Reggie Cleveland gained his seventh straight victory and 10th of the season when the Cardinals defeated the Astros, 2-1. The Cardinals scored their initial run off Jerry Reuss in the first inning on a single by Matty Alou and double by Joe Torre. Lou Brock singled in the third to become the first major leaguer with 100 hits this season.

Tom Griffin was on the mound for the Astros in the eighth when the Cardinals added what proved to be their winning run on a double by Ted Sizemore, sacrifice by Alou and sacrifice fly by Ted Simmons. The Astros picked up their run in the ninth on singles by Jim Wynn, Bob Watson and Johnny Edwards, but Bobby Fenwick, running for Watson, tried to score from first on Edwards' hit and was thrown out. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Saturday, July      8, 1972 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  7  1
Cardinals    1  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   2  6  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .201      Brock lf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .315
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .339      Sizemore 2b           4   1   1   0     0   1   .268
Wynn rf               4   1   1   0     0   1   .275      Alou rf,1b            3   1   2   0     0   1   .316
May 1b                3   0   0   0     1   0   .273      Torre 3b              2   0   1   1     2   0   .308
Watson lf             4   0   2   0     0   1   .304      Simmons c             3   0   0   1     0   1   .298
  Fenwick pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .184      Clendenon 1b          3   0   0   0     0   1   .192
Rader 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .237        Cruz ph,cf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Edwards c             4   0   2   1     0   0   .236      Melendez cf,rf        3   0   0   0     0   1   .245
Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .251      Maxvill ss            3   0   0   0     0   2   .229
Reuss p               2   0   0   0     0   2   .088      Cleveland p           3   0   1   0     0   1   .209
  Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .188
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .231

Totals               33   1   7   1     1   6             Totals               29   2   6   2     2   9

Time of Game: 2:00   Attendance: 25,103
Left on Base: Astros 6, Cardinals 7
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 0
Errors: Helms
Doubles: Torre (14), Sizemore (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Alou (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Simmons (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss L(5-8)            7     5   1   1   1   9   0  28   4.05
Griffin                 1     1   1   1   1   0   0   5   2.35
Totals                  8     6   2   2   2   9   0  33

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cleveland W(10-4)       9     7   1   1   1   6   0  34   3.20
Totals                  9     7   1   1   1   6   0  34

Umpires: HP - Stan Landes, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Augie Donatelli


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger flied out to center; Cedeno grounded out
(first unassisted); Wynn flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock grounded out (third to first); Sizemore
struck out; Alou singled to second; Torre doubled to right [Alou
scored]; Simmons grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 2ND: May flied out to right; Watson flied out to center;
Rader singled to left; Edwards grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 2ND: Clendenon flied out to center; Melendez grounded
out (shortstop to first); Maxvill struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); Reuss
struck out; Metzger flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 3RD: Cleveland singled to second; Brock singled to
center [Cleveland to second]; Sizemore popped to second; Alou
was called out on strikes; Torre flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno singled to center; Wynn grounded out (third
to first) [Cedeno to second]; May walked; Watson struck out;
Rader forced May (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons was called out on strikes; Clendenon
struck out; Melendez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Edwards flied to left in foul territory; Helms
struck out; Reuss was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 5TH: Maxvill popped to catcher in foul territory;
Cleveland flied out to right; Brock struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger flied out to right; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first); Wynn struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 6TH: Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou
singled to third; Torre walked [Alou to second]; Simmons reached
on an error by Helms [Alou to third, Torre to second, Simmons to
first]; Clendenon forced Alou (third to catcher) [Torre to
third, Simmons to second]; Melendez struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 7TH: May popped to catcher in foul territory; Watson
singled to right; Rader flied out to right; Edwards singled to
right [Watson to third]; Helms flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 7TH: Maxvill struck out; Cleveland was called out on
strikes; Brock grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 8TH: MILLER BATTED FOR REUSS; Miller grounded out (second
to first); Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 8TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED MILLER (PITCHING); Sizemore
doubled to left; Alou out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first)
[Sizemore to third]; Torre was walked intentionally; Simmons hit
a sacrifice fly to right [Sizemore scored]; CRUZ BATTED FOR
CLENDENON; Cruz flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 9TH: CRUZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); MELENDEZ CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); ALOU CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B);
Wynn singled to right; May flied out to center; Watson singled
to center [Wynn to third]; FENWICK RAN FOR WATSON; Rader struck
out; Edwards singled to right [Wynn scored, Fenwick out at home
(right to shortstop to catcher)]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Cardinals 2.