The Pirates ended their six-game losing streak when Dock Ellis and Bruce Kison combined to beat the Astros, 3-2. Ellis, who had been sidelined with a bruised heel, made his first start since April 25 and pitched six innings.

The Pirates, after picking up an unearned run off Jerry Reuss in the first inning, added their other tallies in the second on a single by Richie Hebner, pass to Dave Cash and triple by Rennie Stennett, who played in place of the ailing Willie Stargell. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Wednesday, May       3, 1972 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   2  6  1
Pirates      1  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   3  6  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            4   1   1   0     0   0   .127      Cash 2b               2   2   1   0     2   0   .273
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .400      Stennett lf           4   0   1   2     0   2   .409
Wynn rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .355      Clemente rf           3   0   0   0     1   1   .273
May 1b                3   0   1   1     1   0   .308      Sanguillen c          3   0   1   1     0   0   .377
Watson lf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .224      Oliver 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .381
Rader 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .274      Clines cf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .148
Helms 2b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .200      Hebner 3b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .304
Edwards c             3   1   1   0     0   2   .320      Alley ss              3   0   0   0     1   1   .421
Reuss p               2   0   0   0     0   2   .143      Ellis p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .167
  Miller ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .364        Pagan ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .083
  Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Kison p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   2   6   2     1   8             Totals               29   3   6   3     5   6

Time of Game: 2:26   Attendance:  9,522
Left on Base: Astros 5, Pirates 8
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 0
Errors: Metzger
Doubles: Metzger (1), Miller (2), Pagan (1)
Triples: Stennett (2)
Stolen Bases: Cash (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Sanguillen (1)
GIDP: Sanguillen (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss L(2-1)            6     6   3   2   4   5   0  29   3.72
Culver                  2     0   0   0   1   1   0   6   2.63
Totals                  8     6   3   2   5   6   0  35

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis W(2-1)            6     4   1   1   1   6   0  23   4.00
Kison SV(1)             3     2   1   1   0   2   0  11   6.48
Totals                  9     6   2   2   1   8   0  34

Wild Pitches: Kison (2)
Balks: Reuss (1)

Umpires: HP - Chris Pelekoudas, 1B - Mel Steiner, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Shag Crawford


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
singled to second; Wynn forced Cedeno (center to second); May
forced Wynn (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Cash walked; Cash stole second; Stennett struck
out; Clemente reached on an error by Metzger [Cash to third,
Clemente to first]; Sanguillen hit a sacrifice fly to left [Cash
scored (unearned)]; Oliver singled to center [Clemente to
third]; Clines flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson struck out; Rader singled to shortstop; Helms
lined to center; Edwards struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 2ND: Hebner singled to center; Alley grounded out (third
to first) [Hebner to second]; Ellis struck out; Cash walked;
Stennett tripled to left [Hebner scored, Cash scored]; Clemente
made an out to first; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Reuss struck out; Metzger grounded out (second to
first); Cedeno lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Pirates 3.

PIRATES 3RD: Sanguillen singled to center; Oliver lined to
right; Clines made an out to catcher; Hebner flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first); May walked;
Watson struck out; Rader forced May (shortstop to second); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 4TH: Alley walked; Ellis grounded out (second to first)
[Alley to second]; Cash singled to shortstop [Alley to third];
Stennett struck out; Clemente struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); Edwards
struck out; Reuss struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Pirates 3.

PIRATES 5TH: Sanguillen grounded out (shortstop to first);
Oliver struck out; Clines walked; Reuss balked [Clines to
second]; Hebner made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger doubled to left; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first); Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first);
May singled to right [Metzger scored, May to second (on throw)];
Watson made an out to first; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Pirates 3.

PIRATES 6TH: Alley grounded out (shortstop to first); PAGAN
BATTED FOR ELLIS; Pagan doubled to left; Cash flied out to
center; Stennett grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 7TH: KISON REPLACED PAGAN (PITCHING); Rader grounded out
(second to first); Helms made an out to second; Edwards singled
to right; MILLER BATTED FOR REUSS; Kison threw a wild pitch
[Edwards to third]; Miller doubled to center [Edwards scored];
Metzger grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 7TH: CULVER REPLACED MILLER (PITCHING); Clemente walked;
Sanguillen grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to
first) [Clemente out at second]; Oliver grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno flied out to right; Wynn made an out to
shortstop; May made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 8TH: Clines grounded out (shortstop to first); Hebner
grounded out (second to first); Alley struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader
struck out; Helms struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Pirates 3.