Cesar Cedeno, who has been feasting on Cincinnati pitching this season, hit a single and double to figure in the scoring of three runs as the Astros defeated the Reds, 4-1. Cedeno singled in the first inning, stole second and crossed the plate on a single by Jim Wynn. His double in the fifth drove in two runs, coming after a pass to Larry Howard and infield hit by Roger Metzger.

Lee May homered for the Astros in the eighth before Tony Perez saved the Reds from being shutout with a circuit clout off Larry Dierker in the ninth. Cecieno's two hits in four trips brought his season's mark to 15-for-24 against the Reds for a .625 pace. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Cincinnati Reds 1
Game Played on Saturday, June      24, 1972 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    0  2  0    0  1  0  -   4 10  2
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  7  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   1   1   0     0   0   .198      Rose lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .276
Cedeno cf             4   1   2   2     0   0   .342      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .281
Wynn rf               4   0   1   1     0   1   .282      Tolan cf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .301
May 1b                4   1   1   1     0   0   .287        Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Watson lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .294      Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   2   .290
Rader 3b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .238      Perez 1b              4   1   1   1     0   0   .270
Helms 2b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .258      Hague rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .248
Howard c              3   1   1   0     1   0   .240      Menke 3b              4   0   2   0     0   1   .231
Dierker p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .167      Concepcion ss         3   0   0   0     0   0   .216
                                                          Billingham p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .037
                                                            Uhlaender ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .157
                                                            Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            McRae ph,cf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .275

Totals               35   4  10   4     1   2             Totals               34   1   7   1     0   4

Time of Game: 1:59   Attendance: 31,907
Left on Base: Astros 6, Reds 6
DP: Astros 1, Reds 1
Errors: Rader, Helms
Doubles: Rader (13), Cedeno (14), Tolan (14)
Home Runs: May (12), Perez (10)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (17), Morgan (27)
Caught Stealing: Tolan (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Dierker (4)
GIDP: Concepcion (6)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(7-4)          9     7   1   1   0   4   1  34   2.78
Totals                  9     7   1   1   0   4   1  34

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham L(4-8)       5     6   3   3   1   0   0  21   4.11
Borbon                  3     2   1   1   0   1   1  11   3.10
Carroll                 1     2   0   0   0   1   0   5   1.64
Totals                  9    10   4   4   1   2   1  37

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


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
singled to center; Cedeno stole second; Wynn singled to center
[Cedeno scored]; May flied out to right; Watson popped to
shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Morgan singled to
second; Morgan stole second; On a bunt Tolan singled [Morgan to
third]; Tolan was picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher
to first to second); Bench was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader grounded out (third to first); Helms singled
to center; Howard popped to second; Dierker grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez grounded out (pitcher to first); Hague grounded
out (first unassisted); Menke reached on an error by Rader
[Menke to first]; Concepcion forced Menke (shortstop
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); Wynn flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Billingham reached on an error by Helms [Billingham to
first]; Rose grounded out (first to pitcher) [Billingham to
second]; Morgan flied out to center; Tolan popped to center; 0
R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: May grounded out (third to first); Watson grounded
out (pitcher to first to pitcher); Bob Watson's ball caromed
off Jack Billingham's foot; Rader doubled to center; Helms
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Bench grounded out (third to first); Perez lined to
left; Hague was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard walked; Dierker out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to second) [Howard to second]; Metzger singled to second
[Howard to third]; Cedeno doubled [Howard scored, Metzger
scored]; Wynn hit into a double play (third to first to
shortstop) [Cedeno out at third]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Reds 0.

REDS 5TH: Menke singled to center; Concepcion flied out to
center; UHLAENDER BATTED FOR BILLINGHAM; Uhlaender popped to
second; Rose grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

ASTROS 6TH: BORBON REPLACED UHLAENDER (PITCHING); May grounded
out (shortstop to first); Watson grounded out (third to first);
Rader singled to left; Helms popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

REDS 6TH: Morgan flied out to center; Tolan doubled to right;
Bench grounded out (shortstop to first); Perez grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); Dierker
grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

REDS 7TH: Hague grounded out (first to pitcher); Menke singled
to left; Concepcion grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Menke out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 3, Reds 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno grounded out (second to first); Wynn was
called out on strikes; May homered; Watson grounded out (third
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 0.

REDS 8TH: MCRAE BATTED FOR BORBON; McRae grounded out (first to
pitcher); Rose singled to center; Morgan flied out to right;
Tolan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Reds 0.

ASTROS 9TH: MCRAE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); CARROLL REPLACED
TOLAN (PITCHING); Rader grounded out (third to first); Helms
singled to left; Howard singled to center [Helms to second];
Dierker was called out on strikes; Metzger grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 0.

REDS 9TH: Bench struck out; Perez homered; Hague popped to
catcher; Menke struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds
1.