Gary Nolan, who had been out of action since September 7 with an abscessed tooth and neck pains, showed himself ready for the playoffs by pitching five innings and allowing only one hit as the Reds defeated the Astros, 6-1. Ross Grimsley, also prepping for the playoffs, worked the last four frames and gave up two more hits. The Astros' run was unearned. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 6, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Tuesday, October   3, 1972 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  2  1
Reds         3  0  0    0  2  0    0  1  x  -   6  6  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .223      Rose lf               4   2   2   0     1   0   .309
Wynn rf               4   0   0   0     0   2   .274      Morgan 2b             3   0   1   2     2   0   .293
Cedeno cf             3   1   0   0     1   0   .321      Tolan cf              4   1   0   0     0   1   .281
May 1b                4   0   1   0     0   1   .284      Bench c               4   1   0   1     0   0   .270
Rader 3b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .236        Plummer c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .192
Chiles lf             2   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Perez 1b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .282
  Alou ph,lf          1   0   0   1     0   0   .304      Menke 3b              1   1   0   0     3   0   .235
Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .259      Geronimo rf           4   0   3   2     0   0   .275
Howard c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .223      Chaney ss             3   0   0   1     0   1   .251
Forsch p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .146      Nolan p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .117
  Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Foster ph           0   1   0   0     1   0   .200
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .280        Grimsley p          2   0   0   0     0   2   .121
  Sutherland ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .158

Totals               30   1   2   1     1   5             Totals               30   6   6   6     7   6

Time of Game: 2:02   Attendance: 10,069
Left on Base: Astros 3, Reds 8
DP: Astros 0, Reds 0
Errors: Metzger, Chaney
Doubles: May (31), Geronimo (9)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (55), Morgan (57)
Sacrifice Flies: Chaney (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(6-8)           5     4   5   3   3   3   0  23   3.91
Griffin                 2     1   0   0   2   2   0   9   3.24
Culver                  1     1   1   1   2   1   0   6   3.05
Totals                  8     6   6   4   7   6   0  38

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Nolan W(15-5)           5     1   0   0   1   1   0  17   1.99
Grimsley SV(1)          4     1   1   0   0   4   0  14   3.05
Totals                  9     2   1   0   1   5   0  31

Wild Pitches: Forsch (9), Culver (2)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Shag Crawford, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Frank Pulli


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher); Wynn
grounded out (second to first); Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole
second; May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose singled to right; Morgan walked [Rose to second];
Tolan forced Morgan (second to shortstop) [Rose to third]; Bench
reached on an error by Metzger [Rose scored (RBI), Tolan to
second, Bench to first]; Perez flied out to left; Menke walked
[Tolan to third, Bench to second]; Geronimo singled to left
[Tolan scored (unearned), Bench scored (unearned), Menke to
second]; Chaney struck out; 3 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
0, Reds 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader flied out to right; Chiles grounded out (first
unassisted); Helms lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 3.

REDS 2ND: Nolan struck out; Rose grounded out (second to first);
Morgan popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); Forsch
grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 3.

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

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn popped to third in foul territory; Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); May grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 3.

REDS 4TH: Menke grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo
grounded out (pitcher to first); Chaney popped to second; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader singled to left; Chiles forced Rader (second
to shortstop); Helms lined to center; Howard grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 3.

REDS 5TH: FOSTER BATTED FOR NOLAN; Foster walked; Rose singled
to center [Foster to second]; Forsch threw a wild pitch [Foster
to third, Rose to second]; Morgan singled to left [Foster
scored, Rose scored, Morgan to second (on throw)]; Tolan
grounded out (pitcher to first); Bench grounded out (shortstop
to first); Perez flied out to right; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 5.

ASTROS 6TH: GRIMSLEY REPLACED FOSTER (PITCHING); JOHNSON BATTED
FOR FORSCH; Johnson flied out to right; Metzger struck out; Wynn
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 5.

REDS 6TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED JOHNSON (PITCHING); Menke walked;
Geronimo singled to right [Menke to third]; Chaney flied out to
right; Grimsley struck out; Rose popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Cedeno reached on an error by Chaney [Cedeno to
first]; May doubled to right [Cedeno to third]; Rader struck
out; ALOU BATTED FOR CHILES; Alou grounded out (third to first)
[Cedeno scored (unearned)]; Helms popped to catcher in foul
territory; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 5.

REDS 7TH: ALOU STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Morgan walked;
Morgan stole second; Tolan flied out to right; Bench flied out
to left; Perez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds
5.

ASTROS 8TH: PLUMMER REPLACED BENCH (PLAYING C ); Howard flied
out to center; SUTHERLAND BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Sutherland flied
out to left; Metzger popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 5.

REDS 8TH: CULVER REPLACED SUTHERLAND (PITCHING); Menke walked;
Geronimo doubled to right [Menke to third]; Chaney hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Menke scored]; Culver threw a wild
pitch [Geronimo to third]; Grimsley struck out; Rose walked;
Morgan lined to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 6.

ASTROS 9TH: Wynn struck out; Cedeno flied out to right; May
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 6.