A single by Willie Stargell in the second inning was the only hit given up by Tom Griffin when the Astros' righthander defeated the Pirates, 2-1. Two errors by Doug Rader, who fumbled grounders by Richie Zisk and Manny Sanguillen, and a wild pickoff throw by Griffin to third base, enabled the Pirates to score their run in the fifth inning, but Rader made up for his miscues with a run-scoring single in the sixth and the Astros followed with the winning run in the eighth on a single by Bob Watson and triple by Milt May. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Game Played on Tuesday, May       7, 1974 (Day game) at Astrodome
Pirates      0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  1  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  1  x  -   2  8  3


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Stennett 2b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .287      Kelleher ss           4   0   0   0     0   2   .182
Hebner 3b             3   0   0   0     0   2   .330      Gross rf,lf           3   0   2   0     1   0   .369
Oliver 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .288      Cedeno cf             3   0   1   0     0   1   .306
Stargell lf           3   0   1   0     0   1   .296      Watson lf             2   2   2   0     2   0   .353
Parker cf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .325        Gallagher rf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .160
Zisk rf               3   1   0   0     0   0   .273      L. May 1b             4   0   0   0     0   3   .327
Sanguillen c          3   0   0   0     0   0   .238      M. May c              4   0   1   1     0   0   .286
Taveras ss            2   0   0   0     0   0   .321      Rader 3b              4   0   1   1     0   2   .269
  Clines ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .179      Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .333
Ellis p               1   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Griffin p             3   0   1   0     0   1   .400
  Kirkpatrick ph      1   0   0   0     0   1   .381

Totals               27   1   1   0     1   7             Totals               30   2   8   2     3  10

Time of Game: 1:48   Attendance:  9,909
Left on Base: Pirates 0, Astros 8
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 1
Errors: Rader 2, Griffin
Doubles: Cedeno (9)
Triples: M. May (1)
Caught Stealing: Stennett (2)
GIDP: Zisk (2), Cedeno (1)
Hit by Pitch: Cedeno (2,by Ellis)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis L(1-2)            8     8   2   2   3  10   0  34   4.10
Totals                  8     8   2   2   3  10   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin W(4-1)          9     1   1   0   1   7   0  28   2.25
Totals                  9     1   1   0   1   7   0  28

Hit by Pitch: Ellis (5)
Wild Pitches: Ellis (2)
Balks: Griffin (1)

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


PIRATES 1ST: Stennett struck out (catcher to first); Hebner
struck out; Oliver grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Kelleher struck out (catcher to first); Gross
singled to left; Cedeno doubled to left [Gross to third]; Watson
was walked intentionally; L. May struck out; M. May grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell singled to left; Parker forced Stargell
(second unassisted); Zisk grounded into a double play (shortstop
to first) [Parker out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader struck out; Helms struck out; Griffin singled
to left [Griffin out at second (left to second)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Sanguillen made an out to first; Taveras grounded
out (shortstop to first); Ellis was called out on strikes; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Kelleher struck out; Gross singled to center; Cedeno
was hit by a pitch [Gross to second]; Watson walked [Gross to
third, Cedeno to second]; L. May struck out; M. May grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); Hebner
struck out; Oliver grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader struck out; Helms grounded out (shortstop to
first); Griffin flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Stargell was called out on strikes; Parker struck
out; Zisk reached on an error by Rader [Zisk to first];
Sanguillen reached on an error by Rader [Zisk to second,
Sanguillen to first]; Griffin balked [Zisk scored (error by
Griffin) (unearned), Sanguillen out at home (left to third to
catcher)]; Tom Griffin threw to 3B, where there was no
runner; it was ruled a balk; 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 3 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Kelleher grounded out (second to first); Gross
walked; Cedeno grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Gross out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); Ellis
walked; Stennett forced Ellis (shortstop to second); Stennett
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson singled to center; L. May struck out; Ellis
threw a wild pitch [Watson to second]; M. May grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Watson to third]; Rader singled to center
[Watson scored]; Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 1.

PIRATES 7TH: Hebner grounded out (second to first); Oliver lined
to first; Stargell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Griffin struck out; Kelleher flied out to right;
Gross flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Astros 1.

PIRATES 8TH: Parker grounded out (pitcher to first); Zisk flied
out to right; Sanguillen lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson singled to left; L. May
flied out to center; M. May tripled to right [Watson scored];
Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 2.

PIRATES 9TH: GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); GALLAGHER
REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING RF); CLINES BATTED FOR TAVERAS; Clines
flied out to left; KIRKPATRICK BATTED FOR ELLIS; Kirkpatrick
struck out; Stennett made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Pirates 1, Astros 2.