An infield hit by Luis Melendez with the bases loaded in the 11th inning drove in the Cardinals' winning run and Bob Gibson struck out three straight batters in a relief role to preserve a 4-3 victory over the Astros. The Cards were forced into overtime when Doug Rader tied the score with a two-run homer in the ninth.

With two out in the 11th, the Redbirds loaded the bases against Mike Cosgrove with singles by Ted Sizemore and Ken Reitz and a pass to Mike Tyson. Melendez then topped the ball down the third base line for the hit that scored Sizemore. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 4, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Wednesday, August    13, 1975 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  3  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  -   4 12  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  2    0  0  -   3  9  1


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              6   0   0   0     0   2   .319      Howard lf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .290
McBride cf            4   0   1   0     1   2   .273      Gross rf              4   0   1   0     1   0   .306
Davis rf              5   0   1   0     0   1   .281      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     1   2   .269
Simmons c             4   0   0   0     1   0   .343      Johnson 1b            4   0   0   0     1   1   .287
Smith 1b              5   1   2   0     0   1   .294      May c                 4   0   1   0     0   0   .249
Sizemore 2b           5   2   2   0     0   0   .249        Jutze pr,c          1   1   0   0     0   0   .236
Reitz 3b              5   1   2   2     0   0   .274      Rader 3b              5   2   2   2     0   1   .235
Tyson ss              4   0   1   1     1   0   .259      Boswell 2b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .248
Forsch p              3   0   2   0     0   0   .333        Helms ph,2b         2   0   0   0     0   1   .175
  Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .143      DaVanon ss            5   0   2   1     0   1   .364
  Bradford ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Niekro p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .273
  Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Crawford p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .286
  Melendez ph         1   0   1   1     0   0   .264        Cruz ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .255
  Gibson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .179        Granger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Watson ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .329
                                                            Cosgrove p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               43   4  12   4     3   6             Totals               41   3   9   3     3   6

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance: 11,170
Left on Base: Cardinals 9, Astros 8
DP: Cardinals 1, Astros 1
Errors: Garman, Gross
Doubles: Tyson (14), Boswell (8)
Home Runs: Rader (10)
GIDP: Simmons (13), Gross (6)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  8     8   3   2   2   3   1  33   2.85
Hrabosky                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.67
Garman W(3-4)           1     1   0   0   1   0   0   5   2.06
Gibson SV(2)            1     0   0   0   0   3   0   3   4.70
Totals                 11     9   3   2   3   6   1  44

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  1     0   0   0   1   0   0   3   3.59
Crawford                4     4   3   3   1   4   0  17   3.36
Granger                 2     2   0   0   0   1   0   8   2.31
Cosgrove L(0-1)         4     6   1   1   1   1   0  18   1.95
Totals                 11    12   4   4   3   6   0  46

Passed Balls: Simmons (19)
Wild Pitches: Cosgrove (3)

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Ed Sudol, 3B - Bill Williams


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock grounded out (second to first); McBride
walked; McBride was picked off first (pitcher to first); Davis
made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Howard grounded out (second to first); Gross lined
to left; Cedeno struck out; Joe Niekro left with an arm
injury; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: CRAWFORD REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Simmons
walked; Smith singled [Simmons to third (error by Gross)];
Sizemore reached on a fielder's choice [Simmons out at home
(third to catcher to third to pitcher), Smith to third, Sizemore
to second]; Reitz singled to right [Smith scored, Sizemore
scored]; Tyson doubled to center [Reitz scored]; Forsch singled
to right [Tyson to third]; Brock struck out; McBride struck out;
3 R, 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Johnson grounded out (pitcher to first); May
grounded out (third to first); Rader flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Davis made an out to second; Simmons lined to
center; Smith struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Boswell doubled to left; DaVanon grounded out
(shortstop to first); Crawford grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Boswell to third]; Howard grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first); Reitz
grounded out (third to first); Tyson grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
struck out; Johnson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals
3, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Forsch flied out to left; Brock grounded out
(first to pitcher); McBride struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: May flied out to center; Rader singled to left;
Simmons allowed a passed ball [Rader to second]; Boswell
grounded out (second to first) [Rader to third]; DaVanon singled
to center [Rader scored (unearned)]; CRUZ BATTED FOR CRAWFORD;
Cruz flied out to center; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 3, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 6TH: GRANGER REPLACED CRUZ (PITCHING); Davis struck
out; Simmons made an out to shortstop; Smith singled to right;
Sizemore flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Howard flied out to center; Gross walked; Cedeno
forced Gross (shortstop to second); Johnson walked [Cedeno to
second]; May made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 3, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 7TH: Reitz grounded out (second to first); Tyson flied
out to right; Forsch singled to right; Brock grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Rader grounded out (third to first); Boswell
grounded out (first to pitcher); DaVanon singled to center;
WATSON BATTED FOR GRANGER; Watson forced DaVanon (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 8TH: COSGROVE REPLACED WATSON (PITCHING); McBride
grounded out (second to first); Davis singled to left; Simmons
grounded into a double play (second to first) [Davis out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Howard singled to right; Gross grounded into a
double play (first to shortstop to pitcher) [Howard out at
second]; Cedeno singled to left; Johnson flied out to center; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 9TH: Smith flied out to right; Sizemore singled to
center; Reitz forced Sizemore (third to second); Tyson grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: May singled to center; JUTZE RAN FOR MAY; Rader
homered [Jutze scored]; HRABOSKY REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING);
HELMS BATTED FOR BOSWELL; Helms flied out to left; DaVanon flied
out to right; Cosgrove flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 10TH: JUTZE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); HELMS STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); BRADFORD BATTED FOR HRABOSKY; Bradford
flied out to center; Brock grounded out (second to first);
McBride singled to right; Davis forced McBride (pitcher to
shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros
3.

ASTROS 10TH: GARMAN REPLACED BRADFORD (PITCHING); Howard flied
out to right; Gross singled to left; Gross was picked off first
but was safe on an error by Garman [Gross to second]; Cedeno was
walked intentionally; Johnson flied out to left; Jutze grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 3,
Astros 3.

CARDINALS 11TH: Simmons popped to third in foul territory; Smith
grounded out (shortstop to first); Sizemore singled to left;
Reitz singled to left [Sizemore to second]; Cosgrove threw a
wild pitch [Sizemore to third, Reitz to second]; Tyson walked;
MELENDEZ BATTED FOR GARMAN; Melendez singled to center [Sizemore
scored, Reitz to third, Tyson to second]; Brock struck out; 1 R,
3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 11TH: GIBSON REPLACED MELENDEZ (PITCHING); Rader was
called out on strikes; Helms was called out on strikes; DaVanon
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 4,
Astros 3.