After the first two batters were retired, the Cubs scored 10 runs in a weird first inning on six singles, four walks, a hit batsman and an error and defeated the Astros, 16-8. The fun started after Rick Monday and Glenn Beckert were retired on ground balls. Billy Williams singled, Jose Cardenal was hit by a pitch and Ron Santo was safe on a boot by Doug Rader to load the bases.

Carmen Fanzone singled to drive in two runs and Randy Hundley followed with another two-run single to chase Dave Roberts. Jim Ray relieved, walked Fergie Jenkins to load the bases and passed Monday and Beckert to force in two more runs. Cecil Upshaw became the Astros' third pitcher of the inning and filled the bases with a pass to Williams. Cardenal singled to add two tallies to the total and Santo then capped the scoring with a single for the 10th run before Fanzone went out to retire the side. [The Sporting News]



Chicago Cubs 16, Houston Astros 8
Game Played on Thursday, May       31, 1973 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  2    3  0  3  -   8 14  3
Cubs        10  0  1    2  0  1    2  0  x  -  16 14  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            4   2   2   0     0   1   .243      Monday cf             5   2   2   2     1   1   .282
  Crawford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Beckert 2b            3   1   0   1     1   1   .291
  Jutze ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .176        Popovich 2b         2   0   0   0     0   0   .196
Alou rf               5   3   3   3     0   0   .409      Williams lf           2   3   2   1     2   0   .313
Agee cf               5   2   3   1     0   1   .264        James pr,lf         1   1   0   0     0   0   .148
Watson lf             3   0   2   2     0   0   .357      Cardenal rf           4   2   3   2     0   0   .316
  Gallagher lf        2   0   0   0     0   1   .229      Santo 3b              3   1   1   1     0   0   .319
May 1b                5   0   1   1     0   1   .206        Bourque 1b          2   0   1   1     0   0   .318
Rader 3b              5   0   0   0     0   1   .232      Fanzone 1b,3b         5   1   1   3     0   2   .182
Edwards c             4   0   2   0     0   1   .220      Hundley c             5   2   2   2     0   1   .240
Helms 2b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .281        Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
Roberts p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .160      Kessinger ss          5   2   2   1     0   0   .270
  Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Jenkins p             3   1   0   0     1   3   .032
  Upshaw p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Rudolph c           1   0   0   0     0   0   .279
  Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Torres ph,ss        2   0   0   0     0   1   .079

Totals               42   8  14   7     0   8             Totals               41  16  14  14     5   8

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 10,696
Left on Base: Astros 7, Cubs 7
DP: Astros 0, Cubs 0
Errors: Rader 2, Torres, Popovich
Doubles: Edwards 2 (6), Helms (7), Cardenal (12)
Home Runs: Alou (1), Agee (2), Hundley (5), Monday (11)
Hit by Pitch: Cardenal (2,by Roberts)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts L(5-3)          0.2   4   6   0   0   0   0   8   2.92
Ray                     0     0   3   3   3   0   0   3   3.10
Upshaw                  3.1   7   4   3   2   4   1  20   5.85
Gladding                2     1   1   1   0   3   1   7   4.11
Crawford                2     2   2   0   0   1   0   9   3.52
Totals                  8    14  16   3*  5   8   2  47

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Jenkins W(6-3)          7    10   5   5   0   6   2  31   3.36
Locker SV(5)            2     4   3   1   0   2   0  11   1.96
Totals                  9    14   8   6   0   8   2  42

Hit by Pitch: Roberts (2)
Wild Pitches: Upshaw (1)

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Art Williams, 3B - Shag Crawford


