As a warm-up for the playoffs, the Reds used five pitchers while posting a 4-2 victory over the Astros. Clay Carroll, who hurled a scoreless ninth, received credit for his record 37th save, two more than the previous mark. Dave Concepcion homered for the Reds and Johnny Bench hit a sacrifice fly to drive in his 125th run of the season. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 4, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Wednesday, October   4, 1972 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  1  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  1
Reds         1  0  0    1  1  0    0  1  x  -   4  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   0   0   0     0   1   .222      Rose lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .307
Miller lf,rf          4   0   0   0     0   1   .243      Morgan 2b             2   1   0   0     1   1   .292
Cedeno cf             2   0   0   0     0   0   .320        Chaney 2b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Stewart cf          1   0   0   0     1   0   .219      Tolan cf              3   2   2   0     1   0   .283
May 1b                4   0   1   0     0   2   .284        Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .182
Rader 3b              1   0   1   0     0   0   .237      Bench rf              1   0   0   1     1   0   .270
  Fenwick pr,2b       3   1   1   0     0   1   .180        Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .100
Chiles rf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .273        Hague ph,1b         1   0   1   0     0   0   .243
  Wynn ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .273      Perez 1b              4   0   2   2     0   0   .283
  Howard lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .223        Geronimo pr,cf      0   0   0   0     0   0   .275
Sutherland 2b,3b      4   0   1   1     0   0   .125      Menke 3b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .233
Stinson c             3   1   1   0     0   1   .171      Concepcion ss         4   1   2   1     0   0   .209
Cosgrove p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Plummer c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .186
  Alou ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .312      Borbon p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .048
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Billingham p        1   0   0   0     0   1   .070
  Edwards ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .268        McGlothlin p        0   0   0   0     1   0   .174
                                                            McRae rf            1   0   0   0     0   0   .278

Totals               34   2   7   1     1   6             Totals               29   4   7   4     4   4

Time of Game: 2:06   Attendance: 10,079
Left on Base: Astros 8, Reds 6
DP: Astros 0, Reds 0
Errors: Stinson, Perez
Doubles: Perez (33), Concepcion (13)
Home Runs: Concepcion (2)
Stolen Bases: Metzger (23), Tolan (42), Morgan (58)
Sacrifice Hits: Cosgrove (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Bench (12)
Hit by Pitch: Stinson (1,by Billingham)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cosgrove L(0-1)         6     5   3   3   3   3   1  26   4.61
Gladding                2     2   1   1   1   1   0   8   2.77
Totals                  8     7   4   4   4   4   1  34

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Borbon                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.17
Billingham              2     2   1   1   0   2   0   9   3.18
McGlothlin W(9-8)       3     3   1   0   0   2   0  13   3.91
Hall                    2     2   0   0   1   2   0   9   2.61
Carroll SV(37)          1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.25
Totals                  9     7   2   1   1   6   0  37

Hit by Pitch: Billingham (7)
Wild Pitches: Cosgrove (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Miller
grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan popped
to third in foul territory; On a bunt Tolan singled; Cosgrove
threw a wild pitch [Tolan to second]; Bench walked; Perez
doubled to left [Tolan scored, Bench to third]; Menke flied out
to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 2ND: BILLINGHAM REPLACED BORBON (PITCHING); May struck
out; Rader singled to shortstop; FENWICK RAN FOR RADER; Chiles
grounded out (second to first) [Fenwick to second]; Sutherland
singled to left [Fenwick scored]; Stinson was hit by a pitch
[Sutherland to second]; Cosgrove forced Stinson (shortstop to
second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 2ND: FENWICK STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); SUTHERLAND
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Concepcion doubled to center;
Plummer flied out to center [Concepcion to third]; Billingham
struck out; Rose flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger was called out on strikes; Miller flied out
to center; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: STEWART REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING CF); Morgan struck
out; Tolan singled to right; Tolan stole second; Bench flied out
to left; Perez flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 1.

ASTROS 4TH: MCGLOTHLIN REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); May
struck out; Fenwick singled to center; Chiles forced Fenwick
(second to shortstop); Sutherland forced Chiles (shortstop
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Menke was called out on strikes; Concepcion homered;
Plummer flied out to right; McGlothlin walked; Rose forced
McGlothlin (third to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Stinson singled to right; Cosgrove out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Stinson to second]; Metzger
lined to pitcher; Miller reached on an error by Perez [Stinson
scored (unearned) (no RBI), Miller to first]; Stewart popped to
shortstop; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Morgan walked; Morgan stole second [Morgan to third
(error by Stinson)]; Tolan grounded out (second to first); Bench
hit a sacrifice fly to center [Morgan scored]; Perez popped to
shortstop; 1 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 3.

ASTROS 6TH: CHANEY REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); May grounded
out (shortstop to first); Fenwick struck out; Chiles singled to
center; Sutherland flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Reds 3.

REDS 6TH: Menke popped to shortstop; Concepcion flied out to
left; Plummer flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Reds 3.

ASTROS 7TH: HALL REPLACED BENCH (PITCHING); MCRAE REPLACED
MCGLOTHLIN (PLAYING RF); Stinson struck out; ALOU BATTED FOR
COSGROVE; Alou singled to center; Metzger forced Alou (second to
shortstop); Metzger stole second; Miller struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 3.

REDS 7TH: GLADDING REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); McRae grounded out
(third to first); Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); Chaney
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Reds 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Stewart walked; May singled to center [Stewart to
second]; On a bunt Fenwick popped to third in foul territory;
WYNN BATTED FOR CHILES; Wynn flied out to left; Sutherland flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 3.

REDS 8TH: HOWARD REPLACED WYNN (PLAYING LF); MILLER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Tolan walked; HAGUE BATTED FOR HALL;
Hague singled to left [Tolan to third]; Perez singled to center
[Tolan scored, Hague to second]; GERONIMO RAN FOR PEREZ; Hague
was out trying to advance to third and Geronimo advanced to
second (catcher to third); Menke struck out; Concepcion grounded
out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds
4.

ASTROS 9TH: HAGUE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); GERONIMO STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING CF); CARROLL REPLACED TOLAN (PITCHING); Stinson
popped to shortstop; EDWARDS BATTED FOR GLADDING; Edwards
grounded out (second to first); Metzger grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 4.