The Giants' failure to execute a double play with one out in the ninth inning enabled the Astros to gain a 4-3 victory. The Giants had successive homers by Willie McCovey and Dave Kingman in the seventh and tied the score at 3-3 on a round-tripper by Bobby Bonds in the eighth.

Tommy Helms beat out an infield hit with one away in the ninth, Norm Miller singled and Roger Metzger walked to load the bases. Cesar Cedeno forced Metzger at second but beat the throw to first on the Giants' attempted double play as Helms crossed the plate with the deciding run. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, San Francisco Giants 3
Game Played on Saturday, August    5, 1972 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  2  1  -   4  9  1
Giants       0  0  0    0  0  0    2  1  0  -   3  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     1   0   .213      Bonds rf              4   1   1   1     0   1   .265
Cedeno cf             5   2   1   1     0   0   .348      Maddox cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .264
Wynn rf               4   1   0   0     1   0   .273      Speier ss             3   0   0   0     1   1   .267
May 1b                3   0   0   0     1   1   .293      McCovey 1b            4   1   2   1     0   1   .221
Watson lf             3   0   1   2     1   0   .305        Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Edwards c             4   0   3   0     0   0   .249      Kingman 3b            3   1   1   1     0   1   .217
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .244        Blanco 3b           0   0   0   0     1   0   .333
Helms 2b              3   1   2   0     1   0   .267      Fuentes 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .261
Roberts p             3   0   0   0     0   0   .226      Henderson lf          4   0   1   0     0   1   .207
  Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .077      Rader c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .255
  Miller ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .247      Carrithers p          3   0   0   0     0   0   .130
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Goodson 1b          1   0   0   0     0   0   .279

Totals               34   4   9   3     5   3             Totals               34   3   7   3     2   6

Time of Game: 2:47   Attendance:  8,081
Left on Base: Astros 8, Giants 6
DP: Astros 0, Giants 1
Errors: Edwards, Kingman
Doubles: Edwards (14), McCovey (7)
Home Runs: McCovey (7), Kingman (22), Bonds (19)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno 2 (35), Henderson (7), Maddox (7), Fuentes (9)
Caught Stealing: Wynn (5)
GIDP: Rader (14)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 7     6   3   3   1   5   3  28   4.16
Ray W(10-4)             1     1   0   0   1   0   0   5   3.66
Gladding SV(10)         1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.70
Totals                  9     7   3   3   2   6   3  36

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Carrithers L(3-7)       8.1   9   4   3   4   3   0  36   4.92
Johnson                 0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   3   5.13
Totals                  9     9   4   3   5   3   0  39

Passed Balls: Edwards (5), Rader (5)
Wild Pitches: Carrithers (7)

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Tom Gorman, 2B - Chris Pelekoudas, 3B - Nick Colosi


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger flied out to center; Cedeno flied out to
left; Wynn grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Bonds popped to catcher in foul territory; Maddox
struck out; Speier walked; McCovey struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May grounded out (second to first); Watson walked;
Edwards singled to shortstop [Watson to second]; Rader flied out
to right; Helms singled to right [Watson out at home (right to
catcher), Edwards to second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Kingman flied out to left; Fuentes flied out to
center; Henderson singled to left; Henderson stole second
[Henderson to third (error by Edwards)]; Rader flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Roberts popped to first in foul territory; Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Carrithers grounded out (pitcher to first); Bonds
popped to catcher in foul territory; Maddox singled to pitcher;
Maddox stole second; Speier struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn popped to catcher in foul territory; May struck
out; Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 4TH: McCovey flied out to center; Kingman was called out
on strikes; Fuentes grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Edwards singled to left; Rader grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Edwards out at
second]; Helms grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Henderson grounded out (pitcher to first); Rader
grounded out (second to first); Carrithers made an out to
second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Roberts grounded out (third to first); Metzger lined
to pitcher; Cedeno singled to second; Cedeno stole second; Wynn
reached on an error by Kingman [Cedeno scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Wynn to first]; May walked [Wynn to second]; Rader allowed
a passed ball [Wynn to third, May to second]; Wynn was caught
stealing home (catcher unassisted); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 6TH: Bonds struck out; Maddox popped to first in foul
territory; Speier flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson flied out to center; Edwards doubled to
right; Rader struck out; Helms was walked intentionally; Roberts
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 7TH: McCovey homered; Kingman homered; Fuentes singled to
left; Fuentes stole second; Henderson grounded out (third to
first); Rader grounded out (second to first); Carrithers
grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Giants 2.

ASTROS 8TH: BLANCO REPLACED KINGMAN (PLAYING 3B); Metzger
singled to center; Cedeno forced Metzger (second to shortstop);
Cedeno stole second; Wynn walked; Carrithers threw a wild pitch
[Cedeno to third, Wynn to second]; May made an out to shortstop;
Watson singled to center [Cedeno scored, Wynn scored]; Edwards
flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 2.

GIANTS 8TH: Bonds homered; RAY REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING);
Maddox flied out to center; Speier popped to catcher in foul
territory; McCovey doubled to left; Edwards allowed a passed
ball [McCovey to third]; Blanco walked; Fuentes grounded out
(pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Rader was called out on strikes; Helms singled to
left; MILLER BATTED FOR RAY; Miller singled to center [Helms to
second]; GOODSON REPLACED CARRITHERS (PLAYING 1B); JOHNSON
REPLACED MCCOVEY (PITCHING); Metzger walked [Helms to third,
Miller to second]; Cedeno forced Metzger (third to second)
[Helms scored, Miller to third]; Wynn flied out to right; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

GIANTS 9TH: GLADDING REPLACED MILLER (PITCHING); Henderson was
called out on strikes; Rader grounded out (second to first);
Goodson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Giants 3.