Playing their first game under Leo Durocher as new manager, the Astros defeated the Expos, 8-2. The crowd of 13,362 greeted the Lip's first appearance on the field with a mixture of cheers and boos.

The Astros took charge of the game with three runs in the second inning on a single by Lee May, sacrifice by Johnny Edwards, single by Doug Rader, triple by Jesus Alou and sacrifice fly by Tommy Helms. The Astros added three more runs in the third, two scoring on a single by Jim Wynn and one on a single by Alou. Rader hit a two-run homer in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, Montreal Expos 2
Game Played on Sunday, August    27, 1972 (Day game) at Astrodome
Expos        1  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   2  8  1
Astros       0  3  3    0  0  0    0  2  x  -   8 12  1


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bailey 3b             4   0   0   0     1   3   .238      Metzger ss            4   1   2   0     0   0   .221
Foli ss               5   2   2   0     0   0   .236      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .343
Singleton lf          5   0   2   0     0   1   .262      Wynn rf               4   1   1   2     0   0   .275
Fairly rf             4   0   3   2     0   0   .269      May 1b                3   2   2   0     1   0   .286
McCarver c            4   0   0   0     0   1   .266      Edwards c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .256
Breeden 1b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .286      Rader 3b              4   2   2   3     0   0   .245
Day cf                3   0   0   0     1   0   .219      Alou lf               4   1   3   2     0   0   .333
Torres 2b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .140      Helms 2b              3   0   1   1     0   0   .276
Morton p              0   0   0   0     1   0   .171      Dierker p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .162
  Renko p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .278
  Fairey ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .255
  Strohmayer p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   2   8   2     3   8             Totals               32   8  12   8     1   2

Time of Game: 2:15   Attendance: 13,362
Left on Base: Expos 10, Astros 3
DP: Expos 1, Astros 0
Errors: Singleton, Rader
Doubles: Cedeno (31)
Triples: Alou (1)
Home Runs: Rader (19)
Stolen Bases: Wynn (14)
Sacrifice Hits: Edwards (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Helms (8)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Morton L(5-12)          2     7   6   6   0   0   0  12   4.32
Renko                   5     3   0   0   1   2   0  18   5.35
Strohmayer              1     2   2   2   0   0   1   5   3.52
Totals                  8    12   8   8   1   2   1  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(13-7)         9     8   2   2   3   8   0  39   3.11
Totals                  9     8   2   2   3   8   0  39

Passed Balls: McCarver (11)
Wild Pitches: Renko (4)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Shag Crawford, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Frank Pulli


EXPOS 1ST: Bailey grounded out (third to first); Foli singled;
Singleton singled [Foli to second]; Fairly singled [Foli scored,
Singleton to third, Fairly to second (on throw)]; McCarver flied
out to right; Breeden was called out on strikes; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

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

EXPOS 2ND: Day flied out to left; Torres was called out on
strikes; Morton walked; Bailey walked [Morton to second]; Foli
made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May singled; McCarver allowed a passed ball [May to
second]; Edwards grounded out (first unassisted); Rader singled
[May scored]; Alou tripled [Rader scored]; Helms hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Alou scored]; Dierker grounded out (shortstop to
first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 3.

EXPOS 3RD: Singleton made an out to shortstop; Fairly singled;
McCarver struck out; Breeden reached on an error by Rader
[Fairly to second, Breeden to first]; Day walked [Fairly to
third, Breeden to second]; Torres flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
1 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger singled; Cedeno doubled [Metzger to third];
Wynn singled [Metzger scored, Cedeno scored]; RENKO REPLACED
MORTON (PITCHING); Wynn stole second; May walked; Edwards flied
out to left; Rader flied out to right; Alou singled [Wynn
scored, May to second]; Helms flied out to left; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 6.

EXPOS 4TH: Renko grounded out (second to first); Bailey struck
out; Foli grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 4TH: Dierker grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger
made an out to first; Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 6.

EXPOS 5TH: Singleton was called out on strikes; Fairly grounded
out (first unassisted); McCarver flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 5TH: Wynn grounded out (pitcher to first); May popped to
catcher in foul territory; Edwards made an out to third; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 6.

EXPOS 6TH: Breeden grounded out (third to first); Day flied out
to center; Torres grounded out (pitcher to third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader grounded out (third to first); Alou singled;
Alou was picked off first (pitcher to first); Helms singled;
Renko threw a wild pitch [Helms to second]; Dierker struck out;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 6.

EXPOS 7TH: Renko grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first);
Bailey struck out; Foli singled; Singleton singled [Foli to
second]; Fairly singled [Foli scored, Singleton to second];
McCarver grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Expos 2, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno was
called out on strikes; Wynn flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 6.

EXPOS 8TH: Breeden singled; Day flied out to center; Torres
struck out; FAIREY BATTED FOR RENKO; Fairey made an out to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: STROHMAYER REPLACED FAIREY (PITCHING); May singled
to left [May to second (error by Singleton)]; Edwards out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [May to third]; Rader homered
[May scored]; Alou grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms
grounded out (first unassisted); 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2,
Astros 8.

EXPOS 9TH: Bailey struck out; Foli flied to left in foul
territory; Singleton flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 2, Astros 8.