After driving in a run with a single in the ninth inning to win the first game, 7-6, Doug Rader collected three hits and batted in three runs to help the Astros beat the Giants, 8-3, in a sweep of a doubleheader. In the opener, Lee May drove in two runs for the Astros with a double in the sixth inning and Cesar Cedeno hit a grand-slam homer in the seventh, connecting off Randy Moffitt, who came in to relieve after Charlie Williams loaded the bases by giving up singles to Skip Jutze and Roger Metzger around a pass to Jim Wynn. The Giants put on a power show in their half, tying the score with three-run homers by Bobby Bonds and Willie McCovey. However, in the ninth, the Astros loaded the bases and Rader singled with two out to drive in the winning run.

Rader hit a homer and double in the nightcap and Bob Watson also drove in three runs, walking with the bases loaded for one RBI and accounting for two others with a pair of singles. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, San Francisco Giants 6 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, June      24, 1973 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  2    4  0  1  -   7 10  1
Giants       0  0  0    0  0  0    6  0  0  -   6  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wynn rf               3   2   0   0     2   0   .230      Bonds rf              4   1   1   3     1   0   .314
Metzger ss            4   1   1   0     0   1   .243      Fuentes 2b            5   1   2   0     0   0   .302
Cedeno cf             5   2   3   4     0   0   .315      Maddox cf             5   1   0   0     0   1   .320
Watson lf             4   1   0   0     1   0   .326      McCovey 1b            3   1   1   3     2   0   .253
May 1b                4   0   1   2     0   1   .270      Goodson 3b            5   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Batista 1b          0   0   0   0     1   0   .333      Matthews lf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .306
Rader 3b              5   0   1   1     0   1   .243      Speier ss             2   1   0   0     1   0   .270
Helms 2b              5   0   2   0     0   0   .290      Sadek c               2   0   0   0     0   1   .172
Jutze c               3   1   2   0     1   0   .206        Rader c             1   1   1   0     1   0   .224
Roberts p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .152      Williams p            2   0   1   0     0   1   .500
  Stewart ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .226        Moffitt p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Arnold ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .353
                                                            Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Thomasson ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .224
                                                            Willoughby p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .136

Totals               36   7  10   7     5   4             Totals               34   6   7   6     6   4

Time of Game: 2:17
Left on Base: Astros 9, Giants 8
DP: Astros 0, Giants 0
Errors: Rader, Goodson
Doubles: Helms (12), May (11)
Home Runs: Cedeno (12), Bonds (19), McCovey (14)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (24)
Sacrifice Hits: Roberts (6), Metzger (7), Speier (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 7     7   6   3   3   4   2  32   2.97
Ray W(4-0)              2     0   0   0   3   0   0   9   2.65
Totals                  9     7   6   3   6   4   2  41

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Williams                6.2   5   5   5   3   3   0  29   5.82
Moffitt                 0.1   1   1   1   0   0   1   2   2.83
Sosa                    1     2   0   0   0   1   0   5   3.09
Willoughby L(3-4)       1     2   1   1   2   0   0   7   5.10
Totals                  9    10   7   7   5   4   1  43

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


ASTROS 1ST: Wynn flied out to center; Metzger struck out; Cedeno
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Bonds grounded out (pitcher to first); Fuentes lined
to third; Maddox grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to right; May reached on an error
by Goodson [May to first]; Rader flied out to center; Helms
doubled to left [May to third]; Jutze grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: McCovey walked; Goodson forced McCovey (third to
second); Matthews singled to left [Goodson to second]; Speier
flied out to right; Sadek was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Roberts grounded out (second to first); Wynn made an
out to pitcher; Metzger flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Williams struck out; Bonds grounded out (catcher to
first); Fuentes grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno flied out to right; Watson grounded out
(third to first); May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Maddox was called out on strikes; McCovey walked;
Goodson forced McCovey (pitcher to shortstop); Matthews forced
Goodson (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Giants 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader flied out to right; Helms grounded out
(shortstop to first); Jutze walked; Roberts struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Speier grounded out (shortstop to first); Sadek
grounded out (shortstop to first); Williams singled to left;
Bonds flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants
0.

ASTROS 6TH: Wynn flied out to center; Metzger grounded out
(pitcher to second to first); Cedeno singled to right; Cedeno
stole second; Watson walked; May doubled to left [Cedeno scored,
Watson scored]; Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 0.

GIANTS 6TH: Fuentes singled to left; Maddox forced Fuentes
(shortstop to second); McCovey popped to catcher in foul
territory; Goodson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 0.

ASTROS 7TH: RADER REPLACED SADEK (PLAYING C ); Helms flied out
to left; Jutze singled to center; Roberts out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Jutze to second]; Wynn was walked
intentionally; Metzger singled to second [Jutze to third, Wynn
to second]; MOFFITT REPLACED WILLIAMS (PITCHING); Cedeno homered
[Jutze scored, Wynn scored, Metzger scored]; Watson flied out to
center; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Giants 0.

GIANTS 7TH: Matthews made an out to first; Speier walked; Rader
singled to right [Speier to third]; ARNOLD BATTED FOR MOFFITT;
Arnold struck out; Bonds homered [Speier scored, Rader scored];
Fuentes singled to right; Maddox reached on an error by Rader
[Fuentes to third, Maddox to first]; McCovey homered (unearned)
[Fuentes scored (unearned), Maddox scored (unearned)]; Goodson
grounded out (second to first); 6 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 6, Giants 6.

ASTROS 8TH: SOSA REPLACED ARNOLD (PITCHING); May made an out to
shortstop; Rader struck out; Helms singled to left; Jutze
singled to left [Helms to second]; STEWART BATTED FOR ROBERTS;
Stewart grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Astros 6, Giants 6.

GIANTS 8TH: RAY REPLACED STEWART (PITCHING); BATISTA REPLACED
MAY (PLAYING 1B); Matthews walked; Speier out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Matthews to second]; Rader was walked
intentionally; THOMASSON BATTED FOR SOSA; Thomasson grounded out
(second to first) [Matthews to third, Rader to second]; Bonds
was walked intentionally; Fuentes grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 6, Giants 6.

ASTROS 9TH: WILLOUGHBY REPLACED THOMASSON (PITCHING); Wynn
walked; Metzger out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Wynn to second]; Cedeno singled to shortstop [Wynn to third];
Watson grounded out (first to pitcher) [Cedeno to second, Wynn
stayed at third]; Batista was walked intentionally; Rader
singled to shortstop [Wynn scored, Cedeno to third, Batista to
second]; Helms forced Rader (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 6.

GIANTS 9TH: Maddox made an out to second; McCovey grounded out
(shortstop to first); Goodson grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Giants 6.