Although normally one of the Astros' starters, Ken Forsch appeared in relief for the second straight day and gained his second save with 2 2/3 innings of no-hit hurling in a 6-4 victory over the Cubs. Larry Dierker, in relief of Jerry Reuss, received credit for his first victory of the season.

The Astros' first three runs off Rick Reuschel all were unearned. The Cubs had a two-run homer by Billy Williams en route to taking a 4-3 lead before the Astros broke away with three runs in the seventh. Cesar Cedeno walked and Bob Watson singled to kayo Reuschel. After Bob Locker relieved, the runners moved up on a passed ball. Locker then walked Doug Rader intentionally to load the bases and uncorked a wild pitch to allow Cedeno to score. Lee May followed with a single to drive in two runs for the Astros' winning margin, pinning the Cubs with their seventh straight defeat. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Chicago Cubs 4
Game Played on Saturday, August    11, 1973 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       0  0  1    1  0  1    3  0  0  -   6 10  1
Cubs         0  0  0    2  1  1    0  0  0  -   4  9  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wynn rf               5   1   1   0     0   2   .214      Monday cf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .273
Metzger ss            5   0   2   0     0   1   .259      Cardenal rf           5   1   2   1     0   0   .319
Cedeno cf             4   1   0   0     1   0   .319      Williams lf           4   1   2   2     1   0   .281
Watson lf             4   1   1   0     1   1   .314      Hickman 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .246
Rader 3b              4   3   3   0     1   0   .252        Thornton ph,1b      4   0   2   0     1   0   .192
May 1b                5   0   2   2     0   0   .263      Santo 3b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .285
Edwards c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .228      Hundley c             4   1   1   0     0   3   .223
Helms 2b              3   0   0   1     1   1   .280      Kessinger ss          4   0   0   0     0   0   .251
Reuss p               3   0   0   0     0   1   .155      Rosello 2b            4   0   1   1     0   0   .167
  Dierker p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Reuschel p            3   1   1   0     0   0   .133
  Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .067        Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .091
                                                            Hiser ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .204
                                                            Aker p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   6  10   3     4   6             Totals               35   4   9   4     4   5

Time of Game: 2:57   Attendance: 21,818
Left on Base: Astros 9, Cubs 9
DP: Astros 0, Cubs 1
Errors: Metzger, Santo, Kessinger, Rosello
Doubles: Thornton (3), Rosello (1)
Home Runs: Williams (14)
Stolen Bases: Metzger (10), Wynn (13), Cardenal (14)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Monday (2)
GIDP: May (11)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   5.1   8   4   4   2   3   1  26   3.47
Dierker W(1-1)          1     1   0   0   2   0   0   6   2.95
Forsch SV(2)            2.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   8   3.86
Totals                  9     9   4   4   4   5   1  40

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuschel L(12-10)       6.1   8   5   2   2   5   0  31   2.38
Locker                  1.2   1   1   1   1   1   0   7   2.30
Aker                    1     1   0   0   1   0   0   4   3.79
Totals                  9    10   6   3   4   6   0  42

Passed Balls: Hundley (3)
Wild Pitches: Locker (5)

Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Bruce Froemming


ASTROS 1ST: Wynn struck out; Metzger singled to shortstop;
Metzger stole second; Cedeno flied out to center; Watson struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Monday grounded out (pitcher to first); Cardenal flied
out to right; Williams grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); May popped
to shortstop; Edwards singled to right; Helms grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: THORNTON BATTED FOR HICKMAN; Thornton doubled to
right; Santo flied out to left; Hundley struck out; Kessinger
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 3RD: THORNTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Reuss struck
out; Wynn singled to center; Wynn stole second; Metzger grounded
out (first unassisted) [Wynn to third]; Cedeno reached on an
error by Santo [Wynn scored (unearned) (no RBI), Cedeno to
first]; Cedeno was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Rosello grounded out (second to first); Reuschel
grounded out (third to first); Monday grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to center; Rader singled to second;
May singled to left [Rader to second]; Edwards forced May (third
to second) [Rader scored (error by Rosello) (unearned) (no RBI),
Edwards to second]; Helms was walked intentionally; Reuss forced
Helms (shortstop to second); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Cardenal singled to center; Williams homered [Cardenal
scored]; Thornton singled to left; Santo flied out to left;
Hundley struck out; Kessinger grounded out (second to first); 2
R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Wynn struck out; Metzger singled to center; Cedeno
flied out to center; Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 2.

CUBS 5TH: Rosello grounded out (second to first); Reuschel
singled to third; Monday out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to
first) [Reuschel to second]; Cardenal singled to right [Reuschel
scored]; Cardenal stole second; Williams walked; Thornton walked
[Cardenal to third, Williams to second]; Santo struck out; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader singled to left; May reached on an error by
Kessinger [Rader to second, May to first]; Edwards forced May
(first to shortstop) [Rader to third]; Helms reached on a
fielder's choice [Rader scored (unearned), Edwards to second];
On a bunt Reuss forced Edwards (pitcher to shortstop) [Helms to
second]; Wynn grounded out (third to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 3.

CUBS 6TH: Hundley singled to left; Kessinger popped to first in
foul territory; Rosello doubled to left [Hundley scored];
DIERKER REPLACED REUSS (PITCHING); Reuschel grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Rosello to third (error by Metzger)];
Monday walked; Cardenal grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger struck out; Cedeno walked; Watson singled to
center [Cedeno to second]; LOCKER REPLACED REUSCHEL (PITCHING);
Hundley allowed a passed ball [Cedeno to third, Watson to
second]; Rader was walked intentionally; Locker threw a wild
pitch [Cedeno scored, Watson to third, Rader to second]; May
singled to center [Watson scored, Rader scored]; Edwards forced
May (first to shortstop); Helms struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 4.

CUBS 7TH: Williams singled to pitcher; Thornton flied out to
left; Santo walked [Williams to second]; FORSCH REPLACED DIERKER
(PITCHING); Hundley struck out; Kessinger flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Forsch grounded out (second to first); Wynn grounded
out (shortstop to first); Metzger grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 4.

CUBS 8TH: Rosello flied out to center; HISER BATTED FOR LOCKER;
Hiser grounded out (second to first); Monday struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 9TH: AKER REPLACED HISER (PITCHING); Cedeno flied out to
center; Watson walked; Rader singled to left [Watson to second];
May grounded into a double play (pitcher to second to first)
[Rader out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 4.

CUBS 9TH: Cardenal popped to shortstop; Williams grounded out
(second to first); Thornton grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 4.