Led by Cesar Cedeno, who smashed a homer, two doubles and a single, the Astros rolled up a 10-3 victory in the opener of a doubleheader, but the Braves came back to win the nightcap, 4-3, in 10 innings. In the first game, the Astros sent 13 men to bat in the sixth and piled up eight of their runs. Cedeno, coming to the plate twice during the outburst, doubled on each trip. Ken Forsch, pitching for the Astros, yielded only four hits, including homers by Dusty Baker and Darrell Evans.

Mike Lum, playing right field in place of Hank Aaron in the second game, was the hero of the Braves' victory. Lum homered with a man on base in the ninth inning to tie the score at 3-3 and then drove in the winning run with a single in the 10th after Evans doubled and Baker was given an intentional pass. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 10, Atlanta Braves 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, April     8, 1973 (Day game) at Atlanta Stadium
Astros       2  0  0    0  0  8    0  0  0  -  10 13  2
Braves       0  1  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  4  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wynn rf               4   1   0   0     1   0   .100      Garr lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Helms 2b              5   1   2   2     0   0   .455      Gilbreath 3b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .300
  Torres 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Aaron rf              3   1   0   0     1   1   .000
Cedeno cf             5   3   4   2     0   0   .636      Evans 1b              4   1   1   1     0   1   .200
Watson lf             3   1   1   2     2   2   .125      Baker cf              4   1   1   2     0   0   .400
May 1b                4   1   2   1     1   1   .222      Johnson 2b            3   0   0   0     1   1   .222
Rader 3b              5   0   1   2     0   0   .100      Oates c               3   0   1   0     0   0   .286
Edwards c             5   1   1   0     0   0   .300      Perez ss              3   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Metzger ss            4   1   1   1     1   0   .111      Dobson p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Forsch p              4   1   1   0     1   1   .250        Schueler p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            House p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               39  10  13  10     6   4             Totals               31   3   4   3     2   5

Time of Game: 2:24
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 3
DP: Astros 1, Braves 0
Errors: Helms, Rader, Perez
Doubles: Cedeno 2 (4), May (1)
Triples: Metzger (1)
Home Runs: Cedeno (1), Evans (1), Baker (1)
Stolen Bases: Wynn (1)
Caught Stealing: Oates (1)
GIDP: Dobson (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(1-0)           9     4   3   3   2   5   2  33   3.00
Totals                  9     4   3   3   2   5   2  33

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dobson L(0-1)           5.1   8   7   7   3   3   1  26  11.81
Schueler                2.2   5   3   3   2   1   0  15  10.13
House                   1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   0.00
Totals                  9    13  10  10   6   4   1  45

Wild Pitches: Forsch (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Wynn walked; Wynn stole second [Wynn to third (error
by Perez)]; Helms grounded out (shortstop to first) [Wynn
scored]; Cedeno homered; Watson struck out; May walked; Rader
forced May (third to second); 2 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Garr grounded out (first to pitcher); Gilbreath
grounded out (shortstop to first); Aaron popped to shortstop in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

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

BRAVES 2ND: Evans homered; Baker popped to first in foul
territory; Johnson lined to shortstop; Oates singled to center;
Oates was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Wynn popped to second; Helms singled to second;
Cedeno singled to third [Helms to second]; Watson struck out;
May forced Cedeno (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Perez reached on an error by Helms [Perez to first];
Dobson grounded into a double play (first to first to second)
[Perez out at second]; Garr grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader grounded out (pitcher to first); Edwards
popped to second; Metzger popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Gilbreath lined to left; Aaron walked; Evans popped
to shortstop; Baker homered [Aaron scored]; Johnson struck out;
2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Forsch struck out; Wynn popped to shortstop; Helms
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Oates grounded out (first unassisted); Perez popped
to first; Dobson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno doubled to left; Watson walked; May doubled
to right [Cedeno scored, Watson to third]; Rader singled to left
[Watson scored, May scored, Rader out at second (left to
second)]; Edwards singled to right; Metzger tripled to right
[Edwards scored]; SCHUELER REPLACED DOBSON (PITCHING); Forsch
walked; Wynn flied out to center; Helms singled to left [Metzger
scored, Forsch to second]; Cedeno doubled to left [Forsch
scored, Helms to third]; Watson singled to right [Helms scored,
Cedeno scored]; May singled to left [Watson to second]; Rader
flied out to right; 8 R, 9 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 10, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Garr popped to third in foul territory; Gilbreath
flied out to center; Aaron lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 10, Braves 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Edwards grounded out (first to pitcher); Metzger
flied out to left; Forsch singled to center; Wynn popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 10, Braves 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Evans grounded out (first to pitcher); Baker
grounded out (shortstop to first); Johnson walked; Oates flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 10, Braves 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Helms flied out to right; Cedeno grounded out (third
to first); Watson walked; May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 10, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Perez singled to center; LUM BATTED FOR SCHUELER;
Lum struck out; Garr popped to catcher in foul territory; Forsch
threw a wild pitch [Perez to second]; Gilbreath reached on an
error by Rader [Perez to third, Gilbreath to first]; Aaron
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 10, Braves 3.

ASTROS 9TH: HOUSE REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Rader flied out to
center; Edwards flied to right in foul territory; Metzger
walked; Forsch flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 10, Braves 3.

BRAVES 9TH: TORRES REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Evans struck
out; Baker flied to left in foul territory; Johnson flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 10, Braves 3.