The Astros closed a disastrous homestand as the 8-5 victims of the Padres and Cito Gaston, whose three-run homer in the ninth gave the victory to San Diego, saddled Houston with their fifth defeat in eight games. Jerry Morales doubled over Cesar Cedeno's head with the bases loaded in the third to account for the first three Padre runs, and doubled again in the seventh during a two-run rally which tied the score at 5-5.

The Astros got two in the first on singles by Jesus Alou and Doug Rader, a walk and a fielder's choice. Jim Wynn's leadoff homer in the third tied the score. Houston took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth on singles by Wynn and Bob Watson and a long double by Rader. [The Sporting News]



San Diego Padres 8, Houston Astros 5
Game Played on Monday, July      2, 1973 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  3    0  0  0    2  0  3  -   8 12  1
Astros       2  0  1    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   5 10  1


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Thomas ss             4   2   2   0     1   1   .198      Metzger ss            5   0   1   0     0   0   .259
J. Morales cf,lf      5   2   3   3     0   0   .274      Alou rf               5   1   2   0     0   1   .255
Roberts 3b            4   0   3   1     0   0   .245      Cedeno cf             0   1   0   0     1   0   .314
Colbert 1b            4   1   1   1     1   1   .253        Wynn cf             3   2   2   1     0   0   .229
Gaston rf             5   1   1   3     0   0   .295      Watson lf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .334
Winfield lf           2   0   0   0     1   0   .333      Rader 3b              4   0   2   3     0   0   .246
  Locklear ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .211      Batista 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .273
  Grubb cf            1   0   1   0     0   0   .302      Helms 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .292
R. Morales 2b         5   0   0   0     0   0   .133      Jutze c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .247
Corrales c            4   1   1   0     1   1   .300      Reuss p               3   0   0   0     0   3   .180
Kirby p               3   1   0   0     0   1   .160        York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Romo p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Crawford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
                                                            Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gallagher ph        1   0   1   0     0   0   .225
                                                            Busse pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .139

Totals               38   8  12   8     4   4             Totals               36   5  10   4     2   5

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance: 16,929
Left on Base: Padres 10, Astros 6
DP: Padres 2, Astros 1
Errors: R. Morales, Reuss
Doubles: Corrales (2), J. Morales 2 (10), Rader (13)
Triples: Metzger (10)
Home Runs: Gaston (7), Wynn (14)
Sacrifice Hits: Kirby 2 (3), Roberts (1)
GIDP: Colbert (6), Wynn (5), Alou (3)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kirby W(5-8)            8    10   5   4   2   5   1  36   4.84
Romo SV(6)              1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.40
Totals                  9    10   5   4   2   5   1  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   6     7   5   4   2   4   0  29   3.21
York                    0.1   2   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.40
Crawford L(2-4)         2     3   3   3   1   0   1  10   3.64
Griffin                 0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   3   5.04
Totals                  9    12   8   7   4   4   1  45

Passed Balls: Corrales (1)
Wild Pitches: Reuss 2 (8)

Umpires: HP - Shag Crawford, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Art Williams


PADRES 1ST: Thomas singled; J. Morales flied out to right;
Roberts singled [Thomas to third]; Colbert grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Roberts out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou
singled; Cedeno walked [Alou to second]; Watson made an out to
second; Rader singled [Alou scored, Cedeno to third]; Batista
reached on an error by R. Morales [Cedeno scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Rader to third]; Corrales allowed a passed ball [Batista
to second]; Helms flied out to left; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 2.

PADRES 2ND: Gaston grounded out (second to first); Winfield
grounded out (shortstop to first); R. Morales flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Jutze grounded out (shortstop to first); Reuss
struck out; Metzger tripled; Alou flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 2.

PADRES 3RD: Corrales doubled; Kirby reached on an error by Reuss
on a sacrifice bunt [Corrales to third, Kirby to first]; Reuss
threw a wild pitch [Kirby to second]; Thomas walked; J. Morales
doubled to center [Corrales scored, Kirby scored (unearned),
Thomas scored]; WYNN REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING CF); Roberts
singled [J. Morales to third]; Colbert struck out; Gaston flied
out to center; Winfield grounded out (shortstop to first); 3 R
(2 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Wynn homered; Watson singled; Rader flied out to
right; Batista flied out to left; Helms made an out to second; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

PADRES 4TH: R. Morales flied out to center; Corrales struck out
but advanced to first on a wild pitch; Kirby reached on a
fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Corrales to second];
Thomas struck out; J. Morales flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Jutze grounded out (shortstop to first); Reuss
struck out; Metzger grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

PADRES 5TH: Roberts popped to catcher in foul territory; Colbert
made an out to shortstop; Gaston made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Alou struck out; Wynn singled; Watson singled [Wynn
to second]; Rader doubled [Wynn scored, Watson scored]; Batista
struck out; Helms flied out to right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 3, Astros 5.

PADRES 6TH: Winfield walked; R. Morales made an out to
shortstop; Corrales forced Winfield (shortstop to second); Kirby
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Jutze grounded out (shortstop to first); Reuss
struck out; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 5.

PADRES 7TH: Thomas singled; J. Morales doubled [Thomas to
third]; YORK REPLACED REUSS (PITCHING); Roberts singled [Thomas
scored, J. Morales to third]; Colbert singled [J. Morales
scored, Roberts to second]; Gaston forced Roberts (pitcher to
third) [Colbert to second]; LOCKLEAR BATTED FOR WINFIELD;
CRAWFORD REPLACED YORK (PITCHING); Locklear flied out to left;
R. Morales lined to center; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 5,
Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: GRUBB REPLACED LOCKLEAR (PLAYING CF); J. MORALES
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Alou singled; Wynn grounded into
a double play (third to second to first) [Alou out at second];
Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 5, Astros 5.

PADRES 8TH: Corrales grounded out (second to first); Kirby flied
out to left; Thomas grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); Batista
grounded out (second to first); Helms grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 5.

PADRES 9TH: J. Morales singled; Roberts out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [J. Morales to second]; Colbert was walked
intentionally; Gaston homered [J. Morales scored, Colbert
scored]; Grubb singled; GRIFFIN REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); R.
Morales grounded out (third to first) [Grubb to second];
Corrales was walked intentionally; Kirby flied out to left; 3 R,
3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 8, Astros 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Jutze walked; GALLAGHER BATTED FOR GRIFFIN;
Gallagher singled [Jutze to second]; BUSSE RAN FOR GALLAGHER;
ROMO REPLACED KIRBY (PITCHING); Metzger flied out to center;
Alou grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Jutze to third, Busse out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 8, Astros 5.