The Giants, who gave the opening-day pitching assignment to Tom Bradley because Ron Bryant was injured in spring training, defeated the Astros, 5-1, but temporarily lost the services of Tito Fuentes. The Giants' second baseman collected two hits before leaving the game with an aching back. His trouble was diagnosed as a prolapsed disc which was pressing on a nerve.

The Giants, after putting together four singles for two runs in the fourth inning, wrapped up their scoring when Garry Maddox homered with two men on base in the fifth. Bradley lost his bid for a shutout when the Astros scored in the ninth on singles by Greg Gross, Roger Metzger and Bob Watson. Randy Moffitt relieved with one out and retired the next two batters. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 5, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Friday, April     5, 1974 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  7  0
Giants       0  0  0    2  3  0    0  0  x  -   5 10  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   1   3   0     0   0   .750      Bonds rf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .250
Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Fuentes 2b            4   1   2   0     0   0   .500
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Phillips 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Watson lf             4   0   1   1     0   1   .250      Maddox cf             4   2   1   3     0   0   .250
M. May c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Matthews lf           4   1   1   0     0   0   .250
L. May 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Ontiveros 1b          3   0   1   1     0   0   .333
Rader 3b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .333      Kingman 3b            4   0   3   1     0   1   .750
Helms 2b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .333      Speier ss             3   0   1   0     1   1   .333
Roberts p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Rudolph c             2   0   0   0     2   0   .000
  Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bradley p             4   0   0   0     0   4   .000
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Moffitt p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  C. Johnson ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  J. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   1   7   1     0   4             Totals               32   5  10   5     3   6

Time of Game: 2:03   Attendance: 17,527
Left on Base: Astros 5, Giants 7
DP: Astros 1, Giants 3
Errors: Fuentes, Kingman
Doubles: Kingman (1), Speier (1)
Home Runs: Maddox (1)
Caught Stealing: Kingman (1)
GIDP: Roberts (1), L. May (1), C. Johnson (1), Rudolph (1)
Hit by Pitch: Ontiveros (1,by Forsch)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts L(0-1)          5     8   5   5   1   3   1  22   9.00
Forsch                  2     1   0   0   1   1   0   9   0.00
J. Johnson              1     1   0   0   1   2   0   5   0.00
Totals                  8    10   5   5   3   6   1  36

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bradley W(1-0)          8.1   7   1   1   0   4   0  31   1.08
Moffitt                 0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   0.00
Totals                  9     7   1   1   0   4   0  33

Hit by Pitch: Forsch (1)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - Art Williams


ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to left; Metzger grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Gross to second]; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first); Watson flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Bonds flied out to center; Fuentes flied out to
center; Maddox lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: M. May grounded out (first unassisted); L. May was
called out on strikes; Rader grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Matthews flied out to right; Ontiveros flied out to
right; Kingman singled to left; Kingman was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Giants 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Helms singled to shortstop; Roberts grounded into a
double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Helms out at
second]; Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Speier walked; Rudolph grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Speier out at second]; Bradley struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger reached on an error by Kingman [Metzger to
first]; Cedeno flied out to right; Watson flied out to right; M.
May grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Bonds grounded out (third to first); Fuentes singled
to center; Maddox forced Fuentes (second to shortstop); Matthews
singled to right [Maddox to second]; Ontiveros singled to left
[Maddox scored, Matthews to second]; Kingman singled to left
[Matthews scored, Ontiveros to second]; Speier was called out on
strikes; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 2.

ASTROS 5TH: L. May flied out to right; Rader was called out on
strikes; Helms grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 2.

GIANTS 5TH: Rudolph grounded out (shortstop to first); Bradley
was called out on strikes; Bonds singled to center; Fuentes
singled to center [Bonds to second]; Maddox homered [Bonds
scored, Fuentes scored]; Matthews lined to third (third to
shortstop); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 5.

ASTROS 6TH: GALLAGHER BATTED FOR ROBERTS; Gallagher lined to
right; Gross singled to center; Metzger flied out to center;
Cedeno flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Giants 5.

GIANTS 6TH: FORSCH REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Ontiveros was
hit by a pitch; Kingman doubled to right [Ontiveros to third];
Speier popped to first; Rudolph was walked intentionally;
Bradley struck out; Bonds grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson struck out; M. May reached on an error by
Fuentes [M. May to first]; L. May grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [M. May out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 5.

GIANTS 7TH: Fuentes batted right handed; Fuentes grounded out
(second to first); Maddox flied out to right; Matthews popped to
first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 5.

ASTROS 8TH: PHILLIPS REPLACED FUENTES (PLAYING 2B); Rader
singled to center; Helms struck out; C. JOHNSON BATTED FOR
FORSCH; C. Johnson grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Rader out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Giants 5.

GIANTS 8TH: J. JOHNSON REPLACED C. JOHNSON (PITCHING); Ontiveros
grounded out (second to first); Kingman struck out; Speier
doubled to center; Rudolph was walked intentionally; Bradley was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Gross singled to left; Metzger singled to right
[Gross to second]; Cedeno flied out to center; Watson singled to
left [Gross scored, Metzger to second]; MOFFITT REPLACED BRADLEY
(PITCHING); M. May grounded out (first to pitcher) [Metzger to
third, Watson to second]; L. May lined to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 5.