Roger Metzger rapped four hits in five trips, including a triple, to pace the Astros to a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers. Joe Ferguson batted in both of the Dodgers' runs with a triple in the fourth inning.

The Astros bounced back with three runs in the fifth. Tommy Helms singled, stopped at third on a double by Johnny Edwards and scored on an infield out by Jesus Alou. Edwards crossed the plate with the tying run on a wild pitch. Tommie Agee then walked and Metzger hit his triple to knock in the Astros' deciding run. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Game Played on Friday, July      27, 1973 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  3  0    1  1  0  -   5  9  0
Dodgers      0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Agee rf               3   1   1   1     2   2   .253      Lopes 2b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .295
Metzger ss            5   0   4   1     0   0   .261      Buckner 1b,lf         4   1   1   0     0   0   .273
Cedeno cf             5   0   0   0     0   2   .309      Davis cf              4   1   2   0     0   1   .303
Watson lf             3   1   1   0     2   0   .325      Ferguson c            4   0   2   2     0   1   .285
Rader 3b              5   0   1   0     0   2   .255      Crawford rf           4   0   1   0     0   2   .307
May 1b                3   0   0   1     0   0   .267      Cey 3b                4   0   0   0     0   1   .261
Helms 2b              3   2   1   0     0   0   .287      Joshua lf             1   0   0   0     0   1   .238
  Torres ph,2b        1   0   0   0     0   1   .098        Garvey ph,1b        3   0   1   0     0   1   .310
Edwards c             3   1   1   0     1   1   .245      Russell ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .289
Richard p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .091      Downing p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .122
  Alou ph             1   0   0   1     0   0   .241        Rau p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Pizarro p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Paciorek ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .222
                                                            Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   5   9   4     5   9             Totals               33   2   7   2     1  10

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance: 19,818
Left on Base: Astros 9, Dodgers 6
DP: Astros 0, Dodgers 0
Errors: Cey
Doubles: Edwards (9), Ferguson (15), Crawford (19)
Triples: Metzger (13)
Caught Stealing: Watson (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Pizarro (1), Downing (6)
Sacrifice Flies: May (7)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                 4     3   2   2   0   8   0  15   2.87
Pizarro W(2-1)          5     4   0   0   1   2   0  20   4.15
Totals                  9     7   2   2   1  10   0  35

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Downing L(8-5)          6.2   6   4   3   3   7   0  29   3.19
Rau                     0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   4.14
Culver                  2     3   1   1   2   1   0  11   3.12
Totals                  9     9   5   4   5   9   0  41

Wild Pitches: Downing (6)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Agee struck out; Metzger singled to shortstop;
Cedeno flied out to left; Watson grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes struck out; Buckner grounded out (second to
first); Davis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader grounded out (third to first); May grounded
out (pitcher to first); Helms flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Ferguson grounded out (second to first); Crawford
struck out; Cey popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Edwards walked; Richard struck out; Agee struck out;
Metzger flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Joshua struck out; Russell struck out; Downing
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson grounded out (third to
first); Rader struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Lopes grounded out (shortstop to first); Buckner
singled to left; Davis singled to right [Buckner to third];
Ferguson doubled to left [Buckner scored, Davis scored];
Crawford struck out; Cey struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 5TH: May grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms singled
to center; Edwards doubled to right [Helms to third]; ALOU
BATTED FOR RICHARD; Alou grounded out (second to pitcher) [Helms
scored, Edwards to third]; Downing threw a wild pitch [Edwards
scored]; Agee walked; Metzger tripled to right [Agee scored];
Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 5TH: PIZARRO REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); GARVEY BATTED FOR
JOSHUA; Garvey singled to center; Russell forced Garvey
(shortstop to second); Downing out on a sacrifice bunt (first to
second) [Russell to second]; Lopes walked; Buckner popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 6TH: GARVEY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); BUCKNER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Watson walked; Watson was picked off and
caught stealing second (pitcher to first to shortstop); Rader
struck out; May grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 6TH: Davis grounded out (second to first); Ferguson
struck out; Crawford doubled to left; Cey reached on a fielder's
choice [Crawford out at third (third unassisted)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Helms reached on an error by Cey [Helms to first];
Edwards struck out; Pizarro out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
unassisted) [Helms to second]; Agee singled to center [Helms
scored (unearned)]; Metzger singled to center [Agee to third];
RAU REPLACED DOWNING (PITCHING); Cedeno struck out; 1 R (0 ER),
2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 7TH: Garvey flied out to center; Russell grounded out
(third to first); PACIOREK BATTED FOR RAU; Paciorek flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 8TH: CULVER REPLACED PACIOREK (PITCHING); Watson singled
to right; Rader singled to center [Watson to third]; May hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Watson scored]; TORRES BATTED FOR HELMS;
Torres struck out; Edwards flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 8TH: TORRES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Lopes grounded
out (first to pitcher); Buckner grounded out (second to first);
Davis singled to right; Ferguson singled to left [Davis to
second]; Crawford grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Pizarro popped to pitcher; Agee walked; Metzger
singled to right [Agee to third]; Cedeno grounded out (third to
first) [Metzger to second]; Watson walked; Rader flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 5, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 9TH: Cey flied out to center; Garvey struck out; Russell
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
5, Dodgers 2.