Larry Dierker, who yielded only four hits and retired 16 of the last 17 batters, pitched the Astros to a 9-0 victory over the Braves. Ralph Garr had three of the Braves' hits. Doug Rader batted in one run for the Astros with a double in the seventh inning and closed the scoring with a three-run homer in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, Atlanta Braves 0
Game Played on Wednesday, May       17, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  1    4  3  x  -   9 12  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Millan 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .281      Metzger ss            4   0   2   2     0   0   .173
Garr lf               4   0   3   0     0   0   .307      Cedeno cf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .353
Aaron rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .271      Wynn rf               4   0   0   0     1   2   .321
Cepeda 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .333      May 1b                1   1   0   0     1   1   .344
Baker cf              3   0   1   0     0   2   .286        Stewart ph,1b       3   2   2   0     0   0   .250
Williams c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .231      Watson lf             3   2   1   0     2   1   .277
Evans 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Edwards c             4   1   1   1     1   0   .286
Perez ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .240      Rader 3b              5   2   3   4     0   0   .234
Reed p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .154      Fenwick 2b            4   1   1   1     1   0   .267
  Stone p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Dierker p             4   0   1   0     0   1   .143
  Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .179
  Neibauer p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   0   4   0     1   4             Totals               37   9  12   8     6   5

Time of Game: 2:26   Attendance: 15,823
Left on Base: Braves 4, Astros 11
DP: Braves 0, Astros 1
Errors: Perez, Cedeno
Doubles: Watson (3), Rader (5), Fenwick (2)
Triples: Stewart (2)
Home Runs: Rader (3)
Stolen Bases: Garr 2 (7), Wynn (2), Cedeno (10)
GIDP: Williams (2)
Hit by Pitch: Metzger (1,by Reed)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reed L(1-5)             6.2   9   6   5   5   5   0  36   5.09
Stone                   0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2  14.14
Neibauer                1     2   3   3   1   0   1   6   7.41
Totals                  8    12   9   8   6   5   1  44

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(3-2)          9     4   0   0   1   4   0  31   3.30
Totals                  9     4   0   0   1   4   0  31

Hit by Pitch: Reed (3)
Wild Pitches: Reed 2 (3)

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - Satch Davidson


BRAVES 1ST: Millan grounded out (third to first); Garr singled;
Garr stole second; Aaron struck out; Cepeda walked; Baker struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno
flied out to center; Wynn walked; Wynn stole second; May was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Williams grounded out (third to first); Evans
grounded out (second to first); Perez flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to right; Edwards flied out to
left; Rader lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Reed was called out on strikes; Millan grounded out
(third to first); Garr singled; Garr stole second; Aaron
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Fenwick grounded out (third to first); Dierker
singled; Metzger singled [Dierker to second]; Reed threw a wild
pitch [Dierker to third, Metzger to second]; Cedeno grounded out
(third to first); Wynn flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Cepeda flied out to center; Baker singled; Williams
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Baker
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: May walked; Watson walked [May to second]; Edwards
flied out to right; Rader grounded out (pitcher unassisted) [May
to third, Watson to second]; Fenwick was walked intentionally;
Reed threw a wild pitch [May scored, Watson to third, Fenwick to
second]; Dierker grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R, 0 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Evans made an out to shortstop; Perez flied out to
center; Reed flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
singled; Cedeno stole second; Wynn struck out; STEWART BATTED
FOR MAY; Stewart grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

BRAVES 6TH: STEWART STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Millan grounded
out (shortstop to first); Garr grounded out (shortstop to
first); Aaron grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson doubled; Edwards walked; Rader singled
[Watson to third, Edwards to second]; Fenwick made an out to
second; Dierker was called out on strikes; Metzger was hit by a
pitch [Watson scored, Edwards to third, Rader to second]; Cedeno
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 2.

BRAVES 7TH: Cepeda grounded out (shortstop to first); Baker
struck out; Williams grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Wynn was called out on strikes; Stewart tripled;
Watson struck out; Edwards singled [Stewart scored]; Rader
doubled [Edwards scored]; Fenwick doubled [Rader scored];
Dierker reached on an error by Perez [Dierker to first, Fenwick
stayed at second]; STONE REPLACED REED (PITCHING); Metzger
singled [Fenwick scored (unearned), Dierker to second]; Cedeno
forced Metzger (third to second); 4 R (3 ER), 5 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 6.

BRAVES 8TH: Evans grounded out (first unassisted); Perez flied
out to center; LUM BATTED FOR STONE; Lum flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: NEIBAUER REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Wynn made an out
to first; Stewart singled; Watson walked [Stewart to second];
Edwards grounded out (shortstop to first) [Stewart to third,
Watson to second]; Rader homered [Stewart scored, Watson
scored]; Fenwick lined to shortstop; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 9.

BRAVES 9TH: Millan grounded out (second to first); Garr singled
to center [Garr to second (error by Cedeno)]; Aaron made an out
to shortstop; Cepeda flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 9.