A theft of home by Bobby Tolan for the only run scored off Tom Griffin in 20 2/3 innings this season sent the Reds on their way to an 8-3 victory over the Astros. With the score tied, 3-3, Tolan walked in the seventh and took third on a single by Joe Hague. As Denis Menke struck out, Hague broke off first and while the Astros were trying to retire him, Tolan took a big lead.

When Lee May threw to third, Tolan raced for the plate and slid home ahead of Doug Rader's relay to Johnny Edwards. Hague advanced to second on the double steal. The Reds then iced their victory with four runs off Jim Ray in the ninth, three scoring on a homer by Hague. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 8, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Monday, May       29, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         2  0  1    0  0  0    1  0  4  -   8  9  1
Astros       0  0  2    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   3  4  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               3   1   1   0     3   1   .252      Metzger ss            1   1   0   0     3   0   .209
Morgan 2b             4   1   0   1     1   0   .275      Miller rf             2   1   1   2     1   0   .292
Tolan cf              5   2   3   0     1   0   .313        Alou ph,rf          1   0   0   0     1   0   .364
Bench c               5   2   2   0     0   2   .269      Wynn cf               5   0   2   1     0   0   .289
Hague 1b              4   1   2   4     1   0   .257      May 1b                3   0   0   0     1   1   .277
Menke 3b              2   1   0   0     1   1   .226      Watson lf             2   0   0   0     0   1   .308
Concepcion ss         3   0   1   2     1   1   .248        Griffin p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
Geronimo rf           2   0   0   0     2   2   .167        Cedeno ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .296
Simpson p             3   0   0   0     0   3   .000        Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Hall p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Gibbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Edwards c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .248
                                                            Howard ph,c         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                          Rader 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .196
                                                          Helms 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .243
                                                          Forsch p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .059
                                                            Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Stinson ph,lf       3   1   0   0     1   1   .125

Totals               33   8   9   7    10  11             Totals               30   3   4   3     8   4

Time of Game: 2:59   Attendance: 14,885
Left on Base: Reds 13, Astros 9
DP: Reds 0, Astros 0
Errors: Concepcion
Doubles: Rose (6), Wynn (8)
Home Runs: Hague (5), Miller (1)
Stolen Bases: Hague (1), Tolan (15)
Caught Stealing: Rader (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Menke (3), Geronimo (1), Metzger (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Concepcion (3)
Hit by Pitch: Menke (2,by Ray), Morgan (3,by Gibbon)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Simpson W(2-1)          6     4   3   3   5   2   1  26   3.26
Hall                    2.2   0   0   0   3   2   0  12   3.06
Carroll SV(8)           0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.31
Totals                  9     4   3   3   8   4   1  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  0.2   1   2   2   4   1   0   7   3.18
Culver                  2.1   1   1   1   3   3   0  11   2.52
Griffin L(1-1)          5     3   1   1   2   7   0  20   0.44
Ray                     0     4   4   4   0   0   1   5   3.76
Gibbon                  1     0   0   0   1   0   0   5  13.50
Totals                  9     9   8   8  10  11   1  48

Hit by Pitch: Ray (2), Gibbon (1)
Wild Pitches: Simpson 2 (3), Griffin (1)

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Ken Burkhart, 3B - Lee Weyer


REDS 1ST: Rose walked; Morgan walked [Rose to second]; Tolan
singled to shortstop [Rose to third, Morgan to second]; Bench
struck out; Hague grounded out (first unassisted) [Rose scored,
Morgan to third, Tolan to second]; Menke walked; Concepcion
walked [Morgan scored, Tolan to third, Menke to second]; CULVER
REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Geronimo struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E,
3 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger walked; Miller forced Metzger (first to
shortstop); Simpson threw a wild pitch [Miller to second]; Wynn
flied out to center; May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
2, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Simpson struck out; Rose walked; Morgan forced Rose
(shortstop to second); Tolan forced Morgan (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (second to first); Edwards flied
out to center; Rader flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Bench singled to left; Hague walked [Bench to second];
Menke out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Bench to
third, Hague to second]; Concepcion hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Bench scored, Hague to third]; Geronimo was walked
intentionally; Simpson struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds
3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Helms flied out to center; STINSON BATTED FOR
CULVER; Stinson grounded out (first unassisted); Metzger walked;
Miller homered [Metzger scored]; Wynn doubled to left; May
walked; Watson was called out on strikes; Bob Watson ejected
by HP umpire Andy Olsen; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3,
Astros 2.

REDS 4TH: STINSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); GRIFFIN REPLACED
WATSON (PITCHING); Rose struck out; Morgan flied out to left;
Tolan singled to right; Bench popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Edwards grounded out (first unassisted); Rader
grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

REDS 5TH: Hague lined to first; Menke grounded out (shortstop to
first); Concepcion struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Stinson walked; Metzger out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to first) [Stinson to second]; Simpson threw a wild
pitch [Stinson to third]; Miller walked; Wynn singled to left
[Stinson scored, Miller to second]; May lined to center; Griffin
forced Wynn (shortstop to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds
3, Astros 3.

REDS 6TH: Geronimo walked; Simpson struck out; Rose forced
Geronimo (second to shortstop); Morgan grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Edwards lined to second; Rader singled to right;
Rader was caught stealing second (catcher to second to first to
shortstop); Helms flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
3, Astros 3.

REDS 7TH: Tolan walked; Bench struck out; Hague singled to right
[Tolan to third]; Tolan stole home and Hague stole second;
Griffin threw a wild pitch [Hague to third]; Menke struck out;
Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: HALL REPLACED SIMPSON (PITCHING); Stinson grounded
out (third to first); Metzger reached on an error by Concepcion
[Metzger to first]; ALOU BATTED FOR MILLER; Alou flied out to
left; Wynn flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4,
Astros 3.

REDS 8TH: ALOU STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Geronimo struck out;
Hall struck out; Rose doubled to left; Morgan grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: May grounded out (shortstop to first); CEDENO BATTED
FOR GRIFFIN; Cedeno walked; HOWARD BATTED FOR EDWARDS; Howard
struck out; Rader flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 4, Astros 3.

REDS 9TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); RAY REPLACED
CEDENO (PITCHING); Tolan singled to right; Bench singled to
right [Tolan to third]; Hague homered [Tolan scored, Bench
scored]; Menke was hit by a pitch; Concepcion singled to left
[Menke to second]; GIBBON REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); Geronimo out
on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Menke to third,
Concepcion to second]; Hall popped to shortstop; Rose was walked
intentionally; Morgan was hit by a pitch [Menke scored,
Concepcion to third, Rose to second]; Tolan grounded out (first
unassisted); 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 8, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Helms grounded out (pitcher to first); Stinson
struck out; Metzger walked; Alou walked [Metzger to second];
CARROLL REPLACED HALL (PITCHING); Wynn flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 8, Astros 3.