A grand-slam homer by Lee May in the eighth inning powered the Astros to a 12-8 victory to complete the sweep of a twi-night doubleheader with the Braves. The Astros won the first game, 11-4. The twin bill produced a total of 56 hits, including 10 homers, five for each club. The Astros started the opener with four runs in the first inning. Bob Watson knocked in two with a bases-loaded double and Skip Jutze singled in another pair. The Astros added four more runs in the fourth with the aid of three errors. Their other scoring included homers by Tommie Agee and Doug Rader. Frank Tepedino and Darrell Evans hit round-trippers for the Braves.

Agee and Rader homered again in the nightcap for the Astros, while the Braves had two circuit clouts by Davey Johnson and one by Ralph Garr. With the score tied, 7-7, the Astros loaded the bases in the eighth and counted one run on a single by Rader before May smashed his grand slam. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 11, Atlanta Braves 4 (Game 1)
Game Played on Wednesday, July      4, 1973 (Day game) at Atlanta Stadium
Astros       4  0  0    4  1  0    1  1  0  -  11 15  1
Braves       1  1  0    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   4 12  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Agee cf               6   2   3   1     0   0   .262      Jackson ss            4   0   1   0     1   0   .224
Metzger ss            5   2   2   1     0   0   .261      Lum lf                4   2   1   0     1   2   .298
Wynn rf               4   2   1   0     2   1   .231      Evans 3b              5   1   2   2     0   1   .284
Watson lf             4   2   1   2     2   1   .329      Baker cf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .281
Rader 3b              5   2   3   2     0   1   .255      Garr rf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .267
May 1b                4   0   0   0     1   2   .263      Tepedino 1b           4   1   2   1     0   1   .289
Helms 2b              4   0   1   1     1   0   .294      Johnson 2b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .260
  Torres 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .079      Casanova c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .191
Jutze c               5   0   3   2     0   1   .265      Reed p                1   0   0   0     0   1   .205
Richard p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .100        Devine p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .333
  Crawford p          2   1   1   0     0   1   .273        Goggin ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .256
                                                            House p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
                                                            Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Dietz ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .311

Totals               42  11  15   9     6   8             Totals               37   4  12   3     2   7

Time of Game: 2:42
Left on Base: Astros 11, Braves 8
DP: Astros 1, Braves 0
Errors: Metzger, Jackson, Evans, Tepedino
Doubles: Watson (13), Helms (17), Agee (2)
Home Runs: Agee (5), Rader (10), Tepedino (1), Evans (22)
Stolen Bases: Wynn (8)
Caught Stealing: Casanova (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Metzger (1)
GIDP: Lum (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(2-0)          5     7   4   3   2   4   2  22   2.84
Crawford SV(6)          4     5   0   0   0   3   0  17   3.33
Totals                  9    12   4   3   2   7   2  39

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reed L(4-11)            3.2   9   8   4   4   3   0  25   4.39
Devine                  3.1   4   2   2   0   3   1  14   6.94
House                   1     2   1   1   1   1   1   6   5.28
Frisella                1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   4.28
Totals                  9    15  11   7   6   8   2  49

Passed Balls: Jutze (5)
Wild Pitches: Richard (2), Crawford (5)

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Chris Pelekoudas, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - John McSherry


ASTROS 1ST: Agee singled to right; Metzger singled to right
[Agee to second]; Wynn singled to shortstop [Agee to third,
Metzger to second]; Watson doubled to center [Agee scored,
Metzger scored, Wynn to third]; Rader struck out; May was walked
intentionally; Helms popped to shortstop; Jutze singled to
center [Wynn scored, Watson scored, May to second]; Richard
flied out to center; 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Jackson grounded out (pitcher to first); Lum singled
to left; Evans struck out while Lum advanced to second on a
passed ball; Baker singled to shortstop [Lum scored (error by
Metzger) (unearned) (no RBI), Baker to second]; Garr grounded
out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Braves 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Agee popped to first in foul territory; Metzger
flied out to center; Wynn walked; Wynn stole second; Watson
walked; Rader flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
4, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Tepedino homered; Johnson singled to center;
Casanova forced Johnson (shortstop to second); Casanova was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Reed struck out;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 2.

ASTROS 3RD: May struck out; Helms flied out to right; Jutze
singled to center; Richard lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Jackson walked; Lum grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Jackson out at second]; Evans
singled to right; Baker grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Agee grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
singled to pitcher; Wynn reached on an error by Evans [Metzger
to second, Wynn to first]; Watson walked [Metzger to third, Wynn
to second]; Rader singled to shortstop [Metzger scored
(unearned), Wynn scored (error by Jackson) (unearned) (no RBI),
Watson scored (error by Tepedino) (unearned) (no RBI), Rader to
second]; May struck out; Helms doubled to center [Rader scored
(unearned)]; DEVINE REPLACED REED (PITCHING); Jutze struck out;
4 R (0 ER), 3 H, 3 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Garr singled to left; Tepedino grounded out (pitcher
to first) [Garr to second]; Richard threw a wild pitch [Garr to
third]; Johnson struck out; Casanova popped to second; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Braves 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Richard struck out; Agee homered; Metzger grounded
out (second to first); Wynn struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 9, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Devine struck out; Jackson grounded out (shortstop
to first); Lum walked; Evans homered [Lum scored]; Baker flied
out to right; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 9, Braves 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson grounded out (third to first); Rader singled
to center; May flied out to right; Helms forced Rader (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9, Braves 4.

BRAVES 6TH: CRAWFORD REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Garr flied out
to left; Tepedino struck out; Johnson grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 9, Braves 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Jutze lined to shortstop; Crawford singled to left;
Agee doubled to center [Crawford to third]; Metzger hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Crawford scored]; Wynn flied out to
center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 10, Braves 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Casanova popped to second; GOGGIN BATTED FOR DEVINE;
Goggin singled to center; Jackson singled to right [Goggin to
second]; Lum struck out; Evans flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 10, Braves 4.

ASTROS 8TH: HOUSE REPLACED GOGGIN (PITCHING); Watson flied out
to center; Rader homered; May grounded out (third to first);
Helms walked; Jutze singled to left [Helms to second]; Crawford
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 11, Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Baker grounded out (third to first); Garr singled to
center; Tepedino singled to right [Garr to third]; Johnson
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Tepedino to second, Garr stayed
at third]; Casanova flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 11, Braves 4.

ASTROS 9TH: FRISELLA REPLACED HOUSE (PITCHING); Agee grounded
out (third to first); Metzger popped to shortstop; Wynn walked;
Watson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Braves 4.

BRAVES 9TH: TORRES REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); DIETZ BATTED FOR
FRISELLA; Dietz singled to left; Jackson flied out to center;
Lum struck out; Crawford threw a wild pitch [Dietz to second];
Evans grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 11, Braves 4.