The Dodgers, who started only Bill Buckner and Steve Yeager among their regular players and later removed them from the lineup, beat the Astros, 5-4, to end the season with 102 victories. Andy Messersmith, tuning up for the league championship series against the Pirates, pitched five innings and allowed only two hits, but victory escaped him when the Dodgers blew a 3-1 lead. However, Charlie Hough came out a winner in the 10th when John Hale singled and Lee Lacy doubled. [The Sporting News]

Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Houston Astros 4

Game Played on Wednesday, October 2, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome

Dodgers 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 - 5 6 3 Astros 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 - 4 8 3 Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Lacy 2b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .282 Milbourne 2b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .279 Auerbach ss 2 1 0 0 1 1 .342 Metzger ss 2 0 0 0 0 1 .253 Hough p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Busse 3b 2 2 1 0 1 1 .206 Cey ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .262 Gross rf 4 1 3 1 1 0 .314 Manuel ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .333 Cedeno cf 5 1 1 1 0 0 .269 Solomon p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 M. May c 2 0 0 0 0 0 .289 Buckner lf 2 0 0 1 0 1 .314 Jutze c 1 0 0 0 1 0 .231 Downing p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .172 Edwards ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .222 De Jesus ss 2 1 1 0 0 1 .333 C. Johnson 1b 3 0 2 2 0 1 .228 McMullen 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .250 Gallagher pr,1b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .172 Royster pr,3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Rader 3b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .257 Paciorek rf,lf,1b 3 0 1 2 0 0 .240 Kelleher ss 1 0 0 0 1 1 .158 Yeager c 3 1 1 1 0 0 .266 L. May ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .268 Pasley c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Howard lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .216 Mota ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .281 Siebert p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Alvarez lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Helms ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .279 Joshua cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .234 Forsch p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Hopkins 1b,c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .222 Watson ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .298 Messersmith p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .240 de los Santos p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Hale rf 2 1 2 0 0 0 1.000 J. Johnson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 34 5 6 5 1 6 Totals 37 4 8 4 5 9 Time of Game: 2:39 Attendance: 7,267 Left on Base: Dodgers 4, Astros 9 DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 0 Errors: Auerbach, Paciorek, Messersmith, C. Johnson, Rader, Kelleher Doubles: Paciorek (8), Lacy (6) Triples: Gross (8) Home Runs: Yeager (12) Stolen Bases: Auerbach (4), Lacy (2) Caught Stealing: Cedeno (17) Sacrifice Hits: Auerbach (1), Lacy (1), Siebert (2) Sacrifice Flies: Buckner (2), Paciorek (2) Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Messersmith 5 2 1 1 1 4 0 19 2.59 Downing 2 5 3 3 3 0 0 13 3.66 Hough W(9-4) 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 6 3.75 Solomon SV(1) 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 5 1.50 Totals 10 8 4 4 5 9 0 43 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Siebert 6 2 3 2 1 4 1 22 3.55 Forsch 3 2 1 0 0 1 0 12 2.79 de los Santos L(1-1) 0.1 2 1 1 0 0 0 3 2.19 J. Johnson 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4.80 Totals 10 6 5 3 1 6 1 39 Wild Pitches: Solomon 2 (2) Balks: Messersmith (3) Umpires: HP - Paul Runge, 1B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Bruce Froemming DODGERS 1ST: Lacy popped to first; Auerbach struck out; Buckner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Milbourne singled to center; Milbourne was picked off first but was safe on an error by Messersmith [Milbourne to second]; Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Gross grounded out (second to first); Cedeno lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. DODGERS 2ND: McMullen struck out; Paciorek popped to first in foul territory; Yeager homered; Joshua grounded out (pitcher to second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 1, Astros 0. ASTROS 2ND: M. May grounded out (first unassisted); C. Johnson struck out; Rader grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 1, Astros 0. DODGERS 3RD: Hopkins flied out to left; Messersmith flied out to right; Lacy grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 