Johnny Bench blasted a three-run homer in the fourth inning and that was more than enough for Ross Grirnsley, who pitched the Reds to a 7-1 victory over the Astros. Bench's blow off Jerry Reuss came after passes to Pete Rose and Joe Morgan. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 7, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Friday, June      23, 1972 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  5  1
Reds         0  0  0    3  1  0    0  3  x  -   7  6  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   2   .198      Rose lf               2   2   1   0     2   0   .276
Cedeno cf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .339      Morgan 2b             3   2   1   0     1   0   .281
Wynn rf               4   1   0   0     0   0   .283      Tolan cf              4   1   1   1     0   1   .298
May 1b                4   0   1   0     0   0   .288      Bench c               3   1   1   3     1   0   .295
Watson lf             4   0   2   0     0   2   .300      Perez 1b              2   0   0   1     1   0   .271
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .234      Foster rf             3   0   0   0     0   2   .219
Helms 2b              2   0   0   0     1   0   .253        Hague ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .255
Howard c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .234        Geronimo rf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Reuss p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .069      Menke 3b              4   0   1   1     0   0   .224
  Fenwick ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .184      Concepcion ss         3   1   1   0     1   0   .219
  York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Grimsley p            4   0   0   0     0   2   .056
  Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .288
  Gibbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   1   5   0     1   7             Totals               29   7   6   6     6   6

Time of Game: 2:01   Attendance: 20,401
Left on Base: Astros 5, Reds 5
DP: Astros 1, Reds 1
Errors: Metzger, Concepcion
Doubles: Cedeno (13), Concepcion (7), Menke (6)
Home Runs: Bench (19)
Stolen Bases: Rose (2), Tolan (20)
Sacrifice Flies: Perez (2)
GIDP: Rader (8), Tolan (6)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss L(5-6)            5     3   4   3   3   4   1  21   3.64
York                    2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   4.26
Gibbon                  0     2   3   3   2   0   0   4  19.64
Gladding                1     1   0   0   1   1   0   5   2.70
Totals                  8     6   7   6   6   6   1  36

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Grimsley W(4-2)         9     5   1   0   1   7   0  33   2.11
Totals                  9     5   1   0   1   7   0  33

Wild Pitches: Grimsley (3)

Umpires: HP - Chris Pelekoudas, 1B - Mel Steiner, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Shag Crawford


ASTROS 1ST: 43 minute rain delay before start of game;
Metzger flied out to left; Cedeno doubled to left; Wynn flied
out to right; May grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose singled to right; Morgan forced Rose (shortstop
to second); Tolan grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Morgan out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson was called out on strikes; Rader struck out;
Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench grounded out (shortstop to first); Perez
grounded out (third to first); Foster popped to first; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard flied out to left; Reuss struck out; Metzger
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Menke grounded out (third to first); Concepcion
grounded out (shortstop to first); Grimsley struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno popped to first in foul territory; Wynn
popped to shortstop; May popped to catcher in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Rose walked; Morgan walked [Rose to second]; Tolan
struck out; Bench homered [Rose scored, Morgan scored]; Perez
walked; Foster struck out; Menke grounded out (third to first);
3 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson singled to right; Rader flied out to right;
Helms flied out to center; Howard forced Watson (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 3.

REDS 5TH: Concepcion doubled; On a bunt Grimsley struck out;
Rose grounded out (second to first) [Concepcion to third];
Morgan reached on an error by Metzger [Concepcion scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Morgan to first]; Tolan flied out to left;
1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 4.

ASTROS 6TH: FENWICK BATTED FOR REUSS; Fenwick struck out;
Metzger struck out; Cedeno singled to center; Wynn popped to
third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 4.

REDS 6TH: YORK REPLACED FENWICK (PITCHING); Bench flied out to
left; Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Foster struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 4.

ASTROS 7TH: May popped to first in foul territory; Watson
singled to center; Rader grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Watson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 4.

REDS 7TH: Menke grounded out (shortstop to first); Concepcion
grounded out (shortstop to first); Grimsley popped to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Helms walked; Howard popped to second; ALOU BATTED
FOR YORK; Alou flied out to center; Metzger flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 4.

REDS 8TH: GIBBON REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Rose walked; Rose
stole second; On a bunt Morgan singled [Rose to third]; Tolan
singled [Rose scored, Morgan to third]; Tolan stole second;
Bench was walked intentionally; GLADDING REPLACED GIBBON
(PITCHING); Perez hit a sacrifice fly to center [Morgan scored];
HAGUE BATTED FOR FOSTER; Hague was called out on strikes; Menke
doubled to left [Tolan scored, Bench to third]; Concepcion was
walked intentionally; Grimsley flied out to left; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E,
3 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 7.

ASTROS 9TH: GERONIMO REPLACED HAGUE (PLAYING RF); Cedeno flied
out to right; Wynn reached on an error by Concepcion [Wynn to
first]; May singled to left [Wynn to third]; Grimsley threw a
wild pitch [Wynn scored (unearned), May to second]; Watson
struck out; Rader flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 7.