Reggie Cleveland, a winner of six straight games, was stopped on that streak by the Astros, who defeated the Cardinals, 11-3. Jerry Reuss beat his former teammates for the first time after losing to them twice previously this season.

Ted Simmons accounted for the Cardinals' runs with a bases-loaded double. Cesar Cedeno and Lee May each homered with a man on base for the Astros, Cedeno circling the sacks on an inside-the-park blow in the fifth inning. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 11, St. Louis Cardinals 3
Game Played on Tuesday, July      18, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  0  0    3  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  4  3
Astros       0  1  1    0  2  1    2  4  x  -  11 12  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              3   1   0   0     1   0   .325      Metzger ss            5   4   1   0     0   1   .205
Melendez cf           4   1   1   0     0   1   .240      Cedeno cf             5   1   3   2     0   0   .351
Alou rf               3   1   0   0     1   0   .314        Miller pr,cf        0   1   0   0     0   0   .241
Torre 3b              3   0   0   0     0   2   .302      Wynn rf               5   0   1   3     0   1   .275
Simmons c             3   0   1   3     1   0   .286      May 1b                5   1   1   2     0   3   .288
Clendenon 1b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .193      Watson lf             4   2   2   0     0   1   .308
Crosby 2b             3   0   0   0     0   2   .233      Edwards c             4   1   1   0     0   2   .244
Maxvill ss            2   0   1   0     1   1   .243      Stewart 3b            1   0   0   1     1   0   .208
Cleveland p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .213        Rader 3b            1   0   0   0     0   1   .237
  Sizemore ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .259      Helms 2b              3   1   1   1     0   0   .250
  Drabowsky p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Reuss p               4   0   2   0     0   1   .146
  Cloninger p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Grzenda p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               28   3   4   3     4   7             Totals               37  11  12   9     1  10

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance: 20,944
Left on Base: Cardinals 3, Astros 5
DP: Cardinals 0, Astros 2
Errors: Torre, Crosby, Drabowsky
Doubles: Simmons (19), Edwards (11), Wynn (15)
Home Runs: Cedeno (11), May (20)
Stolen Bases: Metzger (12)
Sacrifice Flies: Stewart (3), Helms (6)
GIDP: Clendenon (6)
Hit by Pitch: Torre (5,by Reuss)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cleveland L(11-5)       6     7   5   4   1   5   1  27   3.12
Drabowsky               1.2   3   5   2   0   4   1  10   3.00
Cloninger               0     1   1   1   0   0   0   1   4.85
Grzenda                 0.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   2   4.74
Totals                  8    12  11   6*  1  10   2  40

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss W(6-8)            9     4   3   3   4   7   0  33   3.90
Totals                  9     4   3   3   4   7   0  33

Passed Balls: Simmons (7)
Hit by Pitch: Reuss (7)
Wild Pitches: Drabowsky (1)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Jerry Dale


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock flied out to left; Melendez struck out;
Alou popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger struck out; Cedeno lined to right; Wynn
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Torre was hit by a pitch; Simmons lined into a
double play (center to first) [Torre out at first]; Clendenon
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros
0.

ASTROS 2ND: May struck out; Watson singled to center; Edwards
reached on an error by Crosby [Watson to third, Edwards to
first]; Stewart hit a sacrifice fly to left [Watson scored
(unearned)]; Helms flied out to center; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 3RD: Crosby struck out; Maxvill struck out; Cleveland
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Reuss singled to left; Metzger forced Reuss (pitcher
to shortstop); Cedeno singled to center [Metzger to third]; Wynn
forced Cedeno (second to shortstop) [Metzger scored]; May popped
to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 4TH: Brock walked; Melendez singled to center [Brock
to second]; Alou walked [Brock to third, Melendez to second];
Torre struck out; Simmons doubled to right [Brock scored,
Melendez scored, Alou scored]; Clendenon grounded out (shortstop
to first); Crosby grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Edwards
was called out on strikes; Stewart grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 5TH: Maxvill walked; Cleveland popped to pitcher in
foul territory; Brock forced Maxvill (second to shortstop);
Brock was picked off first (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms flied out to left; Reuss singled to center;
Metzger forced Reuss (shortstop to second); Cedeno hit an inside
the park homer to right [Metzger scored]; Wynn popped to second;
2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 6TH: On a bunt Melendez made an out to catcher;
Luis Melendez called for interference for running into his own
batted ball; Alou grounded out (shortstop to first); Torre
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: May struck out; Watson singled to right; Edwards
doubled to left [Watson to third]; Stewart was walked
intentionally; Helms hit a sacrifice fly to center [Watson
scored, Edwards to third]; Reuss flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 5.

CARDINALS 7TH: RADER REPLACED STEWART (PLAYING 3B); Simmons
grounded out (third to first); Clendenon singled to right;
Crosby struck out; Maxvill singled to center [Clendenon to
second]; SIZEMORE BATTED FOR CLEVELAND; Sizemore forced Maxvill
(third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: DRABOWSKY REPLACED SIZEMORE (PITCHING); Metzger
singled to right; Metzger stole second; Drabowsky threw a wild
pitch [Metzger to third]; Cedeno popped to shortstop; Wynn
grounded out (shortstop to first); May homered [Metzger scored];
Watson struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 7.

CARDINALS 8TH: Brock grounded out (third to first); Melendez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou lined to first; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Edwards struck out but advanced to first on a passed
ball; Rader struck out; Helms singled to center [Edwards to
second]; Reuss struck out; Metzger reached on an error by
Drabowsky [Edwards scored (error by Torre) (unearned) (no RBI),
Helms scored (unearned), Metzger to second]; CLONINGER REPLACED
DRABOWSKY (PITCHING); Cedeno singled to pitcher [Metzger to
third]; MILLER RAN FOR CEDENO; GRZENDA REPLACED CLONINGER
(PITCHING); Wynn doubled to left [Metzger scored (unearned),
Miller scored (unearned, but earned for the pitcher)]; May
struck out; 4 R (1 ER), 3 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 11.

CARDINALS 9TH: MILLER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Torre
grounded out (shortstop to first); Simmons walked; Clendenon
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Simmons out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3,
Astros 11.