Claude Osteen yielded only four hits and pitched the Dodgers to a 4-2 victory over the Astros. Osteen gave up a single by Lee May and a homer by Bob Watson in the second inning, but the Dodgers picked up a run in the fourth and loaded the bases on singles by Willie Davis and Wes Parker and a walk to Willie Crawford to chase Don Wilson in the sixth.

Bobby Valentine greeted Jim Ray with a looper to shallow left field, scoring Davis, but Watson threw out Parker at third. Bill Russell then forced Valentine and when Tommy Helms threw wildly to first on the attempted double play, Crawford scored to put the Dodgers ahead. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Friday, September 15, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      0  0  0    1  0  2    1  0  0  -   4  9  0
Astros       0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  4  2


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Grabarkewitz 2b       4   0   1   0     1   1   .177      Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .224
Mota lf               5   1   1   0     0   0   .328      Wynn rf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .274
Davis cf              4   2   1   0     0   0   .285      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .329
Parker 1b             4   0   3   1     0   0   .277      May 1b                4   1   1   0     0   3   .287
Crawford rf           3   1   1   1     1   0   .248      Watson lf             3   1   1   2     0   1   .309
Valentine 3b          4   0   0   1     0   0   .263      Rader 3b              1   0   1   0     2   0   .244
  Wills 3b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .117      Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .269
Russell ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .265      Howard c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .214
Yeager c              3   0   1   0     1   0   .208      Wilson p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .121
Osteen p              4   0   1   0     0   0   .270        Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .063
                                                            Sutherland ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .310
                                                            Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   4   9   3     3   2             Totals               28   2   4   2     3   6

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance: 16,762
Left on Base: Dodgers 7, Astros 2
DP: Dodgers 2, Astros 2
Errors: Helms 2
Doubles: Osteen (4)
Home Runs: Watson (14)
Caught Stealing: Rader (5)
GIDP: Mota (9), Cedeno (10)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Osteen W(17-10)         9     4   2   2   3   6   1  31   2.70
Totals                  9     4   2   2   3   6   1  31

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson L(12-9)          5     7   3   2   2   1   0  23   2.81
Ray                     1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   4.10
Cosgrove                2     2   1   1   0   1   0   8   3.38
Gladding                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.98
Totals                  9     9   4   3   3   2   0  38

Wild Pitches: Ray (5)

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Ken Burkhart, 3B - Lee Weyer


DODGERS 1ST: Grabarkewitz singled to right; Mota lined into a
double play (second to first) [Grabarkewitz out at first]; Davis
made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 0.

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

DODGERS 2ND: Parker made an out to second; Crawford flied out to
left; Valentine flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May singled to center; Watson homered [May scored];
Rader walked; Rader was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop to first to second to catcher); Helms grounded out
(third to first); Howard grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 2.

DODGERS 3RD: Russell struck out; Yeager flied out to center;
Osteen made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Wilson struck out; Metzger lined to center; Wynn
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 2.

DODGERS 4TH: Grabarkewitz flied out to right; Mota grounded out
(shortstop to first); Davis reached on an error by Helms [Davis
to first]; Parker singled to right [Davis to second]; Crawford
singled to center [Davis scored (unearned), Parker to second];
Valentine lined to pitcher; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno was called out on strikes; May struck out;
Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

DODGERS 5TH: Russell grounded out (shortstop to first); Yeager
singled to left; Osteen doubled to right [Yeager to third];
Grabarkewitz walked; Mota grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Grabarkewitz out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader walked; Helms flied out to left; Howard lined
into a double play (second to first) [Rader out at first]; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

DODGERS 6TH: Davis singled to center; Parker singled to center
[Davis to second]; Crawford walked [Davis to third, Parker to
second]; RAY REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Valentine forced Parker
(left to shortstop) [Davis scored, Crawford to second]; Russell
forced Valentine (shortstop to second) [Crawford scored (error
by Helms) (no RBI), Russell to second]; Ray threw a wild pitch
[Russell to third]; Yeager walked; Osteen flied out to left; 2
R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: SUTHERLAND BATTED FOR RAY; Sutherland flied out to
right; Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Wynn flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 2.

DODGERS 7TH: COSGROVE REPLACED SUTHERLAND (PITCHING);
Grabarkewitz was called out on strikes; Mota singled to third;
Davis flied out to center [Mota to second]; Parker singled to
right [Mota scored]; Crawford forced Parker (second unassisted);
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cedeno singled to left; May struck out; Watson
struck out; Rader singled to left [Cedeno to second]; Helms
forced Cedeno (third unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers
4, Astros 2.

DODGERS 8TH: Valentine flied out to right; Russell flied out to
center; Yeager flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: WILLS REPLACED VALENTINE (PLAYING 3B); Howard
grounded out (second to first); ALOU BATTED FOR COSGROVE; Alou
made an out to shortstop; Metzger grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 2.

DODGERS 9TH: GLADDING REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Osteen grounded
out (first unassisted); Grabarkewitz flied out to left; Mota
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Wynn grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno made an
out to second; May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4,
Astros 2.