The Astros broke on top with four runs in the third inning and proceeded to beat the Phillies, 5-1. Lee May and Bob Watson each drove in a run with singles and Doug Rader sent them home with a double to climax the outburst. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Philadelphia Phillies 1
Game Played on Thursday, August    31, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Phillies     0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  1
Astros       0  0  4    0  0  1    0  0  x  -   5  8  0


Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Harmon ss             4   0   0   0     0   1   .284      Metzger ss            3   2   1   0     1   0   .219
Doyle 2b              4   1   2   0     0   0   .258      Cedeno cf             4   0   2   1     0   1   .342
Hutton rf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .257      Wynn rf               4   1   0   0     0   0   .271
Montanez cf           1   0   0   0     1   0   .248      May 1b                4   1   1   1     0   3   .283
  B. Robinson cf      2   0   0   0     0   0   .230      Watson lf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .309
Luzinski lf           4   0   1   1     0   1   .278      Edwards c             3   0   2   0     1   0   .259
Lis 1b                4   0   1   0     0   0   .235      Rader 3b              3   0   1   2     1   1   .245
Money 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .224      Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .272
Bateman c             3   0   1   0     0   0   .229      Dierker p             4   0   0   0     0   2   .153
Twitchell p           2   0   0   0     0   2   .050
  Gamble ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .237
  Terlecki p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   1   7   1     1   4             Totals               32   5   8   5     4   9

Time of Game: 2:07   Attendance:  7,197
Left on Base: Phillies 5, Astros 7
DP: Phillies 0, Astros 2
Errors: Harmon
Doubles: Gamble (4), Rader (21), Cedeno (32)
Stolen Bases: Metzger (18)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (16)
GIDP: Luzinski (12)


Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Twitchell L(3-7)        7     8   5   5   4   8   0  33   4.36
Terlecki                1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   6.35
Totals                  8     8   5   5   4   9   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(14-7)         9     7   1   1   1   4   0  33   3.01
Totals                  9     7   1   1   1   4   0  33

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Paul Pryor


PHILLIES 1ST: Harmon was called out on strikes; Doyle flied out
to left; Hutton grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger flied out to left; Cedeno was called out on
strikes; Wynn made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Phillies 0, Astros 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Montanez walked; Luzinski grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Montanez out at second];
Lis grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Phillies 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May struck out; Watson grounded out (shortstop to
first); Edwards singled; Rader walked [Edwards to second]; Helms
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 0.

PHILLIES 3RD: Money grounded out (second to first); Bateman
singled to third; Twitchell struck out; Harmon forced Bateman
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros
0.

ASTROS 3RD: Dierker grounded out (second to first); Metzger
singled to left; Cedeno singled to center [Metzger to second];
Wynn forced Cedeno (shortstop to second) [Metzger to third]; May
singled [Metzger scored, Wynn to second]; Watson singled [Wynn
scored, May to second]; Edwards walked [May to third, Watson to
second]; Rader doubled [May scored, Watson scored, Edwards to
third]; Helms was walked intentionally; Dierker struck out; 4 R,
5 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 4.

PHILLIES 4TH: Doyle singled to center; Hutton grounded out
(second to first) [Doyle to second]; Montanez flied out to
center; Luzinski singled to center [Doyle scored]; Lis grounded
out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros
4.

ASTROS 4TH: B. ROBINSON REPLACED MONTANEZ (PLAYING CF); Metzger
grounded out (first unassisted); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop
to first); Wynn flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Phillies 1, Astros 4.

PHILLIES 5TH: Money grounded out (shortstop to first); Bateman
flied out to center; Twitchell was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: May struck out; Watson struck out; Edwards singled;
Rader grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Phillies 1, Astros 4.

PHILLIES 6TH: Harmon flied out to right; Doyle flied out to
center; Hutton singled to first; B. Robinson flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Helms flied out to right; Dierker struck out;
Metzger walked; Metzger stole second; Cedeno doubled [Metzger
scored]; Cedeno was caught stealing third (catcher to third); 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros 5.

PHILLIES 7TH: Luzinski grounded out (third to first); Lis
singled to third; Money flied out to center; Bateman forced Lis
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros
5.

ASTROS 7TH: Wynn made an out to second; May struck out; Watson
reached on an error by Harmon; Edwards made an out to second; 0
R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros 5.

PHILLIES 8TH: GAMBLE BATTED FOR TWITCHELL; Gamble doubled;
Harmon lined to shortstop; Doyle singled [Gamble to third];
Hutton lined into a double play (second to first) [Doyle out at
first]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: TERLECKI REPLACED GAMBLE (PITCHING); Rader was
called out on strikes; Helms grounded out (shortstop to first);
Dierker popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros 5.

PHILLIES 9TH: B. Robinson flied out to left; Luzinski struck
out; Lis flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 1,
Astros 5.