Doug Rader had five RBIs with two homers and Bob Watson drove in three with a sacrifice fly and his sixth homer of the campaign to lead the Astros to an 11-7 triumph over the Cubs. The Astros got off winging, scoring five runs in their first turn at bat, the inning being capped by Rader's initial circuit clout. The Cubs battled back to narrow the margin with Ron Dunn, who replaced Bill Madlock at third base after the latter had been ejected following an argument, hitting a homer and two sacrifice flies to drive in three runs.

But Rader's second homer, following Watson's single and an intentional pass to Milt May in the seventh inning, put the game out of reach for the Cubs. Watson's homer in the eighth with one man on provided extra insurance. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 11, Chicago Cubs 7
Game Played on Wednesday, May       14, 1975 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       5  0  0    0  0  1    3  2  0  -  11 15  0
Cubs         0  0  0    2  1  2    0  2  0  -   7 13  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross lf              5   1   1   1     1   0   .183      Kessinger ss          4   1   2   0     1   0   .255
Metzger ss            5   1   4   1     0   0   .285      Cardenal lf           4   1   1   1     1   0   .354
Cedeno cf             5   1   1   0     0   2   .277      Madlock 3b            2   0   1   0     0   0   .330
Watson 1b             4   2   3   3     0   0   .355        Dunn 3b             1   1   1   3     0   0   .500
  Cabell 1b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .300      Monday cf             4   1   3   1     1   0   .351
Cruz rf               3   1   1   0     1   1   .248      Morales rf            5   0   1   0     0   1   .292
May c                 4   2   0   0     1   2   .238      LaCock 1b             4   1   1   1     1   1   .250
Rader 3b              4   2   2   5     1   0   .281      Trillo 2b             4   0   1   1     1   1   .315
Andrews 2b            5   1   1   0     0   0   .183      Hosley c              5   1   1   0     0   1   .238
Griffin p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Burris p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .308
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Crawford p          1   0   1   0     0   0   .333        Garrett ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Niekro p            1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000        Zahn p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Mitterwald ph       0   0   0   0     1   0   .318
                                                            Stone pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Frailing p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Summers ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .444
                                                            Wilcox p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Thornton ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .143
                                                            Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
                                                            Sperring ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .231

Totals               40  11  15  10     4   6             Totals               37   7  13   7     6   5

Time of Game: 3:10   Attendance:  8,087
Left on Base: Astros 8, Cubs 11
DP: Astros 1, Cubs 0
Errors: Kessinger, Monday, Hosley
Doubles: Madlock (9), LaCock (2), Kessinger (7), Monday (9)
Triples: Metzger (1)
Home Runs: Rader 2 (3), Watson (6), Dunn (1)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (18), Andrews (3)
Caught Stealing: Watson (3), Cruz (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Cruz (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson (1), Dunn 2 (2)
GIDP: LaCock (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin W(1-5)          5.1   9   5   5   4   0   1  28   5.67
Forsch                  0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   3.43
Crawford                0.1   1   0   0   1   0   0   3   2.12
Niekro SV(1)            3     3   2   1   0   5   0  12   5.63
Totals                  9    13   7   6   6   5   1  45

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Burris L(4-2)           0.2   3   5   2   1   1   1   7   3.86
Locker                  1.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   2.38
Zahn                    2     1   0   0   1   2   0   8   4.50
Frailing                2     4   1   1   1   2   0  10   3.38
Wilcox                  1     3   3   3   1   0   1   7   5.40
Knowles                 2     3   2   2   0   0   1   9   1.71
Totals                  9    15  11   8   4   6   3  46

Passed Balls: May 2 (5)
Wild Pitches: Griffin (2)
Balks: Locker (1)

Umpires: HP - Paul Runge, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Art Williams


