The strategy of the Cubs went awry in ninth inning when Jim Wynn beat out an infield hit with the bases loaded to drive in the run that gave the Astros a 6-5 victory. Larry Howard led off the ninth with a double and Norm Miller sacrificed pinch-runner Bobby Fenwick to third.

The Cubs then had Fergie Jenkins walk both Roger Metzger and Cesar Cedeno intentionally, but Wynn wrecked the move by slashing a grounder that Don Kessinger knocked down but couldn't field in time to make a play. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Chicago Cubs 5
Game Played on Sunday, July      23, 1972 (Day game) at Astrodome
Cubs         0  0  2    0  2  0    1  0  0  -   5  8  0
Astros       2  0  0    0  1  1    1  0  1  -   6 10  1


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Kessinger ss          5   2   2   0     0   0   .275      Metzger ss            2   1   1   0     1   1   .210
Beckert 2b            5   1   2   2     0   0   .273      Cedeno cf             2   1   1   2     1   0   .355
Williams lf           5   0   1   1     0   0   .342      Wynn rf               5   0   1   1     0   2   .276
Hickman rf            4   1   1   0     0   0   .287      May 1b                3   1   1   0     1   1   .287
  Monday cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .261      Watson lf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .301
Cardenal cf,rf        4   0   1   2     0   1   .280      Rader 3b              3   0   1   2     0   1   .243
Fanzone 1b            1   0   0   0     2   0   .234      Helms 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .252
  Pepitone ph,1b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .242      Howard c              4   1   2   0     0   0   .244
Santo 3b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .291        Fenwick pr          0   1   0   0     0   0   .171
Hundley c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .214      Roberts p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .255
Jenkins p             3   1   0   0     1   1   .200        Griffin p           1   0   1   0     0   0   .294
                                                            Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .083
                                                            Stewart ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .215
                                                            Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Miller ph           0   0   0   0     0   0   .238

Totals               35   5   8   5     4   2             Totals               30   6  10   6     3   6

Time of Game: 2:19   Attendance: 27,038
Left on Base: Cubs 7, Astros 8
DP: Cubs 0, Astros 0
Errors: Helms
Doubles: Beckert (16), Hickman (8), Cedeno (23), May (18), Rader (16), Stewart (4), Howard (4)
Caught Stealing: Cardenal (11)
Sacrifice Hits: Metzger 2 (7), Miller (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Rader (6), Cedeno 2 (4)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Jenkins L(12-9)         8.1  10   6   6   3   6   0  39   3.02
Totals                  8.1  10   6   6   3   6   0  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 4.2   6   4   4   3   1   0  23   4.29
Griffin                 1.1   2   1   0   1   1   0   7   2.73
Ray                     1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.82
Gladding W(3-4)         2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   2.67
Totals                  9     8   5   4   4   2   0  39

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Stan Landes, 2B - Tom Gorman, 3B - Nick Colosi


CUBS 1ST: Astros Manager Harry Walker ejected by HP umpire
Andy Olsen sometime in game; Kessinger grounded out (pitcher
to first); Beckert grounded out (shortstop to first); Williams
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger singled to right; Cedeno doubled to left
[Metzger to third]; Wynn grounded out (catcher to first)
[Metzger stayed at third]; May walked; Watson reached on a
fielder's choice [Metzger scored, Cedeno to third, May to
second]; Rader hit a sacrifice fly to right [Cedeno scored, May
to third]; Helms forced Watson (shortstop to second); 2 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 2.

CUBS 2ND: Hickman grounded out (second to first); Cardenal flied
out to right; Fanzone walked; Santo grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Howard flied out to right; Roberts struck out;
Metzger was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs
0, Astros 2.

CUBS 3RD: Hundley grounded out (third to first); Jenkins walked;
Kessinger singled to left [Jenkins to second]; Beckert doubled
to left [Jenkins scored, Kessinger scored]; Williams flied out
to center [Beckert to third]; Hickman flied out to center; 2 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno popped to shortstop; Wynn struck out; May
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2, Astros 2.

CUBS 4TH: Cardenal struck out; Fanzone walked; Santo singled to
second [Fanzone to second]; Hundley flied out to left; Jenkins
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 2,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to right; Rader was called out on
strikes; Helms lined to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2,
Astros 2.

CUBS 5TH: On a bunt Kessinger singled to pitcher; Beckert forced
Kessinger (second to shortstop); Williams flied out to right;
Hickman doubled to left [Beckert to third]; Cardenal singled to
center [Beckert scored, Hickman scored]; GRIFFIN REPLACED
ROBERTS (PITCHING); Cardenal was caught stealing second (catcher
to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard singled to left; On a bunt Griffin singled to
catcher [Howard to second]; Metzger out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to second) [Howard to third, Griffin to second]; Cedeno
hit a sacrifice fly to left [Howard scored]; Wynn flied out to
left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Astros 3.

CUBS 6TH: Fanzone lined to center; Santo walked; Hundley forced
Santo (third to second); Jenkins struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: May doubled to right; Watson grounded out (shortstop
to first); Rader doubled to center [May scored]; Helms grounded
out (second to first) [Rader to third]; Howard grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Astros 4.

CUBS 7TH: Kessinger reached on an error by Helms [Kessinger to
first]; Beckert singled to right [Kessinger to third]; Williams
singled to center [Kessinger scored (unearned), Beckert to
third]; RAY REPLACED GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Hickman reached on a
fielder's choice [Beckert out at home (third to catcher),
Williams to second]; Cardenal popped to catcher in foul
territory; PEPITONE BATTED FOR FANZONE; Pepitone popped to
shortstop; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 5, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: CARDENAL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); MONDAY
REPLACED HICKMAN (PLAYING CF); PEPITONE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
1B); STEWART BATTED FOR RAY; Stewart doubled to center; Metzger
out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Stewart to third];
Cedeno hit a sacrifice fly to left [Stewart scored]; Wynn struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 5, Astros 5.

CUBS 8TH: GLADDING REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); Santo flied out
to center; Hundley popped to catcher in foul territory; Jenkins
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 5, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: May grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson
singled to center; Rader flied out to right; Helms flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 5, Astros 5.

CUBS 9TH: Kessinger grounded out (shortstop to first); Beckert
grounded out (shortstop to first); Williams grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 5, Astros 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Howard doubled to right; MILLER BATTED FOR GLADDING;
FENWICK RAN FOR HOWARD; Miller out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to second) [Fenwick to third]; Metzger was walked intentionally;
Cedeno was walked intentionally [Metzger to second]; Wynn
singled to shortstop [Fenwick scored, Metzger to third, Cedeno
to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 5, Astros 6.