Posting his fifth shutout of the season, Larry Dierker pitched the Astros to a 6-0 victory over the Pirates. Dierker also drove in a run with a squeeze bunt in the sixth inning and another with a single in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Game Played on Tuesday, July      4, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  8  1
Astros       2  0  0    0  1  1    2  0  x  -   6 14  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Clines rf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .340      Metzger ss            5   0   1   0     0   1   .207
Cash 2b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .270      Cedeno cf             4   2   1   0     1   1   .341
Davalillo lf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .348      Wynn rf               5   1   2   0     0   0   .278
Stargell 1b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .296      May 1b                4   1   2   1     1   0   .286
Oliver cf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .322      Watson lf             5   1   2   2     0   0   .307
Sanguillen c          4   0   2   0     0   0   .335      Rader 3b              4   0   1   1     0   1   .240
Robertson 3b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .150      Helms 2b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .260
Alley ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .279        Fenwick 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .184
Briles p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .120      Howard c              4   0   2   0     0   1   .250
  Miller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Dierker p             3   0   2   2     0   0   .214
  Walker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Stennett ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  R. Hernandez p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   0   8   0     0   4             Totals               38   6  14   6     2   4

Time of Game: 2:28   Attendance: 31,164
Left on Base: Pirates 7, Astros 11
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 1
Errors: Clines
Doubles: Oliver (12), Cedeno (18)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (22)
Sacrifice Hits: Dierker (5)
GIDP: Robertson (3), Watson (4)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Briles L(6-3)           5.1  11   4   4   1   4   0  28   3.22
Miller                  1.1   3   2   2   1   0   0   8   2.30
Walker                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.69
R. Hernandez            1     0   0   0   0   0   0   4   1.31
Totals                  8    14   6   6   2   4   0  41

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(8-4)          9     8   0   0   0   4   0  34   2.66
Totals                  9     8   0   0   0   4   0  34

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


PIRATES 1ST: Clines grounded out (shortstop to first); Cash
flied out to center; Davalillo made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger struck out; Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole
second; Wynn singled to third [Cedeno to third]; May grounded
out (second to first) [Wynn to second]; Watson singled to center
[Cedeno scored, Wynn scored]; Rader was called out on strikes; 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 2.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell struck out; Oliver singled to center;
Sanguillen flied out to right; Robertson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Helms flied out to left; Howard struck out; Dierker
singled to right; Metzger flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Alley flied out to center; Briles made an out to
shortstop; Clines was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno struck out; Wynn singled to right; May
singled to left [Wynn to second]; Watson grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [May out at second]; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 2.

PIRATES 4TH: Cash made an out to second; Davalillo flied out to
left; Stargell singled to right; Oliver grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader grounded out (second to first); Helms flied
out to right; Howard singled to second; Dierker flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Sanguillen singled to left; Robertson grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Sanguillen out at
second]; Alley flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
doubled to right; Wynn made an out to first; May singled to
center [Cedeno scored]; Watson forced May (second to shortstop);
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 3.

PIRATES 6TH: Briles struck out; Clines grounded out (third to
first); Cash singled to shortstop; Davalillo singled to center
[Cash to second]; Stargell flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader grounded out (third to first); Helms singled
to center; Howard singled to center [Helms to third]; Dierker
reached on a fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Helms scored,
Howard to second]; Metzger singled to left [Howard to third,
Dierker to second]; MILLER REPLACED BRILES (PITCHING); Cedeno
forced Howard (third to catcher) [Dierker to third, Metzger to
second]; Wynn grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 4.

PIRATES 7TH: Oliver lined to first; Sanguillen grounded out
(second to first); Robertson grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: May walked; Watson singled to right [May to third];
Rader singled to left [May scored, Watson to second]; Helms
flied out to center; Howard forced Rader (shortstop to second)
[Watson to third]; Dierker singled to left [Watson scored,
Howard to third]; WALKER REPLACED MILLER (PITCHING); Metzger
grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
0, Astros 6.

PIRATES 8TH: Alley grounded out (third to first); STENNETT
BATTED FOR WALKER; Stennett grounded out (third to first);
Clines singled to second; Cash flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: R. HERNANDEZ REPLACED STENNETT (PITCHING); Cedeno
reached on an error by Clines; Wynn grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Cedeno to second]; May grounded out (pitcher to first);
Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 6.

PIRATES 9TH: FENWICK REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Davalillo
flied out to center; Stargell flied out to center; Oliver
doubled to left; Sanguillen singled to pitcher [Oliver to
third]; Robertson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 6.