With more power in their attack, the Pirates smashed a homer, triple and four doubles among their 14 hits and defeated the Astros, 9-6, in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader. The second game was halted by rain with the score tied, 2-2, and with the Astros batting in the third inning. It will be played off only in the event the game has some bearing on the race in the East Division. The Pirates' victory in the completed contest enabled them to retain a four-game lead over the Cardinals. The Phillies, who lost to the Giants, slipped back into a tie with the Cardinals, also four games behind.

The Astros, after scoring three runs in the first inning and yielding four in the Pirates' half, came back to tie the score at 5-5 with the aid of a homer by Jose Cruz. The Pirates went ahead to stay with a run in the fourth on a single by Frank Taveras, a sacrifice, infield out and wild pitch by Jose Sosa. Bob Robertson made it 7-5 with a homer in the fifth. The Astros used a two-base error by Taveras and single by Cesar Cedeno for a run in the sixth, but the Pirates clinched their victory with a pair in the seventh on a single by Bill Robinson, triple by Dave Parker and sacrifice fly by Richie Hebner. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 9, Houston Astros 6
Game Played on Sunday, August    31, 1975 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       3  0  1    1  0  1    0  0  0  -   6 11  0
Pirates      4  1  0    1  1  0    2  0  x  -   9 14  4


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Howard lf             5   3   2   0     0   0   .311      Stennett 2b           5   1   3   0     0   1   .278
DaVanon 2b,ss         4   1   1   0     1   0   .274      Sanguillen c          4   2   1   0     1   1   .323
Cedeno cf             4   1   2   2     1   1   .280      Oliver cf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .279
Watson 1b             5   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Robertson 1b          4   2   2   2     0   1   .264
Cruz rf               3   1   1   2     1   0   .272      Zisk lf               3   1   1   1     0   1   .281
May c                 5   0   2   2     0   0   .251        Robinson lf         1   1   1   0     0   0   .282
Rader 3b              3   0   0   0     2   0   .225      Parker rf             4   1   3   3     0   0   .315
Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .241      Hebner 3b             2   0   0   1     1   0   .257
  Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .291      Taveras ss            4   1   2   0     0   0   .206
  Andrews pr,2b       0   0   0   0     0   0   .204      Demery p              0   0   0   0     1   0   .143
Roberts p             1   0   1   0     0   0   .153        Kison p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .118
  Sosa p              1   0   1   0     0   0   .400        Ellis p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .242        Kirkpatrick ph      1   0   0   0     0   1   .226
  Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .273        Giusti p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
  Gross ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .300
  Granger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Crawford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .294

Totals               37   6  11   6     5   2             Totals               33   9  14   8     3   6

Time of Game: 2:42   Attendance: 14,507
Left on Base: Astros 10, Pirates 5
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 2
Errors: Sanguillen, Robertson, Taveras, Giusti
Doubles: May (13), Sosa (1), Zisk (22), Sanguillen (21), Oliver (32), Parker (25)
Triples: Parker (9)
Home Runs: Cruz (8), Robertson (6)
Stolen Bases: Andrews (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Kison (10)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (6), Hebner (4)
GIDP: DaVanon (3), May (6), Sanguillen (12)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 1.2   6   5   5   2   1   0  12   4.36
Sosa L(0-3)             3.1   4   2   2   1   1   1  14   4.33
Niekro                  1     1   0   0   0   2   0   4   3.54
Granger                 0.1   2   2   2   0   1   0   3   3.44
Crawford                1.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   3.60
Totals                  8    14   9   9   3   6   1  38

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Demery                  2.2   7   4   4   1   0   1  15   2.81
Kison W(10-11)          2.1   3   1   1   3   0   0  11   3.44
Ellis                   1     1   1   0   0   0   0   6   3.77
Giusti SV(15)           3     0   0   0   1   2   0  11   2.44
Totals                  9    11   6   5   5   2   1  43

Wild Pitches: Sosa (2)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - John McSherry, 3B - Chris Pelekoudas


