Cliff Johnson, who batted in four runs in the previous night's 9-0 victory, came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning and delivered a grand-slam homer to beat the Cardinals, 8-7. The Cardinals, who had back-to-back homers by Willie Davis and Reggie Smith in the third, failed to hold a 4-1 lead, but then went ahead again with three runs in the eighth.

Their defense then failed in the ninth. Greg Gross was safe on a fumble by Mario Guerrero, Cesar Cedeno singled and Bob Watson reached base on an error by Ron Fairly before Johnson batted for Skip Jutze and smashed his homer off Mike Garman. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 8, St. Louis Cardinals 7

Game Played on Sunday, June 15, 1975 (Day game) at Busch Stadium II

Astros 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 4 - 8 12 1 Cardinals 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 - 7 15 3 Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Cardinals AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Gross lf 5 1 1 0 0 0 .274 McBride cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .229 Metzger ss 5 0 1 0 0 1 .268 Melendez ph,lf 1 0 1 1 0 0 .258 Cedeno cf 5 2 2 0 0 0 .271 Sizemore 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .258 Watson 1b 4 2 2 1 1 0 .343 Brock ph 0 0 0 1 1 0 .310 May c 4 1 2 0 0 0 .241 Hrabosky p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Jutze pr,c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .184 Garman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Johnson ph,c 1 1 1 4 0 0 .283 Davis rf,cf 4 1 2 3 0 0 .260 Cruz rf 4 1 0 0 0 0 .242 Smith 1b,rf 5 1 2 1 0 1 .345 Rader 3b 5 0 2 1 0 1 .238 Simmons c 4 0 1 0 1 1 .288 Milbourne 2b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .167 Hahn pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .077 Boswell ph,2b 2 0 1 2 2 0 .254 Dwyer lf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .194 Andrews pr,2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .195 Tyson 2b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .205 Konieczny p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .161 Reitz 3b 5 1 3 1 0 0 .297 Howard ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .313 Guerrero ss 5 1 1 0 0 0 .247 Forsch p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .143 Forsch p 3 0 1 0 0 0 .353 Cabell ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .266 Fairly ph,1b 1 1 1 0 0 0 .295 Granger p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Crawford p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .400 Niekro p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .333 Totals 41 8 12 8 3 4 Totals 41 7 15 7 2 3 Time of Game: 2:45 Attendance: 33,201 Left on Base: Astros 10, Cardinals 10 DP: Astros 1, Cardinals 0 Errors: Watson, Smith, Guerrero, Fairly Doubles: Watson (12), Cedeno (18), Rader (9), Davis (3), Dwyer (1), Reitz (9) Home Runs: Johnson (4), Davis (1), Smith (10) Sacrifice Hits: Cruz (2) Sacrifice Flies: Davis (1) GIDP: Sizemore (5) Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Konieczny 4 8 4 4 1 1 2 20 3.66 Forsch 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 12 3.56 Granger 0.1 2 2 2 0 0 0 3 2.32 Crawford 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 2.62 Niekro W(2-1) 1.2 1 0 0 1 1 0 7 4.32 Totals 9 15 7 7 2 3 2 44 Cardinals IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Forsch 8 9 4 1 2 3 0 36 2.55 Hrabosky 0.1 1 3 0 0 1 0 4 1.91 Garman L(2-3) 0.2 2 1 1 1 0 1 5 2.25 Totals 9 12 8 1* 3 4 1 45 Wild Pitches: Konieczny (4) Umpires: HP - Shag Crawford, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - Jerry Dale ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger singled to right; Cedeno forced Metzger (shortstop to second); Watson doubled to left [Cedeno scored]; May grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 0. CARDINALS 1ST: McBride grounded out (second to first); Sizemore singled to center; Davis doubled to left [Sizemore scored]; Smith grounded out (second to first) [Davis to third]; Simmons made an out to third; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 1. ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Rader struck out; Milbourne struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 1. CARDINALS 2ND: Dwyer doubled to left; Reitz singled to center [Dwyer scored]; Guerrero singled to center [Reitz to second]; Forsch singled to center [Reitz to third, Guerrero to second]; McBride forced Reitz (first to catcher) [Guerrero to third, Forsch to second]; Sizemore grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [McBride out at second]; 1 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 2. ASTROS 3RD: Konieczny grounded out (second to first); Gross singled to center; Metzger flied out to left; Cedeno forced Gross (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 2. CARDINALS 3RD: Davis homered; Smith homered; Simmons walked; Konieczny threw a wild pitch [Simmons to second]; Dwyer struck out; Reitz made an out to shortstop; Guerrero made an out to second; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 4. ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled to left; May flied out to right; Cruz made an out to shortstop; Rader singled to center [Watson to second]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR MILBOURNE; Boswell grounded out (pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 4. CARDINALS 4TH: BOSWELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Forsch grounded out (shortstop to first); McBride flied out to left; Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 4. ASTROS 5TH: HOWARD BATTED FOR KONIECZNY; Howard grounded out (second to first); Gross flied out to center; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 4. CARDINALS 5TH: FORSCH REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Davis grounded out (first to pitcher); Smith grounded out (first unassisted); Simmons flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Astros 1, Cardinals 4. ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson walked; May singled to first [Watson to second]; Cruz reached on an error by Smith [Watson to third, May to second]; Rader grounded out (shortstop to first) [Watson scored (unearned), May to third, Cruz to second]; Boswell singled to left [May scored (unearned), Cruz scored (unearned)]; Forsch struck out; 3 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Cardinals 4. CARDINALS 6TH: Dwyer grounded out (second to first); Reitz doubled to left; Guerrero grounded out (third to first); Forsch reached on a fielder's choice [Reitz out at third (third unassisted)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Cardinals 4. ASTROS 7TH: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger flied out to center; Cedeno doubled to left; Watson flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Cardinals 4. CARDINALS 7TH: McBride flied out to left; Sizemore made an out to second; Davis reached on an error by Watson; Smith singled to left [Davis to second]; Simmons struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Astros 4, Cardinals 4. ASTROS 8TH: May singled to left; JUTZE RAN FOR MAY; Cruz out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Jutze to second]; Rader flied out to center [Jutze to third]; Boswell was walked intentionally; CABELL BATTED FOR FORSCH; Cabell flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 4, Cardinals 4. CARDINALS 8TH: JUTZE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); GRANGER REPLACED CABELL (PITCHING); Dwyer singled to center; Reitz singled to left [Dwyer to second]; Guerrero forced Dwyer (pitcher to third) [Reitz to second]; FAIRLY BATTED FOR FORSCH; CRAWFORD REPLACED GRANGER (PITCHING); Fairly singled to right [Reitz to third, Guerrero to second]; MELENDEZ BATTED FOR MCBRIDE; Melendez singled to right [Reitz scored, Guerrero to third, Fairly to second]; NIEKRO REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); BROCK BATTED FOR SIZEMORE; Brock walked [Guerrero scored, Fairly to third, Melendez to second]; Davis hit a sacrifice fly to center [Fairly scored, Melendez to third]; Smith struck out; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Astros 4, Cardinals 7. ASTROS 9TH: MELENDEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); HRABOSKY REPLACED BROCK (PITCHING); DAVIS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); SMITH CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); TYSON REPLACED DWYER (PLAYING 2B); FAIRLY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Gross reached on an error by Guerrero; Metzger struck out; Cedeno singled to left [Gross to second]; Watson reached on an error by Fairly [Gross to third, Cedeno to second]; JOHNSON BATTED FOR JUTZE; GARMAN REPLACED HRABOSKY (PITCHING); Johnson homered (unearned, but earned for the pitcher) [Gross scored (unearned), Cedeno scored (unearned), Watson scored (unearned)]; Cruz grounded out (second to first); Rader doubled to left; Boswell was walked intentionally; ANDREWS RAN FOR BOSWELL; Niekro grounded out (second to first); 4 R (1 ER), 3 H, 2 E, 2 LOB. Astros 8, Cardinals 7. CARDINALS 9TH: JOHNSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); ANDREWS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Simmons singled to left; HAHN RAN FOR SIMMONS; Tyson flied out to right; Reitz flied out to right; Guerrero grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Astros 8, Cardinals 7.

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