A two-run homer by Larry Howard, who also set up another run with a single, enabled the Astros to defeat the Mets, 4-2. In the fourth inning, Jim Wynn singled and was picked off first base but advanced safely to second on a throwing error by Cleon Jones.

Bob Watson doubled to score Wynn, and Howard followed with his homer. In the ninth, a double by Doug Rader, single by Howard and squeeze bunt by Fred Gladding produced the Astros' final tally. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, New York Mets 2
Game Played on Friday, June      9, 1972 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    3  0  0    0  0  1  -   4 10  0
Mets         0  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  5  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   0   1   0     0   0   .191      Mays cf               2   1   0   0     2   0   .247
Cedeno cf             4   0   2   0     0   1   .323      Harrelson ss          1   1   0   0     3   0   .224
Wynn rf               4   1   1   0     0   2   .280      Milner lf             3   0   2   0     0   0   .291
May 1b                4   0   0   0     0   2   .269      Staub rf              3   0   0   2     0   0   .309
Watson lf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .315      Jones 1b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .276
Rader 3b              3   2   2   0     1   0   .226      Fregosi 3b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .253
Howard c              4   1   2   2     0   0   .200      Boswell 2b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .175
Fenwick 2b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .200      Grote c               3   0   1   0     0   0   .234
Forsch p              2   0   1   0     0   1   .095        Garrett ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Stinson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Matlack p             1   0   0   0     1   1   .130
  Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Kranepool ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .232
  Gladding p          0   0   0   1     0   0   .000        McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               35   4  10   4     1   7             Totals               27   2   5   2     6   6

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance: 40,036
Left on Base: Astros 6, Mets 6
DP: Astros 4, Mets 1
Errors: Jones
Doubles: Watson (7), Cedeno (8), Rader (10), Milner (4)
Home Runs: Howard (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Gladding (1), Milner (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Staub (3)
GIDP: Cedeno (4), Mays (5), Jones (6), Boswell (5)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(3-2)           6     4   1   1   4   5   0  24   3.10
Culver                  1     0   1   1   2   1   0   6   2.18
Gladding SV(6)          2     1   0   0   0   0   0   5   3.75
Totals                  9     5   2   2   6   6   0  35

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Matlack L(6-2)          7     7   3   0   1   4   1  28   2.31
McGraw                  2     3   1   1   0   3   0   9   1.34
Totals                  9    10   4   1   1   7   1  37

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Tom Gorman, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - John McSherry


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
struck out; Wynn struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Mays flied to center; Harrelson walked; Milner forced
Harrelson (third to second); Staub grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May popped to first in foul territory; Watson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader singled to left; Howard
forced Rader (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Jones was called out on strikes; Fregosi struck out;
Boswell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Fenwick lined to left; Forsch singled to center;
Metzger singled to right [Forsch to second]; Cedeno grounded
into a double play (third to third to first) [Forsch out at
third]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); Matlack
walked; Mays grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Matlack out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn singled to left; Wynn was picked off first but
was safe on an error by Jones [Wynn to second]; May struck out;
Watson doubled to center [Wynn scored (unearned)]; Rader reached
on a fielder's choice [Watson out at third (pitcher to third)];
Howard homered (unearned) [Rader scored (unearned)]; Fenwick
flied to right; 3 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Harrelson walked; Milner doubled to right [Harrelson
to third]; Staub hit a sacrifice fly to left [Harrelson scored,
Milner to third]; Jones struck out; Fregosi grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Forsch struck out; Metzger grounded out (third to
first); Cedeno doubled to right; Wynn grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: Boswell singled to right; Grote singled to left
[Boswell to third]; Matlack struck out; Mays walked [Grote to
second]; Harrelson lined into a double play (third to third to
first) [Mays out at first]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3,
Mets 1.

ASTROS 6TH: May flied to left; Watson grounded out (shortstop to
first); Rader walked; Howard grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

METS 6TH: Milner singled to right; Staub grounded out (first
unassisted) [Milner to second]; Jones grounded out (third to
first) [Milner to third]; Fregosi popped to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Fenwick grounded out (third to first); STINSON
BATTED FOR FORSCH; Stinson grounded out (second to first);
Metzger popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Mets 1.

METS 7TH: CULVER REPLACED STINSON (PITCHING); Boswell flied to
center; Grote popped to first; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR MATLACK;
Kranepool struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

ASTROS 8TH: MCGRAW REPLACED KRANEPOOL (PITCHING); Cedeno singled
to right; Wynn was called out on strikes; May struck out; Watson
lined to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

METS 8TH: Mays walked; Harrelson walked [Mays to second]; Milner
reached on a fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Mays to
third, Harrelson to second]; GLADDING REPLACED CULVER
(PITCHING); Staub forced Milner (second to shortstop) [Mays
scored, Harrelson to third]; Jones grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Staub out at second]; 1 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Rader doubled to right; Howard singled [Rader to
third]; Fenwick struck out; Gladding out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to first) [Rader scored, Howard to second]; Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
4, Mets 2.

METS 9TH: Fregosi singled to left; Boswell grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Fregosi out at
second]; GARRETT BATTED FOR GROTE; Garrett grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 2.