Jumping on Bob Gibson for six early runs, the Astros went on to defeat the Cardinals, 7-6. Don Wilson was credited with the victory, his first over the Cardinals after losing to them seven consecutive times since his only previous triumph August 20, 1967.

After taking the lead at Gibson's expense, the Astros scored what proved to be the deciding run off Moe Drabowsky in the seventh inning on doubles by Bob Watson and Doug Rader. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, St. Louis Cardinals 6
Game Played on Sunday, April     30, 1972 (Day game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    3  0  0    1  0  0    1  0  1  -   6  9  0
Astros       2  1  3    0  0  0    1  0  x  -   7 11  4


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              5   0   2   1     0   1   .246      Metzger ss            4   1   0   1     1   0   .109
Sizemore 2b           4   1   0   0     0   0   .196      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     1   1   .383
Alou rf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .365      Wynn rf               3   2   2   1     2   0   .358
Torre 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .372      May 1b                4   1   2   1     1   1   .310
Hague 1b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .229      Watson lf             3   1   1   1     1   1   .235
Cruz cf               4   1   2   2     0   0   .260      Rader 3b              3   0   1   2     1   1   .278
McNertney c           4   0   1   1     0   2   .333      Helms 2b              4   1   1   1     1   0   .211
Crosby ss             4   1   2   0     0   0   .324      Edwards c             2   0   2   0     2   0   .310
Gibson p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Wilson p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Cloninger p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Ray p               1   0   1   0     0   0   .333
  Fiore ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Higgins p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Clendenon ph        0   1   0   0     1   0   .000
  Drabowsky p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Grzenda p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Melendez ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   6   9   4     1   5             Totals               31   7  11   7    10   6

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 17,654
Left on Base: Cardinals 5, Astros 12
DP: Cardinals 0, Astros 1
Errors: Metzger, May, Helms, Edwards
Doubles: Cruz 2 (2), Wynn 2 (2), Helms (1), Cedeno (5), Watson (2), Rader (4)
Stolen Bases: Alou (3), Brock (6), Cedeno (6)
Caught Stealing: Brock (2), Metzger (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson (1), Rader (1)
GIDP: Cruz (1)
Hit by Pitch: Sizemore (1,by Wilson)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gibson L(0-3)           2.2   5   6   6   4   4   0  16   5.56
Cloninger               0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   5.40
Higgins                 3     1   0   0   3   2   0  13   6.75
Drabowsky               0.2   4   1   1   0   0   0   5   1.69
Grzenda                 1.1   1   0   0   2   0   0   7   6.75
Totals                  8    11   7   7  10   6   0  43

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson W(1-1)           6.1   7   5   1   1   4   0  28   2.87
Ray SV(2)               2.2   2   1   1   0   1   0  10   2.51
Totals                  9     9   6   2   1   5   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Wilson (1)

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


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock flied out to center; Sizemore was hit by a
pitch; Alou singled to second [Sizemore to third (error by
Helms)]; Alou stole second; Torre popped to shortstop; Hague
reached on an error by May [Sizemore scored (unearned) (no RBI),
Alou to third, Hague to first]; Cruz doubled to right [Hague
scored (unearned), Alou scored (unearned), Cruz to third (on
throw)]; McNertney was called out on strikes; 3 R (0 ER), 2 H, 2
E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger walked; Cedeno struck out; Wynn walked
[Metzger to second]; May singled to center [Metzger scored, Wynn
to third]; Watson hit a sacrifice fly to left [Wynn scored];
Rader struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 2ND: Crosby grounded out (pitcher to first); Gibson
reached on an error by Metzger [Gibson to first]; Brock forced
Gibson (second to shortstop); Brock was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros
2.

ASTROS 2ND: Helms walked; Edwards singled to right [Helms to
third]; Wilson struck out; Metzger forced Edwards (shortstop to
second) [Helms scored]; Metzger was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros
3.

CARDINALS 3RD: Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou
grounded out (pitcher to first); Torre popped to second; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Wynn doubled to
left [Cedeno scored]; May singled to left [Wynn to third];
Watson struck out; Rader hit a sacrifice fly to center [Wynn
scored, May to second]; Helms doubled to left [May scored];
CLONINGER REPLACED GIBSON (PITCHING); Edwards was walked
intentionally; Wilson lined to left; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 3, Astros 6.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hague grounded out (first unassisted); Cruz
doubled to right; McNertney singled to right [Cruz scored];
Crosby singled to right [McNertney to second]; FIORE BATTED FOR
CLONINGER; Fiore struck out; Brock was called out on strikes; 1
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 6.

ASTROS 4TH: HIGGINS REPLACED FIORE (PITCHING); Metzger grounded
out (second to first); Cedeno doubled to left; Wynn walked; May
forced Wynn (shortstop to second) [Cedeno to third]; Watson
walked [May to second]; Rader forced Watson (first to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 6.

CARDINALS 5TH: Sizemore flied out to left; Alou flied out to
right; Torre flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 4, Astros 6.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); Edwards
walked; Wilson was called out on strikes; Metzger forced Edwards
(first to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros
6.

CARDINALS 6TH: Hague singled to right; Cruz grounded into a
double play (first to shortstop to first to shortstop to catcher
to third) [Hague out at second]; McNertney struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 6.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno grounded out (first to pitcher); Wynn flied
out to right; May was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 6.

CARDINALS 7TH: Crosby grounded out (first unassisted); CLENDENON
BATTED FOR HIGGINS; Clendenon walked; Brock singled to center
[Clendenon to third]; RAY REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Brock
stole second [Clendenon scored (error by Edwards) (unearned),
Brock to third]; Sizemore grounded out (third to first); Alou
grounded out (third to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 5, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: DRABOWSKY REPLACED CLENDENON (PITCHING); Watson
doubled to left; Rader doubled to center [Watson scored, Rader
out at third (center to second to third)]; Helms grounded out
(shortstop to first); Edwards singled to center; Ray singled to
center [Edwards to second]; GRZENDA REPLACED DRABOWSKY
(PITCHING); Metzger forced Ray (shortstop to second); 1 R, 4 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 7.

CARDINALS 8TH: Torre grounded out (shortstop to first); Hague
struck out; Cruz flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 5, Astros 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Wynn doubled
to left; May was walked intentionally; Watson grounded out
(third to first) [Wynn to third, May to second]; Rader was
walked intentionally; Helms grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 7.

CARDINALS 9TH: McNertney flied out to center; Crosby singled to
center; MELENDEZ BATTED FOR GRZENDA; Melendez grounded out
(third to first) [Crosby to second]; Brock singled to center
[Crosby scored]; Sizemore forced Brock (shortstop to second); 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 6, Astros 7.