Three unearned runs on errors by Lee May and Cesar Cedeno in the seventh inning enabled the Dodgers to defeat the Astros, 6-3. Bill Russell was safe on a fumble by May and, after a sacrifice by Claude Osteen, scored on a single by Bill Buckner to break a 2-2 tie.

Buckner stole second and scored on a single by Willie Davis, who advanced to second on a wild throw by Cedeno. Frank Robinson singled to send Davis across the plate. Cedeno homered in the eighth, but Osteen sealed his victory with his first homer of the season in the ninth inning. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Thursday, July      27, 1972 (Day game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      1  0  0    0  0  1    3  0  1  -   6  8  1
Astros       1  0  1    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   3  7  3


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lacy 2b               5   0   1   0     0   0   .276      Metzger ss            4   1   1   0     0   1   .211
Buckner lf            4   2   2   1     1   0   .314      Cedeno cf             3   1   2   2     1   0   .358
Davis cf              5   2   3   1     0   0   .291      Wynn rf               4   0   0   1     0   0   .272
Robinson rf           3   0   1   1     2   1   .252        York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Parker 1b             1   0   0   1     1   0   .274      May 1b                4   0   1   0     0   2   .287
Valentine 3b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .276      Watson lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .298
Sims c                3   0   0   0     1   2   .199      Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .241
Russell ss            3   1   0   0     1   1   .271      Helms 2b              3   0   2   0     0   0   .256
Osteen p              3   1   1   1     0   1   .265      Howard c              3   1   0   0     0   0   .235
                                                          Forsch p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .118
                                                            Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .083
                                                            Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .294
                                                            Alou ph,rf          1   0   1   0     0   0   .276

Totals               31   6   8   5     6   5             Totals               31   3   7   3     1   5

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance: 22,037
Left on Base: Dodgers 7, Astros 3
DP: Dodgers 1, Astros 2
Errors: Russell, Cedeno, May, Rader
Doubles: Davis (15), Metzger (9), May (19), Helms (9)
Triples: Helms (3)
Home Runs: Osteen (1), Cedeno (14)
Stolen Bases: Lacy (2), Buckner 2 (7)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Parker (6), Osteen (4), Forsch (7)
Sacrifice Flies: Parker (3)
GIDP: Buckner (6), Valentine (5), Metzger (3)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Osteen W(11-7)          9     7   3   2   1   5   1  33   2.28
Totals                  9     7   3   2   1   5   1  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  5     4   2   1   5   3   0  22   4.03
Ray L(9-4)              1.2   2   3   0   0   1   0   8   3.72
Griffin                 1.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   2.67
York                    1     1   1   1   1   0   1   5   4.91
Totals                  9     8   6   2   6   5   1  40

Passed Balls: Howard (4)
Wild Pitches: Osteen (3)

Umpires: HP - Satch Davidson, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Augie Donatelli, 3B - Stan Landes


DODGERS 1ST: Lacy flied out to right; Buckner singled to left;
Davis singled to left [Buckner to second]; Robinson walked
[Buckner to third, Davis to second]; Parker hit a sacrifice fly
to left [Buckner scored]; Valentine flied out to center; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger doubled to center; Osteen threw a wild pitch
[Metzger to third]; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first);
Wynn grounded out (third to first) [Metzger scored]; May struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Sims struck out; Russell made an out to third;
Osteen grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to left; Rader grounded out
(shortstop to first); Helms flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Lacy singled to center; Buckner grounded into a
double play (first to shortstop) [Lacy out at second]; Davis
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard reached on an error by Russell [Howard to
first]; Forsch out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Howard to second]; Metzger struck out; Cedeno singled to center
[Howard scored (unearned), Cedeno out at second (center to first
to shortstop)]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros
2.

DODGERS 4TH: Robinson struck out; Parker walked; Valentine
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Parker out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros
2.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn flied out to center; May doubled to right;
Watson grounded out (first to pitcher) [May to third]; Rader
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

DODGERS 5TH: Sims walked; Russell walked [Sims to second];
Osteen struck out; Lacy forced Sims (third unassisted) [Russell
to third (error by Rader), Lacy to first]; Lacy stole second;
Buckner grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms doubled to left; Howard grounded out (third to
first) [Helms to third]; Forsch reached on a fielder's choice
[Helms out at home (shortstop to catcher)]; Metzger made an out
to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

DODGERS 6TH: Davis doubled to center; Robinson walked; RAY
REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Parker out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Davis to third, Robinson to second]; Howard
allowed a passed ball [Davis scored (unearned), Robinson to
third]; Valentine grounded out (third to first); Sims struck
out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno walked; Cedeno was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Wynn lined to shortstop; May was called out
on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 2.

DODGERS 7TH: Russell reached on an error by May [Russell to
first]; Osteen out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second)
[Russell to second]; Lacy lined to center; Buckner singled to
left [Russell scored (unearned)]; Buckner stole second; Davis
singled to center [Buckner scored (unearned), Davis to second
(error by Cedeno)]; GRIFFIN REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); Robinson
singled to left [Davis scored (unearned)]; Parker grounded out
(second to first); 3 R (0 ER), 3 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson grounded out (third to first); Rader flied
out to right; Helms tripled to left; Howard grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 2.

DODGERS 8TH: Valentine flied out to right; Sims flied out to
center; Russell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: ALOU BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Alou singled to left;
Metzger grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Alou out at second]; Cedeno homered; Wynn popped to
first in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5,
Astros 3.

DODGERS 9TH: ALOU STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); YORK REPLACED
WYNN (PITCHING); Osteen homered; Lacy grounded out (second to
first); Buckner walked; Buckner stole second; Davis flied out to
right; Robinson grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: May popped to catcher in foul territory; Watson was
called out on strikes; Rader lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 3.