Roger Metzger squeezed home the go-ahead run in the fifth, then threw out Joe Morgan at the plate on a hotly contested play in the seventh as the Astros nipped the Reds, 4-3. Metzger's squeeze bunt scored Larry Milbourne after singles by Wilbur Howard, Milbourne and Greg Gross had tied the score at 2-2 in fifth.

The controversial call at the plate by umpire Jerry Dale came in the seventh when Johnny Bench singled with Pete Rose at third and Morgan at second. Rose scored, but Metzger's throw to the plate retired Morgan, touching off a long argument between manager Sparky Anderson and Dale. The winning run turned out to be a solo homer by Doug Rader in the sixth. The Reds scored once in the seventh. Morgan's 10th homer had given the Reds a 2-0 lead in the third. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Cincinnati Reds 3
Game Played on Monday, September 2, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         1  0  1    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   3 10  0
Astros       0  0  1    0  2  1    0  0  x  -   4 10  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               5   2   2   0     0   0   .286      Gross rf              4   0   2   2     0   0   .311
Morgan 2b             4   1   3   1     0   0   .300      Metzger ss            3   0   1   1     0   0   .262
Bench c               3   0   1   1     1   1   .278      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .283
Perez 1b              4   0   1   1     0   2   .272      L. May 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .276
Driessen 3b           4   0   2   0     0   1   .283      M. May c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .281
Geronimo cf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .307      Rader 3b              3   1   1   1     1   0   .256
Concepcion ss         3   0   0   0     1   1   .274      Howard lf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .281
Griffey rf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .207      Milbourne 2b          3   2   2   0     0   0   .311
T. Carroll p          2   0   0   0     0   1   .160      Dierker p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .169
  Gagliano ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .071        Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Norman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .085
  Crowley ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .241

Totals               35   3  10   3     2   7             Totals               30   4  10   4     1   0

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance:  8,750
Left on Base: Reds 7, Astros 6
DP: Reds 1, Astros 0
Errors: Gross
Doubles: Rose (33), Morgan (30), Bench (33)
Home Runs: Morgan (19), Rader (15)
Stolen Bases: Concepcion (30)
Caught Stealing: Driessen (5), Howard (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Dierker 2 (9), Metzger (17)
GIDP: Cedeno (6)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
T. Carroll L(4-2)       6     8   4   4   0   0   1  25   3.29
Norman                  2     2   0   0   1   0   0   9   2.97
Totals                  8    10   4   4   1   0   1  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(9-8)          6.1   9   3   3   2   6   1  29   2.80
Forsch SV(7)            2.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   8   2.83
Totals                  9    10   3   3   2   7   1  37

Wild Pitches: T. Carroll (3)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - Art Williams, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Doug Harvey


REDS 1ST: Rose doubled; Morgan popped to right; Bench walked;
Perez singled to left [Rose scored, Bench to second]; Driessen
struck out; Geronimo flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
singled to right; Cedeno grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Metzger out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Concepcion walked; Concepcion stole second; Griffey
grounded out (first unassisted) [Concepcion to third]; T.
Carroll struck out; Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: L. May singled to left; M. May lined to second;
Rader flied out to left; Howard flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Morgan homered; Bench flied out to left; Perez flied
out to center; Driessen singled to center; Driessen was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: On a bunt Milbourne singled; Dierker out on a
sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Milbourne to second]; T.
Carroll threw a wild pitch [Milbourne to third]; Gross reached
on a fielder's choice [Milbourne scored]; Metzger forced Gross
(first to shortstop); Cedeno forced Metzger (shortstop to
second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

REDS 4TH: Geronimo grounded out (second to first); Concepcion
struck out; Griffey grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: L. May lined to right; M. May grounded out (second
to first); Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

REDS 5TH: T. Carroll lined to second; Rose grounded out (second
to first); Morgan doubled; Bench struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard singled; Milbourne singled to pitcher [Howard
to second]; Dierker out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Howard to third, Milbourne to second]; Gross singled to center
[Howard scored, Milbourne to third]; Metzger out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher unassisted) [Milbourne scored, Gross to second];
Cedeno flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2,
Astros 3.

REDS 6TH: Perez was called out on strikes; Driessen singled to
right; Geronimo singled to right [Driessen to second];
Concepcion lined to left; Griffey was called out on strikes; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: L. May flied out to left; M. May grounded out
(second to first); Rader homered; Howard singled to first;
Howard was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 4.

REDS 7TH: GAGLIANO BATTED FOR T. CARROLL; Gagliano grounded out
(pitcher to first); Rose singled to left; Morgan singled to
right [Rose to third, Morgan to second (error by Gross)]; FORSCH
REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING); Bench doubled to shortstop [Rose
scored, Morgan out at home (shortstop to catcher)]; Perez struck
out; Reds Manager Sparky Anderson ejected by HP umpire Jerry
Dale; 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: NORMAN REPLACED GAGLIANO (PITCHING); Milbourne flied
out to left; Forsch flied out to right; Gross singled to left;
Metzger grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 3, Astros 4.

REDS 8TH: Driessen flied out to center; Geronimo flied out to
left; Concepcion popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno flied out to center; L. May singled to right;
M. May grounded out (pitcher to first) [L. May to second]; Rader
was walked intentionally; Howard popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 4.

REDS 9TH: Griffey grounded out (shortstop to first); CROWLEY
BATTED FOR NORMAN; Crowley grounded out (pitcher to first); Rose
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3,
Astros 4.