The return of Roberto Clemente, who had been out of action for two weeks with a virus attack, proved the spark that the Pirates needed to defeat the Reds, 3-2. While Clemente was sidelined, the Pirates lost five straight games to the Reds. Breaking in front, the Reds scored a run in the third inning on singles by Pete Rose and Joe Morgan and a double by Bobby Tolan. The Pirates tied the count in their half when Gene Clines doubled, advanced after a long fly by Bill Mazeroski and scored on a sacrifice fly by Clemente.

An unusual error charged against Willie Stargell enabled the Reds to take the lead again in the seventh. With the bases loaded, Tolan grounded to Bob Robertson, who threw to first. Stargell took his foot off the bag before catching the ball and Tolan was called safe, a run scoring. The Pirates came back with the tying and winning tallies in the eighth. Clines led off with a single, took second on a sacrifice and scored on a single by Clemente. Stargell then made up for his error with a double that sent Clemente home. [The Sporting News]

Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Cincinnati Reds 2

Game Played on Sunday, July 23, 1972 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium

Reds         0  0  1    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   2  9  0
Pirates      0  0  1    0  0  0    0  2  x  -   3 10  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .288      Clines lf             4   2   3   0     0   0   .351
Morgan 2b             4   0   2   0     1   0   .293      Mazeroski 2b          3   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Tolan cf              4   0   1   1     0   1   .295      Clemente rf           3   1   1   2     0   0   .310
Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .283      Stargell 1b           4   0   2   1     0   1   .296
Perez 1b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .277        Stennett pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .296
Geronimo rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .290        J. Hernandez 3b     0   0   0   0     0   0   .196
Concepcion 3b         4   0   1   0     0   0   .195      Sanguillen c          4   0   2   0     0   0   .325
Chaney ss             3   0   0   0     0   0   .284      Oliver cf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .320
  Hague ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .231      Robertson 3b,1b       4   0   1   0     0   0   .180
Grimsley p            3   1   1   0     0   1   .114      Alley ss              2   0   0   0     1   0   .271
  Billingham p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .054      Blass p               3   0   0   0     0   1   .160
  McRae ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .286        R. Hernandez p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               36   2   9   1     1   4             Totals               30   3  10   3     2   3

Time of Game: 2:01   Attendance: 29,487
Left on Base: Reds 9, Pirates 7
DP: Reds 0, Pirates 0
Errors: Stargell
Doubles: Rose (17), Tolan (21), Stargell 2 (18), Robertson (6), Clines (10)
Caught Stealing: Clines (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Mazeroski (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Clemente (1)
Hit by Pitch: Rose (5,by Blass)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Grimsley L(8-4)         7.1  10   3   3   1   3   0  31   2.50
Billingham              0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   3   3.53
Totals                  8    10   3   3   2   3   0  34

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blass W(11-4)           8.2   9   2   1   1   4   0  37   2.64
R. Hernandez SV(6)      0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1.38
Totals                  9     9   2   1   1   4   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Blass (3)

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


REDS 1ST: Rose doubled to left; Morgan grounded out (second to
first) [Rose to third]; Tolan struck out; Bench flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Clines flied out to right; Mazeroski singled to
left; Clemente lined to shortstop; Stargell doubled to center
[Mazeroski out at home (center to second to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez singled to left; Geronimo forced Perez (catcher
to shortstop); Geronimo was picked off first (pitcher to first);
Concepcion grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Reds 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Sanguillen lined to center; Oliver grounded out
(pitcher to first); Robertson doubled to center; Alley was
walked intentionally; Blass struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Reds 0, Pirates 0.

REDS 3RD: Chaney grounded out (third to first); Grimsley popped
to shortstop; Rose singled to third; Morgan singled to right
[Rose to third]; Tolan doubled to center [Rose scored, Morgan to
third]; Bench popped to catcher in foul territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Clines doubled to left; Mazeroski flied out to
right [Clines to third]; Clemente hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Clines scored]; Stargell struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 1, Pirates 1.

REDS 4TH: Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo
struck out; Concepcion singled to center; Chaney flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Sanguillen singled to left; Oliver lined to left;
Robertson popped to catcher in foul territory; Alley flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Pirates 1.

REDS 5TH: Grimsley was called out on strikes; Rose grounded out
(first unassisted); Morgan singled to right; Tolan grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 5TH: Blass flied out to left; Clines singled to left;
Clines was picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to
first to shortstop); Mazeroski flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Pirates 1.

REDS 6TH: Bench struck out; Perez popped to second; Geronimo
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
1, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 6TH: Clemente grounded out (second to first); Stargell
grounded out (second to first); Sanguillen singled to third;
Oliver struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Pirates 1.

REDS 7TH: Concepcion flied out to right; Chaney flied out to
center; Grimsley singled to right; Rose was hit by a pitch
[Grimsley to second]; Morgan walked [Grimsley to third, Rose to
second]; Tolan reached on an error by Stargell [Grimsley scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Rose to third, Morgan to second, Tolan to
first]; Bench popped to shortstop; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Reds 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 7TH: Robertson grounded out (third to first); Alley
grounded out (third to first); Blass grounded out (pitcher to
second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Pirates 1.

REDS 8TH: Perez popped to catcher in foul territory; Geronimo
popped to shortstop; Concepcion flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 8TH: Clines singled to center; Mazeroski out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher unassisted) [Clines to second]; Clemente
singled to left [Clines scored, Clemente to second (on throw)];
Stargell doubled to center [Clemente scored]; STENNETT RAN FOR
STARGELL; BILLINGHAM REPLACED GRIMSLEY (PITCHING); Sanguillen
popped to third in foul territory; Oliver was walked
intentionally; Robertson forced Oliver (shortstop to second); 2
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Pirates 3.

REDS 9TH: J. HERNANDEZ REPLACED STENNETT (PLAYING 3B); ROBERTSON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); HAGUE BATTED FOR CHANEY; Hague
flied out to center; MCRAE BATTED FOR BILLINGHAM; McRae singled
to left; Rose forced McRae (first to shortstop); R. HERNANDEZ
REPLACED BLASS (PITCHING); Morgan grounded out (third to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Pirates 3.

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