Tom Griffin enjoyed several "firsts" pitching the opener of a twi-night doubleheader as the Astros defeated the Padres, 7-0 and 2-1. Griffin gained his first victory for the Astros since 1970, pitched his first shutout in two years, turned in his first complete game of the current campaign and homered for his first hit of the season. Bob Watson and Doug Rader also homered, Rader's blow coming with two men on base.

In the nightcap, Ken Forsch pitched the distance for the first time this year. The Padres counted their run in the first inning on a triple by Leron Lee and single by Nate Colbert. Watson tied the score with a homer in the second and the Astros then added their deciding run in the sixth on a single by Watson, infield out by Rader and single by Tommy Helms. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, San Diego Padres 0 (Game 1)
Game Played on Tuesday, May       23, 1972 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       0  0  1    2  0  3    0  1  0  -   7 11  0
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            2   0   0   1     2   1   .180      Thomas 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Cedeno cf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .307      Morales cf            3   0   0   0     1   0   .289
Wynn rf               4   0   0   0     1   0   .289      Lee lf                4   0   0   0     0   2   .344
May 1b                5   0   1   0     0   1   .310      Colbert 1b            3   0   0   0     1   1   .225
  Miller pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Blefary rf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .318
Watson lf             4   2   2   1     0   1   .285      Campbell 3b           3   0   0   0     0   1   .247
  Hiatt c             1   0   0   0     0   1   .133      Barton c              3   0   1   0     0   0   .194
Edwards c             2   2   1   0     1   1   .268      Hernandez ss          2   0   0   0     0   0   .171
  Stewart lf,1b       1   1   1   0     1   0   .235        Robles ss           1   0   1   0     0   0   .154
Rader 3b              5   1   1   3     0   0   .209      Kirby p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .118
Helms 2b              4   0   2   1     0   0   .216        Schaeffer p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Griffin p             4   1   2   1     0   2   .400        Spiezio ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Ross p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Stahl ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .172
                                                            Kilkenny p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   7  11   7     5   7             Totals               30   0   4   0     2   5

Time of Game: 2:30
Left on Base: Astros 9, Padres 5
DP: Astros 1, Padres 0
Errors: Kirby
Doubles: Watson (4)
Triples: Edwards (2)
Home Runs: Griffin (1), Watson (7), Rader (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Metzger (2)
GIDP: Barton (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin W(1-0)          9     4   0   0   2   5   0  32   0.00
Totals                  9     4   0   0   2   5   0  32

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kirby L(3-4)            5.1   6   6   6   3   5   3  25   3.38
Schaeffer               0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   2.53
Ross                    2     3   1   1   2   0   0  11   2.89
Kilkenny                1     2   0   0   0   1   0   5   3.60
Totals                  9    11   7   7   5   7   3  43

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


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

PADRES 1ST: Thomas grounded out (pitcher to first); Morales
grounded out (shortstop to first); Lee was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson was called out on strikes; Edwards was called
out on strikes; Rader popped to second in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Colbert walked; Blefary was called out on strikes;
Campbell popped to third in foul territory; Barton singled to
center [Colbert to second]; Hernandez made an out to first; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Helms flied out to center; Griffin homered; Metzger
walked; Metzger was picked off first but was safe on an error by
Kirby [Metzger to third]; Cedeno made an out to second; Wynn
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: On a bunt Kirby made an out to pitcher; Thomas flied
out to left; Morales flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 4TH: May struck out; Watson homered; Edwards tripled to
right; Rader lined to shortstop; Helms singled to center
[Edwards scored]; Griffin struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Padres 0.

PADRES 4TH: Lee was called out on strikes; Colbert grounded out
(third to first); Blefary grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger flied out to center; Cedeno grounded out
(second to first); Wynn grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 0.

PADRES 5TH: Campbell grounded out (shortstop to first); Barton
grounded out (second to first); Hernandez made an out to second;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 0.

ASTROS 6TH: May grounded out (pitcher to first); Watson doubled
to right; Edwards was walked intentionally; Rader homered
[Watson scored, Edwards scored]; SCHAEFFER REPLACED KIRBY
(PITCHING); Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffin
struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Padres 0.

PADRES 6TH: SPIEZIO BATTED FOR SCHAEFFER; Spiezio singled to
center; Thomas forced Spiezio (shortstop to second); Morales
walked [Thomas to second]; Lee flied out to left; Colbert flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Padres 0.

ASTROS 7TH: ROSS REPLACED SPIEZIO (PITCHING); Metzger walked;
Cedeno singled to second [Metzger to second]; Wynn lined to
left; May forced Cedeno (shortstop to second) [Metzger to
third]; Watson forced May (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 6, Padres 0.

PADRES 7TH: HIATT REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING C ); STEWART REPLACED
EDWARDS (PLAYING LF); Blefary singled to center; Campbell was
called out on strikes; Barton grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Blefary out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Padres 0.

ASTROS 8TH: ROBLES REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PLAYING SS); Stewart
walked; Rader flied out to left; Helms singled to right [Stewart
to second]; Griffin singled to pitcher [Stewart to third, Helms
to second]; Metzger hit a sacrifice fly to left [Stewart
scored]; Cedeno flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
7, Padres 0.

PADRES 8TH: Robles singled to right; STAHL BATTED FOR ROSS;
Stahl flied to right in foul territory; Thomas flied out to
right; Morales forced Robles (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Padres 0.

ASTROS 9TH: KILKENNY REPLACED STAHL (PITCHING); Wynn grounded
out (shortstop to first); May singled to left; MILLER RAN FOR
MAY; Hiatt struck out; Stewart singled to left [Miller to
second]; Rader grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 7, Padres 0.

PADRES 9TH: MILLER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); STEWART CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Lee grounded out (second to first);
Colbert struck out; Blefary popped to third in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Padres 0.