Idle since May 7 because of a sore shoulder, Dave Roberts returned to action and pitched the Astros to a 3-1 victory over the Giants. Roberts gave up the Giants' run in the second inning on a double by Gary Matthews, infield hit by Dave Rader and single by Bobby Bonds.

The Astros came back with their trio in the fourth. Bob Watson walked and when Lee May grounded to Ed Goodson, both runners were safe on a late throw to second. Doug Rader and Johnny Edwards followed with run-scoring singles and Tommy Helms hit a double to drive in the final tally. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, San Francisco Giants 1
Game Played on Friday, May       18, 1973 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  0
Astros       0  0  0    3  0  0    0  0  x  -   3  8  1


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bonds rf              4   0   1   1     0   0   .307      Wynn rf               3   0   2   0     1   1   .224
Fuentes 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .308      Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .182
Speier ss             4   0   0   0     0   1   .274      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .338
McCovey 1b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .244      Watson lf             2   1   1   0     2   0   .355
  Thomasson pr,1b     0   0   0   0     0   0   .230      May 1b                4   1   0   0     0   1   .200
Maddox cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Rader 3b              4   1   2   1     0   1   .241
Goodson 3b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .323      Edwards c             2   0   1   1     1   0   .212
Matthews lf           4   1   1   0     0   0   .313      Helms 2b              3   0   1   1     0   0   .260
Rader c               3   0   1   0     0   0   .195      Roberts p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .105
  Arnold ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .429
Willoughby p          2   0   1   0     0   1   .136
  Kingman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  McDowell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .125

Totals               35   1   7   1     0   2             Totals               29   3   8   3     4   4

Time of Game: 2:05   Attendance: 35,169
Left on Base: Giants 7, Astros 6
DP: Giants 4, Astros 0
Errors: Rader
Doubles: Matthews (6), Helms (6)
GIDP: Cedeno (7), May 2 (7)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Willoughby L(3-3)       6     7   3   3   4   0   0  26   4.55
McDowell                2     1   0   0   0   4   0   7   5.47
Totals                  8     8   3   3   4   4   0  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts W(4-1)          9     7   1   1   0   2   0  35   2.51
Totals                  9     7   1   1   0   2   0  35

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Chris Pelekoudas, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - John McSherry


GIANTS 1ST: Bonds flied out to center; Fuentes popped to catcher
in foul territory; Speier struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Wynn singled; Metzger forced Wynn (second to
shortstop); Cedeno grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Metzger out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: McCovey grounded out (shortstop to first); Maddox
lined to shortstop; Goodson lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; May grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Watson out at second]; Rader
singled; Edwards grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Matthews doubled; Rader singled [Matthews to third];
Willoughby struck out; Bonds singled [Matthews scored, Rader to
second]; Fuentes forced Bonds (shortstop to second); Speier
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 1,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Helms flied out to center; Roberts lined to right;
Wynn singled; Metzger forced Wynn (first to shortstop); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

GIANTS 4TH: McCovey grounded out (first to pitcher); Maddox
grounded out (third to first); Goodson grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno popped to first in foul territory; Watson
walked; May reached on a fielder's choice [Watson to second];
Rader singled [Watson scored, May to second]; Edwards singled
[May scored, Rader to second]; Helms doubled [Rader scored,
Edwards to third]; Roberts grounded out (first unassisted); Wynn
was walked intentionally; Metzger grounded out (first to
pitcher); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

GIANTS 5TH: Matthews made an out to first; Rader made an out to
third; Willoughby singled; Bonds reached on an error by Rader
[Willoughby to second, Bonds to first]; Fuentes singled
[Willoughby to third, Bonds to second]; Speier grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno made an out to third; Watson singled; May
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Watson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros
3.

GIANTS 6TH: McCovey flied out to left; Maddox grounded out
(shortstop to first); Goodson singled; Matthews flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader grounded out (third to first); Edwards walked;
Helms lined into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Edwards out at first]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros
3.

GIANTS 7TH: Rader popped to catcher in foul territory; KINGMAN
BATTED FOR WILLOUGHBY; Kingman grounded out (third to first);
Bonds lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: MCDOWELL REPLACED KINGMAN (PITCHING); Roberts struck
out; Wynn struck out; Metzger singled; Cedeno popped to catcher
in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

GIANTS 8TH: Fuentes grounded out (second to first); Speier
grounded out (pitcher to first); McCovey singled; THOMASSON RAN
FOR MCCOVEY; Maddox grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: THOMASSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Watson flied
out to center; May struck out (catcher to first); Rader struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

GIANTS 9TH: Goodson flied out to right; Matthews grounded out
(third to first); ARNOLD BATTED FOR RADER; Arnold grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.