Hank Aaron hit his 11th homer of the season and 684th of his career, but the Braves were forced into overtime before scoring three runs in the 11th inning to defeat the Astros, 5-2. Ralph Garr opened the 11th with a single and Marty Perez sacrificed. After an intentional pass to Darrell Evans, Sonny Jackson beat out an infield hit to load the bases. Dusty Baker followed with a sacrifice fly to break the tie and Davey Johnson then doubled to drive in two insurance runs. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Wednesday, May       16, 1973 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0    0  3  -   5  8  0
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  -   2  8  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Garr rf               5   2   3   0     0   0   .250      Agee rf,lf            5   0   1   0     0   2   .293
Perez ss              3   0   0   0     1   1   .238      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .168
Evans 3b              4   1   1   1     1   0   .258        Wynn ph,rf          1   0   0   0     1   1   .221
Aaron lf              3   1   1   1     1   0   .233        York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Jackson lf          1   1   1   0     0   0   .182      Cedeno cf             5   1   3   2     0   1   .342
Baker cf              4   0   0   1     0   0   .296      Watson lf,1b          5   0   0   0     0   2   .353
Johnson 2b            5   0   1   2     0   1   .278      May 1b                4   0   0   0     0   0   .204
Lum 1b                5   0   0   0     0   1   .282        Upshaw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Casanova c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Crawford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Oates ph,c          1   0   0   0     0   0   .241        Gallagher rf        1   0   1   0     0   0   .214
Gentry p              3   0   1   0     0   2   .292      Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     1   0   .226
  Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Howard c              4   0   0   0     0   3   .140
  Pierce ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .053      Helms 2b              4   1   2   0     0   0   .250
  Schueler p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Reuss p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .208
                                                            Stewart ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Torres ss           1   0   0   0     0   0   .083

Totals               38   5   8   5     3   5             Totals               40   2   8   2     2   9

Time of Game: 2:42   Attendance: 12,491
Left on Base: Braves 5, Astros 7
DP: Braves 0, Astros 0
Errors: Metzger
Doubles: Evans (7), Johnson (6), Helms (4)
Home Runs: Aaron (11), Cedeno (7)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (18)
Caught Stealing: Garr (1), Perez (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Perez (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Baker (1)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gentry                  7.1   5   2   2   2   7   1  29   3.03
Frisella                1.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   6   4.32
Schueler W(1-0)         2     2   0   0   0   1   0   7   4.41
Totals                 11     8   2   2   2   9   1  42

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   8     5   2   2   2   5   1  30   2.04
Upshaw L(0-2)           2.1   1   1   1   0   0   0   8   3.86
Crawford                0     1   2   2   1   0   0   2   5.02
York                    0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.93
Totals                 11     8   5   5   3   5   1  43

Wild Pitches: Reuss (2)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Garr singled; Reuss threw a wild pitch [Garr to
second]; Perez struck out; Evans doubled [Garr scored]; Aaron
walked; Baker flied out to center; Johnson was called out on
strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Agee made an out to second; Metzger grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno homered; Watson struck out; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Lum popped to first in foul territory; Casanova
grounded out (shortstop to first); Gentry singled; Garr grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros
1.

ASTROS 2ND: May grounded out (second to first); Rader walked;
Howard struck out; Helms flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Perez flied out to center; Evans flied out to left;
Aaron grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Reuss grounded out (second to first); Agee struck
out; Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Baker reached on an error by Metzger [Baker to
first]; Johnson made an out to first; Lum struck out; Casanova
made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson lined to third; May made
an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Gentry struck out; Garr singled; Garr was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Perez grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader made an out to shortstop; Howard was called
out on strikes; Helms doubled; Reuss flied out to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Evans grounded out (second to first); Aaron homered;
Baker grounded out (first unassisted); Johnson flied out to
left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Agee flied out to center; Metzger grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno singled; Cedeno stole second;
Watson lined to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros
1.

BRAVES 7TH: Lum flied out to center; Casanova grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gentry struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: May grounded out (third to first); Rader flied out
to center; Howard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Garr grounded out (third to first); Perez walked;
Perez was caught stealing second; Evans grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Helms singled; STEWART BATTED FOR REUSS; Stewart
singled [Helms to second]; Agee struck out; WYNN BATTED FOR
METZGER; Wynn walked [Helms to third, Stewart to second];
FRISELLA REPLACED GENTRY (PITCHING); Cedeno singled [Helms
scored, Stewart to third, Wynn to second]; Watson struck out;
May lined to third; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

BRAVES 9TH: UPSHAW REPLACED MAY (PITCHING); WATSON CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); AGEE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF);
WYNN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); TORRES REPLACED STEWART
(PLAYING SS); Aaron flied out to left; Baker grounded out (third
to first); Johnson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: JACKSON REPLACED AARON (PLAYING LF); Rader grounded
out (third to first); Howard lined to left; Helms grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

BRAVES 10TH: Lum flied out to center; OATES BATTED FOR CASANOVA;
Oates grounded out (second to first); PIERCE BATTED FOR
FRISELLA; Pierce popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 10TH: OATES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); SCHUELER
REPLACED PIERCE (PITCHING); Torres grounded out (third to
first); Agee singled to center [Agee out at second (center to
second)]; Wynn struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 2.

BRAVES 11TH: Garr singled; Perez out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Garr to second]; CRAWFORD REPLACED UPSHAW
(PITCHING); Evans was walked intentionally; Jackson singled
[Garr to third, Evans to second]; YORK REPLACED WYNN (PITCHING);
GALLAGHER REPLACED CRAWFORD (PLAYING RF); Baker hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Garr scored]; Johnson doubled [Evans scored,
Jackson scored]; Lum flied out to left; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 11TH: Cedeno flied out to center; Watson grounded out
(third to first); Gallagher singled; Rader forced Gallagher
(third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 2.