The Astros' Larry Dierker and Ken Forsch, combining on a six-hitter, held the Dodgers scoreless until the ninth and prevented Los Angeles from clinching the N. L. West crown as Houston won, 4-1. Dierker drove home the Astros' first run in the fourth, singling across Doug Rader, who had doubled. Houston made it 3-0 in the fifth on Lee May's RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Milt May.

A passed ball by Joe Ferguson in the sixth allowed Dave Campbell, the pinch-runner for pinch-hitter Johnny Edwards, who had doubled, to score after Campbell had moved to third on a groundout. The Dodgers avoided being shutout when they pushed across a run in the final frame on two walks and a single by pinch-hitter Manny Mota. Dierker worked six innings before his arm stiffened and he was relieved by Forsch. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 1

Game Played on Monday, September 30, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome

Dodgers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 1 6 0 Astros 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 x - 4 10 1 Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Lopes 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .266 Gross rf 5 0 1 0 0 0 .310 Mota ph 1 0 1 1 0 0 .286 Metzger ss 5 0 1 0 0 1 .253 Lacy pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .278 Cedeno cf 2 1 0 0 2 0 .270 Buckner lf 5 0 1 0 0 0 .316 Watson lf 3 1 2 0 1 0 .298 Wynn cf 2 0 0 0 2 1 .272 Howard lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .229 Garvey 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .310 L. May 1b 3 0 1 1 1 0 .269 Ferguson c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .252 M. May c 3 0 0 1 0 1 .293 Cey 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .263 Rader 3b 4 1 2 0 0 1 .256 Crawford rf 2 1 1 0 2 0 .295 Helms 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .281 Russell ss 2 0 1 0 2 0 .269 Milbourne pr,2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .287 Rau p 1 0 0 0 1 0 .141 Dierker p 2 0 1 1 0 1 .197 Hough p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Edwards ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .224 Rhoden p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 Campbell pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .087 Joshua ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .246 Forsch p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Shanahan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Hopkins ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .333 Totals 31 1 6 1 7 4 Totals 32 4 10 3 4 4 Time of Game: 2:20 Attendance: 7,771 Left on Base: Dodgers 10, Astros 10 DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 0 Errors: Forsch Doubles: Ferguson (14), Gross (20), Rader (27), Edwards (7) Triples: Metzger (9) Stolen Bases: Cedeno (57) Sacrifice Hits: Forsch (1) Sacrifice Flies: M. May (5) Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Rau L(13-11) 4.1 7 3 3 3 3 0 23 3.72 Hough 1.1 2 1 1 0 1 0 6 3.83 Rhoden 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2.00 Shanahan 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 8 3.86 Totals 8 10 4 4 4 4 0 38 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Dierker W(11-10) 6 4 0 0 3 4 0 23 2.90 Forsch SV(10) 3 2 1 1 4 0 0 15 2.87 Totals 9 6 1 1 7 4 0 38 Passed Balls: Ferguson 2 (9) Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Ed Vargo DODGERS 1ST: Lopes struck out; Buckner grounded out (second to first); Wynn walked; Garvey struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Watson walked; L. May flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. DODGERS 2ND: Ferguson flied out to right; Cey popped to first; Crawford singled to right; Russell popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 2ND: M. May struck out; Rader singled to center; Helms flied out to center; Dierker struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. DODGERS 3RD: Rau walked; Lopes flied out to center; Buckner singled to right [Rau to third, Buckner out at second (right to shortstop)]; Wynn was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 3RD: Gross doubled to right; Metzger struck out; Cedeno flied out to right; Watson singled to shortstop [Gross stayed at second]; L. May flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. DODGERS 4TH: Garvey lined to center; Ferguson doubled to left; Cey lined to left; Crawford was walked intentionally; Russell singled to center [Ferguson out at home (center to catcher), Crawford to second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 4TH: M. May flied out to right; Rader doubled to right; Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); Dierker singled to center [Rader scored]; Gross flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 1. DODGERS 5TH: Rau flied out to center; Lopes grounded out (third to first); Buckner grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 1. ASTROS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to second to first); Cedeno walked; Watson singled to center [Cedeno to third]; L. May singled to center [Cedeno scored, Watson to third]; HOUGH REPLACED RAU (PITCHING); Ferguson allowed a passed ball [L. May to second]; M. May lined out on a sacrifice fly to right [Watson scored]; Rader was called out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 3. DODGERS 6TH: Wynn flied out to left; Garvey popped to first in foul territory; Ferguson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 3. ASTROS 6TH: Helms grounded out (third to first); EDWARDS BATTED FOR DIERKER; Edwards doubled to right; CAMPBELL RAN FOR EDWARDS; Gross grounded out (second to first) [Campbell to third]; Ferguson allowed a passed ball [Campbell scored]; Metzger tripled to right; RHODEN REPLACED HOUGH (PITCHING); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. DODGERS 7TH: FORSCH REPLACED CAMPBELL (PITCHING); Cey flied out to right; Crawford grounded out (pitcher to first); Russell walked; JOSHUA BATTED FOR RHODEN; Joshua singled to pitcher [Russell to third (error by Forsch)]; Lopes lined to pitcher; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. ASTROS 7TH: SHANAHAN REPLACED JOSHUA (PITCHING); Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); L. May walked; M. May flied out to right; Rader flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. DODGERS 8TH: HOWARD REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING LF); Buckner popped to second; Wynn walked; Garvey lined to right; Ferguson forced Wynn (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. ASTROS 8TH: Helms singled to shortstop; MILBOURNE RAN FOR HELMS; Forsch out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Milbourne to second]; Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. DODGERS 9TH: MILBOURNE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Cey flied out to center; Crawford walked; Russell walked [Crawford to second]; HOPKINS BATTED FOR SHANAHAN; Hopkins grounded out (second to first) [Crawford to third, Russell to second]; MOTA BATTED FOR LOPES; Mota singled to center [Crawford scored, Russell to third]; LACY RAN FOR MOTA; Buckner popped to second; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 1, Astros 4.

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