ASTROS 1ST: Howard singled to left; DaVanon singled to right
[Howard to second]; Cedeno walked [Howard to third, DaVanon to
second]; Watson made an out to second; Cruz hit a sacrifice fly
to center [Howard scored]; May doubled to center [DaVanon
scored, Cedeno scored]; Rader flied out to right; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Stennett singled to left; Sanguillen walked
[Stennett to second]; Oliver flied out to right; Robertson
singled to left [Stennett scored, Sanguillen to second]; Zisk
doubled to left [Sanguillen scored, Robertson to third]; Parker
singled to center [Robertson scored, Zisk scored]; Hebner flied
out to center; Taveras popped to first in foul territory; 4 R, 4
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 2ND: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Roberts
singled to left; Howard singled to center [Roberts to second];
DaVanon grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Howard out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3,
Pirates 4.

PIRATES 2ND: Demery walked; Stennett was called out on strikes;
Sanguillen doubled to left [Demery to third]; Demery was picked
off third (catcher to third); Oliver doubled to center
[Sanguillen scored]; SOSA REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); Robertson
flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 5.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno flied out to right; Watson flied out to
right; Cruz homered; May singled to right; KISON REPLACED DEMERY
(PITCHING); Rader grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 3RD: Zisk struck out; Parker lined to right; Hebner
lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 5.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger popped to catcher in foul territory; Sosa
doubled to left; Howard reached on a fielder's choice [Sosa out
at third (shortstop to third to second to pitcher), Howard to
second]; DaVanon walked; Cedeno singled to third [Howard scored,
DaVanon to second]; Watson singled to left [DaVanon out at home
(left to catcher), Cedeno to second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 5, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 4TH: Taveras singled to shortstop; Kison out on a
sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Taveras to second]; Stennett
grounded out (second to first) [Taveras to third]; Sosa threw a
wild pitch [Taveras scored]; Sanguillen grounded out (shortstop
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 6.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz walked; May grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [Cruz out at second]; Rader
walked; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 6.

PIRATES 5TH: Oliver flied out to right; Robertson homered; Zisk
grounded out (shortstop to first); Parker doubled to right;
Hebner was walked intentionally; Taveras singled to left [Parker
out at home (left to catcher), Hebner to second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 7.

ASTROS 6TH: ROBINSON REPLACED ZISK (PLAYING LF); ELLIS REPLACED
KISON (PITCHING); BOSWELL BATTED FOR SOSA; Boswell grounded out
(second to first); Howard reached on an error by Taveras [Howard
to second]; DaVanon flied out to center; Cedeno singled to left
[Howard scored (unearned)]; Watson reached on an error by
Robertson [Cedeno to second, Watson to first]; Cruz grounded out
(first to pitcher); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6,
Pirates 7.

PIRATES 6TH: NIEKRO REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); KIRKPATRICK
BATTED FOR ELLIS; Kirkpatrick struck out (catcher to first);
Stennett singled to center; Sanguillen struck out; Oliver flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Pirates 7.

ASTROS 7TH: GIUSTI REPLACED KIRKPATRICK (PITCHING); May grounded
out (second to first); Rader walked; JOHNSON BATTED FOR METZGER;
Johnson forced Rader (third to second); ANDREWS RAN FOR JOHNSON;
GROSS BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Andrews stole second [Andrews to third
(error by Sanguillen)]; Gross struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 6, Pirates 7.

PIRATES 7TH: ANDREWS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); DAVANON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); GRANGER REPLACED GROSS
(PITCHING); Robertson was called out on strikes; Robinson
singled to third; Parker tripled to right [Robinson scored];
CRAWFORD REPLACED GRANGER (PITCHING); Hebner hit a sacrifice fly
to right [Parker scored]; Taveras flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Pirates 9.

ASTROS 8TH: Howard grounded out (second to first); DaVanon
reached on an error by Giusti [DaVanon to first]; Cedeno struck
out; Watson forced DaVanon (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 6, Pirates 9.

PIRATES 8TH: Giusti was called out on strikes; Stennett singled
to left; Sanguillen grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Stennett out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 6, Pirates 9.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz flied out to center; May grounded out (first to
pitcher); Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Pirates 9.