Chuck Tanner NL Baseball

[chriscrowder25]

Houston takes two of three from St Louis ..... trail Pittsburgh by one game

Pittsburgh swept last place Colorado; 7-5, 6-5, and 5-4.

Houston took two of three in St Louis from the Cardinals; 3-2 in the first game with relief pitcher Perry Nixon (2-0) getting the win. Houston came from behind scoring three runs over the final two innings on homeruns by Tom Spooner and Bob Casian.

The Range Rovers were clobbered 11-1 in game two, Allen Donnelly (LP 3-1) was knocked out after fourth inning (five runs on eight hits). The Cardinals added six runs on six hits off three relievers: Joe Tate; 2 innings 3 hits no runs, Ed Schrom; two third of an inning, two runs on three hits and Carlos Rizzo; one and one third inning four runs on three hits.

In the rubber game three Houston scored two runs on two hits off St Louis starting pitcher George Friend. Bucky Ludwig and Andy Benton both singled. Friend walked Rick Carey to load the bases with no one oput.

Joe Shaw's sacrifice fly to deep center field scored Ludwig..1-0 Houston.

Friend walked Tom Spooner to reload the bases. Denton scored run number two on a grounder to secpnd by Jay Riley....2-0 Houston.

There was no further socring until the 5th inning.

In the fifth, the first batter, Houston pitcher Harry Otten singled and two outs later Otten scored on a double by Rick Carey....4-0 Houston.

Right hander Sugar Loman replaced (LP 1-3) Friend (6IP 7H 4R/4ER 2BB/3SO) and pitched a scoreless inning.

In the bottom of 7th St. Louis scored two runs. McManus walked and Klienhans singled and scored on pinch hitter Rod Anderson's triple to cut the lead to 5-2.

Houston closer Al Boever came in earlier than usual and pitched the 8th. Tim Zahn doubled to left field with one out. Harry Pastorius singled sdown the right field line driving in the Cardinals thrid run. 5-3 Houston.

Rick Carey hit his second homerun of the game and third of the season in the ninth to make it 6-3.

Boever pitched the ninth as well for a two inning save, his 13th save of the season.

Bob Cashian has taken the lead in the Nl batting race with a .375 average, Tom Spooner is second with a .361 and Rick Carey is 6th at .342. Carey was four for four in the game.