Although Ted Simmons hit the first grand-slam of his major league career, the Cardinals were unable to hold a 7-3 lead and lost to the Astros, 10-7. Sparked by Roger Metzger, who hit his first big-time homer, the Astros exploded for six runs in the eighth inning. After Metzger's blow, Cesar Cedeno, Jim Wynn and Lee May hit singles, Bob Watson lofted a sacrifice fly and Tommy Helms singled to add three runs, tying the score.

Helms took second on the throw to the plate and, with first base open, the Cardinals passed Johnny Edwards intentionally. Jimmy Stewart then batted for Tom Griffin and tripled to drive in two runs. May homered for the Astros' final tally in the ninth. Although Griffin was the pitcher of record, the official scorer gave credit for the victory to Jim Ray, who retired the last six Cardinals. The win was Ray's fifth straight, all in relief. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 10, St. Louis Cardinals 7
Game Played on Wednesday, May       10, 1972 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       2  0  0    0  0  1    0  6  1  -  10 11  0
Cardinals    0  0  5    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   7  8  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   2   2   1     0   0   .159      Brock lf              5   0   1   0     0   0   .311
Cedeno cf             4   2   2   1     1   0   .408      Cruz cf               3   2   1   1     2   0   .258
Wynn rf               4   1   1   0     1   0   .338      Melendez rf           4   1   0   0     1   1   .194
May 1b                5   3   4   3     0   1   .317      Torre 3b              4   1   1   1     1   1   .370
Watson lf             3   0   0   2     0   1   .247      Simmons c             3   1   1   4     1   0   .278
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .244      Clendenon 1b          3   0   2   0     0   0   .100
Helms 2b              4   1   1   1     0   0   .190        Hague ph,1b         0   0   0   1     1   0   .278
Edwards c             3   1   0   0     1   1   .295      Crosby ss             4   0   0   0     0   1   .292
Roberts p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Maxvill 2b            2   1   1   0     1   0   .043
  Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .286        Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .346
  Blasingame p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Martinez 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Gibson p              3   1   1   0     0   0   .091
  Stewart ph          1   0   1   2     0   0   .250        Santorini p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Grzenda p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Fiore ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .333
                                                            Drabowsky p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36  10  11  10     3   6             Totals               32   7   8   7     8   3

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance:  8,691
Left on Base: Astros 4, Cardinals 6
DP: Astros 3, Cardinals 0
Errors: Simmons
Doubles: Clendenon (1), Torre (6)
Triples: May (1), Stewart (1)
Home Runs: Metzger (1), May (5), Simmons (2)
Stolen Bases: Metzger (2), Brock (10), Clendenon (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson 2 (3)
GIDP: Melendez (1), Crosby (4), Brock (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 6     7   5   5   3   3   1  27   5.52
Blasingame              0.1   0   2   2   2   0   0   3   8.44
Griffin                 0.2   1   0   0   2   0   0   4   0.00
Ray W(5-0)              2     0   0   0   1   0   0   6   2.45
Totals                  9     8   7   7   8   3   1  40

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gibson                  7     7   6   6   2   6   1  30   5.12
Santorini L(2-3)        0.2   2   3   3   1   0   0   5   6.75
Grzenda                 0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   6.35
Drabowsky               1     1   1   1   0   0   1   4   2.84
Totals                  9    11  10  10   3   6   2  41

Wild Pitches: Roberts (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger singled to left; Metzger stole second;
Cedeno singled to right [Metzger scored, Cedeno to second (on
throw)]; Wynn grounded out (pitcher to first) [Cedeno to third];
May singled to right [Cedeno scored]; Watson flied out to right;
Rader struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock singled to left; Brock stole second; Cruz
walked; Melendez grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Brock to third, Cruz out at second]; Torre grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals
0.

ASTROS 2ND: Helms flied out to center; Edwards struck out;
Roberts grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons flied out to center; Clendenon grounded
out (shortstop to first); Crosby grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
walked; Wynn walked [Cedeno to second]; May struck out; Watson
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Maxvill singled to right; Gibson singled to right
[Maxvill to second]; Brock flied out to center; Cruz singled to
right [Maxvill scored, Gibson to second]; Roberts threw a wild
pitch [Gibson to third, Cruz to second]; Melendez struck out;
Torre walked; Simmons homered [Gibson scored, Cruz scored, Torre
scored]; Clendenon singled to left; Clendenon stole second;
Crosby struck out; 5 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader grounded out (third to first); Helms grounded
out (pitcher to first); Edwards grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 4TH: Maxvill walked; Gibson flied out to center; Brock
flied out to center; Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Roberts flied out to center; Metzger flied out to
center; Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 5TH: Melendez flied out to center; Torre struck out;
Simmons grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Wynn flied out to center; May tripled to right;
Watson hit a sacrifice fly to center [May scored]; Rader was
called out on strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 6TH: Clendenon doubled to right; Crosby grounded out
(second to first) [Clendenon to third]; Maxvill grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gibson grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Helms flied out to right; Edwards popped to
shortstop in foul territory; MILLER BATTED FOR ROBERTS; Miller
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 7TH: BLASINGAME REPLACED MILLER (PITCHING); Brock
grounded out (pitcher to first); Cruz walked; Melendez walked
[Cruz to second]; GRIFFIN REPLACED BLASINGAME (PITCHING); Torre
doubled to left [Cruz scored, Melendez to third]; Simmons was
walked intentionally; HAGUE BATTED FOR CLENDENON; Hague walked
[Melendez scored, Torre to third, Simmons to second]; Crosby
grounded into a double play (first to catcher to third) [Torre
out at home]; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 7.

ASTROS 8TH: HAGUE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Metzger homered;
Cedeno singled to left; Wynn singled to left [Cedeno to second];
SANTORINI REPLACED GIBSON (PITCHING); May singled to left
[Cedeno scored, Wynn to third]; Watson hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Wynn scored, May to second]; Rader popped to second;
Helms singled to center [May scored, Helms to second (on
throw)]; Edwards was walked intentionally; STEWART BATTED FOR
GRIFFIN; GRZENDA REPLACED SANTORINI (PITCHING); Stewart tripled
to right [Helms scored, Edwards scored]; Metzger grounded out
(second to first); 6 R, 6 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9, Cardinals 7.

CARDINALS 8TH: RAY REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); ALOU BATTED FOR
MAXVILL; Alou grounded out (first to pitcher); FIORE BATTED FOR
GRZENDA; Fiore walked; Brock grounded into a double play (second
to first) [Fiore out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
9, Cardinals 7.

ASTROS 9TH: MARTINEZ REPLACED ALOU (PLAYING 2B); DRABOWSKY
REPLACED FIORE (PITCHING); Simmons dropped a foul fly hit by
Cedeno for an error; On a bunt Cedeno grounded out (catcher
unassisted); Cesar Cedeno called for interference when his
bat hit the ball twice; Wynn grounded out (shortstop to
first); May homered; Watson grounded out (third to first); 1 R,
1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 10, Cardinals 7.

CARDINALS 9TH: Cruz popped to third in foul territory; Melendez
popped to first in foul territory; Torre lined to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 10, Cardinals 7.