals                 11     9   2   2   5   9   1  45

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(1-1)          10    11   4   4   1   5   1  41   3.46
Blasingame              0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   5.40
Gladding                0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   0.00
Totals                 11    12   4   4   1   5   1  44

Wild Pitches: Spinks (1), Forsch (4), Gladding (1)

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


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock was called out on strikes; Sizemore flied
out to right; Alou popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger was called out on strikes; Cedeno singled to
pitcher; Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first) [Cedeno to
second]; May singled to center [Cedeno scored]; Watson singled
to pitcher [May to second]; Spinks threw a wild pitch [May to
third, Watson to second]; Rader walked; Helms grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 2ND: Torre singled to center; Hague flied out to
right; Cruz popped to shortstop; McNertney struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Edwards struck out; Forsch struck out (catcher to
first); Metzger flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 3RD: Crosby grounded out (first to pitcher); Spinks
singled to center; Brock grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Spinks out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Wynn
homered; May doubled to left; Watson grounded out (first
unassisted); Rader struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals
0, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 4TH: Sizemore grounded out (third to first); Alou
doubled to right; Torre homered [Alou scored]; Hague grounded
out (first to pitcher); Cruz grounded out (second to first); 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Helms singled to left; Edwards flied out to center;
On a bunt Forsch singled to first [Helms to second]; Metzger
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Helms to third, Forsch to
second]; Cedeno walked; Wynn forced Forsch (third unassisted); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 5TH: McNertney doubled to left; Crosby flied out to
left; Spinks struck out; Brock grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: May struck out; Watson grounded out (first
unassisted); Rader grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 6TH: Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou
singled to center; Torre popped to second; Hague forced Alou
(second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Helms grounded out (third to first); Edwards walked;
Edwards was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Forsch was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 7TH: Cruz singled to center; McNertney out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Cruz to second]; Forsch
threw a wild pitch [Cruz to third]; Crosby reached on a
fielder's choice [Cruz out at home (shortstop to catcher)];
Spinks forced Crosby (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger grounded out (third to first); Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); Wynn struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: Brock grounded out (shortstop to first); Sizemore
singled to right; Alou singled to left [Sizemore to second];
Torre grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Alou out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros
2.

ASTROS 8TH: May walked; Watson forced May (shortstop to second);
Rader singled to right [Watson to third]; SANTORINI REPLACED
SPINKS (PITCHING); On a bunt Helms made an out to pitcher;
Edwards flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 2,
Astros 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: Hague grounded out (first to pitcher); Cruz
popped to shortstop; McNertney struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Forsch struck out; Metzger grounded out (first to
pitcher); Cedeno flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 2, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 10TH: Crosby grounded out (second to first); Santorini
grounded out (second to first); Brock walked; Brock stole
second; Sizemore struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 10TH: Wynn struck out; May singled to left; May was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Watson walked;
Rader flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2,
Astros 2.

CARDINALS 11TH: Alou singled to pitcher; MELENDEZ RAN FOR ALOU;
Torre singled to center [Melendez to second]; Hague reached on
an error by Forsch on a sacrifice bunt [Melendez scored (no
RBI), Torre to third, Hague to second]; BLASINGAME REPLACED
FORSCH (PITCHING); Cruz grounded out (first unassisted);
GLADDING REPLACED BLASINGAME (PITCHING); McNertney singled to
left [Torre scored, Hague out at home (left to catcher)];
Gladding threw a wild pitch [McNertney to second]; Crosby popped
to first in foul territory; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 4,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 11TH: MELENDEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); MAXVILL
REPLACED CROSBY (PLAYING SS); Helms grounded out (third to
first); Edwards grounded out (pitcher unassisted); MILLER BATTED
FOR GLADDING; Miller grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 2.