1, Astros 0. ASTROS 3RD: Howard reached on an error by Auerbach; Siebert out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Howard to second]; Milbourne grounded out (second to first) [Howard to third]; Metzger struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 1, Astros 0. DODGERS 4TH: Auerbach walked; Auerbach stole second; Buckner flied out to center; McMullen struck out; Paciorek doubled to right [Auerbach scored]; Yeager reached on an error by Rader [Paciorek out at home (third to first to catcher)]; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 2, Astros 0. ASTROS 4TH: Gross walked; Cedeno forced Gross (shortstop to second); Messersmith balked [Cedeno to second]; M. May grounded out (second to first) [Cedeno to third]; C. Johnson singled to left [Cedeno scored]; Rader grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 2, Astros 1. DODGERS 5TH: BUSSE REPLACED METZGER (PLAYING 3B); JUTZE REPLACED M. MAY (PLAYING C ); KELLEHER REPLACED RADER (PLAYING SS); Joshua grounded out (second to first); Hopkins grounded out (first to pitcher); Messersmith grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 2, Astros 1. ASTROS 5TH: Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); Siebert struck out; Milbourne struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 2, Astros 1. DODGERS 6TH: Lacy reached on an error by C. Johnson; Lacy stole second; Auerbach out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Lacy to third]; Buckner hit a sacrifice fly to center [Lacy scored (unearned)]; McMullen flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 1. ASTROS 6TH: DOWNING REPLACED BUCKNER (PITCHING); PACIOREK CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); HALE REPLACED MESSERSMITH (PLAYING RF); Busse singled to right; Gross singled to left [Busse to third (error by Paciorek), Gross to second]; Cedeno singled to third [Busse scored, Gross to third]; Cedeno was picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to shortstop to second); Jutze walked; C. Johnson singled to left [Gross scored, Jutze to second]; GALLAGHER RAN FOR C. JOHNSON; Kelleher walked [Jutze to third, Gallagher to second]; Howard forced Jutze (third to catcher) [Gallagher to third, Kelleher to second]; HELMS BATTED FOR SIEBERT; Helms grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 4 H, 1 E, 3 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 3. DODGERS 7TH: GALLAGHER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); FORSCH REPLACED HELMS (PITCHING); Paciorek grounded out (third to first); Yeager grounded out (shortstop to first); Joshua grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 3. ASTROS 7TH: PASLEY REPLACED YEAGER (PLAYING C ); Milbourne grounded out (shortstop to first); Debut game for Kevin Pasley; Busse walked; Gross tripled to right [Busse scored]; Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Jutze grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 4. DODGERS 8TH: Hopkins struck out; Hale singled to left; Lacy out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Hale to second]; Auerbach grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 4. ASTROS 8TH: HOUGH REPLACED AUERBACH (PITCHING); DE JESUS REPLACED DOWNING (PLAYING SS); Gallagher lined to second; Kelleher struck out; Howard flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 4. DODGERS 9TH: De Jesus singled to left; McMullen reached on an error by Kelleher [De Jesus to third, McMullen to second]; ROYSTER RAN FOR MCMULLEN; Paciorek hit a sacrifice fly to right [De Jesus scored (unearned), Royster to third]; MOTA BATTED FOR PASLEY; Mota flied out to right; Joshua grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 4, Astros 4. ASTROS 9TH: ROYSTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); ALVAREZ REPLACED MOTA (PLAYING LF); PACIOREK CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); HOPKINS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); WATSON BATTED FOR FORSCH; Watson struck out (catcher to first); Milbourne popped to first in foul territory; Busse struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 4, Astros 4. DODGERS 10TH: DE LOS SANTOS REPLACED WATSON (PITCHING); Hopkins popped to shortstop; Hale singled to third; Lacy doubled to left [Hale scored]; CEY BATTED FOR HOUGH; J. JOHNSON REPLACED DE LOS SANTOS (PITCHING); MANUEL BATTED FOR CEY; Manuel flied out to left; De Jesus struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 5, Astros 4. ASTROS 10TH: SOLOMON REPLACED MANUEL (PITCHING); Gross singled to left; Solomon threw a wild pitch [Gross to second]; Cedeno flied out to left; EDWARDS BATTED FOR JUTZE; Edwards walked; Solomon threw a wild pitch [Gross to third, Edwards to second]; Gallagher struck out; L. MAY BATTED FOR KELLEHER; L. May struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 5, Astros 4.

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