Bill Buckner hit the first homer given up by Fred Gladding in 90 games to power the Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the Astros. With the Astros leading, 9-1, Wes Parker drew a walk from Don Wilson in the seventh inning and scored on a double by Bobby Valentine. After Wilson struck out the next two batters, manny Mota singled to drive in Valentine.

Gladding then replaced Wilson and gave up a single by Lee Lacy before Buckner unloaded the first homer off Gladding since Willie Mays hit one for the Giants August 9, 1970. Tommy Helms drove in four runs for the Astros, including their last tally with a double in the eighth. [The Sporting News]

Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Houston Astros 5

Game Played on Friday, July 28, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome

Dodgers      1  0  0    0  0  0    5  0  0  -   6  8  1
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  3    0  1  0  -   5 10  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lacy 2b               4   1   1   0     0   1   .275      Metzger ss            5   0   1   0     0   1   .211
Buckner lf            4   1   2   3     0   0   .318      Cedeno cf             5   0   0   0     0   1   .352
Davis cf              4   1   1   0     0   2   .290      Wynn rf               3   1   1   0     1   0   .273
Robinson rf           4   0   1   1     0   1   .252      May 1b                4   2   2   0     0   1   .289
Parker 1b             3   1   0   0     1   1   .270      Watson lf             3   0   1   0     1   0   .298
Valentine 3b          4   1   1   1     0   0   .275      Rader 3b              3   2   1   1     1   2   .241
  Brewer p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Helms 2b              3   0   2   4     0   0   .260
Sims c                4   0   0   0     0   1   .193      Howard c              4   0   0   0     0   1   .224
Russell ss            2   0   1   0     0   0   .273      Wilson p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .103
  Crawford ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .220        Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Wills ss            1   0   0   0     0   0   .123        Alou ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .288
Downing p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .089        Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .083
  Mikkelsen p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .213
  Mota ph             1   1   1   1     0   0   .335
  Richert p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .600
  Lefebvre 3b         1   0   0   0     0   1   .203

Totals               35   6   8   6     1   8             Totals               34   5  10   5     3   6

Time of Game: 2:28   Attendance: 13,283
Left on Base: Dodgers 3, Astros 6
DP: Dodgers 3, Astros 0
Errors: Lacy
Doubles: Valentine (8), Watson (17), Rader (17), Helms (10)
Home Runs: Buckner (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Helms (7)
GIDP: Wynn (5), Helms (5), Howard (4)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Downing                 5.1   7   4   4   2   3   0  24   3.05
Mikkelsen W(2-4)        0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.86
Richert                 1.2   2   1   1   1   1   0   8   2.01
Brewer SV(11)           1.1   0   0   0   0   2   0   4   1.18
Totals                  9    10   5   5   3   6   0  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson                  6.2   6   4   4   1   6   0  27   3.41
Gladding L(3-5)         0.1   2   2   2   0   0   1   3   3.29
Ray                     2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   3.61
Totals                  9     8   6   6   1   8   1  36

Wild Pitches: Richert (1), Wilson (3)

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


DODGERS 1ST: Lacy flied out to center; Buckner popped to first
in foul territory; Davis singled to right; Robinson singled to
center [Davis scored, Robinson to second (on throw)]; Parker
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger singled to center; Cedeno forced Metzger
(first to shortstop); Wynn grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Cedeno out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Valentine flied out to left; Sims grounded out
(first to pitcher); Russell singled to shortstop; Downing flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May singled to center; Watson doubled to right [May
to third]; Rader struck out; Helms hit a sacrifice fly to left
[May scored]; Howard grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Lacy struck out; Buckner singled to right; Davis
struck out; Robinson forced Buckner (third to second); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Wilson singled to left; Metzger forced Wilson (first
to shortstop); Cedeno flied out to left; Wynn singled to third
[Metzger to second]; May forced Wynn (third to second); 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Parker lined to third; Valentine made an out to
shortstop; Sims made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson walked; Rader struck out; Helms grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Watson out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

DODGERS 5TH: Russell grounded out (third to first); Downing
flied out to right; Lacy grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard struck out; Wilson reached on an error by
Lacy [Wilson to second]; Metzger lined to right; Cedeno flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Buckner grounded out (first unassisted); Davis
struck out; Robinson flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Wynn walked; May singled to left [Wynn to second];
Watson made an out to first; Rader doubled to third [Wynn
scored, May to third]; MIKKELSEN REPLACED DOWNING (PITCHING);
Helms singled to center [May scored, Rader scored]; Howard
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Helms out at second]; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros
4.

DODGERS 7TH: Parker walked; Valentine doubled to center [Parker
scored]; Wilson threw a wild pitch [Valentine to third]; Sims
struck out; CRAWFORD BATTED FOR RUSSELL; Crawford struck out;
MOTA BATTED FOR MIKKELSEN; Mota singled to center [Valentine
scored]; GLADDING REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Lacy singled to
center [Mota to second]; Buckner homered [Mota scored, Lacy
scored]; Davis flied out to center; 5 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 6, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: WILLS REPLACED CRAWFORD (PLAYING SS); RICHERT
REPLACED MOTA (PITCHING); ALOU BATTED FOR GLADDING; Alou singled
to center; Metzger forced Alou (third to second); Richert threw
a wild pitch [Metzger to second]; Cedeno flied out to left; Wynn
made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros
4.

DODGERS 8TH: RAY REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Robinson struck out;
Parker flied out to center; Valentine flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: May struck out; Watson flied out to center; Rader
walked; Helms doubled to center [Rader scored]; BREWER REPLACED
VALENTINE (PITCHING); LEFEBVRE REPLACED RICHERT (PLAYING 3B);
Howard grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 6, Astros 5.

DODGERS 9TH: Sims grounded out (second to first); Wills grounded
out (shortstop to first); Lefebvre struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 5.

ASTROS 9TH: STEWART BATTED FOR RAY; Stewart grounded out (second
to first); Metzger struck out; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 5.

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