Winning in the Astrodome for the first time since July 28, 1968, Juan Marichal yielded only six hits and beat the Astros, 3-1, to enable the Giants to pull 2½ games ahead of the Dodgers in the West division race. Bobby Bonds drove in the Giants' first run with a single after Jim Howarth and Tito Fuentes walked in the first inning.

The Astros picked up their run in the third on singles by Larry Howard and Marty Martinez, a sacrifice and an infield out by Joe Morgan. Bonds broke the tie with a homer in the fifth and the Giants added an insurance run in the seventh on a single by Dave Kingman, error by Roger Metzger and single by Chris Speier. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 3, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Wednesday, September 22, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       1  0  0    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   3 10  1
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  1


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Howarth rf            3   1   1   0     1   1   .250      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .238
  Henderson lf        1   0   1   0     0   0   .258      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   1     0   1   .259
Fuentes 2b            3   0   1   0     1   1   .267      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .268
Bonds cf,rf           4   1   2   2     1   0   .289      Watson lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .290
McCovey 1b            4   0   1   0     1   1   .262      Wynn rf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .208
Kingman lf            3   1   1   0     1   0   .271      Menke 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .255
  Mays cf             0   0   0   0     1   0   .275      Mayberry 1b           3   0   0   0     0   1   .179
Gallagher 3b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .283      Howard c              3   1   1   0     0   1   .239
  Lanier 3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Richard p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Speier ss             4   0   3   1     1   1   .238        Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .091
Healy c               3   0   0   0     2   1   .302        Martinez ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .216
Marichal p            4   0   0   0     1   0   .133        Griffin p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .111
                                                            Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
                                                            Guinn p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gladding p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Chiles ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .229
                                                            Greif p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               33   3  10   3    11   5             Totals               32   1   6   1     0   6

Time of Game: 2:44   Attendance: 11,208
Left on Base: Giants 15, Astros 5
DP: Giants 0, Astros 2
Errors: McCovey, Metzger
Doubles: Speier (15)
Home Runs: Bonds (32)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (18)
Caught Stealing: Speier (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Fuentes (12), Metzger (5)
GIDP: Gallagher (14)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Marichal W(16-11)       9     6   1   1   0   6   0  33   3.00
Totals                  9     6   1   1   0   6   0  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                 0     1   1   1   3   0   0   4   3.43
Culver                  3     3   0   0   1   0   0  11   2.73
Griffin L(0-6)          2     3   1   1   3   1   1  11   4.78
Ray                     2.1   3   1   0   3   2   0  13   2.19
Guinn                   0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   0.00
Gladding                0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   1.98
Greif                   1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   6.57
Totals                  9    10   3   2  11   5   1  45

Passed Balls: Howard (5)
Wild Pitches: Griffin (4), Guinn (1)

Umpires: HP - Tom Gorman, 1B - Chris Pelekoudas, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Andy Olsen


GIANTS 1ST: Howarth walked; Fuentes walked [Howarth to second];
Bonds singled to center [Fuentes to third, Howarth scored];
McCovey walked [Bonds to second]; CULVER REPLACED RICHARD
(PITCHING); Kingman popped to first in foul territory; Gallagher
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[McCovey out at second]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros
0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger flied out to center; Morgan struck out;
Cedeno singled to right; Cedeno stole second; Watson grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Speier singled to center; Healy flied out to right;
Marichal grounded out (second to first) [Speier to second];
Howarth grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Wynn struck out; Menke flied out to right; Mayberry
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Fuentes singled to center; Bonds hit into a double
play (third to first to third) [Fuentes out at second]; McCovey
singled to right; Howard allowed a passed ball [McCovey to
second]; Kingman walked; Gallagher lined to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard singled to center; MARTINEZ BATTED FOR
CULVER; Martinez singled to center [Howard to second]; Metzger
out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Martinez to second,
Howard to third]; Morgan grounded out (first unassisted)
[Martinez to third, Howard scored]; Cedeno grounded out (third
to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 1.

GIANTS 4TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED MARTINEZ (PITCHING); Speier walked;
Healy struck out; Speier was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Marichal walked; Howarth singled to center [Marichal
to second]; Fuentes grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to center; Wynn made an out to
shortstop; Menke singled to right; Mayberry flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 1.

GIANTS 5TH: Bonds homered; McCovey made an out to third; Kingman
made an out to third; Gallagher grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffin
made an out to second; Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 1.

GIANTS 6TH: Speier doubled to center; Griffin threw a wild pitch
[Speier to third]; Healy walked; RAY REPLACED GRIFFIN
(PITCHING); Marichal made an out to shortstop; Howarth struck
out; Fuentes was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Giants 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Morgan singled to center; Morgan was picked off
first (pitcher to first); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to
first); Watson flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants
2, Astros 1.

GIANTS 7TH: Bonds flied out to left; McCovey grounded out
(second to first); Kingman singled [Kingman to second (error by
Metzger)]; Gallagher walked; Speier singled to right [Gallagher
to third, Kingman scored (unearned)]; Healy walked [Speier to
second]; Marichal flied out to right; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 3
LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: MAYS REPLACED KINGMAN (PLAYING CF); BONDS CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); HENDERSON REPLACED HOWARTH (PLAYING LF);
LANIER REPLACED GALLAGHER (PLAYING 3B); Wynn grounded out
(second to first); Menke flied out to center; Mayberry reached
on an error by McCovey; Howard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
 Giants 3, Astros 1.

GIANTS 8TH: Henderson singled to right; Fuentes out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Henderson to second]; Bonds
walked; GUINN REPLACED RAY (PITCHING); Guinn threw a wild pitch
[Bonds to second, Henderson to third]; McCovey struck out;
GLADDING REPLACED GUINN (PITCHING); Mays was walked
intentionally; Lanier grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: CHILES BATTED FOR GLADDING; Chiles grounded out
(shortstop to first); Metzger grounded out (first unassisted);
Morgan made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 3,
Astros 1.

GIANTS 9TH: GREIF REPLACED CHILES (PITCHING); Speier struck out;
Healy grounded out (shortstop to first); Marichal grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno flied out to left; Watson struck out; Wynn
singled to center; Menke was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 1.