The Reds clinched the West Division title by defeating the runner-up Astros, 4-3. The Reds knocked out Larry Dierker in the first inning, scoring two runs on three walks, a sacrifice fly by Tony Perez and single by Denis Menke. Jerry Reuss relieved and allowed only two hits in 7 1/3 innings, but both were homers. Pete Rose connected for the circuit in the second and Johnny Bench belted what proved to be the winning homer in the sixth. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 4, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Friday, September 22, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         2  1  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   4  5  0
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  2  0  -   3  5  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               4   2   1   1     1   2   .308      Metzger ss            5   0   1   0     0   0   .224
Morgan 2b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .292      Wynn rf               2   1   1   1     3   1   .282
Tolan cf              3   1   0   0     1   2   .281      Cedeno cf             5   1   1   0     0   0   .325
Bench c               2   1   1   1     2   0   .272      May 1b                3   0   0   0     1   0   .291
Perez 1b              3   0   0   1     0   2   .284      Watson lf             4   0   2   2     0   0   .312
Menke 3b              3   0   1   1     1   0   .238      Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .241
Geronimo rf           2   0   0   0     0   2   .274      Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .261
  McRae ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .275      Howard c              2   1   0   0     1   1   .221
  Foster rf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .206        Edwards ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .261
Chaney ss             4   0   0   0     0   1   .251      Dierker p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Grimsley p            3   0   0   0     0   3   .111        Reuss p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .050        Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .315
  Carroll p           1   0   1   0     0   0   .182        Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Miller ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .263

Totals               29   4   5   4     6  12             Totals               31   3   5   3     7   3

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 15,490
Left on Base: Reds 8, Astros 9
DP: Reds 0, Astros 0
Doubles: Watson (25)
Home Runs: Rose (6), Bench (37)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (56)
Sacrifice Hits: Morgan (3), Tolan (6), Reuss (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Perez (6)
Hit by Pitch: Geronimo (3,by Reuss)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Grimsley W(14-7)        7.2   4   3   3   3   3   0  30   2.97
Borbon                  0     1   0   0   1   0   0   2   3.05
Carroll SV(33)          1.1   0   0   0   3   0   0   7   2.35
Totals                  9     5   3   3   7   3   0  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker L(15-8)         0.2   1   2   2   3   0   0   6   3.40
Reuss                   7.1   2   2   2   3  10   2  28   4.05
Cosgrove                1     2   0   0   0   2   0   5   2.84
Totals                  9     5   4   4   6  12   2  39

Hit by Pitch: Reuss (10)
Wild Pitches: Borbon (3)

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - Ed Sudol


REDS 1ST: Rose walked; Morgan out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to first) [Rose to second]; Tolan walked; Bench walked [Rose to
third, Tolan to second]; Perez lined out on a sacrifice fly to
left [Rose scored]; Menke singled to right [Tolan scored, Bench
to third]; REUSS REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING); Geronimo struck
out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Wynn
struck out; Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Chaney popped to third; Grimsley was called out on
strikes; Rose homered; Morgan flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson
doubled to right; Rader struck out; Helms grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Tolan struck out; Bench flied out to left; Perez
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard walked; Reuss out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Howard to second]; Metzger singled to left
[Howard to third]; Wynn singled to shortstop [Howard scored,
Metzger to second]; Cedeno flied out to center; May grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 1.

REDS 4TH: Menke flied out to left; Geronimo was hit by a pitch;
Chaney flied out to left; Grimsley struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to left; Rader lined to left; Helms
popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 1.

REDS 5TH: Rose struck out; Morgan grounded out (second to
first); Tolan lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard popped to second; Reuss lined to right;
Metzger lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3,
Astros 1.

REDS 6TH: Bench homered; Perez struck out; Menke grounded out
(shortstop to first); Geronimo struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Reds 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Wynn walked; Cedeno flied out to center; May lined
to right; Watson forced Wynn (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 1.

REDS 7TH: Chaney struck out; Grimsley was called out on strikes;
Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Rader grounded out (second to first); Helms lined to
second; Howard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros
1.

REDS 8TH: Morgan walked; Morgan stole second; Tolan out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Morgan to third]; Bench
walked; Perez reached on a fielder's choice [Morgan out at home
(third to catcher to third), Bench to third, Perez to second];
Menke was walked intentionally; MCRAE BATTED FOR GERONIMO; McRae
forced Menke (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 4,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: FOSTER REPLACED MCRAE (PLAYING RF); ALOU BATTED FOR
REUSS; Alou popped to second in foul territory; Metzger popped
to second; Wynn walked; Cedeno singled to third [Wynn to
second]; BORBON REPLACED GRIMSLEY (PITCHING); Borbon threw a
wild pitch [Wynn to third, Cedeno to second]; May walked; Watson
singled to center [Wynn scored, Cedeno scored, May to second];
CARROLL REPLACED BORBON (PITCHING); Rader grounded out (first
unassisted); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 3.

REDS 9TH: COSGROVE REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Chaney popped to
second; Carroll singled to left; Rose struck out; Morgan singled
to right [Carroll to second]; Tolan struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Helms walked; EDWARDS BATTED FOR HOWARD; On a bunt
Edwards made an out to pitcher; MILLER BATTED FOR COSGROVE;
Miller walked [Helms to second]; Metzger forced Miller
(shortstop to second) [Helms to third]; Wynn walked [Metzger to
second]; Cedeno forced Wynn (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 3.