The Astros reached their season high in hits with 18 and also had their best scoring game so far this year while beating the Mets, 14-8, for their eighth straight victory. However, the pitching for neither club was outstanding. The Mets had 11 hits and were ahead, 7-3, before the Astros tied the score in the sixth inning with the aid of a three-run homer by Bob Watson.

Then, in the seventh, the Astros exploded for seven runs, including a grand-slam homer by Watson off Ray Sadecki, who relieved loser Tug McGraw. The victory went to Mike Cosgrove, the fifth of six pitchers used by the Astros, and was the first of his major league career. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 14, New York Mets 8
Game Played on Sunday, May       6, 1973 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       1  0  2    0  0  4    7  0  0  -  14 18  1
Mets         0  0  4    0  3  0    0  0  1  -   8 12  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wynn rf               5   1   0   1     1   1   .235      Martinez lf,cf        5   0   0   0     0   1   .236
Metzger ss            5   2   1   0     1   2   .131      Millan 2b             3   1   1   1     0   0   .202
Cedeno cf             6   2   3   1     0   0   .328        Garrett 2b          2   1   1   0     0   0   .200
Watson lf,1b          5   3   4   4     1   1   .365      Mays cf               1   0   0   0     0   0   .105
May 1b                3   1   1   5     1   0   .202        Beauchamp ph        1   1   1   1     0   0   .364
  Crawford p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .250        Gosger lf           3   0   1   1     0   1   .308
Rader 3b              5   1   3   1     1   1   .231      Staub rf              4   1   1   1     1   2   .178
Edwards c             3   0   2   0     1   0   .237      Fregosi 3b            5   1   2   1     0   0   .220
  Roberts pr          0   1   0   0     0   0   .071      Grote c               3   1   0   0     1   0   .227
  Howard ph,c         2   0   1   1     0   0   .167      Theodore 1b           2   1   1   0     0   0   .250
Helms 2b              6   2   3   0     0   0   .241        Kranepool ph,1b     2   0   1   2     0   0   .286
Reuss p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .263      Harrelson ss          3   1   2   1     1   0   .213
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Parker p              3   0   1   0     0   1   .250
  Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .143        McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Sadecki p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Upshaw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Dyer ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .167        Stone p             0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
  Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Agee ph,lf          1   1   0   0     1   0   .279

Totals               45  14  18  13     7   8             Totals               38   8  12   8     3   5

Time of Game: 3:07   Attendance: 22,594
Left on Base: Astros 12, Mets 6
DP: Astros 1, Mets 1
Errors: Watson, Garrett, Fregosi
Doubles: Cedeno (12), Rader (4), Theodore (3), Garrett (4)
Home Runs: Watson (5), May (2)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (12)
Sacrifice Flies: May (1)
GIDP: Howard (1), Mays (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   2.2   6   4   4   1   1   0  14   2.13
Gladding                0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.12
Griffin                 1.2   4   3   3   2   1   0  11   4.64
Upshaw                  0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   4.82
Cosgrove W(1-1)         1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.00
Crawford SV(2)          3     2   1   1   0   2   0  11   3.29
Totals                  9    12   8   8   3   5   0  41

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Parker                  5.2   8   5   3   3   6   0  29   1.71
McGraw L(0-1)           0.1   4   6   6   3   0   1   8   5.14
Sadecki                 2     5   3   3   1   2   1  13   5.14
Stone                   1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.29
Totals                  9    18  14  12   7   8   2  53

