The Astros knocked out 20-game winner Al Downing and walloped the Dodgers, 11-0, but the L. A. crew remained one game behind in the West division race when the Giants also lost to the Padres. In the first inning, Joe Morgan walked and was on second with a theft when the Astros struck for four runs after two were out. Bob Watson singled to score Morgan. Jim Wynn followed with a single. Jesus Alou doubled, driving in Watson. Denis Menke walked to load the bases and Larry Howard singled to score Wynn and Alou.

From then on, it was all downhill for the Dodgers, who were held to nine hits by Ken Forsch. Watson drove in two more runs with a homer in the fourth and Howard accounted for his third RBI of the game with a double in the sixth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 11, Los Angeles Dodgers 0
Game Played on Wednesday, September 29, 1971 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       4  0  0    2  2  2    1  0  0  -  11 17  0
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0 10  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            6   0   1   1     0   1   .235      Wills ss              5   0   2   0     0   0   .280
Morgan 2b             5   2   3   1     1   0   .257      Buckner 1b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .279
Cedeno cf             4   1   2   1     0   1   .264        Strahler p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Watson 1b             4   3   3   3     0   1   .289      Davis cf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .311
  Martinez 3b         1   0   0   0     0   0   .258      Allen 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .295
Wynn rf               5   1   1   0     0   0   .205      Crawford rf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .281
Alou lf               5   2   2   1     0   0   .280      Mota lf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .315
Menke 3b,1b           3   1   1   1     2   0   .248      Sims c                4   0   2   0     0   1   .275
Howard c              5   0   2   3     0   1   .234      Valentine 2b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .249
Forsch p              5   1   2   0     0   2   .136      Downing p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .174
                                                            Alexander p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .273
                                                            Sudakis ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .193
                                                            Moeller p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Haller ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .267
                                                            Parker 1b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .274

Totals               43  11  17  11     3   6             Totals               37   0  10   0     0   2

Time of Game: 2:28   Attendance: 34,802
Left on Base: Astros 9, Dodgers 10
DP: Astros 0, Dodgers 0
Doubles: Alou (21), Howard (3), Buckner (15)
Triples: Morgan (11)
Home Runs: Watson (9)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (39)
Sacrifice Flies: Cedeno (7)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(8-8)           9    10   0   0   0   2   0  37   2.53
Totals                  9    10   0   0   0   2   0  37

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Downing L(20-9)         1.1   6   4   4   2   3   0  12   2.68
Alexander               3.2   6   4   4   1   2   1  18   3.80
Moeller                 2     4   3   3   0   1   0  10   3.66
Strahler                2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   2.84
Totals                  9    17  11  11   3   6   1  47

Umpires: HP - Tom Gorman, 1B - Stan Landes, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Doug Harvey


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger struck out; Morgan walked; Morgan stole
second; Cedeno struck out; Watson singled to center [Morgan
scored]; Wynn singled to center [Watson to third]; Alou doubled
to left [Watson scored, Wynn to third]; Menke walked; Howard
singled to center [Wynn scored, Alou scored, Menke to second];
Forsch struck out; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Wills singled to center; Buckner lined to left;
Davis forced Wills (third to second); Allen flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Metzger grounded out (third to first); Morgan
singled to center; Cedeno singled to center [Morgan to second];
ALEXANDER REPLACED DOWNING (PITCHING); Watson was called out on
strikes; Wynn forced Morgan (third unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Crawford flied out to left; Mota singled to left;
Sims struck out; Valentine flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Alou grounded out (second to first); Menke singled
to left; Howard struck out; Forsch singled to right [Menke to
second]; Metzger forced Forsch (second to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Alexander flied out to right; Wills grounded out
(second to first); Buckner doubled to center; Davis grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Morgan flied out to center; Cedeno singled to
shortstop; Watson homered [Cedeno scored]; Wynn grounded out
(pitcher to first); Alou grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Allen grounded out (shortstop to first); Crawford
popped to shortstop in foul territory; Mota struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Menke walked; Howard grounded out (third to first)
[Menke to second]; Forsch singled to center [Menke to third,
Forsch to second (on throw)]; Metzger grounded out (second to
first) [Menke scored, Forsch to third]; Morgan singled to
pitcher [Forsch scored]; Cedeno forced Morgan (third to second);
2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 5TH: Sims popped to third in foul territory; Valentine
made an out to first; SUDAKIS BATTED FOR ALEXANDER; Sudakis
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 6TH: MOELLER REPLACED SUDAKIS (PITCHING); Watson singled
to left; Wynn made an out to second; Alou singled to left
[Watson to third]; Menke grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Watson scored, Alou to second]; Howard doubled to right [Alou
scored]; Forsch struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 10,
Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 6TH: MARTINEZ REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 3B); MENKE
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Wills grounded out (pitcher to
first); Buckner singled to center; Davis singled to second
[Buckner to second]; Allen popped to first in foul territory;
Crawford forced Davis (second to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 10, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger flied out to center; Morgan tripled to
center; Cedeno hit a sacrifice fly to left [Morgan scored];
Martinez flied to left in foul territory; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 11, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 7TH: Mota lined to shortstop; Sims singled to left;
Valentine made an out to second; HALLER BATTED FOR MOELLER;
Haller singled to center [Sims to second]; Wills singled to
center [Sims to third, Haller to second]; Buckner lined to
center; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 11, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 8TH: PARKER REPLACED HALLER (PLAYING 1B); STRAHLER
REPLACED BUCKNER (PITCHING); Wynn made an out to second; Alou
grounded out (second to first); Menke flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 11, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 8TH: Davis flied out to center; Allen made an out to
second; Crawford singled to center; Mota grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 9TH: Howard flied out to right; Forsch flied out to left;
Metzger singled to left; Morgan grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 9TH: Sims singled to center; Valentine flied out to
center; Parker grounded out (first to pitcher) [Sims to second];
Wills grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 11, Dodgers 0.