Coming back after a rally by the Astros in the ninth inning, the Reds scored on a two-out single by Dave Concepcion, driving in Johnny Bench, to post a 4-3 victory. With two out, the Astros tied the score with three extra-base hits -- a double by Jesus Alou and triples by Tommie Agee and Roger Metzger. In the Reds' half, Bench singled. After Tony Perez struck out, Cesar Geronimo sacrificed to set the stage for Concepcion's winning hit. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 4, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Wednesday, May       23, 1973 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  2  -   3  9  2
Reds         0  0  1    1  1  0    0  0  1  -   4  5  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wynn rf               2   0   1   0     2   0   .235      Rose lf               4   0   1   1     0   0   .319
  Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Morgan 2b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .328
  Agee ph,lf          1   1   1   1     0   0   .275      Tolan cf              3   0   0   0     0   0   .244
Metzger ss            5   0   1   1     0   0   .211      Bench c               4   1   1   0     0   0   .243
Gallagher cf          4   0   1   0     1   1   .250      Perez 1b              4   0   0   0     0   3   .264
Watson lf,1b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .344      Scheinblum rf         2   0   0   0     0   0   .239
Rader 3b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .238        Geronimo rf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .172
May 1b                4   0   1   0     0   1   .190      Concepcion ss         3   0   2   1     1   0   .299
  York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Menke 3b              2   2   1   1     1   0   .225
Edwards c             3   0   1   1     0   0   .212      Billingham p          3   0   0   0     0   0   .034
  Jutze c             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Torres 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .067
Wilson p              1   0   1   0     0   0   .179
  Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .154
  Alou rf             1   1   1   0     0   0   .364

Totals               34   3   9   3     3   2             Totals               29   4   5   3     3   3

Time of Game: 2:17   Attendance: 16,134
Left on Base: Astros 9, Reds 4
DP: Astros 1, Reds 1
Errors: Metzger, Torres
Doubles: Rader (8), Edwards (4), Alou (2)
Triples: Agee (2), Metzger (7)
Home Runs: Menke (1)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (18), Concepcion 2 (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Wilson (1), Tolan (3), Geronimo (2)
GIDP: Edwards (1), Tolan (4)
Hit by Pitch: Torres (1,by Billingham)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson                  6     3   3   2   2   2   1  23   3.06
Ray                     2     0   0   0   1   0   0   7   1.62
York L(3-2)             0.2   2   1   1   0   1   0   4   3.08
Totals                  8.2   5   4   3   3   3   1  34

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham              8.2   9   3   3   3   1   0  38   2.61
Hall W(4-2)             0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   4.82
Totals                  9     9   3   3   3   2   0  39

Hit by Pitch: Billingham (5)
Wild Pitches: Wilson (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Wynn singled to center; Metzger forced Wynn
(shortstop to second); Gallagher forced Metzger (shortstop to
second); Watson flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose flied out to center; Morgan popped to catcher in
foul territory; Tolan grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

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

REDS 2ND: Bench grounded out (second to first); Perez struck
out; Scheinblum popped to shortstop in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Torres grounded out (third to first); Wilson singled
to left; Wynn walked [Wilson to second]; Metzger forced Wynn
(first to shortstop) [Wilson to third]; Gallagher walked
[Metzger to second]; Watson flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
3 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion flied out to center; Menke homered;
Billingham grounded out (shortstop to first); Rose flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader doubled to center; May flied out to right;
Edwards doubled to left [Rader scored]; Torres was hit by a
pitch; Wilson out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Edwards to third, Torres to second]; Wynn was walked
intentionally; Metzger flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Morgan walked; Morgan stole second; Tolan out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Morgan to third]; Wilson
threw a wild pitch [Morgan scored]; Bench popped to first; Perez
struck out; 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Gallagher grounded out (second to first); Watson
grounded out (second to first); Rader grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Scheinblum popped to second; Concepcion singled to
left; Concepcion stole second; Menke walked; On a bunt
Billingham forced Concepcion (pitcher to third) [Menke to third
(error by Torres; assist by Rader), Billingham to first]; On a
bunt Rose singled [Menke scored (unearned), Billingham to
second]; Morgan flied out to center; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

ASTROS 6TH: May lined to third; Edwards grounded out (second to
first); Torres grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

REDS 6TH: Tolan grounded out (second to first); Bench grounded
out (second to first); Perez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

ASTROS 7TH: GERONIMO REPLACED SCHEINBLUM (PLAYING RF); STEWART
BATTED FOR WILSON; Stewart lined to right; Wynn grounded out
(shortstop to first); Metzger popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

REDS 7TH: ALOU REPLACED STEWART (PLAYING RF); RAY REPLACED WYNN
(PITCHING); Geronimo grounded out (first to pitcher); Concepcion
walked; Concepcion stole second; Menke grounded out (third to
first); Billingham grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Gallagher singled to center; Watson forced Gallagher
(shortstop to second); Rader grounded out (third to first)
[Watson to third]; May was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

REDS 8TH: JUTZE REPLACED EDWARDS (PLAYING C ); Rose reached on
an error by Metzger [Rose to first]; Morgan forced Rose
(shortstop to second); Tolan grounded into a double play (second
to shortstop to first) [Morgan out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Jutze grounded out (first unassisted); Torres flied
out to right; Alou doubled to left; AGEE BATTED FOR RAY; Agee
tripled to left [Alou scored]; Metzger tripled to center [Agee
scored]; HALL REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Gallagher struck
out; Lee May ejected by HP umpire Ken Burkhart; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 3.

REDS 9TH: WATSON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); AGEE STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING LF); YORK REPLACED MAY (PITCHING); Bench singled
to left; Perez was called out on strikes; Geronimo out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Bench to second]; Concepcion
singled to center [Bench scored]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
3, Reds 4.