An error by Larry Milbourne, who dropped a pop fly with the bases loaded and two out in the eighth inning, allowed two runs to score and gave the Cubs a 5-3 victory over the Astros. However, all three of the Astros' runs also were tainted on errors by Don Kessinger, Bill Madlock and Rob Sperring. Jerry Morales homered for the Cubs, who trailed, 3-2, before Billy Williams sparked a rally in the eighth with a one-out single for his 2,500th major league hit.

Andre Thornton walked and Morales singled, driving in pinch-runner Jim Tyrone to tie the score. Madlock drew an intentional pass, loading the bases. George Mitterwald struck out and the Astros should have been out of the inning when Steve Swisher popped up, but Milbourne dropped the ball as Thornton and Morales scored. [The Sporting News]



Chicago Cubs 5, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Thursday, August    15, 1974 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    2  0  0  -   3  6  1
Cubs         0  1  1    0  0  0    0  3  x  -   5  8  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              5   0   1   2     0   1   .323      Kessinger ss          4   1   1   0     0   1   .256
Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     1   0   .261      Cardenal rf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .305
Cedeno cf             3   1   1   0     1   0   .297      Williams lf           4   0   1   0     0   1   .284
L. May 1b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .270        Tyrone pr,lf        0   1   0   0     0   0   .212
M. May c              4   0   2   1     0   0   .294      Thornton 1b           3   1   1   0     1   0   .303
Watson lf             3   0   1   0     1   1   .297      Morales cf            3   2   2   2     1   0   .251
  Howard pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Madlock 3b            3   0   2   0     1   1   .286
Rader 3b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .253      Sperring 2b           3   0   0   0     0   2   .133
Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .286        Mitterwald ph       1   0   0   0     0   1   .237
  Milbourne pr,2b     1   1   0   0     0   0   .320        Frailing p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .267
Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Swisher c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .209
  Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .067      Reuschel p            2   0   0   0     0   0   .227
  C. Johnson ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .245        Zamora p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Ward ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .264
  York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Todd p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .077
  Busse ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .182        Grabarkewitz ph,2b  0   0   0   0     0   0   .200

Totals               34   3   6   3     3   7             Totals               32   5   8   2     3   9

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance:  9,151
Left on Base: Astros 7, Cubs 6
DP: Astros 0, Cubs 2
Errors: Milbourne, Kessinger, Madlock, Sperring
Doubles: Watson (13), M. May 2 (13)
Triples: Kessinger (6)
Home Runs: Morales (12)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (41), Madlock (11)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (14), Swisher (2)
GIDP: Metzger (9)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                 5     4   2   1   1   4   1  20   2.84
Cosgrove                1     1   0   0   0   2   0   4   2.48
Forsch L(4-4)           1.1   3   3   1   1   2   0   8   3.03
York                    0.2   0   0   0   1   1   0   3   2.28
Totals                  8     8   5   2   3   9   1  35

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuschel                6.1   5   3   0   1   5   0  28   4.15
Zamora                  0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.11
Todd W(3-2)             1     1   0   0   2   1   0   5   4.41
Frailing                1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.90
Totals                  9     6   3   0   3   7   0  37

Passed Balls: M. May (4)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Shag Crawford


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno singled to center; L.
May grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Kessinger flied out to center; Cardenal flied out to
left; Williams flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: On a bunt M. May grounded out (third to first);
Watson doubled to left; Rader flied out to center; Helms flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Thornton popped to first in foul territory; Morales
homered; Madlock singled to left; Madlock stole second; Sperring
struck out; Swisher grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard grounded out (third to first); Gross
grounded out (third to first); Metzger grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 3RD: Reuschel grounded out (third to first); Kessinger
tripled to center; M. May allowed a passed ball [Kessinger
scored (unearned)]; Cardenal was called out on strikes; Williams
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno reached on an error by Kessinger; Cedeno
stole second; L. May struck out; M. May doubled to right [Cedeno
scored (unearned)]; Watson struck out; Rader was called out on
strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

CUBS 4TH: Thornton made an out to second; Morales walked;
Madlock singled to right [Morales to second]; Sperring struck
out; Swisher flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cubs 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms lined to third; Richard struck out; Gross
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

CUBS 5TH: Reuschel grounded out (shortstop to first); Kessinger
struck out; Cardenal grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger walked; Cedeno flied out to center; L. May
made an out to shortstop; M. May flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

CUBS 6TH: COSGROVE REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Williams struck
out; Thornton singled; Morales lined to center; Madlock struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson lined to left; Rader singled to center; Helms
reached on an error by Sperring [Rader to second]; MILBOURNE RAN
FOR HELMS; C. JOHNSON BATTED FOR COSGROVE; C. Johnson reached on
an error by Madlock [Rader to third, Milbourne to second]; Gross
singled to left [Rader scored (unearned), Milbourne scored
(unearned), C. Johnson to second]; ZAMORA REPLACED REUSCHEL
(PITCHING); Metzger grounded into a double play (pitcher to
shortstop to first) [Gross out at second]; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 2 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 2.

CUBS 7TH: MILBOURNE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); FORSCH REPLACED
C. JOHNSON (PITCHING); Sperring flied out to center; Swisher
singled to left; WARD BATTED FOR ZAMORA; Ward was called out on
strikes; Kessinger lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 8TH: TODD REPLACED WARD (PITCHING); Cedeno walked; L. May
struck out while Cedeno was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); M. May doubled to right; Watson was walked
intentionally; HOWARD RAN FOR WATSON; Rader grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 2.

CUBS 8TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Cardenal struck
out; Williams singled to right; Thornton walked [Williams to
second]; TYRONE RAN FOR WILLIAMS; Morales singled to right
[Tyrone scored, Thornton to third]; YORK REPLACED FORSCH
(PITCHING); Madlock was walked intentionally [Morales to
second]; MITTERWALD BATTED FOR SPERRING; Mitterwald struck out;
Swisher reached on an error by Milbourne [Thornton scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Morales scored (unearned) (no RBI), Madlock
to third]; GRABARKEWITZ BATTED FOR TODD; Swisher was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 3 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 5.

ASTROS 9TH: TYRONE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); GRABARKEWITZ
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); FRAILING REPLACED MITTERWALD
(PITCHING); Milbourne lined to right; BUSSE BATTED FOR YORK;
Busse was called out on strikes; Gross grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 5.