A wild pitch by Mike Marshall and balk by Tom Walker allowed the Astros to score two runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Expos, 4-3. Bob Watson hit two homers for the Astros, but a round-tripper by Hal Breeden with a man on in the seventh and solo swat by Ken Singleton in the eighth sent the Expos ahead, 3-2.

In the Astros' ninth, Jim Wynn walked, went to third on a one-out single by Cesar Cedeno and scored on Marshall's wild pitch. After passing Watson, Marshall gave way to Walker. Lee May hit long a fly to center field and Cedeno took third after the catch. The Expos then walked Doug Rader intentionally to get at Larry Howard. As Walker wound up for his first pitch to Howard, Cedeno broke for the plate. Walker stopped in the middle of his windup, committing a balk. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Montreal Expos 3
Game Played on Sunday, April     29, 1973 (Day game) at Astrodome
Expos        0  0  0    0  0  0    2  1  0  -   3  8  0
Astros       0  1  0    1  0  0    0  0  2  -   4  5  0


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Hunt 3b,2b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .294      Wynn rf               2   1   1   0     1   0   .261
Foli ss               4   0   0   0     0   0   .216      Torres ss             3   0   0   0     0   0   .063
Jorgensen 1b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .174        Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Fairly lf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .429      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .281
Singleton rf          3   1   1   1     1   0   .298      Watson lf             3   2   2   2     1   0   .337
Boccabella c          4   1   1   0     0   2   .260      May 1b                4   0   0   0     0   1   .154
Roque cf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .155      Rader 3b              3   0   0   0     1   2   .217
Frias 2b              2   0   0   0     0   2   .216      Edwards c             3   0   1   0     0   0   .222
  Day ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Agee pr             0   0   0   0     0   0   .270
  Laboy 3b            1   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Howard c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Torrez p              2   0   1   0     0   1   .308      Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .231
  Breeden ph          1   1   1   2     0   0   .278      Wilson p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .133
  Marshall p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .222
  Walker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   8   3     3   6             Totals               29   4   5   2     3   6

Time of Game: 2:13   Attendance: 10,539
Left on Base: Expos 6, Astros 3
DP: Expos 1, Astros 2
Doubles: Torrez (1), Jorgensen (3), Fairly (3), Boccabella (4)
Home Runs: Breeden (2), Singleton (3), Watson 2 (3)
Stolen Bases: Roque (2)
GIDP: Fairly (1), Torres (3)
Hit by Pitch: Wynn (2,by Torrez)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Torrez                  6     3   2   2   0   2   2  20   3.00
Marshall L(1-3)         2.1   2   2   2   2   4   0  11   6.61
Walker                  0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   2.77
Totals                  8.2   5   4   4   3   6   2  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson                  8     8   3   3   3   6   2  33   4.14
Ray W(1-0)              1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9     8   3   3   3   6   2  36

Hit by Pitch: Torrez (1)
Wild Pitches: Marshall (4)
Balks: Walker (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Terry Tata


EXPOS 1ST: Hunt flied out to center; Foli popped to third in
foul territory; Jorgensen lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Wynn was hit by a pitch; Torres grounded out (third
to first) [Wynn to second]; Wynn was picked off second (pitcher
to second); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Fairly singled; Singleton lined into a double play
(first unassisted) [Fairly out at first]; Boccabella struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson homered; May grounded out (shortstop to
first); Rader struck out; Edwards grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 1.

EXPOS 3RD: Roque grounded out (third to first); Frias struck
out; Torrez doubled; Hunt flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Helms flied out to center; Wilson grounded out
(first to pitcher); Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 1.

EXPOS 4TH: Foli grounded out (third to first); Jorgensen
doubled; Fairly grounded out (pitcher to first) [Jorgensen to
third]; Singleton walked; Boccabella flied out to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Torres lined to right; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first); Watson homered; May flied out to center; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 2.

EXPOS 5TH: Roque walked; Roque stole second; Frias struck out;
Torrez struck out; Hunt struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos
0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); Edwards
grounded out (third to first); Helms grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 2.

EXPOS 6TH: Foli flied out to center; Jorgensen lined to right;
Fairly doubled; Singleton lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Wilson struck out; Wynn singled; Torres grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Wynn out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 2.

EXPOS 7TH: Boccabella doubled; Roque made an out to second; DAY
BATTED FOR FRIAS; Day popped to first in foul territory; BREEDEN
BATTED FOR TORREZ; Breeden homered [Boccabella scored]; Hunt
singled; Foli flied out to left; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: MARSHALL REPLACED BREEDEN (PITCHING); LABOY REPLACED
DAY (PLAYING 3B); HUNT CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); Cedeno
was called out on strikes; Watson flied out to right; May struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 2.

EXPOS 8TH: Jorgensen walked; Fairly grounded into a double play
(first to shortstop) [Jorgensen out at second]; Singleton
homered; Boccabella struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Rader struck out; Edwards singled; AGEE RAN FOR
EDWARDS; Helms flied out to center; GALLAGHER BATTED FOR WILSON;
Gallagher struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 2.

EXPOS 9TH: HOWARD REPLACED AGEE (PLAYING C ); RAY REPLACED
GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Roque grounded out (shortstop to first);
Laboy made an out to catcher; Marshall popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Wynn walked; STEWART BATTED FOR TORRES; Stewart
flied out to left; Cedeno singled [Wynn to third]; Marshall
threw a wild pitch [Wynn scored, Cedeno to second]; Watson
walked; WALKER REPLACED MARSHALL (PITCHING); May flied out to
center [Cedeno to third]; Rader was walked intentionally [Watson
to second]; Cesar Cedeno broke for HP as Tom Walker wound up;
Walker stopped and was called for the game-ending balk;
Walker balked [Cedeno scored, Watson to third, Rader to second];
2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 4.