The Astros, who had won five straight games and four in a row under new manager Leo Durocher, failed to hold an 8-0 lead and lost to the Mets, 11-8. Lee May, Cesar Cedeno and Bob Watson each drove in two runs, May's RBIs coming on a homer, as the Astros built up their lead before the Mets exploded for seven runs in the eighth.

Ken Boswell homered with two men on base and Cleon Jones knocked in two runs with a double. In the ninth, after Tommie Agee walked and Boswell singled, Doug Rader threw wildly on a bunt by John Milner, allowing Agee and Boswell to score. After an intentional pass to Ed Kranepool, singles by Jones, Wayne Garrett and Duffy Dyer added two more runs. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 11, Houston Astros 8
Game Played on Saturday, September 2, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  7  4  -  11 16  1
Astros       2  0  2    1  0  1    2  0  0  -   8  9  2


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Agee cf,rf            4   1   0   1     1   0   .241      Metzger ss            5   1   2   0     0   0   .220
Boswell 2b            5   2   4   3     0   0   .189      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   2     1   1   .339
Milner rf             4   2   2   0     0   0   .246      Wynn rf               2   2   0   0     3   1   .268
  Mays cf             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      May 1b                5   1   1   2     0   2   .284
Kranepool 1b          4   1   2   0     1   0   .256      Watson lf             5   0   1   2     0   0   .310
Jones lf              5   2   2   3     0   0   .260      Rader 3b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .246
Garrett 3b            5   0   2   3     0   0   .217      Helms 2b              3   1   2   1     0   0   .278
Dyer c                5   1   2   0     0   2   .239      Howard c              4   0   0   0     0   2   .207
Harrelson ss          5   1   2   0     0   0   .202      Wilson p              3   1   1   0     0   1   .103
Strom p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sadecki p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200        Ray p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .067
  Barnes ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .246        Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .261
  Rauch p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  Marshall ph         1   1   0   0     1   0   .256
  Koosman p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .081
  McGraw p            0   0   0   0     1   0   .143

Totals               40  11  16  10     4   2             Totals               36   8   9   7     4   9

Time of Game: 2:57   Attendance: 19,691
Left on Base: Mets 8, Astros 6
DP: Mets 1, Astros 2
Errors: Milner, Metzger, Rader
Doubles: Jones (11), Cedeno (33), Helms (17)
Home Runs: Boswell (8), May (28)
Sacrifice Hits: Milner (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Agee (3)
GIDP: Milner (6), Jones (8)
Hit by Pitch: Helms (4,by Koosman)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Strom                   2     4   4   4   2   0   1  12   6.05
Sadecki                 3     1   1   0   0   2   0  10   2.87
Rauch                   2     3   3   3   2   4   0  11   5.68
Koosman                 0.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   4   4.31
McGraw W(5-5)           1.1   0   0   0   0   2   0   4   1.76
Totals                  9     9   8   7   4   9   1  41

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson                  7.1   7   4   4   1   1   1  29   2.95
Gladding                0     3   3   3   0   0   0   3   2.93
Ray L(10-8)             0.2   3   2   2   1   0   0   6   3.78
Griffin                 0.2   3   2   1   2   1   0   7   3.08
Culver                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.94
Totals                  9    16  11  10   4   2   1  46

Hit by Pitch: Koosman (5)
Wild Pitches: Rauch 2 (3), Griffin (4)

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


METS 1ST: Agee flied out to right; Boswell singled to right;
Milner grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Boswell out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger lined to second; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first); Wynn walked; May homered [Wynn scored];
Watson grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 0, Astros 2.

METS 2ND: Kranepool singled to left; Jones grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Kranepool out at
second]; Garrett grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms flied
out to center; Howard popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 2.

METS 3RD: Dyer grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrelson
flied out to right; Strom flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Wilson singled to left; Metzger singled to center
[Wilson to second]; Cedeno doubled to left [Wilson scored,
Metzger scored]; Wynn walked; SADECKI REPLACED STROM (PITCHING);
May lined into a double play (shortstop to second) [Cedeno out
at second]; Watson flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 0, Astros 4.

METS 4TH: Agee grounded out (second to first); Boswell singled
to left; Milner popped to third in foul territory; Kranepool
lined to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms
singled to left; Howard struck out; Wilson reached on an error
by Milner [Helms scored (unearned) (no RBI), Wilson to third];
Metzger grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 5.

METS 5TH: Jones reached on an error by Metzger [Jones to
second]; Garrett popped to third; Dyer was called out on
strikes; Harrelson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno flied out to center; Wynn made an out to
first; May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 5.

METS 6TH: BARNES BATTED FOR SADECKI; Barnes flied out to left;
Agee grounded out (third to first); Boswell flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 5.

ASTROS 6TH: RAUCH REPLACED BARNES (PITCHING); Watson grounded
out (shortstop to first); Rader singled to center; Helms doubled
to left [Rader scored]; Howard was called out on strikes; Wilson
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 6.

METS 7TH: Milner singled to left; Kranepool popped to shortstop;
Jones flied out to right; Garrett flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger flied out to center; Cedeno walked; Rauch
threw a wild pitch [Cedeno to second]; Wynn walked; Rauch threw
a wild pitch [Cedeno to third, Wynn to second]; May struck out;
Watson singled to right [Cedeno scored, Wynn scored]; Rader
struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 8.

METS 8TH: Dyer singled to left; Harrelson singled to right [Dyer
to second]; MARSHALL BATTED FOR RAUCH; Marshall walked [Dyer to
third, Harrelson to second]; Agee hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Dyer scored, Harrelson to third]; Boswell homered [Harrelson
scored, Marshall scored]; GLADDING REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING);
Milner singled to center; Kranepool singled to right [Milner to
second]; Jones doubled to right [Milner scored, Kranepool to
third]; RAY REPLACED GLADDING (PITCHING); Garrett singled to
right [Kranepool scored, Jones scored]; Dyer singled to left
[Garrett to second]; Harrelson popped to shortstop in foul
territory; Marshall flied out to right; 7 R, 8 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 7, Astros 8.

ASTROS 8TH: KOOSMAN REPLACED MARSHALL (PITCHING); Helms was hit
by a pitch; Howard made an out to second; On a bunt Ray struck
out; Metzger singled to shortstop [Helms to second]; MCGRAW
REPLACED KOOSMAN (PITCHING); Cedeno was called out on strikes; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 7, Astros 8.

METS 9TH: Agee walked; Boswell singled to right [Agee to
second]; GRIFFIN REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); Milner reached on an
error by Rader on a sacrifice bunt [Agee scored (no RBI),
Boswell to third, Milner to second]; Kranepool was walked
intentionally; Jones singled to center [Boswell scored, Milner
scored (unearned), Kranepool out at third (center to third),
Jones to second (on throw)]; Griffin threw a wild pitch [Jones
to third]; Garrett singled to right [Jones scored]; Dyer was
called out on strikes; Harrelson singled to center [Garrett to
second]; McGraw walked [Garrett to third, Harrelson to second];
CULVER REPLACED GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Agee forced McGraw
(shortstop unassisted); 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Mets 11,
Astros 8.

ASTROS 9TH: MAYS REPLACED MILNER (PLAYING CF); AGEE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Wynn struck out; May grounded out
(shortstop to first); Watson grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 11, Astros 8.