ASTROS 1ST: Gross walked; Metzger tripled to center [Gross
scored]; Cedeno struck out; Watson hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Metzger scored]; Cruz singled to right; May reached on an error
by Monday [Cruz scored (unearned) (no RBI), May to third]; Rader
homered (unearned) [May scored (unearned)]; LOCKER REPLACED
BURRIS (PITCHING); Andrews flied out to center; 5 R (2 ER), 3 H,
1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Kessinger grounded out (shortstop to first); Cardenal
popped to third in foul territory; Madlock doubled to left;
Monday walked; Morales forced Monday (second unassisted); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Griffin struck out; Gross grounded out (second to
first); Metzger singled to center; Locker balked [Metzger to
second]; Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: LaCock flied out to right; Trillo walked; Hosley
popped to catcher; GARRETT BATTED FOR LOCKER; Garrett grounded
out (second to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 3RD: ZAHN REPLACED GARRETT (PITCHING); Watson singled to
left; Watson was caught stealing second but was safe at second
(error by Kessinger; assist by Hosley); Cruz struck out; May
struck out; Rader walked; Andrews grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Kessinger grounded out (second to first); Cardenal
flied out to right; Madlock grounded out (shortstop to
first); Bill Madlock ejected by 1B umpire Ed Vargo; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 4TH: DUNN REPLACED MADLOCK (PLAYING 3B); Griffin flied
out to center; Gross grounded out (second to first); Metzger
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Monday singled to center; Morales flied out to center;
LaCock doubled to right [Monday scored]; Griffin threw a wild
pitch [LaCock to third]; Trillo singled to center [LaCock
scored]; Hosley flied out to center; MITTERWALD BATTED FOR ZAHN;
Mitterwald walked [Trillo to second]; STONE RAN FOR MITTERWALD;
On a bunt Kessinger singled to third [Trillo to third, Stone to
second]; Cardenal flied out to right; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 5, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 5TH: FRAILING REPLACED STONE (PITCHING); Cedeno singled
to center; Cedeno stole second; Watson popped to first; Cruz
walked; Cruz was picked off and caught stealing second (catcher
to first to shortstop) [Cedeno stayed at second]; May struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 2.

CUBS 5TH: Dunn homered; Monday singled to first; Morales popped
to second; LaCock grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Monday out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader flied out to right; Andrews singled to right;
Andrews stole second [Andrews to third (error by Hosley)];
Griffin flied out to right; Gross singled to center [Andrews
scored]; Metzger singled to left [Gross to third]; Cedeno struck
out; 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 3.

CUBS 6TH: Trillo popped to first; Hosley singled to left;
SUMMERS BATTED FOR FRAILING; Summers singled to pitcher [Hosley
to second]; Kessinger walked [Hosley to third, Summers to
second]; FORSCH REPLACED GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Cardenal walked
[Hosley scored, Summers to third, Kessinger to second]; Dunn hit
a sacrifice fly to left [Summers scored]; CRAWFORD REPLACED
FORSCH (PITCHING); Monday grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Cubs 5.

ASTROS 7TH: WILCOX REPLACED SUMMERS (PITCHING); Watson singled
to right; Cruz out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Watson
to second]; May was walked intentionally; Rader homered [Watson
scored, May scored]; Andrews lined to right; Crawford singled to
right; Gross flied out to left; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9,
Cubs 5.

CUBS 7TH: Morales singled to pitcher; LaCock walked [Morales to
second]; NIEKRO REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); Trillo grounded
out (first unassisted) [Morales to third, LaCock to second];
Hosley struck out; THORNTON BATTED FOR WILCOX; Thornton struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 9, Cubs 5.

ASTROS 8TH: KNOWLES REPLACED THORNTON (PITCHING); Metzger
singled to right; Cedeno forced Metzger (third to second);
Watson homered [Cedeno scored]; Cruz grounded out (pitcher to
first); May flied out to right; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
11, Cubs 5.

CUBS 8TH: CABELL REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); Kessinger doubled
to center; Cardenal singled to center [Kessinger to third]; Dunn
hit a sacrifice fly to left [Kessinger scored]; May allowed a
passed ball [Cardenal to second]; May allowed a passed ball
[Cardenal to third]; Monday doubled to left [Cardenal scored
(unearned)]; Morales struck out; LaCock struck out; 2 R (1 ER),
3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Cubs 7.

ASTROS 9TH: Rader flied out to left; Andrews grounded out (third
to first); Niekro singled to shortstop; Gross forced Niekro
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Cubs 7.

CUBS 9TH: Trillo struck out; Hosley grounded out (shortstop to
first); SPERRING BATTED FOR KNOWLES; Sperring flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 11, Cubs 7.