The Astros piled up 20 hits and overwhelmed the Expos, 17-5, to set a record for the most runs scored against Montreal in the expansion club's four-year history. Lee May hit two homers and two singles and drove in four runs. Cesar Cedeno also accounted for four RBIs with a homer and two doubles. Doug Rader also hit for the circuit.

After five Montreal pitchers had seen service, manager Gene Mauch brought infielder Hector Torres to the mound as a reliever with one out in the ninth inning. Torres gave up five singles and was charged with the Astros' last two runs before retiring the side. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 17, Montreal Expos 5
Game Played on Thursday, August    17, 1972 (Night game) at Parc Jarry
Astros       0  1  5    1  0  0    1  4  5  -  17 20  0
Expos        2  1  0    1  0  0    0  0  1  -   5 11  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   1   0   0     1   1   .214      Hunt 2b               4   2   1   0     1   0   .251
Cedeno cf             5   4   3   4     1   1   .351      Foli ss               5   2   3   0     0   0   .237
Wynn rf               4   3   2   3     2   1   .278      Bailey 3b             5   0   1   1     0   1   .233
May 1b                6   3   4   4     0   1   .291      Breeden 1b            1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Watson lf             4   2   3   2     2   1   .308        Fairly ph,1b        4   1   2   1     0   1   .261
Rader 3b              6   1   3   3     0   1   .241      Singleton lf,rf       3   0   1   0     2   2   .259
Helms 2b              6   1   2   0     0   1   .268      Mashore rf            0   0   0   1     1   0   .240
Howard c              5   1   2   1     1   1   .220        Jorgensen ph,cf     4   0   1   1     0   0   .225
Reuss p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .120      Woods cf,rf           2   0   1   1     0   0   .216
  Culver p            4   1   1   0     0   2   .167        Renko p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .313
                                                            McCarver ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .259
                                                            Walker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Day ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .227
                                                            Gilbert p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Torres p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .119
                                                          Boccabella c          4   0   1   0     0   0   .228
                                                          Moore p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .138
                                                            Strohmayer p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Fairey ph,lf        3   0   0   0     0   0   .269

Totals               46  17  20  17     7  11             Totals               38   5  11   5     4   5

Time of Game: 2:45   Attendance: 11,145
Left on Base: Astros 10, Expos 10
DP: Astros 0, Expos 0
Errors: Moore
Doubles: Howard (5), Cedeno 2 (28), Wynn (22)
Home Runs: May 2 (26), Rader (18), Cedeno (17), Fairly (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Culver (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   1.1   5   3   3   3   1   0  12   4.21
Culver W(4-2)           7.2   6   2   2   1   4   1  30   2.95
Totals                  9    11   5   5   4   5   1  42

Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Moore L(4-6)            2.1   3   6   6   5   5   2  15   4.56
Strohmayer              0.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.38
Renko                   1     1   1   1   0   1   1   4   6.00
Walker                  3     2   1   1   0   4   1  11   3.23
Gilbert                 1.1   8   7   7   2   0   0  14   8.24
Torres                  0.2   5   2   2   0   0   0   7  27.00
Totals                  9    20  17  17   7  11   4  54

Wild Pitches: Reuss (5), Moore (4)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger struck out; Cedeno struck out; Wynn walked;
May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 1ST: Hunt singled; Foli singled [Hunt to second]; Reuss
threw a wild pitch [Hunt to third, Foli to second]; Bailey flied
out to left; Breeden popped to second; Singleton walked; Mashore
walked [Hunt scored, Foli to third, Singleton to second]; Woods
singled to shortstop [Foli scored, Singleton to third, Mashore
to second]; Boccabella grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; Moore threw a wild pitch [Watson to
second]; Rader popped to second; Helms was called out on
strikes; Howard doubled [Watson scored]; Reuss struck out; 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 2.

EXPOS 2ND: Moore was called out on strikes; Hunt walked; Foli
singled [Hunt to second]; Bailey singled [Hunt scored, Foli to
second]; CULVER REPLACED REUSS (PITCHING); FAIRLY BATTED FOR
BREEDEN; Fairly lined to second; Singleton walked [Foli to
third, Bailey to second]; JORGENSEN BATTED FOR MASHORE;
Jorgensen flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1,
Expos 3.

ASTROS 3RD: FAIRLY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); JORGENSEN STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING CF); WOODS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF);
Metzger popped to first in foul territory; Cedeno walked; Cedeno
was picked off first but was safe on an error by Moore [Cedeno
to second]; Wynn walked; May homered [Cedeno scored, Wynn
scored]; Watson walked; Rader homered [Watson scored];
STROHMAYER REPLACED MOORE (PITCHING); Helms flied out to left;
Howard singled; Culver struck out; 5 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
6, Expos 3.

EXPOS 3RD: Woods popped to first; Boccabella singled; FAIREY
BATTED FOR STROHMAYER; Fairey forced Boccabella (shortstop to
second); Hunt forced Fairey (second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 3.

ASTROS 4TH: FAIREY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); RENKO REPLACED
WOODS (PITCHING); SINGLETON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF);
Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno homered; Wynn was
called out on strikes; May popped to first; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 7, Expos 3.

EXPOS 4TH: Foli singled; Bailey was called out on strikes;
Fairly singled [Foli to second]; Singleton struck out; Jorgensen
singled [Foli scored, Fairly to second]; MCCARVER BATTED FOR
RENKO; McCarver lined to pitcher; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
7, Expos 4.

ASTROS 5TH: WALKER REPLACED MCCARVER (PITCHING); Watson singled;
Rader popped to third in foul territory; Helms flied out to
right; Howard was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 7, Expos 4.

EXPOS 5TH: Boccabella grounded out (third to first); Fairey
grounded out (second to first); Hunt flied out to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Expos 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Culver was called out on strikes; Metzger flied out
to left; Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 7, Expos 4.

EXPOS 6TH: Foli grounded out (shortstop to first); Bailey
grounded out (shortstop to first); Fairly struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Expos 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Wynn flied out to left; May homered; Watson struck
out; Rader struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Expos 4.

EXPOS 7TH: Singleton singled; Jorgensen flied out to right; DAY
BATTED FOR WALKER; Day grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Singleton to second]; Boccabella grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Expos 4.

ASTROS 8TH: GILBERT REPLACED DAY (PITCHING); Helms singled;
Howard walked [Helms to second]; Culver out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to second) [Helms to third, Howard to second]; Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno doubled [Helms scored,
Howard scored]; Wynn doubled [Cedeno scored]; May singled [Wynn
to third]; Watson singled [Wynn scored, May to second]; Rader
singled [May to third, Watson to second]; Helms grounded out
(shortstop to first); 4 R, 6 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 12, Expos 4.

EXPOS 8TH: Fairey grounded out (second to first); Hunt flied out
to center; Foli flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 12, Expos 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); Culver
singled; Metzger walked [Culver to second]; Cedeno doubled
[Culver scored, Metzger to third]; TORRES REPLACED GILBERT
(PITCHING); Wynn singled [Metzger scored, Cedeno scored]; May
singled [Wynn to second]; Watson singled [Wynn scored, May to
second]; Rader singled [May scored, Watson to second]; Helms
singled [Watson to third, Rader to second]; Howard popped to
second; Culver flied out to left; 5 R, 7 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros
17, Expos 4.

EXPOS 9TH: Bailey grounded out (shortstop to first); Fairly
homered; Singleton struck out; Jorgensen flied out to center; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 17, Expos 5.