Scoring their first six runs on only three hits, the Dodgers defeated the Astros, 7-2, to maintain a 2½-game lead over the Reds in the N. L. West. Tommy Helms singled home two runs to give the Astros the lead in the second, but the Dodgers got three in the third on a walk, hit batsman, Bill Buckner's single, a wild pitch and throwing error.

L.A. made it 5-2 in the fifth with Steve Garvey singling home Andy Messersmith. Buckner then scored on the second error of the inning by Helms. The Dodgers added another unearned run in the sixth on Lee Lacy's double, a passed ball and error by Lee May. Bill Russell's sacrifice fly plated Lacy with the winners' final run in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Monday, September 16, 1974 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  9  4
Dodgers      0  0  3    0  2  1    0  1  x  -   7  7  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              5   0   2   0     0   1   .309      Russell ss            2   1   0   1     0   1   .270
Metzger ss            3   0   2   0     0   0   .263      Buckner lf            5   2   2   1     0   0   .315
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .274      Wynn cf               3   0   0   0     2   0   .273
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Garvey 1b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .325
Watson lf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .294      Crawford rf           3   0   0   1     1   0   .295
M. May c              3   1   0   0     1   0   .296      Cey 3b                4   0   1   0     0   0   .274
L. May 1b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .270      Yeager c              3   0   0   0     1   2   .257
Rader 3b              3   0   3   0     1   0   .256      Lacy 2b               4   2   2   0     0   1   .302
Helms 2b              4   0   1   2     0   1   .280      Messersmith p         1   2   0   0     2   0   .271
Wilson p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .224        Marshall p          1   0   1   0     0   0   .219
  Howard ph,cf        2   0   0   0     0   0   .268

Totals               33   2   9   2     3   4             Totals               30   7   7   4     6   4

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance: 18,321
Left on Base: Astros 8, Dodgers 8
DP: Astros 1, Dodgers 1
Errors: Metzger, M. May, L. May, Helms
Doubles: Lacy (5)
Caught Stealing: Gross (19)
Sacrifice Hits: Metzger (20), Russell (11)
Sacrifice Flies: Russell (4)
GIDP: Wilson (1)
Hit by Pitch: Russell (4,by Wilson)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson L(10-13)         6     3   6   2   5   3   0  30   3.31
Forsch                  2     4   1   1   1   1   0   9   2.89
Totals                  8     7   7   3   6   4   0  39

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith W(18-6)     7     9   2   2   2   4   0  30   2.74
Marshall                2     0   0   0   1   0   0   7   2.28
Totals                  9     9   2   2   3   4   0  37

Passed Balls: M. May (7)
Hit by Pitch: Wilson (4)
Wild Pitches: Wilson (4), Messersmith (6)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Chris Pelekoudas, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Dick Stello


ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to second; Metzger out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to first) [Gross to second]; Messersmith threw a
wild pitch [Gross to third]; Cedeno flied out to center; Watson
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Russell struck out; Buckner flied out to center;
Wynn walked; Garvey forced Wynn (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 2ND: M. May walked; L. May singled to right [M. May to
second]; Rader singled to center [M. May to third, L. May to
second]; Helms singled to left [M. May scored, L. May scored,
Rader to second]; Wilson grounded into a double play (shortstop
to first) [Rader to third, Helms out at second]; Gross grounded
out (third to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Crawford grounded out (second to first); Cey flied
out to center; Yeager walked; Lacy lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno made
an out to first; Watson walked; M. May flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Messersmith walked; Russell was hit by a pitch
[Messersmith to second]; Buckner singled to right [Messersmith
scored, Russell to third]; Wynn grounded out (third to first)
[Buckner to second]; Wilson threw a wild pitch [Russell scored,
Buckner scored (error by M. May) (unearned)]; Garvey flied out
to center; Crawford popped to shortstop; 3 R (2 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 3.

ASTROS 4TH: L. May grounded out (third to first); Rader singled
to center; Helms flied out to right; Wilson lined to third; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 3.

DODGERS 4TH: Cey flied out to right; Yeager grounded out (third
to first); Lacy was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 2, Dodgers 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Gross singled to center; Gross was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Metzger singled to left; Cedeno
flied out to center; Watson struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 3.

DODGERS 5TH: Messersmith walked; Russell out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher unassisted) [Messersmith to second]; Buckner reached on
an error by Metzger [Messersmith to third, Buckner to first];
Wynn walked [Buckner to second]; Garvey singled to right
[Messersmith scored (unearned), Buckner to third, Wynn to
second]; Crawford reached on an error by Helms [Buckner scored
(unearned) (RBI), Wynn to third, Garvey to second]; Cey popped
to shortstop; Yeager struck out; 2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 5.

ASTROS 6TH: M. May grounded out (second to first); L. May flied
out to center; Rader singled to left; Helms struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 5.

DODGERS 6TH: Lacy doubled to left; M. May allowed a passed ball
[Lacy to third]; Messersmith popped to shortstop; Russell
reached on an error by L. May [Lacy scored (unearned) (no RBI),
Russell to first]; Buckner grounded out (first unassisted)
[Russell to second]; Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R
(0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 6.

ASTROS 7TH: HOWARD BATTED FOR WILSON; Howard popped to third in
foul territory; Gross was called out on strikes; Metzger singled
to right; Cedeno was called out on strikes; Cesar Cedeno
ejected by HP umpire John McSherry; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 6.

DODGERS 7TH: FORSCH REPLACED CEDENO (PITCHING); HOWARD STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING CF); Garvey grounded out (second to first);
Crawford walked; Cey singled to left [Crawford out at third
(left to third)]; Yeager struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 6.

ASTROS 8TH: MARSHALL REPLACED MESSERSMITH (PITCHING); Watson
flied out to right; M. May flied out to center; L. May popped to
first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Dodgers 6.

DODGERS 8TH: Lacy singled to shortstop; Marshall singled to
right [Lacy to third]; Russell lined out on a sacrifice fly to
left [Lacy scored]; Buckner singled to right [Marshall to
third]; Wynn hit into a double play (left unassisted) [Marshall
out at home]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 9TH: Rader walked; Helms grounded out (first to pitcher)
[Rader to second]; Howard grounded out (first unassisted) [Rader
to third]; Gross flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 7.