A double by Cesar Cedeno for his third extra-base hit of the game drove in Tommy Helms with two out in the 13th inning and gave the Astros a 2-1 victory to spoil the Braves' opening night before a crowd of 23,385 at Atlanta Stadium. The Braves counted their run in the fifth on a double by Davey Johnson, an infield out and single by Gary Gentry. Jim Wynn homered for the Astros to tie the score in the sixth.

The Braves had a chance to win the game in the 12th when they loaded the bases with only one out, but Jim Crawford struck out Ralph Garr before Fred Gladding took over and induced Rod Gilbreath to ground into a forceout. Helms beat out an infield hit in the 13th and, running with the pitch, scored from first base on Cedeno's double to left-center field. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 2, Atlanta Braves 1

Game Played on Friday, April 6, 1973 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium

Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0    1  -   2  9  0
Braves       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  -   1 12  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wynn rf               6   1   1   1     0   2   .167      Garr lf               6   0   0   0     0   3   .000
Helms 2b              6   1   3   0     0   0   .500      Gilbreath 3b          6   0   3   0     0   0   .500
Cedeno cf             6   0   3   1     0   2   .500      Aaron rf              5   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Watson lf             5   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Baker cf              6   0   3   0     0   1   .500
May 1b                5   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Evans 1b              6   0   1   0     0   2   .167
Rader 3b              5   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Johnson 2b            6   1   2   0     0   0   .333
Edwards c             5   0   2   0     0   0   .400      Oates c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Metzger ss            5   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Perez ss              5   0   1   0     0   1   .200
Roberts p             3   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Gentry p              2   0   1   1     0   0   .500
  Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Brown ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Harrison p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Crawford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lum ph              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Dietz ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Jackson pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Upshaw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               48   2   9   2     1  11             Totals               48   1  12   1     2   8

Time of Game: 3:25   Attendance: 25,335
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 11
DP: Astros 2, Braves 0
Doubles: Cedeno 2 (2), Gilbreath (1), Johnson (1)
Triples: Cedeno (1)
Home Runs: Wynn (1)
Stolen Bases: Helms (1), Baker (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Oates (1)
GIDP: Aaron 2 (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 9     8   1   1   0   4   0  33   1.00
Ray                     2.1   3   0   0   1   2   0  11   0.00
Crawford                0.1   0   0   0   1   1   0   2   0.00
Gladding W(1-0)         0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
York SV(1)              1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.00
Totals                 13    12   1   1   2   8   0  51

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gentry                  7     4   1   1   1   5   1  26   1.29
Harrison                5     3   0   0   0   5   0  18   0.00
Upshaw L(0-1)           1     2   1   1   0   1   0   5   9.00
Totals                 13     9   2   2   1  11   1  49

Wild Pitches: Gentry (1)

Umpires: HP - Ken Burkhart, 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Frank Pulli


ASTROS 1ST: Wynn flied out to center; Helms singled to left;
Cedeno struck out; Gentry threw a wild pitch [Helms to second];
Watson walked; May flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Garr struck out; Gilbreath singled to left; Aaron
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Gilbreath out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader struck out; Edwards flied out to center;
Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Baker singled to center; Evans struck out; Johnson
forced Baker (third to second); Oates flied out to right; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Roberts grounded out (third to first); Wynn flied
out to left; Helms grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Perez grounded out (third to first); Gentry lined to
second; Garr struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves
0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson grounded out (shortstop to
first); May grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Gilbreath doubled to left; Aaron flied out to
center; Baker flied out to center; Evans grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader struck out; Edwards singled to left; Metzger
popped to third; Roberts grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Johnson doubled to left; Oates flied out to center;
Perez grounded out (second to first) [Johnson to third]; Gentry
singled to right [Johnson scored]; Garr forced Gentry (shortstop
to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Wynn homered; Helms flied out to left; Cedeno
doubled to left; Watson struck out; May grounded out (first
unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Gilbreath flied out to right; Aaron grounded out
(shortstop to first); Baker singled to left; Evans struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Rader flied out to center; Edwards grounded out
(first unassisted); Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Johnson singled to left; Oates out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Johnson to second]; Perez grounded out
(third to first); BROWN BATTED FOR GENTRY; Brown flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 8TH: HARRISON REPLACED BROWN (PITCHING); Roberts popped
to third in foul territory; Wynn grounded out (shortstop to
first); Helms singled to center; Helms stole second; Cedeno
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Garr flied out to center; Gilbreath singled to left;
Aaron grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Gilbreath out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Braves 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Watson grounded out (first unassisted); May struck
out; Rader popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: Baker grounded out (third to first); Evans grounded
out (first unassisted); Johnson flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 10TH: Edwards flied out to left; Metzger struck out;
GALLAGHER BATTED FOR ROBERTS; Gallagher struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 10TH: RAY REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Oates flied out
to right; Perez struck out; Harrison struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 11TH: Wynn struck out; Helms grounded out (shortstop to
first); Cedeno tripled to right; Watson grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 11TH: Garr popped to catcher in foul territory; Gilbreath
popped to second; Aaron walked; Baker singled to right [Aaron to
third]; Baker stole second; Evans flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 12TH: May struck out; Rader grounded out (second to
first); Edwards singled to second; Metzger flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 12TH: Johnson flied out to center; Oates singled to
right; Perez singled to right [Oates to third]; LUM BATTED FOR
HARRISON; CRAWFORD REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); DIETZ BATTED FOR
LUM; Dietz walked [Perez to second]; Debut game for Jim
Crawford; JACKSON RAN FOR DIETZ; Garr struck out; GLADDING
REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); Gilbreath forced Jackson
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 13TH: UPSHAW REPLACED JACKSON (PITCHING); MILLER BATTED
FOR GLADDING; Miller flied out to right; Wynn struck out; Helms
singled to shortstop; Cedeno doubled to center [Helms scored];
Watson popped to first; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves
1.

BRAVES 13TH: YORK REPLACED MILLER (PITCHING); Aaron grounded out
(third to first); Baker struck out; Evans singled to right;
Johnson popped to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves
1.

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