The sore elbow that forced Clay Kirby to quit the mound in the sixth inning proved a break for the Astros, who came from behind to defeat the Padres, 5-2. Kirby had a 2-0 lead when he withdrew after walking Jim Wynn. The Astros then beat Steve Simpson, scoring three runs in the sixth and adding two on a bases-loaded single by Bob Watson in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, San Diego Padres 2
Game Played on Friday, September 29, 1972 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  3    2  0  0  -   5 10  1
Padres       1  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  9  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   1   2   0     0   0   .225      Thomas 2b,ss          5   0   1   0     0   2   .229
Wynn rf               2   2   0   0     3   0   .277      Hernandez ss          3   1   1   0     0   0   .180
Cedeno cf             4   1   3   0     1   0   .325        Stahl ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .223
May 1b                4   1   0   1     1   0   .289        Acosta p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .083
Watson lf             4   0   2   2     1   0   .311      Lee lf                4   0   0   0     0   2   .301
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     1   2   .236      Colbert 1b            4   0   2   1     0   2   .251
Helms 2b              4   0   0   1     0   1   .260      Gaston rf             4   0   2   0     0   1   .266
Howard c              4   0   1   1     0   0   .233      Morales cf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .241
Forsch p              3   0   1   0     0   1   .150      Stanley 3b,2b         4   1   1   0     0   0   .183
  Roberts p           1   0   1   0     0   0   .239      Goddard c             2   0   1   0     2   1   .238
                                                          Kirby p               1   0   0   1     0   0   .068
                                                            Simpson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Garcia p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Blefary ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .218
                                                            Jestadt 3b          1   0   0   0     0   0   .239

Totals               35   5  10   5     7   4             Totals               34   2   9   2     2  10

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance:  5,994
Left on Base: Astros 10, Padres 8
DP: Astros 0, Padres 2
Errors: Rader
Doubles: Cedeno (38), Colbert (27), Gaston (13)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (53), May (3), Hernandez (21)
Caught Stealing: Wynn (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Kirby (6)
GIDP: Rader (18), Metzger (7)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(6-7)           6.2   8   2   1   2   7   0  29   3.87
Roberts SV(2)           2.1   1   0   0   0   3   0   8   4.56
Totals                  9     9   2   1   2  10   0  37

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kirby                   5     4   1   1   3   2   0  20   3.09
Simpson L(0-2)          1     3   4   4   2   1   0   9   4.35
Garcia                  1     1   0   0   1   1   0   5   3.00
Acosta                  2     2   0   0   1   0   0   8   4.36
Totals                  9    10   5   5   7   4   0  42

Passed Balls: Goddard (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger singled to center; Wynn forced Metzger
(shortstop to second); Wynn was caught stealing second (catcher
to second); Cedeno walked; Goddard allowed a passed ball [Cedeno
to second]; May flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Thomas was called out on strikes; Hernandez singled
to third; Hernandez stole second; Lee struck out; Colbert
singled to center [Hernandez scored]; Gaston singled to right
[Colbert to second]; Morales singled to right [Colbert out at
home (right to catcher), Gaston to second]; 1 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to left; Rader grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Watson out at second];
Helms struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 1.

PADRES 2ND: Stanley flied out to center; Goddard walked; Kirby
out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Goddard to second];
Thomas flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Padres 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); Forsch
flied out to left; Metzger flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 1.

PADRES 3RD: Hernandez grounded out (second to first); Lee struck
out; Colbert doubled to left; Gaston was called out on strikes;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn walked; Cedeno doubled to left [Wynn to third];
May reached on a fielder's choice [Wynn out at home (shortstop
to catcher), Cedeno to third]; Watson forced May (shortstop to
second) [Cedeno stayed at third]; Rader struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 1.

PADRES 4TH: Morales lined to second; Stanley singled to third
[Stanley to second (error by Rader)]; Goddard singled to left
[Stanley to third]; Kirby forced Goddard (shortstop to second)
[Stanley scored (unearned)]; Thomas lined to left; 1 R (0 ER), 2
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms flied out to center; Howard flied out to
right; Forsch singled to right; Metzger forced Forsch (second
unassisted); Ken Forsch called for interference; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 2.

PADRES 5TH: Hernandez flied out to center; Lee lined to center;
Colbert struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Wynn walked; SIMPSON REPLACED KIRBY (PITCHING);
Cedeno singled to left [Wynn to third]; May reached on a
fielder's choice [Wynn scored, Cedeno to second]; Cedeno stole
third and May stole second; Watson made an out to shortstop;
Rader was walked intentionally; Helms forced Rader (shortstop to
second) [Cedeno scored, May to third]; Howard singled to second
[May scored, Helms to second]; Forsch struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 2.

PADRES 6TH: Gaston grounded out (shortstop to first); Morales
popped to first in foul territory; Stanley flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger singled to third; Wynn walked [Metzger to
second]; GARCIA REPLACED SIMPSON (PITCHING); Cedeno flied out to
left [Metzger to third, Wynn to second]; May was walked
intentionally; Watson singled to right [Metzger scored, Wynn
scored, May to second]; Rader struck out; Helms forced May
(third unassisted); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Padres 2.

PADRES 7TH: Goddard walked; BLEFARY BATTED FOR GARCIA; Blefary
struck out; Thomas singled to right [Goddard to second]; STAHL
BATTED FOR HERNANDEZ; Stahl struck out; ROBERTS REPLACED FORSCH
(PITCHING); Lee popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Padres 2.

ASTROS 8TH: ACOSTA REPLACED STAHL (PITCHING); JESTADT REPLACED
BLEFARY (PLAYING 3B); STANLEY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B);
THOMAS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Howard flied out to left;
Roberts singled to right; Metzger grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Roberts out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Padres 2.

PADRES 8TH: Colbert was called out on strikes; Gaston doubled to
right; Morales grounded out (shortstop to first); Stanley
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
5, Padres 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
singled to center; May flied out to left [Cedeno to second];
Watson walked; Rader made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 5, Padres 2.

PADRES 9TH: Goddard was called out on strikes; Jestadt flied out
to right; Thomas struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Padres 2.