Manager Leo Durocher's decision to let Jim Crawford bat for himself in the 12th inning paid off when the rookie reliever drove in a run with a two-out double to defeat the Dodgers, 4-3. The Dodgers broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the 10th on singles by Ken McMullen, Von Joshua and Lee Lacy, but Lee May put the Astros back in the game with a homer in their half.

Doug Rader beat out an infield hit in the 12th and was forced at second when Johnny Edwards failed in a sacrifice attempt. After Roger Metzger fouled out, Crawford, batting for the first time in his major league career, smashed a double to the left-center field wall and Edwards hot-footed it home from first to score the winning run. [The Sporting News]
Houston Astros 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 3

Game Played on Tuesday, April 10, 1973 (Night game) at Astrodome

Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1    1  0  0  -   3 16  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   4  8  2


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lacy 2b               7   0   2   1     0   1   .250      Wynn rf,lf            4   1   1   1     0   1   .227
Buckner 1b            5   0   3   0     1   0   .200      Helms 2b              4   0   1   1     0   0   .364
Davis cf              5   0   1   1     0   0   .238      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     1   0   .409
Ferguson c            3   0   1   0     3   1   .222      Watson lf             2   0   1   0     1   0   .176
Garvey lf             5   0   2   0     0   1   .500        Agee pr,lf          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Brewer p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Miller ph,rf        1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Paciorek ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .000      May 1b                5   1   1   1     0   0   .190
  Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Rader 3b              5   0   1   0     0   2   .143
Crawford rf           6   0   0   0     0   0   .118      Howard c              4   0   1   0     0   1   .286
McMullen 3b           5   0   2   0     0   1   .389        Gallagher pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Yeager pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .000        Edwards c           1   1   0   0     0   0   .231
  Cey 3b              1   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Metzger ss            5   1   1   0     0   0   .095
Russell ss            5   1   2   0     0   0   .333      Roberts p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Downing p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .000        York p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Lopes ph            0   1   0   0     1   0   .000        Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Rau p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Joshua ph,lf        3   0   2   1     0   1   .556        Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Crawford p          1   0   1   1     0   0  1.000

Totals               47   3  16   3     6   5             Totals               40   4   8   4     2   7

Time of Game: 3:18   Attendance: 15,738
Left on Base: Dodgers 16, Astros 6
DP: Dodgers 1, Astros 1
Errors: Metzger, Roberts
Doubles: Buckner (1), Garvey (1), McMullen (2), Ferguson (2), Wynn (1), Crawford (1)
Home Runs: May (1)
Stolen Bases: Watson (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Russell (1), Roberts (1), Helms (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Davis (1)
GIDP: McMullen (1), Cedeno (2)
Hit by Pitch: Wynn (1,by Culver)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Downing                 6     4   2   2   0   2   0  21   3.00
Rau                     2     0   0   0   1   3   0   7   0.00
Brewer                  2     2   1   1   0   1   1   8   7.71
Culver L(0-1)           1.2   2   1   1   1   1   0   9   2.08
Totals                 11.2   8   4   4   2   7   1  45

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 7     9   1   1   2   3   0  31   1.13
York                    1.1   3   1   1   0   0   0   6   3.86
Cosgrove                0.1   0   0   0   2   0   0   3   0.00
Gladding                1.1   3   1   1   0   0   0   7  16.20
Crawford W(1-1)         2     1   0   0   2   2   0   8   2.45
Totals                 12    16   3   3   6   5   0  55

Hit by Pitch: Culver (1)

