After Jack Billingham proved ineffective in a third try for his 20th victory, the Reds rallied to defeat the Astros, 10-6. Billingham gave up the Astros' runs in the first 3 2/3 innings on 10 hits, including a homer by Cesar Cedeno with two men on base.

The Reds, who were trailing, 6-2, when Billingham departed, picked up two runs in the fourth and then exploded for five in the fifth with an attack that featured doubles by Johnny Bench, Ken Griffey and Merv Rettenmund. The Reds used three relief pitchers, Pedro Borbon, Tom Hall and Rawly Eastwick, who silenced the Astros' bats in the last 5 1/3 innings. Eastwick worked the final four frames and was credited with his second save. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 10, Houston Astros 6
Game Played on Thursday, September 26, 1974 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  2  1    3  0  0    0  0  0  -   6 10  3
Reds         0  2  0    2  5  1    0  0  x  -  10 12  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              3   1   1   0     2   0   .311      Rose lf               4   0   0   0     1   0   .280
Metzger ss            5   2   2   0     0   1   .257      Geronimo cf           5   1   1   0     0   1   .288
Cedeno cf             4   1   1   3     0   1   .270      Bench c               4   1   2   1     1   1   .278
Watson lf             4   1   1   0     0   2   .297      Perez 1b              4   1   0   0     1   1   .265
M. May c              4   1   2   0     0   1   .295      Driessen 3b           3   4   2   0     1   0   .286
L. May 1b             4   0   1   1     0   1   .269        Knight 3b           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Helms 2b              4   0   1   1     0   0   .281      Concepcion ss         4   2   2   1     1   1   .275
Busse 3b              4   0   1   0     0   2   .194      Griffey rf            4   1   4   3     0   0   .254
Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .158      Chaney 2b             1   0   0   1     0   0   .201
  Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .056        Armbrister ph       0   0   0   0     1   0   .250
  York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Kennedy 2b          1   0   0   0     1   0   .125
  de los Santos p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Billingham p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .075
  Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .181        Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .174
  J. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Freed ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .400
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            King ph             0   0   0   0     0   0   .188
                                                            Rettenmund ph       1   0   1   2     0   0   .216
                                                            Eastwick p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               36   6  10   5     2   9             Totals               34  10  12   8     7   6

Time of Game: 2:45   Attendance: 11,784
Left on Base: Astros 5, Reds 8
DP: Astros 3, Reds 0
Errors: Busse 2, J. Johnson, Driessen
Doubles: Gross (18), Helms (20), Busse (1), Bench (38), Griffey (8), Rettenmund (6)
Home Runs: Cedeno (26)
Sacrifice Hits: Billingham (11)
GIDP: Freed (1), Perez (16)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                 3     5   4   4   2   3   0  16   3.84
Cosgrove                1     2   2   2   1   0   0   5   3.56
York L(2-2)             0.1   2   3   2   1   0   0   5   3.60
de los Santos           0.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   3   1.50
J. Johnson              3     2   1   0   2   3   0  13   4.87
Totals                  8    12  10   8   7   6   0  42

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham              3.2  10   6   5   1   4   1  21   3.82
Borbon                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.30
Hall W(2-1)             1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   4.35
Eastwick SV(2)          4     0   0   0   1   3   0  13   0.71
Totals                  9    10   6   5   2   9   1  38

Wild Pitches: Richard (8), J. Johnson (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross doubled to center [Gross out at third (right
to second to third)]; Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher);
Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Geronimo flied
out to center; Bench struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to center; M. May singled to right
[Watson to second]; L. May reached on an error by Driessen
[Watson scored (unearned) (no RBI), M. May to second, L. May to
first]; Helms doubled to left [M. May scored, L. May to third];
Busse struck out; Richard was called out on strikes; Gross
grounded out (first unassisted); 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 2, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez walked; Driessen singled to center [Perez to
second]; Concepcion singled to center [Perez to third, Driessen
to second]; Griffey singled to right [Perez scored, Driessen to
third, Concepcion to second]; Chaney forced Griffey (second to
shortstop) [Driessen scored, Concepcion to third]; Billingham
out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Chaney to second];
Rose grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 2, Reds 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger singled to right; Cedeno flied out to
center; Watson was called out on strikes; M. May singled to
right [Metzger to third]; L. May singled to pitcher [Metzger
scored, M. May to second]; Helms forced L. May (third to
second); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 2.

REDS 3RD: Geronimo struck out; Bench grounded out (pitcher to
first); Perez was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Reds 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Busse doubled; On a bunt Richard grounded out
(pitcher to second); Gross walked; Metzger singled to center
[Busse out at home (center to catcher), Gross to third, Metzger
to second (on throw to home)]; Cedeno homered [Gross scored,
Metzger scored]; BORBON REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Watson
flied out to center; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 2.

REDS 4TH: Driessen singled to right; Concepcion walked [Driessen
to second]; Richard threw a wild pitch [Driessen to third,
Concepcion to second]; Griffey singled to left [Driessen scored,
Concepcion to third]; COSGROVE REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING);
ARMBRISTER BATTED FOR CHANEY; Armbrister walked [Griffey to
second]; FREED BATTED FOR BORBON; Freed grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [Concepcion scored (no RBI),
Griffey to third, Armbrister out at second]; Rose grounded out
(second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 4.

ASTROS 5TH: KENNEDY REPLACED ARMBRISTER (PLAYING 2B); HALL
REPLACED FREED (PITCHING); M. May struck out; L. May struck out;
Helms flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds
4.

REDS 5TH: Geronimo singled to center; Bench doubled to left
[Geronimo scored]; YORK REPLACED COSGROVE (PITCHING); Perez
reached on an error by Busse [Perez to first]; Driessen forced
Perez (second to shortstop) [Bench to third]; Concepcion singled
to left [Bench scored, Driessen to second]; Griffey doubled
[Driessen scored (unearned), Concepcion to third]; Kennedy was
walked intentionally; KING BATTED FOR HALL; DE LOS SANTOS
REPLACED YORK (PITCHING); RETTENMUND BATTED FOR KING; Rettenmund
doubled to left [Concepcion scored, Griffey scored, Kennedy to
third]; Rose was walked intentionally; Geronimo hit into a
double play (center to catcher to second) [Rose out at second];
5 R (4 ER), 5 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 9.

ASTROS 6TH: EASTWICK REPLACED RETTENMUND (PITCHING); Busse
struck out; GALLAGHER BATTED FOR DE LOS SANTOS; On a bunt
Gallagher made an out to third; Gross walked; Metzger struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 9.

REDS 6TH: J. JOHNSON REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Bench
singled to center; Perez grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Bench out at second]; Driessen walked; J.
Johnson threw a wild pitch [Driessen to second]; Concepcion
reached on an error by Busse [Driessen scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Concepcion to first]; Griffey singled to second
[Concepcion to second]; Kennedy flied out to right; 1 R (0 ER),
2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 10.

ASTROS 7TH: KNIGHT REPLACED DRIESSEN (PLAYING 3B); Cedeno flied
out to left; Watson struck out; M. May grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 10.

REDS 7TH: Eastwick was called out on strikes; Rose grounded out
(pitcher to first); Geronimo grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 10.

ASTROS 8TH: L. May popped to first in foul territory; Helms
flied out to left; Busse flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 10.

REDS 8TH: Bench walked; Bench was picked off first but was safe
on an error by J. Johnson [Bench to second]; Perez grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Bench to third]; Knight struck out;
Concepcion struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 10.

ASTROS 9TH: HOWARD BATTED FOR J. JOHNSON; Howard grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gross flied out to left; Metzger grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 10.