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Alou flied
out to right; Agee was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Monday grounded out (pitcher to first); Beckert
grounded out (first to pitcher); Williams singled to left;
Cardenal was hit by a pitch [Williams to second]; Santo reached
on an error by Rader [Williams to third, Cardenal to second,
Santo to first]; Fanzone singled to left [Williams scored
(unearned), Cardenal scored (unearned), Santo to second];
Hundley singled to center [Santo scored (unearned), Fanzone to
third]; Kessinger singled to center [Fanzone scored (unearned),
Hundley to second]; RAY REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); Jenkins
walked [Hundley to third, Kessinger to second]; Monday walked
[Hundley scored (unearned), Kessinger to third, Jenkins to
second]; Beckert walked [Kessinger scored (unearned), Jenkins to
third, Monday to second]; UPSHAW REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); Upshaw
threw a wild pitch [Jenkins scored (unearned, but earned for the
pitcher), Monday to third, Beckert to second]; Williams was
walked intentionally; Cardenal singled to right [Monday scored
(unearned, but earned for the pitcher), Beckert scored
(unearned, but earned for the pitcher), Williams to second];
Santo singled to left [Williams scored (unearned, but earned for
the pitcher), Cardenal to third]; Fanzone popped to first in
foul territory; 10 R (4 ER), 6 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 10.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to shortstop; May flied out to
center; Rader flied out to center; Edwards doubled to left
[Watson to third]; Helms flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 10.

CUBS 2ND: Hundley grounded out (pitcher to first); Kessinger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Jenkins struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 10.

ASTROS 3RD: Upshaw grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
struck out; Alou popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Cubs 10.

CUBS 3RD: Monday lined to pitcher; Beckert struck out; Williams
walked; Cardenal doubled to center [Williams to third]; Santo
reached on an error by Rader [Williams scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Cardenal to third, Santo to first]; Fanzone struck out; 1
R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 11.

ASTROS 4TH: BOURQUE REPLACED SANTO (PLAYING 1B); FANZONE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Agee popped to first in foul territory;
Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); May struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 11.

CUBS 4TH: Hundley homered; Kessinger singled to right; Jenkins
was called out on strikes; Monday singled to center [Kessinger
to third]; Beckert flied out to left; Williams singled to right
[Kessinger scored, Monday to third]; JAMES RAN FOR WILLIAMS;
Cardenal grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Cubs 13.

ASTROS 5TH: JAMES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); POPOVICH REPLACED
BECKERT (PLAYING 2B); Rader struck out; Edwards doubled to
center; Helms grounded out (pitcher to first) [Edwards to
third]; STEWART BATTED FOR UPSHAW; Stewart grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 13.

CUBS 5TH: GLADDING REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); Bourque grounded
out (second to first); Fanzone struck out; Hundley struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 13.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger singled to right; Alou singled to left
[Metzger to second]; Agee singled to pitcher [Metzger to third,
Alou to second]; Watson singled to left [Metzger scored, Alou
scored, Agee to second]; May flied out to right; Rader forced
Watson (shortstop to second) [Agee to third]; Edwards grounded
out (second to first); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 13.

CUBS 6TH: GALLAGHER REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING LF); Kessinger
flied out to center; Jenkins struck out; Monday homered;
Popovich flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cubs 14.

ASTROS 7TH: Helms grounded out (third to first); TORRES BATTED
FOR GLADDING; Torres struck out; Metzger singled to center; Alou
homered [Metzger scored]; Agee homered; Gallagher struck out; 3
R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 14.

CUBS 7TH: TORRES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); CRAWFORD REPLACED
METZGER (PITCHING); James reached on an error by Torres [James
to first]; Cardenal singled to second [James to second]; Bourque
singled to right [James scored (unearned), Cardenal to third];
Fanzone grounded out (shortstop to first) [Cardenal scored
(unearned), Bourque to second]; Hundley flied out to left;
Kessinger flied out to right; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 5, Cubs 16.

ASTROS 8TH: LOCKER REPLACED HUNDLEY (PITCHING); RUDOLPH REPLACED
JENKINS (PLAYING C ); May flied out to left; Rader grounded out
(shortstop to first); Edwards was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 16.

CUBS 8TH: Rudolph grounded out (pitcher to third to first);
Monday struck out; Popovich grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 16.

ASTROS 9TH: Helms doubled to right; Torres flied out to left;
JUTZE BATTED FOR CRAWFORD; Jutze struck out; Alou singled to
center [Helms scored]; Agee singled to right [Alou to third];
Gallagher reached on an error by Popovich [Alou scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Agee to second, Gallagher to first]; May
singled to center [Agee scored (unearned), Gallagher to second];
Rader flied out to center; 3 R (1 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
8, Cubs 16.