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


DODGERS 1ST: Lacy flied out to right; Buckner doubled to right;
Davis grounded out (second to first) [Buckner to third];
Ferguson walked; Garvey struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Wynn flied out to center; Helms flied out to center;
Cedeno made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Crawford reached on an error by Roberts (assist by
May) [Crawford to first]; McMullen flied out to center; Russell
singled to left [Crawford to second]; Downing forced Russell
(second to shortstop) [Crawford to third]; Lacy forced Downing
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros
0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (third to first); May grounded
out (third to first); Rader struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Buckner singled to left; Davis lined to right;
Ferguson struck out; Garvey doubled to left [Buckner to third];
Crawford grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard grounded out (second to first); Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Roberts grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 4TH: McMullen doubled to left; Russell out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [McMullen to third]; Downing
flied out to right; Lacy grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Wynn flied out to left; Helms flied out to right;
Cedeno popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 5TH: Buckner singled; Davis singled to right [Buckner
out at third (right to third)]; Ferguson doubled to left [Davis
out at home (left to catcher)]; Garvey grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson singled to left; Watson stole second; May
popped to first in foul territory; Rader struck out; Howard
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 6TH: Crawford flied out to center; McMullen was called
out on strikes; Russell flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger singled to left; Roberts out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Metzger to second]; Wynn doubled to
left [Metzger scored]; Helms singled to left [Wynn scored];
Cedeno grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Helms out at second]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Astros 2.

DODGERS 7TH: LOPES BATTED FOR DOWNING; Lopes walked; Lacy
singled to center [Lopes to second]; Buckner grounded out (third
to first) [Lopes to third, Lacy to second]; Davis hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Lopes scored]; Ferguson grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: RAU REPLACED LOPES (PITCHING); Watson walked; AGEE
RAN FOR WATSON; May grounded out (third to first) [Agee to
second]; Rader grounded out (third to first); Howard struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

DODGERS 8TH: AGEE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); YORK REPLACED
ROBERTS (PITCHING); Garvey singled to left; Crawford flied out
to left; McMullen grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Garvey out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Metzger flied out to center; York struck out
(catcher to first); Wynn was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 2.

DODGERS 9TH: Russell singled to shortstop [Russell to third
(error by Metzger)]; JOSHUA BATTED FOR RAU; Joshua singled to
right [Russell scored]; Lacy flied out to center; COSGROVE
REPLACED YORK (PITCHING); Buckner walked [Joshua to second];
Davis popped to first in foul territory; Ferguson walked [Joshua
to third, Buckner to second]; GLADDING REPLACED COSGROVE
(PITCHING); Garvey flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: JOSHUA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); BREWER REPLACED
GARVEY (PITCHING); Helms flied out to right; Cedeno flied out to
right; Agee struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros
2.

DODGERS 10TH: Crawford grounded out (first to pitcher); McMullen
singled to left; YEAGER RAN FOR MCMULLEN; Russell flied out to
center; Joshua singled to right [Yeager to second]; Lacy singled
to center [Yeager scored, Joshua to second]; Buckner grounded
out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros
2.

ASTROS 10TH: CEY REPLACED YEAGER (PLAYING 3B); May homered;
Rader flied out to center; Howard singled to left; GALLAGHER RAN
FOR HOWARD; Metzger lined to center; ALOU BATTED FOR GLADDING;
Alou grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 3, Astros 3.

DODGERS 11TH: EDWARDS REPLACED GALLAGHER (PLAYING C ); CRAWFORD
REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Davis made an out to shortstop;
Ferguson walked; PACIOREK BATTED FOR BREWER; Paciorek walked
[Ferguson to second]; Crawford made an out to third; Cey singled
to center [Ferguson out at home (center to pitcher to catcher),
Paciorek to second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 11TH: CULVER REPLACED PACIOREK (PITCHING); Wynn was hit
by a pitch; Helms out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Wynn to second]; Cedeno was walked intentionally; MILLER BATTED
FOR AGEE; Miller struck out; May flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 3.

DODGERS 12TH: MILLER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); WYNN CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Russell grounded out (third to first);
Joshua was called out on strikes; Lacy was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 12TH: Rader singled to shortstop; Edwards forced Rader
(pitcher to shortstop); Metzger popped to third in foul
territory; Crawford doubled to center [Edwards scored]; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 4.
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