Claude Osteen, who had previously found the Cardinals a tough club to beat while with the Dodgers, made his first start against the Redbirds in an Astros' uniform and gained a 4-1 victory. While with the Dodgers, Osteen's record against the Cards was 8-18. Osteen gave up a run in the first inning on a single by Lou Brock, his 15th stolen base of the season and a single by Ted Sizemore. Lee May tied the score with a homer in the fourth.

Osteen and Alan Foster then dueled into the eighth when Bob Watson singled and took third on a single by Lee May, who advanced to second on the throw. After an intentional pass to Milt May loaded the bases, Doug Rader singled to drive in two runs. Tommy Helms followed with a single on the first pitch by reliever Mike Garman to add another tally to the Astros' total. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, St. Louis Cardinals 1
Game Played on Friday, May       3, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  8  0
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    3  0  x  -   4  6  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              3   1   2   0     1   0   .320      Kelleher ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .364
Sizemore 2b           3   0   1   1     1   0   .330      Gross rf,lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .355
Smith rf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .361      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .304
Simmons c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .326      Watson lf             2   1   1   0     1   0   .351
Torre 1b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .259        Gallagher rf        1   0   0   0     0   0   .125
Reitz 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .402      L. May 1b             3   2   2   1     0   0   .323
McBride cf            3   0   2   0     0   0   .324      M. May c              2   1   0   0     1   0   .302
Alvarado ss           2   0   0   0     0   0   .083      Rader 3b              3   0   1   2     0   1   .286
  Melendez ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Helms 2b              3   0   2   1     0   0   .356
  Tyson ss            1   0   0   0     0   0   .205        Milbourne pr,2b     0   0   0   0     0   0   .294
Foster p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Osteen p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   1   8   1     2   1             Totals               29   4   6   4     2   3

Time of Game: 1:57   Attendance: 18,929
Left on Base: Cardinals 7, Astros 3
DP: Cardinals 1, Astros 2
Doubles: Torre (6)
Home Runs: L. May (5)
Stolen Bases: Brock 2 (16)
GIDP: Smith (6), Melendez (1), Kelleher (1)
Hit by Pitch: McBride (2,by Osteen)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Foster L(1-2)           6     5   4   4   2   3   1  25   3.16
Garman                  2     1   0   0   0   0   0   6   1.84
Totals                  8     6   4   4   2   3   1  31

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Osteen W(4-2)           9     8   1   1   2   1   0  35   3.21
Totals                  9     8   1   1   2   1   0  35

Hit by Pitch: Osteen (1)
Balks: Osteen (2)

Umpires: HP - Paul Runge, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - John McSherry


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock singled to left; Brock stole second;
Sizemore singled to right [Brock scored]; Smith grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Sizemore out at
second]; Simmons flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Kelleher flied out to center; Gross grounded out
(first unassisted); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Torre grounded out (third to first); Reitz struck
out; McBride singled to second; Alvarado grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; L. May flied out to center; M. May
popped to third in foul territory; Rader was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Foster grounded out (shortstop to first); Brock
singled to center; Osteen balked [Brock to second]; Sizemore
lined to second; Smith singled to right [Brock out at home
(right to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros
0.

ASTROS 3RD: Helms singled to right; Osteen flied out to right;
Kelleher was called out on strikes; Gross flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons grounded out (second to first); Torre
doubled to left; Reitz grounded out (shortstop to first) [Torre
to third]; McBride was hit by a pitch; Alvarado grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson
popped to second; L. May homered; M. May flied out to center; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 5TH: Foster flied out to right; Brock flied out to
center; Sizemore walked; Smith forced Sizemore (third to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader flied out to right; Helms grounded out (third
to first); Osteen grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 6TH: Simmons grounded out (shortstop to first); Torre
grounded out (shortstop to first); Reitz flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Kelleher popped to second; Gross grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 7TH: McBride singled to second; MELENDEZ BATTED FOR
ALVARADO; Melendez grounded into a double play (third to second
to first) [McBride out at second]; Foster grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: TYSON REPLACED MELENDEZ (PLAYING SS); Watson singled
to center; L. May singled to center [Watson to third, L. May to
second (on throw to 3b)]; M. May was walked intentionally; Rader
singled to left [Watson scored, L. May scored, M. May to
second]; GARMAN REPLACED FOSTER (PITCHING); Helms singled to
left [M. May scored, Rader to second]; MILBOURNE RAN FOR HELMS;
Osteen popped to second; Kelleher grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Milbourne out at second]; 3 R, 4
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 8TH: GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); GALLAGHER
REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING RF); MILBOURNE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
2B); Brock walked; Brock stole second; Sizemore flied out to
left; Smith popped to first; Simmons singled to shortstop [Brock
to third]; Torre flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Gross grounded out (second to first); Cedeno popped
to first; Gallagher flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 9TH: Reitz grounded out (shortstop to first); McBride
flied out to center; Tyson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 4.