A five-run explosion in the fourth inning against Juan Marichal, making his first appearance for the Dodgers, sent the Astros on their way to a 7-5 victory. The Astros' big inning began when Milt May walked and Cliff Johnson slammed a homer. Jose Cruz then walked, took second on a balk and scored on Doug Rader's single. Roger Metzger then singled and both runners scored on Enos Cabell's double. What proved to be the eventual winning run came in the fifth when Cesar Cedeno walked and scored on Johnson's double. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 5
Game Played on Saturday, April     12, 1975 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      2  0  0    0  0  3    0  0  0  -   5  7  0
Astros       0  0  0    5  1  0    1  0  x  -   7  8  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              2   1   0   0     3   1   .167      Cabell lf             4   0   2   2     0   1   .318
Buckner lf            4   1   1   0     1   0   .304      Andrews 2b            4   1   1   0     0   1   .300
Wynn cf               3   1   1   1     1   0   .368      Cedeno cf             2   1   0   0     2   0   .353
Garvey 1b             4   1   3   1     0   0   .476      May c                 2   1   1   1     1   0   .250
Crawford rf           3   1   1   2     0   1   .167        Jutze pr,c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Ferguson c            3   0   0   0     1   0   .176      Johnson 1b            4   1   2   3     0   1   .294
Cey 3b                4   0   0   0     0   2   .182      Cruz rf               3   1   0   0     1   0   .188
Russell ss            1   0   0   0     0   0   .059      Rader 3b              4   1   1   1     0   0   .421
  Auerbach ss         3   0   1   1     0   0   .333      Metzger ss            3   1   1   0     1   0   .313
  Marshall p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Dierker p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Marichal p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Granger p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Brewer p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Paciorek ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Downing p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Mota ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hough p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lacy ss             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   5   7   5     6   5             Totals               29   7   8   7     5   4

Time of Game: 2:29   Attendance: 25,024
Left on Base: Dodgers 7, Astros 5
DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 1
Doubles: Auerbach (1), Cabell (2), Johnson (2), May (1)
Triples: Garvey (1)
Home Runs: Johnson (1)
Stolen Bases: Lopes 2 (6), Cedeno 2 (6), Cabell (2)
Caught Stealing: Metzger (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Dierker (1), May (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Wynn (1), Crawford (1)
GIDP: Buckner (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Marichal L(0-1)         3.2   5   5   5   3   1   1  19  12.27
Brewer                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Downing                 1     1   1   1   1   0   0   5   9.00
Hough                   2.1   2   1   1   1   2   0  10   5.40
Marshall                0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   2.25
Totals                  8     8   7   7   5   4   1  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(2-0)          5     5   5   5   5   3   0  24   4.50
Granger SV(1)           4     2   0   0   1   2   0  15   0.00
Totals                  9     7   5   5   6   5   0  39

Passed Balls: May (1)
Balks: Marichal (1), Dierker (1)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Shag Crawford, 3B - John Kibler


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes walked; Lopes stole second; May allowed a
passed ball [Lopes to third]; Buckner walked; Wynn hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Lopes scored]; Garvey singled [Buckner
to third]; Crawford hit a sacrifice fly to center [Buckner
scored]; Dierker balked [Garvey to second]; Ferguson flied out
to right; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews
flied out to left; Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; May
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers
2, Astros 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Cey struck out; Russell grounded out (shortstop to
first); Marichal was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: AUERBACH REPLACED RUSSELL (PLAYING SS); Johnson
grounded out (second to first); Cruz flied out to right; Rader
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Lopes walked; Lopes stole second; Buckner flied out
to left; Wynn flied out to center; Garvey grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger flied out to center; Dierker grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cabell singled; Cabell stole second;
Andrews struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Crawford was called out on strikes; Ferguson flied
out to left; Cey made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno flied out to center; May walked; Johnson
homered [May scored]; Cruz walked; Marichal balked [Cruz to
second]; Rader singled [Cruz scored]; Metzger singled [Rader to
second]; Dierker out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Rader
to third, Metzger to second]; Cabell doubled [Rader scored,
Metzger scored]; BREWER REPLACED MARICHAL (PITCHING); Andrews
grounded out (pitcher to first); 5 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers
2, Astros 5.

DODGERS 5TH: Auerbach doubled; PACIOREK BATTED FOR BREWER;
Paciorek grounded out (shortstop to first); Lopes walked;
Buckner grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Lopes out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2,
Astros 5.

ASTROS 5TH: DOWNING REPLACED PACIOREK (PITCHING); Cedeno walked;
Cedeno stole second; May out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
first) [Cedeno to third]; Johnson doubled [Cedeno scored]; Cruz
grounded out (third to first); Rader grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 6.

DODGERS 6TH: Wynn singled; Garvey tripled [Wynn scored];
Crawford singled [Garvey scored]; Ferguson walked [Crawford to
second]; GRANGER REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING); Cey grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Crawford to third, Ferguson to second];
Auerbach grounded out (shortstop to first) [Crawford scored];
MOTA BATTED FOR DOWNING; Mota flied out to right; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 6.

ASTROS 6TH: HOUGH REPLACED MOTA (PITCHING); Metzger flied out to
center; Granger flied out to left; Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 6.

DODGERS 7TH: Lopes was called out on strikes; Buckner flied out
to center; Wynn walked; Garvey singled [Wynn to second];
Crawford grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 5, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: Andrews singled; Cedeno grounded out (second to
first) [Andrews to second]; May doubled [Andrews scored]; JUTZE
RAN FOR MAY; Johnson struck out; Cruz grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 7.

DODGERS 8TH: JUTZE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Ferguson
grounded out (third to first); Cey struck out; Auerbach grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5,
Astros 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Rader grounded out (third to first); Metzger walked;
MARSHALL REPLACED AUERBACH (PITCHING); LACY REPLACED HOUGH
(PLAYING SS); Metzger was caught stealing second; Granger struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 7.

DODGERS 9TH: Lacy lined to shortstop; Lopes grounded out (third
to first); Buckner singled; Wynn forced Buckner (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 7.