After being held hitless for four innings, the Giants erupted for four runs in the fifth and ended their eight-game losing streak by defeating the Astros, 5-2. Jim Ray Hart doubled for the first hit off Jerry Reuss, Dave Rader singled and both then scored on a double by Gary Matthews.

After a walk with two out to Bobby Bonds, Tito Fuentes singled, scoring Matthews, and when Bob Watson bobbled the ball in left field, Bonds also crossed the plate. Bonds homered for an extra run in the seventh. Sam McDowell, who was lifted in the eighth inning, gained his first victory since June 18. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 5, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Tuesday, September 26, 1972 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  0  0    0  4  0    1  0  0  -   5  5  2
Astros       0  1  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  2


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bonds rf              3   2   1   1     1   0   .253      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     2   0   .225
Fuentes 2b            4   0   1   1     0   0   .260      Wynn rf               3   0   0   0     1   2   .278
Speier ss             3   0   0   0     1   1   .266      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .325
Kingman 1b            4   0   0   0     0   2   .229      May 1b                3   1   0   0     1   1   .292
Hart 3b               4   1   1   0     0   0   .304      Watson lf             4   1   3   1     0   0   .311
  Blanco 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .350      Rader 3b              3   0   0   0     1   2   .239
Maddox cf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .261      Helms 2b              4   0   1   1     0   1   .263
Rader c               4   1   1   0     0   1   .257      Howard c              3   0   1   0     0   0   .224
Matthews lf           4   1   1   2     0   0   .214        Chiles ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
McDowell p            3   0   0   0     0   3   .125      Reuss p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .109
  Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .311
                                                            Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .280
                                                            Johnson ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .333
                                                            Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .063
                                                            Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .257

Totals               32   5   5   4     3   8             Totals               31   2   7   2     6   7

Time of Game: 2:17   Attendance:  4,933
Left on Base: Giants 3, Astros 8
DP: Giants 2, Astros 1
Errors: Fuentes, Kingman, May, Watson
Doubles: Hart (5), Matthews (1)
Home Runs: Bonds (24), Watson (15)
Stolen Bases: Maddox (13)
Caught Stealing: Metzger (9), Cedeno (21)
GIDP: Hart (3), Alou (4), Cedeno (11)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McDowell W(9-8)         7     6   2   1   5   6   1  29   4.42
Sosa SV(1)              2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   2.70
Totals                  9     7   2   1   6   7   1  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss L(9-13)           5     4   4   3   1   5   0  21   4.08
Griffin                 2     1   1   1   1   3   1   8   3.36
Ray                     2     0   0   0   1   0   0   6   4.10
Totals                  9     5   5   4   3   8   1  35

Wild Pitches: McDowell (11)

Umpires: HP - Tom Gorman, 1B - Chris Pelekoudas, 2B - Mel Steiner, 3B - Jerry Dale


GIANTS 1ST: Bonds grounded out (third to first); Fuentes flied
out to left; Speier reached on an error by May [Speier to
first]; Kingman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger walked; Wynn struck out; Metzger was caught
stealing second; Cedeno singled; Cedeno was caught stealing
second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Hart grounded out (third to first); Maddox flied out
to right; Rader grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May was called out on strikes; Watson homered; Rader
grounded out (third to first); Helms grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

GIANTS 3RD: Matthews made an out to first; McDowell was called
out on strikes; Bonds grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard made an out to first; Reuss struck out;
Metzger singled; Wynn lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Fuentes grounded out (third to first); Speier struck
out; Kingman popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); May reached on
an error by Fuentes [May to first]; Watson singled [May to
second]; Rader struck out; Helms singled to center [May scored
(unearned), Watson to third, Helms out at second (center to
second)]; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 2.

GIANTS 5TH: Hart doubled; Maddox struck out; Rader singled [Hart
to third]; Matthews doubled [Hart scored, Rader scored];
McDowell struck out; Bonds walked; Fuentes singled to left
[Matthews scored, Bonds scored (error by Watson) (unearned) (no
RBI), Fuentes to third]; Speier grounded out (shortstop to
first); 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard singled; ALOU BATTED FOR REUSS; Alou grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Howard out at
second]; Metzger walked; Wynn struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 4, Astros 2.

GIANTS 6TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Kingman struck
out; Hart grounded out (third to first); Maddox walked; Maddox
stole second; Rader struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno flied out to right; May grounded out (third
to first); Watson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 4, Astros 2.

GIANTS 7TH: Matthews grounded out (third to first); McDowell
struck out; Bonds homered; Fuentes flied out to center; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Rader walked; McDowell threw a wild pitch [Rader to
second]; Helms struck out; Howard flied out to right; JOHNSON
BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Johnson walked; Metzger flied out to right;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 5, Astros 2.

GIANTS 8TH: RAY REPLACED JOHNSON (PITCHING); Speier walked;
Kingman flied out to left; Hart grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Speier out at second]; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: BLANCO REPLACED HART (PLAYING 3B); Wynn walked; SOSA
REPLACED MCDOWELL (PITCHING); Cedeno grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Wynn out at second]; May walked;
Watson singled [May to second]; Rader struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Giants 5, Astros 2.

GIANTS 9TH: Maddox made an out to second; Rader grounded out
(second to first); Matthews flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); CHILES
BATTED FOR HOWARD; Chiles reached on an error by Kingman [Chiles
to first]; MILLER BATTED FOR RAY; Miller flied out to center;
Metzger flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 5,
Astros 2.