Jerry Reuss pitched a five-hitter and also drove in the tie-breaking run with a single in the eighth inning as the Astros opened their home season with a 4-1 victory over the Dodgers before a crowd of 28,399 in the Astrodome. Doug Rader walked in the eighth, moved to second on a sacrifice by Larry Howard and advanced to third after Roger Metzger flied out deep to center field.

Manager Leo Durocher elected to let Reuss bat for himself and the southpaw came through with his run-scoring single off Charlie Hough, who was pitching in relief of Claude Osteen. Jim Wynn then came to the plate and smashed a two-run homer to clinch the victory. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 1
Game Played on Monday, April     9, 1973 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  5  1
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  x  -   4  6  1


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lacy 2b               3   0   0   0     1   1   .235      Wynn rf               4   2   2   2     0   0   .222
Mota lf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .333      Helms 2b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .389
Davis cf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Cedeno cf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .500
Ferguson c            3   0   0   0     1   1   .200      Watson lf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .133
Buckner 1b            3   0   0   0     0   1   .067        Agee lf             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Cey ph              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      May 1b                3   0   0   0     0   0   .188
Crawford rf           2   0   0   0     1   2   .182      Rader 3b              2   1   0   0     1   0   .125
  Paciorek ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Howard c              2   0   0   0     0   0   .333
McMullen 3b           3   0   1   0     0   0   .385      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .063
  Lopes pr,3b         1   1   0   0     0   0   .000      Reuss p               3   1   1   1     0   0   .333
Russell ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .308
Osteen p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Garvey ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .667
  Hough p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   1   5   1     3   8             Totals               27   4   6   3     1   0

Time of Game: 1:50   Attendance: 28,399
Left on Base: Dodgers 6, Astros 1
DP: Dodgers 2, Astros 1
Errors: Osteen, Cedeno
Home Runs: Wynn (2)
Stolen Bases: Wynn (2)
Caught Stealing: Watson (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Howard (1)
GIDP: Davis (1), Cedeno (1), Watson (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Osteen                  6     3   1   1   0   0   0  20   1.50
Hough L(0-1)            2     3   3   3   1   0   1   9   9.00
Totals                  8     6   4   4   1   0   1  29

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss W(1-0)            9     5   1   0   3   8   0  34   0.00
Totals                  9     5   1   0   3   8   0  34

Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - Tom Gorman, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - Dick Stello


DODGERS 1ST: Lacy struck out; Mota singled to right; Davis
grounded into a double play (second to first to shortstop to
first) [Mota out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Wynn singled to left; Wynn stole second; Helms
reached on an error by Osteen (assist by Buckner) [Wynn to
third, Helms to first]; Cedeno grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Wynn scored (no RBI), Helms out
at second]; Watson grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 1
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Ferguson flied out to center; Buckner struck out;
Crawford struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: May flied out to center; Rader grounded out
(shortstop to first); Howard grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 3RD: McMullen flied out to center; Russell made an out
to shortstop; Osteen made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Reuss
flied out to center; Wynn flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Lacy grounded out (third to first); Mota singled to
right; Davis singled to left [Mota to second]; Ferguson struck
out; Buckner grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Helms singled to right; Cedeno singled to center
[Helms to second]; Watson grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Helms to third, Cedeno out at second]; May
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 5TH: Crawford walked; McMullen forced Crawford (second
to shortstop); Russell forced McMullen (pitcher to shortstop);
Osteen struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader flied out to right; Howard grounded out
(shortstop to first); Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Lacy walked; Mota grounded out (third to second to
first) [Lacy to second]; Davis grounded out (second to first)
[Lacy to third]; Ferguson walked; Buckner grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Reuss lined to center; Wynn grounded out (third to
first); Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 1.

DODGERS 7TH: Crawford struck out; McMullen singled to center
[McMullen to third (error by Cedeno)]; LOPES RAN FOR MCMULLEN;
Russell flied out to center; GARVEY BATTED FOR OSTEEN; Garvey
singled to center [Lopes scored (unearned)]; Lacy grounded out
(second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: LOPES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); HOUGH REPLACED
GARVEY (PITCHING); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Watson
singled to third; Watson was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); May flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
1, Astros 1.

DODGERS 8TH: AGEE REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING LF); Mota grounded
out (third to first); Davis flied out to center; Ferguson flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Rader walked; Howard out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Rader to second]; Metzger flied out to
center [Rader to third]; Reuss singled to shortstop [Rader
scored]; Wynn homered [Reuss scored]; Helms flied out to right;
3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 4.

DODGERS 9TH: CEY BATTED FOR BUCKNER; Cey struck out; PACIOREK
BATTED FOR CRAWFORD; Paciorek struck out; Lopes grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 4.