Tommy Helms drove in two runs with a double in the eighth inning and scored himself on another double by Tommie Agee as the Astros broke a tie to defeat the Braves, 8-5. Paul Casanova and Darrell Evans hit two-run homers for the Braves, while the Astros had a similar drive by Lee May. In the eighth, May singled and Johnny Edwards, bunting, was safe on an error. Helms and Agee followed with their two-baggers. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, Atlanta Braves 5
Game Played on Sunday, July      29, 1973 (Day game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  3  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   5  8  3
Astros       0  0  0    2  2  0    1  3  x  -   8 13  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Garr rf               5   1   2   0     0   0   .282      Agee rf               5   1   2   1     0   0   .259
Evans 3b              5   1   1   2     0   1   .271      Metzger ss            5   1   1   0     0   1   .258
Aaron lf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .253      Cedeno cf             4   1   2   1     1   1   .311
Baker cf              3   1   1   0     1   0   .286      Watson lf             4   0   2   2     1   0   .328
Johnson 2b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .254      Rader 3b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .252
Dietz 1b              2   1   1   0     1   0   .301      May 1b                4   2   2   2     0   1   .267
  Tepedino ph,1b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .318      Edwards c             3   1   1   0     0   1   .247
Perez ss              3   0   0   1     0   0   .241      Helms 2b              4   1   1   2     0   1   .284
Casanova c            3   1   1   2     1   1   .212      Reuss p               3   0   1   0     0   0   .175
P. Niekro p           2   0   0   0     0   0   .137        Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .070
  Velazquez ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Leon p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Jackson ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .221

Totals               32   5   8   5     5   2             Totals               37   8  13   8     2   5

Time of Game: 2:31   Attendance: 23,272
Left on Base: Braves 6, Astros 8
DP: Braves 1, Astros 1
Errors: Evans, Johnson, Perez
Doubles: Johnson (15), Agee 2 (5), Cedeno (19), Helms (21)
Home Runs: Casanova (3), Evans (28), May (16)
Stolen Bases: Baker (13), Garr (22), Cedeno 2 (37)
Caught Stealing: Johnson (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Edwards (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Perez (2)
GIDP: Evans (5), Rader (8)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
P. Niekro               6     8   4   4   1   4   1  28   3.65
Leon L(0-2)             1     4   4   3   0   0   0   7   6.14
Frisella                1     1   0   0   1   1   0   5   4.06
Totals                  8    13   8   7   2   5   1  40

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   6.2   8   5   5   4   1   2  31   3.43
Forsch W(9-9)           2.1   0   0   0   1   1   0   7   3.78
Totals                  9     8   5   5   5   2   2  38

Passed Balls: Casanova (5)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Garr grounded out (third to first); Evans flied out
to center; Aaron made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Agee grounded out (third to first); Metzger flied
out to right; Cedeno reached on an error by Evans [Cedeno to
first]; Cedeno stole second; Casanova allowed a passed ball
[Cedeno to third]; Watson walked; Rader grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Baker singled; Baker stole second; Johnson flied out
to center; Dietz singled [Baker to third]; Perez hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Baker scored]; Casanova homered [Dietz scored];
P. Niekro flied out to right; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: May struck out; Edwards singled; Helms flied out to
left; Reuss flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
3, Astros 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Garr flied out to center; Evans was called out on
strikes; Aaron made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Agee grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Baker grounded out (shortstop to first); Johnson
singled; Johnson was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Dietz walked; Perez forced Dietz (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (third to first); Rader singled;
May homered [Rader scored]; Edwards struck out; Helms struck
out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Casanova walked; P. Niekro flied out to left; Garr
singled [Casanova to second]; Evans made an out to third; Aaron
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves
3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Reuss grounded out (second to first); Agee doubled;
Metzger singled [Agee to third]; Cedeno singled [Agee scored,
Metzger to second]; Watson singled [Metzger scored, Cedeno to
third]; Rader popped to catcher in foul territory; May grounded
out (third to first); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Baker flied out to right; Johnson doubled; Dietz
grounded out (third to first); Perez grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Edwards flied out to right; Helms lined to
shortstop; Reuss singled; Agee forced Reuss (third to second); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Casanova lined to left; VELAZQUEZ BATTED FOR P.
NIEKRO; Velazquez grounded out (third to first); Garr singled;
Garr stole second; Evans homered [Garr scored]; Aaron walked;
Baker walked [Aaron to second]; FORSCH REPLACED REUSS
(PITCHING); Johnson flied out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 5, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: LEON REPLACED VELAZQUEZ (PITCHING); Metzger lined to
shortstop; Cedeno doubled; Cedeno stole third; Watson singled
[Cedeno scored]; Rader grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Watson out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 5, Astros 5.

BRAVES 8TH: TEPEDINO BATTED FOR DIETZ; Tepedino grounded out
(second to first); Perez flied out to right; Casanova struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: TEPEDINO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); May singled;
Edwards reached on an error by Johnson on a sacrifice bunt [May
to third, Edwards to first]; Helms doubled [May scored, Edwards
scored (unearned), Helms to third (error by Perez)]; FRISELLA
REPLACED LEON (PITCHING); Forsch grounded out (shortstop to
first); Agee doubled [Helms scored]; Metzger struck out; Cedeno
walked; Watson forced Cedeno (shortstop to second); 3 R (2 ER),
3 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 8.

BRAVES 9TH: JACKSON BATTED FOR FRISELLA; Jackson walked; Garr
forced Jackson (first to shortstop); Evans grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Garr out at second];
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 8.