A three-run homer by Johnny Bench in the seventh inning brought the Reds a 7-6 victory over the Astros, who went down to their eighth straight defeat. The Reds started the game with four runs in the first on doubles by Joe Morgan and Bench, a pass to Dan Driessen and homer by Merv Rettenmund, but then their attack bogged down while the Astros went on the attack.

Tommy Helms homered with a man on base in the third, Cesar Cedeno added a solo swat in the fourth and Milt May drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. The Astros went ahead, 5-1, on doubles by Greg Gross and Cedeno in the sixth, but Pete Rose singled in the seventh, Morgan walked and Bench turned the tide with his homer. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 7, Houston Astros 6
Game Played on Saturday, May       18, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         4  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  0  -   7 11  2
Astros       0  0  2    1  1  1    1  0  0  -   6 10  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               5   1   2   0     0   0   .302      Gross rf,lf           5   1   2   1     0   0   .348
Morgan 2b             3   2   1   0     2   0   .310      Metzger ss            5   0   0   0     0   1   .287
Bench c               5   2   2   4     0   1   .282      Cedeno cf             4   2   3   2     0   1   .280
Perez 1b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .276      Watson lf             2   0   0   0     1   0   .328
Driessen 3b           3   1   2   0     1   0   .267        Gallagher pr,rf     1   0   1   0     0   0   .200
  Chaney 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      L. May 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .291
Rettenmund rf         4   1   1   3     0   1   .244        Milbourne pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .278
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   0   .246        Menke 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
Geronimo cf           3   0   2   0     1   0   .340      M. May c              3   0   1   1     0   0   .253
Kirby p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .067      Rader 3b              3   2   1   0     1   1   .259
  Crowley ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Helms 2b              4   1   1   2     0   0   .291
  Borbon p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Wilson p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .111
                                                            Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Easler ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Konieczny p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            C. Johnson ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .348

Totals               35   7  11   7     4   4             Totals               35   6  10   6     2   5

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 19,390
Left on Base: Reds 5, Astros 5
DP: Reds 1, Astros 1
Errors: Bench, Driessen, Wilson
Doubles: Morgan (8), Bench (5), Driessen (5), Gross (5), Cedeno (11)
Home Runs: Rettenmund (5), Bench (8), Helms (2), Cedeno (8)
Stolen Bases: Rader (6), Cedeno (21)
Caught Stealing: Driessen (1), Morgan (5)
Sacrifice Flies: M. May (2)
GIDP: Kirby (1), Rader (3)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kirby                   5     4   4   4   1   4   2  20   5.32
Borbon W(2-1)           4     6   2   1   1   1   0  18   1.87
Totals                  9    10   6   5   2   5   2  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson                  6     9   4   4   2   3   1  27   6.10
Scherman L(0-2)         0     1   2   2   1   0   0   2   3.98
Forsch                  1     1   1   1   0   1   1   4   3.00
Konieczny               2     0   0   0   1   0   0   6   6.60
Totals                  9    11   7   7   4   4   2  39

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Tom Gorman, 3B - Bill Williams


REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (first to pitcher); Morgan doubled
to right; Morgan was picked off second but was safe on an error
by Wilson [Morgan to third]; Bench doubled to left [Morgan
scored]; Perez struck out; Driessen walked; Rettenmund homered
[Bench scored, Driessen scored]; Concepcion flied out to center;
4 R, 3 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross flied out to left; Metzger made an out to
first; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros
0.

REDS 2ND: Geronimo singled to right; On a bunt Kirby grounded
into a double play (catcher to shortstop to first) [Geronimo out
at second]; Rose singled; Morgan lined to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to center; L. May grounded out
(third to first); M. May flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Bench grounded out (shortstop to first); Perez flied
out to left; Driessen singled to center; Driessen was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader singled; Helms homered [Rader scored]; Wilson
flied out to left; Gross flied out to center; Metzger grounded
out (first unassisted); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 2.

REDS 4TH: Rettenmund flied out to center; Concepcion singled to
right; Geronimo singled to right [Concepcion to third]; Kirby
struck out; Rose grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno homered; Watson made an out to shortstop; L.
May struck out; M. May grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 3.

REDS 5TH: Morgan made an out to shortstop; Bench struck out;
Perez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader walked; Rader stole second; Helms made an out
to shortstop; Wilson struck out; Gross singled to center [Rader
scored]; Metzger struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4,
Astros 4.

REDS 6TH: Driessen doubled to center; Rettenmund flied out to
center; Concepcion made an out to second; Geronimo walked;
CROWLEY BATTED FOR KIRBY; Crowley grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: BORBON REPLACED CROWLEY (PITCHING); Cedeno singled;
Cedeno stole second [Cedeno to third (error by Bench)]; Watson
walked; GALLAGHER RAN FOR WATSON; L. May reached on a fielder's
choice [Gallagher to second (error by Driessen)]; M. May hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Cedeno scored (unearned)]; Rader struck
out; Helms grounded out (third to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E,
2 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 5.

REDS 7TH: GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); GALLAGHER STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING RF); SCHERMAN REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Rose
singled to shortstop; Morgan walked [Rose to second]; FORSCH
REPLACED SCHERMAN (PITCHING); Bench homered [Rose scored, Morgan
scored]; Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Driessen flied
out to left; Rettenmund was called out on strikes; 3 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 7, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: EASLER BATTED FOR FORSCH; Easler grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gross doubled to left; Metzger grounded
out (shortstop to first); Cedeno doubled to right [Gross
scored]; Gallagher singled to shortstop [Cedeno out at home
(shortstop to catcher)]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 7, Astros 6.

REDS 8TH: KONIECZNY REPLACED EASLER (PITCHING); Concepcion
grounded out (second to first); Geronimo flied out to left;
Borbon grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 7, Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: L. May singled to shortstop; MILBOURNE RAN FOR L.
MAY; M. May singled to right [Milbourne to second]; Rader
grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Milbourne to third, M. May out at second]; Helms lined to
center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 7, Astros 6.

REDS 9TH: MENKE REPLACED MILBOURNE (PLAYING 1B); Rose lined to
third; Morgan walked; Morgan was caught stealing second (catcher
to second); Bench popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
7, Astros 6.

ASTROS 9TH: CHANEY REPLACED DRIESSEN (PLAYING 3B); C. JOHNSON
BATTED FOR KONIECZNY; C. Johnson grounded out (third to first);
Gross grounded out (second to first); Metzger grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 7, Astros 6.