Hank Aaron, who appeared as a pinch-hitter and lined out in the eighth inning, stayed in the game at first base and provided a key single as the Braves rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Astros, 6-5. Aaron's hit drove in two runs and tied the score after Darrell Evans and Mike Lum singled and Rod Gilbreath walked to load the bases. Gilbreath, who stopped at second on Aaron's single, took third on a wild pitch by Fred Gladding and scored the deciding run on an infield out by Felix Millan. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 6, Houston Astros 5
Game Played on Monday, September 4, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       1  0  1    0  1  0    0  0  3  -   6 11  0
Astros       0  1  0    1  0  2    1  0  0  -   5 12  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Jackson ss,rf         5   1   3   1     0   0   .268      Metzger ss            5   0   2   0     0   0   .224
Millan 2b             5   0   1   1     0   0   .251      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     1   2   .338
Carty lf              4   0   1   1     0   0   .285      Wynn rf               2   1   1   0     2   0   .269
  Freeman pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      May 1b                4   0   0   0     1   1   .282
  Garrido ss          1   0   0   0     0   0   .288      Watson lf             4   2   2   1     1   2   .311
Baker cf              3   0   0   0     1   2   .315      Edwards c             4   1   3   0     0   1   .262
Williams c            4   0   0   0     0   2   .262      Rader 3b              4   1   1   2     0   0   .244
Evans 3b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .242      Helms 2b              4   0   2   2     0   0   .280
Lum 1b,lf             3   2   2   0     1   0   .234      Dierker p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .147
Brown rf              3   1   1   0     0   1   .213        Ray p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .063
  Schueler p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .195        Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gilbreath ph        0   1   0   0     1   0   .238
  Upshaw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
Niekro p              1   0   1   1     0   0   .195
  Perez ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  Aaron ph,1b         2   0   1   2     0   0   .264

Totals               35   6  11   6     3   5             Totals               35   5  12   5     5   7

Time of Game: 2:47   Attendance:  6,828
Left on Base: Braves 6, Astros 9
DP: Braves 0, Astros 0
Doubles: Lum (13), Wynn (24), Cedeno (34)
Triples: Jackson (3)
Home Runs: Rader (20)
Stolen Bases: Millan (4)
Caught Stealing: Lum (4), Metzger (7), Cedeno (17)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (7), Wynn (2)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  6.1  11   5   5   5   5   1  32   3.19
Schueler W(5-8)         1.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   5   3.94
Upshaw SV(11)           1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   4.07
Totals                  9    12   5   5   5   7   1  41

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker                 7.2   8   3   3   2   5   0  31   3.03
Ray L(10-9)             0.1   3   3   3   1   0   0   5   4.09
Gladding                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.83
Totals                  9    11   6   6   3   5   0  39

Passed Balls: Williams (26), Edwards (9)
Wild Pitches: Niekro 3 (9), Gladding (3)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Jackson tripled; Millan grounded out (shortstop to
first); Carty grounded out (shortstop to first) [Jackson
scored]; Baker struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger singled; Metzger was caught stealing second;
Cedeno walked; Cedeno was caught stealing second; Wynn walked;
Niekro threw a wild pitch [Wynn to second]; May was called out
on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Williams struck out; Evans made an out to shortstop;
Lum flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros
0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled; Edwards singled [Watson to second];
Rader flied out to center; Helms singled to right [Watson
scored, Edwards out at third (right to third)]; Dierker forced
Helms (shortstop to second); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1,
Astros 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Brown singled; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to second) [Brown to second]; Jackson singled [Brown
scored]; Millan forced Jackson (shortstop to second); Millan
stole second; Carty grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher); Cedeno
struck out; Wynn flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Baker struck out; Williams struck out; Evans lined
to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: May grounded out (third to first); Watson walked;
Edwards singled [Watson to second]; Rader flied out to center;
Helms singled [Watson scored, Edwards to third]; Niekro threw a
wild pitch [Helms to second]; Dierker was called out on strikes;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Lum doubled; Brown grounded out (first unassisted)
[Lum to third]; Niekro singled [Lum scored]; Jackson singled
[Niekro out at third (first to third)]; Edwards allowed a passed
ball [Jackson to second]; Millan popped to first in foul
territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
struck out; Wynn walked; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Wynn to
second]; May walked; Watson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 3, Astros 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Carty made an out to third; Baker made an out to
first; Williams flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Edwards singled; Rader homered [Edwards scored];
Helms grounded out (third to first); Dierker grounded out
(shortstop to first); Metzger singled; Cedeno flied out to
center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Evans flied out to left; Lum walked; Lum was caught
stealing second; Brown struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Wynn doubled; Williams allowed a passed ball [Wynn
to third]; May grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson singled
[Wynn scored]; SCHUELER REPLACED BROWN (PITCHING); JACKSON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); PEREZ REPLACED NIEKRO (PLAYING
SS); Edwards was called out on strikes; Rader flied out to
center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

BRAVES 8TH: AARON BATTED FOR PEREZ; Aaron lined to third;
Jackson grounded out (third to first); Millan singled; Carty
singled [Millan to second]; FREEMAN RAN FOR CARTY; Baker walked
[Millan to third, Freeman to second]; RAY REPLACED DIERKER
(PITCHING); Williams forced Freeman (third unassisted); 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: AARON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); GARRIDO REPLACED
FREEMAN (PLAYING SS); LUM CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Helms
grounded out (shortstop to first); Ray grounded out (third to
first); Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 5.

BRAVES 9TH: Evans singled; Lum singled [Evans to second];
GILBREATH BATTED FOR SCHUELER; Gilbreath walked [Evans to third,
Lum to second]; Aaron singled [Evans scored, Lum scored,
Gilbreath to second]; GLADDING REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); Gladding
threw a wild pitch [Gilbreath to third, Aaron to second];
Jackson grounded out (shortstop to first); Millan grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Gilbreath scored]; Garrido made an out to
first; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 5.

ASTROS 9TH: UPSHAW REPLACED GILBREATH (PITCHING); Cedeno
doubled; Wynn out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Cedeno
to third]; May grounded out (third to first); Watson struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 5.