Batting in four runs, Johnny Bench led the Reds to a 9-5 victory over the Astros. Bench hit an inside-the-park homer in the second inning, drove in a run with a single in the sixth and capped his performance with a two-run drive over the fence in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Houston Astros 5
Game Played on Tuesday, May       30, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  1  0    0  0  3    1  0  4  -   9 10  0
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  0    1  0  3  -   5 10  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               5   1   1   0     0   2   .250      Metzger ss            4   0   1   1     0   0   .210
Morgan 2b             3   3   1   0     2   1   .276      Miller rf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .250
Tolan cf              3   2   1   2     2   0   .313      Wynn cf               4   1   1   0     0   1   .288
Bench c               5   2   3   4     0   1   .281      May 1b                4   2   2   0     0   1   .284
Hague 1b              4   0   0   1     0   2   .248      Watson lf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .306
Menke 3b              3   0   1   1     1   1   .229      Edwards c             4   0   2   2     0   0   .257
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   2   .248      Rader 3b              3   1   2   1     0   0   .205
Geronimo rf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .196      Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .237
Billingham p          4   0   0   0     0   2   .056        Alou ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .391
  Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Wilson p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .059
                                                            Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Stinson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .111
                                                            Blasingame p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .222
                                                            Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .059
                                                            Cedeno ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .294

Totals               35   9  10   8     5  11             Totals               35   5  10   5     0   6

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance: 14,539
Left on Base: Reds 5, Astros 4
DP: Reds 0, Astros 0
Doubles: Rader (7), May (6)
Triples: Tolan (4)
Home Runs: Bench 2 (8)
Stolen Bases: Concepcion (7), Morgan 2 (18)
Caught Stealing: Tolan (5), Rader (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Hague (3), Rader (3)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(2-6)       8.1   9   5   5   0   6   0  33   5.24
Carroll SV(9)           0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.25
Totals                  9    10   5   5   0   6   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson L(3-4)           5.1   7   4   4   1   6   1  24   3.53
Culver                  0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.45
Blasingame              2     0   1   0   3   4   0   8   9.82
Forsch                  1     3   4   4   1   1   1   7   3.75
Totals                  9    10   9   8   5  11   2  41

Passed Balls: Edwards (2)
Wild Pitches: Blasingame (1)

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


REDS 1ST: Rose flied out to center; Morgan flied out to right;
Tolan grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Miller
grounded out (shortstop to first); Wynn flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench homered; Hague struck out; Menke struck out;
Concepcion singled to left; Concepcion stole second; Geronimo
flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May grounded out (third to first); Watson grounded
out (catcher to first); Edwards grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Billingham struck out; Rose struck out; Morgan was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader doubled to right; Helms grounded out (second
to first) [Rader to third]; On a bunt Wilson made an out to
pitcher; Metzger singled to center [Rader scored]; Miller lined
to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

REDS 4TH: Tolan lined to catcher; Bench popped to catcher in
foul territory; Hague grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn struck out; May struck out; Watson struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

REDS 5TH: Menke grounded out (third to first); Concepcion struck
out; Geronimo singled to left; Billingham grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Edwards grounded out (third to first); Rader singled
to left; Rader was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Helms struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

REDS 6TH: Rose singled to right; Morgan singled to left [Rose to
third]; Morgan stole second; Tolan was walked intentionally;
Bench singled to right [Rose scored, Morgan to third, Tolan to
second]; Hague hit a sacrifice fly to right [Morgan scored,
Tolan to third]; Menke singled to left [Tolan scored, Bench to
second]; CULVER REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Concepcion forced
Menke (third to second) [Bench to third]; Geronimo grounded out
(pitcher to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: STINSON BATTED FOR CULVER; Stinson flied out to
center; Metzger grounded out (second to first); Miller lined to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 1.

REDS 7TH: BLASINGAME REPLACED STINSON (PITCHING); Billingham
grounded out (second to first); Rose was called out on strikes;
Morgan walked; Morgan stole second; Edwards allowed a passed
ball [Morgan to third]; Tolan walked; Blasingame threw a wild
pitch [Morgan scored (unearned), Tolan to second]; Tolan was
caught stealing third (catcher to third); 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 5, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Wynn popped to catcher; May doubled to left; Watson
grounded out (shortstop to first) [May to third]; Edwards
singled to center [May scored]; Rader popped to shortstop; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5, Astros 2.

REDS 8TH: Bench struck out; Hague struck out; Menke walked;
Concepcion struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Helms lined to second; STEWART BATTED FOR
BLASINGAME; Stewart was called out on strikes; Metzger grounded
out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 5, Astros 2.

REDS 9TH: FORSCH REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); Geronimo singled;
Billingham struck out; Rose grounded out (second to first)
[Geronimo to second]; Morgan walked; Tolan tripled [Geronimo
scored, Morgan scored]; Bench homered [Tolan scored]; Hague
popped to first; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Miller struck out; Wynn singled to center; May
singled to left [Wynn to second]; Watson singled to right [Wynn
scored, May to second]; Edwards singled to right [May scored,
Watson to third]; CARROLL REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Rader
hit a sacrifice fly to right [Watson scored]; ALOU BATTED FOR
HELMS; Alou singled to left [Edwards to second]; CEDENO BATTED
FOR FORSCH; Cedeno forced Alou (second unassisted); 3 R, 5 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 5.