A walk with the bases loaded and a two-run single by Roger Metzger in the seventh innning enabled the Astros to defeat the Pirates, 4-3. The Astros picked up their initial run in the second when Bob Watson and Lee May singled and Johnny Edwards hit a sacrifice fly.

In the seventh, Edwards and Tommy Helms singled and Jimmy Stewart was hit by a pitch. Jim Wynn walked to force in a run and Metzger followed with his decisive single. Willie Stargell drove in the Pirates' runs with a homer and double, but the slugger was thrown out by Wynn trying to score from second base on a single by Manny Sanguillen in the eighth inning. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Friday, June      8, 1973 (Night game) at Astrodome
Pirates      0  0  2    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   3  9  0
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  0    3  0  x  -   4  9  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Stennett ss           5   0   1   0     0   1   .218      Wynn rf               3   0   1   1     1   1   .240
Cash 2b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Metzger ss            4   0   1   2     0   0   .236
Oliver cf             4   2   2   0     0   0   .283      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .314
Stargell lf           4   1   2   3     0   1   .290      Watson lf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .338
Hebner 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .277      May 1b                4   0   2   0     0   1   .228
Sanguillen rf         4   0   1   0     0   0   .299      Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .232
Robertson 1b          2   0   0   0     0   0   .307      Edwards c             2   1   1   1     0   0   .221
  Davalillo 1b        1   0   0   0     0   0   .171      Helms 2b              3   1   2   0     0   0   .283
  Clines ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .245      Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .030
May c                 3   0   0   0     1   0   .288        Stewart ph          0   1   0   0     0   0   .182
Ellis p               3   0   1   0     0   2   .071        Crawford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Giusti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500        Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Zisk ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .172
  Alley pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .238

Totals               35   3   9   3     2   4             Totals               30   4   9   4     1   6

Time of Game: 1:50   Attendance: 25,486
Left on Base: Pirates 7, Astros 5
DP: Pirates 2, Astros 1
Doubles: Hebner (11), Oliver (8), Stargell (8)
Home Runs: Stargell (17)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (20)
Sacrifice Flies: Edwards (1)
GIDP: Stargell (3), Metzger (2), Rader (4)
Hit by Pitch: Stewart (1,by Ellis)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis L(5-6)            6.2   9   4   4   1   6   0  29   3.06
Giusti                  1.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   1.17
Totals                  8     9   4   4   1   6   0  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(6-5)           7     6   2   2   1   3   1  28   3.32
Crawford                1     3   1   1   0   0   0   5   3.13
Ray SV(3)               1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   2.82
Totals                  9     9   3   3   2   4   1  37

Hit by Pitch: Ellis (5)

Umpires: HP - Augie Donatelli, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Satch Davidson


PIRATES 1ST: Stennett singled to center; Cash reached on a
fielder's choice [Stennett to second]; Oliver forced Cash (first
to shortstop) [Stennett to third]; Stargell grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Oliver out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

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

PIRATES 2ND: Hebner doubled to center; Sanguillen grounded out
(second to first) [Hebner to third]; Robertson popped to catcher
in foul territory; May was walked intentionally; Ellis struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to center; May singled to right
[Watson to third]; Rader struck out; Edwards hit a sacrifice fly
to left [Watson scored]; Helms singled to left [May to second];
Forsch popped to catcher in foul territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); Cash
grounded out (shortstop to first); Oliver singled to center;
Stargell homered [Oliver scored]; Hebner singled to right;
Sanguillen grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Pirates 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Wynn lined to left; Metzger grounded out (second to
first); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Robertson lined to third; May flied out to right;
Ellis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (second to first); May struck
out; Rader lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2,
Astros 1.

PIRATES 5TH: Stennett flied out to right; Cash flied to left in
foul territory; Oliver grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: DAVALILLO REPLACED ROBERTSON (PLAYING 1B); Edwards
flied out to center; Helms grounded out (third to first); Forsch
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 1.

PIRATES 6TH: Stargell struck out; Hebner flied out to right;
Sanguillen grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Pirates 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Wynn was called out on strikes; Metzger lined to
shortstop; Cedeno singled to center; Cedeno stole second; Watson
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 1.

PIRATES 7TH: Davalillo grounded out (second to first); May
grounded out (first unassisted); Ellis singled to left; Stennett
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: May singled to center; Rader grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [May out at second]; Edwards
singled to center; Helms singled to center [Edwards to second];
STEWART BATTED FOR FORSCH; Stewart was hit by a pitch [Edwards
to third, Helms to second]; Wynn walked [Edwards scored, Helms
to third, Stewart to second]; Metzger singled to right [Helms
scored, Stewart scored, Wynn to third, Metzger to second (on
throw)]; GIUSTI REPLACED ELLIS (PITCHING); Cedeno made an out to
third; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 4.

PIRATES 8TH: CRAWFORD REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); Cash grounded
out (second to first); Oliver doubled to left; Stargell doubled
to left [Oliver scored]; Hebner made an out to catcher;
Sanguillen singled to right [Stargell out at home (right to
catcher)]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson flied out to right; May flied out to center;
Rader grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 3, Astros 4.

PIRATES 9TH: CLINES BATTED FOR DAVALILLO; RAY REPLACED CRAWFORD
(PITCHING); Clines grounded out (first to pitcher); May grounded
out (second to first); ZISK BATTED FOR GIUSTI; Zisk walked;
ALLEY RAN FOR ZISK; Stennett struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 3, Astros 4.