A squeeze bunt by Tommy Helms with the bases loaded in the 11th inning brought the Astros a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers. The Astros were held to only one hit until the ninth and were losing, 2-0, until they erupted to take the lead on a single by Jim Wynn, pass to Bob Watson and homer by Doug Rader.

The Dodgers tied the score in their half with a pass to Bill Buckner and double by Frank Robinson. In the 11th, Lee May was safe on a throwing error by Billy Grabarkewitz and Watson singled. After Johnny Edwards was retired, the Dodgers walked Rader. As pinch-runner Bobby Fenwick broke for the plate, Helms laid down his winning bunt. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 3
Game Played on Thursday, May       18, 1972 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  3    0  1  -   4  4  0
Dodgers      1  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  -   3 15  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   0   0   0     1   0   .165      Russell ss            5   1   1   0     1   0   .358
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     1   1   .340      Buckner 1b            5   2   2   0     1   0   .250
Wynn rf               5   1   1   0     0   1   .315      Davis cf              5   0   2   1     1   0   .279
May 1b                5   0   0   0     0   1   .326      Robinson rf           5   0   3   2     1   1   .275
  Fenwick pr          0   1   0   0     0   0   .267      Crawford lf           5   0   1   0     1   0   .275
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Garvey 3b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .278
Watson lf,1b          4   1   1   0     1   1   .276        Brewer p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Edwards c             4   0   1   0     1   3   .284        Mota ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .266
Rader 3b              3   1   1   3     2   2   .236      Sims c                5   0   0   0     0   2   .174
Helms 2b              4   0   0   1     0   0   .198      Valentine 2b          4   0   4   0     1   0   .467
Forsch p              1   0   0   0     1   0   .077      Sutton p              4   0   2   0     0   1   .190
  Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .241        Grabarkewitz 3b     1   0   0   0     0   1   .171
  Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Ray p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Alou ph,lf          0   0   0   0     1   0   .333

Totals               37   4   4   4     8   9             Totals               45   3  15   3     6   5

Time of Game: 3:20   Attendance: 35,739
Left on Base: Astros 9, Dodgers 15
DP: Astros 1, Dodgers 0
Errors: Sims, Grabarkewitz
Doubles: Robinson (5), Russell (7)
Triples: Edwards (1)
Home Runs: Rader (4)
Stolen Bases: Rader (2), Davis 2 (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Helms (1)
GIDP: Crawford (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  7    11   2   2   3   1   0  32   3.26
Culver                  1.1   0   1   1   2   2   0   6   2.49
Ray W(7-0)              1.2   3   0   0   1   1   0   9   1.85
Gladding SV(4)          1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   1.42
Totals                 11    15   3   3   6   5   0  51

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton                  9     3   3   3   5   8   1  35   0.89
Brewer L(2-1)           2     1   1   0   3   1   0  11   0.96
Totals                 11     4   4   3   8   9   1  46

Umpires: HP - Stan Landes, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Augie Donatelli


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno
walked; Wynn made an out to third; May made an out to second; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Russell walked; Buckner singled to left [Russell to
third]; Davis forced Buckner (second unassisted) [Russell
scored]; Davis stole second; Robinson walked; Crawford flied out
to left; Garvey made an out to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson was called out on strikes; Edwards was called
out on strikes; Rader walked; Rader stole second [Rader to third
(error by Sims)]; Helms made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Sims struck out; Valentine singled to left
[Valentine out at second (left to second)]; Sutton grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Forsch grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Russell made an out to second; Buckner singled to
center; Davis singled to right [Buckner to third]; Robinson
singled to second [Buckner scored, Davis to second]; Crawford
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Robinson out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn was called out on strikes; May grounded out
(first unassisted); Watson out on an unknown play; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 4TH: Garvey grounded out (pitcher to first); Sims
grounded out (second to first); Valentine singled to left;
Sutton singled to right [Valentine to third]; Russell flied out
to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Edwards tripled to center; Rader struck out; Helms
grounded out (pitcher to first); Forsch walked; Metzger forced
Forsch (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 5TH: Buckner grounded out (first unassisted); Davis
singled to right; Robinson singled to left [Davis to second];
Davis stole third [Davis out at home (catcher to second to first
to catcher)]; Crawford flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno flied out to right; Wynn made an out to
shortstop; May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 6TH: Garvey flied out to center; Sims grounded out
(first unassisted); Valentine singled to center; Sutton singled
to center [Valentine to second]; Russell popped to third; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson grounded out (first to pitcher); Edwards
walked; Rader struck out; Helms grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 7TH: Buckner lined to first; Davis walked; Robinson
flied out to left; Crawford flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 8TH: STEWART BATTED FOR FORSCH; Stewart grounded out
(first unassisted); Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first);
Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 8TH: CULVER REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); Garvey grounded
out (second to first); Sims struck out; Valentine walked; Sutton
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Wynn singled to left; May flied out to left; Watson
walked [Wynn to second]; Edwards struck out; Rader homered [Wynn
scored, Watson scored]; Helms grounded out (second to first); 3
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 9TH: Russell flied out to center; Buckner walked; RAY
REPLACED CULVER (PITCHING); Davis popped to catcher in foul
territory; Robinson doubled to left [Buckner scored]; Crawford
was walked intentionally; Garvey forced Crawford (shortstop to
second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 3.

ASTROS 10TH: BREWER REPLACED GARVEY (PITCHING); GRABARKEWITZ
REPLACED SUTTON (PLAYING 3B); Ray flied out to right; Metzger
walked; Cedeno popped to first in foul territory; Wynn grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers
3.

DODGERS 10TH: Sims popped to shortstop; Valentine singled to
left; Grabarkewitz struck out; Russell doubled to left
[Valentine to third]; Buckner popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 3.

ASTROS 11TH: May reached on an error by Grabarkewitz [May to
first]; FENWICK RAN FOR MAY; Watson singled to left [Fenwick to
second]; Edwards struck out; Rader walked [Fenwick to third,
Watson to second]; Helms out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to
first) [Fenwick scored (unearned), Watson to third, Rader to
second]; ALOU BATTED FOR RAY; Alou was walked intentionally;
Metzger grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 3.

DODGERS 11TH: GLADDING REPLACED FENWICK (PITCHING); ALOU STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); WATSON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B);
Davis flied out to left; Robinson was called out on strikes;
Crawford singled to right; MOTA BATTED FOR BREWER; Mota flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 3.