Wild Pitches: Parker (1), McGraw (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Wynn struck out; Metzger walked; Cedeno singled to
center [Metzger to third]; Cedeno stole second; Parker threw a
wild pitch [Cedeno to third, Metzger scored]; Watson struck out
(catcher to first); May flied to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Martinez grounded out (second to first); Millan
singled; Mays grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Millan out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader struck out; Edwards singled to right; Helms
singled to left [Edwards to second]; Reuss forced Edwards
(pitcher to third) [Helms to second]; Wynn flied to right; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Staub flied to left; Fregosi grounded out (third to
first); Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger struck out; Cedeno reached on an error by
Fregosi [Cedeno to second]; Watson singled [Cedeno to third];
May hit a sacrifice fly to center [Cedeno scored (unearned),
Watson to second]; Rader singled to right [Watson scored
(unearned)]; Edwards walked [Rader to second]; Helms forced
Rader (third unassisted); 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
3, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Theodore doubled to right; Harrelson walked; On a bunt
Parker singled [Harrelson to second, Theodore to third];
Martinez struck out; Millan forced Parker (pitcher to shortstop
to second) [Harrelson to third, Theodore scored]; BEAUCHAMP
BATTED FOR MAYS; Beauchamp singled to right [Millan to second,
Harrelson scored]; Staub singled to right [Millan scored,
Beauchamp to third]; Fregosi singled to left [Staub to second,
Beauchamp scored]; GLADDING REPLACED REUSS (PITCHING); Grote
popped to second; 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

ASTROS 4TH: GOSGER REPLACED BEAUCHAMP (PLAYING LF); MARTINEZ
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); STEWART BATTED FOR GLADDING;
Stewart was called out on strikes; Wynn popped to second;
Metzger flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

METS 4TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); Theodore flied to
center; Harrelson singled to left [Harrelson to second (error by
Watson)]; Parker flied to center; Martinez flied to center; 0 R,
1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno flied to left; Watson singled to right; May
lined to left; Rader walked [Watson to second]; Edwards flied to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

METS 5TH: Millan flied to left; Gosger was called out on
strikes; Staub walked; Fregosi singled to right [Staub to
third]; Grote walked [Fregosi to second]; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR
THEODORE; Kranepool singled to left [Grote to second, Fregosi
scored, Staub scored]; Harrelson singled to left [Kranepool to
second, Grote scored]; UPSHAW REPLACED GRIFFIN (PITCHING);
Parker struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 7.

ASTROS 6TH: GARRETT REPLACED MILLAN (PLAYING 2B); KRANEPOOL
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Helms singled to center; GALLAGHER
BATTED FOR UPSHAW; Gallagher struck out; Wynn flied to center;
Metzger singled to right [Helms to third]; MCGRAW REPLACED
PARKER (PITCHING); Cedeno doubled to left [Metzger to third,
Helms scored]; Watson homered [Metzger scored, Cedeno scored];
May walked; McGraw threw a wild pitch [May to second]; Rader
popped to catcher in foul territory; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 7, Mets 7.

METS 6TH: COSGROVE REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Martinez
popped to first; Garrett grounded out (first unassisted); Gosger
flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Mets 7.

ASTROS 7TH: Edwards singled to right; ROBERTS RAN FOR EDWARDS;
Helms singled to left [Roberts to third]; AGEE BATTED FOR
COSGROVE; Agee walked [Helms to second]; Wynn walked [Roberts
scored, Helms to third, Agee to second]; SADECKI REPLACED MCGRAW
(PITCHING); Metzger was called out on strikes; Cedeno popped to
shortstop; Watson singled to center [Wynn to second, Agee to
third, Helms scored]; May homered [Agee scored, Wynn scored,
Watson scored]; Rader doubled to left; HOWARD BATTED FOR
ROBERTS; Howard singled to left [Rader scored]; Helms grounded
out (shortstop to first); 7 R, 6 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 14, Mets
7.

METS 7TH: CRAWFORD REPLACED MAY (PITCHING); HOWARD STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING C ); AGEE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); WATSON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Staub struck out; Fregosi flied
to right; Grote flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
14, Mets 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Agee grounded out (third to first); Wynn flied to
left; Metzger reached on an error by Garrett; Cedeno singled to
center [Metzger to second]; Watson walked [Metzger to third,
Cedeno to second]; Crawford struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 14, Mets 7.

METS 8TH: Kranepool grounded out (second to first); Harrelson
grounded out (third to first); DYER BATTED FOR SADECKI; Dyer
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
14, Mets 7.

ASTROS 9TH: STONE REPLACED DYER (PITCHING); Rader singled to
left; Howard grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Rader out at second]; Helms grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 14, Mets 7.

METS 9TH: Martinez grounded out (shortstop to first); Garrett
doubled to right; Gosger singled to center [Garrett scored];
Staub was called out on strikes; Fregosi forced Gosger
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 14, Mets 8.