Rusty Staub batted in three runs, including two with a single in the eighth inning, to lead the Mets to a 6-5 victory over the Braves. Ron Reed was scheduled to pitch for the Braves but was sidelined by muscle spasms in his back. As a result, Danny Frisella drew his first start since August 5, 1970, snapping his string of 188 consecutive relief appearances.

The Mets jumped on their former teammate for four runs, counting three times in the third and once in the fourth on a walk to Ed Kranepool and triple by Staub. The Braves came back with three runs in the sixth and went ahead with two in the seventh on a double by Ralph Garr, two walks, an infield hit by Davey Johnson and infield out by Mike Lum. Garr's hit was his 200th of the season. However, the Mets rallied to win in the eighth when Ken Boswell and Bud Harrelson singled, Felix Millan sacrificed and Staub drove both runners home with a single. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 6, Atlanta Braves 5
Game Played on Saturday, August    31, 1974 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  3    2  0  0  -   5  6  0
Mets         0  0  3    1  0  0    0  2  x  -   6 12  2


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Garr lf               5   0   2   0     0   1   .356      Harrelson ss          5   1   1   0     0   1   .221
Perez 2b              4   1   1   0     1   1   .260      Millan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .266
Evans 3b              3   2   0   0     2   1   .255      Kranepool 1b          4   2   2   0     1   0   .303
Baker cf              4   1   0   0     1   1   .256      Staub rf              3   1   2   3     2   0   .280
Johnson 1b            3   0   1   1     1   1   .254      Ayala lf              3   1   0   0     2   0   .313
Lum rf                4   1   0   2     0   0   .233      Garrett 3b            4   0   2   2     0   1   .221
Robinson ss           4   0   1   2     0   0   .218      Martinez cf           4   0   2   1     0   1   .226
Correll c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .242        Gosger cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .097
Frisella p            0   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Hodges c              4   0   1   0     0   1   .245
  Foster ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .203      Koosman p             2   0   0   0     1   1   .137
  J. Niekro p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Apodaca p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Casanova ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .204        Boswell ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .232
  Leon p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .077        Parker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  House p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .286

Totals               34   5   6   5     6   6             Totals               34   6  12   6     6   5

Time of Game: 2:34   Attendance: 31,211
Left on Base: Braves 8, Mets 11
DP: Braves 0, Mets 1
Errors: Millan, Kranepool
Doubles: Foster (2), Garr (22)
Triples: Staub (1)
Stolen Bases: Robinson (10), Garr (26)
Caught Stealing: Garrett (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Millan (20)
GIDP: Robinson (12)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Frisella                4     6   4   4   6   3   0  23   5.18
J. Niekro               1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   4.04
Leon L(3-5)             2.1   4   2   2   0   2   0  11   2.76
House                   0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.97
Totals                  8    12   6   6   6   5   0  41

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman                 6     5   5   3   6   6   0  30   3.32
Apodaca W(5-5)          2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   4.14
Parker SV(4)            1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.75
Totals                  9     6   5   3   6   6   0  40

Umpires: HP - Tom Gorman, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - Satch Davidson


BRAVES 1ST: Garr grounded out (pitcher to first); Perez singled
to center; Evans struck out; Baker forced Perez (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Harrelson grounded out (third to first); Millan
singled; Kranepool flied to center; Staub walked [Millan to
second]; Ayala walked [Millan to third, Staub to second];
Garrett grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
 Braves 0, Mets 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Johnson walked; Lum forced Johnson (shortstop to
second); Robinson forced Lum (second to shortstop); Robinson
stole second; Correll struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Martinez struck out; Hodges struck out; Koosman
walked; Harrelson flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
0, Mets 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Frisella walked; Garr singled to right [Frisella to
third]; Garr stole second; Perez reached on a fielder's choice
[Frisella out at home (shortstop to catcher)]; Evans forced
Perez (first to shortstop) [Garr to third]; Baker struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Millan popped to second; Kranepool singled to center;
Staub walked [Kranepool to second]; Ayala walked [Kranepool to
third, Staub to second]; Garrett singled to center [Ayala to
third, Staub scored, Kranepool scored]; Martinez singled to
center [Garrett to second, Ayala scored]; Hodges singled to left
[Martinez to second, Garrett to third]; Garrett was caught
stealing home (catcher unassisted) [Hodges to second, Martinez
to third]; Blown squeeze; Koosman was called out on
strikes; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Johnson struck out; Lum reached on an error by
Kranepool; Robinson grounded into a double play (pitcher to
shortstop to first) [Lum out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 0, Mets 3.

METS 4TH: Harrelson grounded out (shortstop to first); Millan
flied to right; Kranepool walked; Staub tripled to right
[Kranepool scored]; Ayala grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 4.

BRAVES 5TH: Correll grounded out (shortstop to first); FOSTER
BATTED FOR FRISELLA; Foster doubled to right; Garr struck out;
Perez struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 4.

METS 5TH: J. NIEKRO REPLACED FOSTER (PITCHING); Garrett singled
to center; Martinez flied to right; Hodges forced Garrett (first
to shortstop); Koosman flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 0, Mets 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Evans walked; Baker walked [Evans to second];
Johnson flied to center [Evans to third]; Lum reached on an
error by Millan [Baker to third, Evans scored (RBI), Lum to
second]; Robinson singled to center [Lum scored (unearned),
Baker scored (unearned)]; Correll popped to second; CASANOVA
BATTED FOR J. NIEKRO; Casanova forced Robinson (third to
second); 3 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Mets 4.

METS 6TH: LEON REPLACED CASANOVA (PITCHING); Harrelson was
called out on strikes; Millan grounded out (pitcher to first);
Kranepool singled to right; Staub flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 3, Mets 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Garr doubled to left; Perez walked; Evans walked
[Garr to third, Perez to second]; APODACA REPLACED KOOSMAN
(PITCHING); Baker forced Garr (third to catcher) [Evans to
second, Perez to third]; Johnson singled [Baker to second, Evans
to third, Perez scored]; Lum grounded out (second to first)
[Johnson to second, Baker to third, Evans scored]; Robinson
flied to right; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5, Mets 4.

METS 7TH: Ayala grounded out (shortstop to first); Garrett
struck out; Martinez singled to left; Hodges popped to second; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Mets 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Correll grounded out (shortstop to first); Leon
grounded out (shortstop to first); Garr grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Mets 4.

METS 8TH: BOSWELL BATTED FOR APODACA; Boswell singled to center;
Harrelson singled to left [Boswell to second]; Millan out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Harrelson to second, Boswell
to third]; HOUSE REPLACED LEON (PITCHING); Kranepool popped to
third; Staub singled to center [Harrelson scored, Boswell
scored]; Ayala grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 5, Mets 6.

BRAVES 9TH: GOSGER REPLACED MARTINEZ (PLAYING CF); PARKER
REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Perez flied to right; Evans
grounded out (second to first); Baker flied to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Mets 6.