After failing to hold a 5-1 lead, the Astros came back with three unearned runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Dodgers, 8-6. Cesar Cedeno and Tommy Helms hit homers to pace the Astros to their early margin, but the Dodgers tied the score with the aid of a three-run blast by Jim Lefebvre in the sixth and went ahead in the eighth with another homer by Steve Garvey.

Norm Miller singled for the Astros in the ninth and, with one out, Cedeno grounded to Garvey, who threw to second in an attempt to start a double play, but Bobby Valentine dropped the ball, Miller going to third on the error. Jim Wynn then hit another grounder to Garvey, who fumbled it this time, allowing Miller to score. After an intentional pass to Lee May, Bob Watson singled to drive in Cedeno and Wynn. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 6
Game Played on Thursday, June      29, 1972 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       2  2  0    0  0  1    0  0  3  -   8 11  0
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  1  4    0  1  0  -   6 11  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   1   2   0     0   0   .207      Valentine 2b          5   0   0   0     0   1   .256
Cedeno cf             5   2   1   2     0   0   .342      Davis cf              5   0   2   0     0   0   .261
Wynn rf               3   1   1   0     2   0   .278      Mota lf               5   0   3   0     0   0   .342
May 1b                3   0   0   0     2   1   .277      Buckner rf            4   1   0   0     0   0   .291
Watson lf             5   0   2   2     0   1   .300      Parker 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .245
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .238      Garvey 3b             4   2   2   2     0   0   .274
Helms 2b              5   2   2   1     0   0   .259      Cannizzaro c          3   1   2   0     1   0   .287
Howard c              3   0   1   1     0   0   .246      Russell ss            2   1   0   0     0   0   .256
  Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .242        Lefebvre ph         1   1   1   3     0   0   .229
  Edwards c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .236        Wills ss            1   0   0   0     0   0   .128
Dierker p             3   1   1   0     0   2   .179      John p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .069
  Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .200        Strahler p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Crawford ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .237
  Miller ph           1   1   1   0     0   0   .200        Mikkelsen p         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Brewer p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Sims ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .191

Totals               38   8  11   6     4   4             Totals               37   6  11   5     2   4

Time of Game: 2:48   Attendance: 21,382
Left on Base: Astros 8, Dodgers 6
DP: Astros 1, Dodgers 1
Errors: Valentine, Garvey 2
Doubles: Metzger (7), Mota (11)
Triples: Helms (2)
Home Runs: Cedeno (10), Helms (4), Lefebvre (4), Garvey (6)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (20)
Caught Stealing: Wynn (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Rader (1)
GIDP: Rader (10), Garvey (6)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker                 5.2   7   3   3   1   1   0  24   2.89
Ray                     1.2   3   3   3   1   1   2   9   4.79
Gladding W(2-3)         0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.00
Griffin SV(1)           1     1   0   0   0   2   0   4   1.80
Totals                  9    11   6   6   2   4   2  39

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
John                    1.1   5   4   3   2   0   2  10   2.62
Strahler                3.2   0   0   0   1   2   0  13   3.71
Mikkelsen               3     5   2   1   0   2   0  13   3.90
Brewer L(5-3)           1     1   2   0   1   0   0   7   1.27
Totals                  9    11   8   4   4   4   2  43

Balks: Dierker (1)

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Paul Pryor


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger singled to right; Cedeno homered [Metzger
scored]; Wynn walked; May walked [Wynn to second]; Watson forced
Wynn (third unassisted) [May to second]; Rader grounded into a
double play (third to first) [May out at third]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Valentine grounded out (shortstop to first); Davis
singled to right; Mota grounded out (shortstop to first) [Davis
to second]; Buckner grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Helms homered; Howard grounded out (second to
first); Dierker singled to center; Metzger doubled to right
[Dierker to third]; STRAHLER REPLACED JOHN (PITCHING); Cedeno
reached on an error by Garvey [Dierker scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Metzger to third, Cedeno to first]; Cedeno stole second;
Wynn reached on a fielder's choice [Metzger out at home (third
to catcher)]; May flied out to center; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Parker walked; Garvey grounded into a double play
(second to first) [Parker out at second]; Cannizzaro singled to
right; Russell grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson grounded out (third to first); Rader grounded
out (third to first); Helms flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Strahler struck out; Valentine grounded out
(shortstop to first); Davis grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Howard flied out to right; Dierker struck out;
Metzger flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4,
Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Mota singled to left; Buckner forced Mota (second
to shortstop); Parker flied out to center; Garvey grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno popped to third in foul territory; Wynn
walked; May made an out to second; Watson struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 5TH: Cannizzaro singled to center; Russell forced
Cannizzaro (shortstop to second); CRAWFORD BATTED FOR STRAHLER;
Crawford singled to right [Russell to third]; Dierker balked
[Russell scored, Crawford to second]; Valentine made an out to
first; Davis flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 6TH: MIKKELSEN REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); Rader
grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms tripled to left; Howard
singled to first [Helms scored]; Dierker struck out; Metzger
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5,
Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Mota singled to left; Buckner forced Mota
(shortstop to second); Parker grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Buckner to second]; Garvey singled to right [Buckner scored];
RAY REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING); Cannizzaro walked [Garvey to
second]; LEFEBVRE BATTED FOR RUSSELL; Lefebvre homered [Garvey
scored, Cannizzaro scored]; Mikkelsen struck out; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 5, Dodgers 5.

ASTROS 7TH: WILLS REPLACED LEFEBVRE (PLAYING SS); Cedeno
grounded out (pitcher to first); Wynn singled to center; Wynn
was caught stealing second (catcher to second); May was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Dodgers 5.

DODGERS 7TH: Valentine flied out to center; Davis grounded out
(first unassisted); Mota doubled to left; Buckner grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Dodgers 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson singled to third; Rader out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Watson to second]; Helms grounded out
(second to first) [Watson to third]; STEWART BATTED FOR HOWARD;
Stewart grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 5, Dodgers 5.

DODGERS 8TH: EDWARDS REPLACED STEWART (PLAYING C ); Parker
grounded out (shortstop to first); Garvey homered; GLADDING
REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); Cannizzaro flied out to right; Wills
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Dodgers 6.

ASTROS 9TH: MILLER BATTED FOR GLADDING; Miller singled to left;
BREWER REPLACED MIKKELSEN (PITCHING); Metzger popped to first in
foul territory; Cedeno reached on a fielder's choice [Miller to
second (error by Valentine; assist by Garvey)]; Wynn reached on
an error by Garvey [Miller scored (unearned) (no RBI), Cedeno to
third, Wynn to second]; May was walked intentionally; Watson
singled to center [Cedeno scored (unearned), Wynn scored
(unearned), May to second]; Rader popped to second in foul
territory; Helms popped to first in foul territory; 3 R (0 ER),
2 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 8, Dodgers 6.

DODGERS 9TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED MILLER (PITCHING); SIMS BATTED FOR
BREWER; Sims struck out; Valentine struck out; Davis singled to
center; Mota grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 8, Dodgers 6.