Tommy Helms homered with a man on base, and Dave Roberts also drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly and single to help himself to victory as the Astros defeated the Braves, 8-2. Johnny Oates knocked in the Braves' pair with a double in the second inning, but Helms tied the score with his homer in the fourth. Cesar Cedeno sent the Astros ahead with a run-scoring single in the fifth. Roberts hit his sacrifice fly in the sixth when the Astros added three runs and rapped his single when the scoring ended with a final pair in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Friday, April     19, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  3
Astros       0  0  0    2  1  3    0  2  x  -   8 12  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Garr rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .373      Gross rf,lf           5   1   2   1     0   0   .469
Perez 3b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .381      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     1   0   .269
  Capra p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cedeno cf             3   0   1   1     1   0   .400
  Correll ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Watson lf,1b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .275
  Aker p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      L. May 1b             3   0   1   0     0   2   .255
Murrell 1b            4   0   1   0     0   2   .273        Gallagher pr,rf     1   1   0   0     0   1   .133
Aaron lf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .179      M. May c              4   2   3   0     0   0   .303
Baker cf              4   1   2   0     0   1   .319      Menke 3b              2   1   0   1     1   1   .200
Johnson 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .282      Helms 2b              3   2   2   2     0   0   .273
Oates c               4   0   1   2     0   0   .268        Milbourne 2b        1   1   1   0     0   0   .222
Robinson ss           3   0   0   0     0   1   .200      Roberts p             3   0   1   2     0   1   .200
P. Niekro p           2   0   0   0     0   0   .231
  Foster 3b           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               34   2   7   2     0   5             Totals               32   8  12   7     3   6

Time of Game: 2:13   Attendance: 13,025
Left on Base: Braves 5, Astros 6
DP: Braves 1, Astros 0
Errors: Aaron, Robinson, Foster
Doubles: Baker (4), Oates (2)
Triples: Gross (1)
Home Runs: Helms (1)
Stolen Bases: Garr (1), Cedeno (8), Gross (1), Gallagher (1)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (1), M. May (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Metzger (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Menke (1), Roberts (1)
GIDP: Gross (1)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
P. Niekro L(3-1)        5.2   9   6   6   2   5   1  28   3.62
Capra                   1.1   1   0   0   1   1   0   5   1.80
Aker                    1     2   2   0   0   0   0   5   6.75
Totals                  8    12   8   6   3   6   1  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts W(2-2)          9     7   2   2   0   5   0  34   4.33
Totals                  9     7   2   2   0   5   0  34

Passed Balls: Oates (5)
Wild Pitches: P. Niekro (1)

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Tom Gorman


BRAVES 1ST: Garr flied out to left; Perez grounded out (third to
first); Murrell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger
reached on an error by Robinson [Metzger to first]; Cedeno
grounded out (third to second to first) [Metzger to second];
Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Aaron singled; Baker doubled [Aaron to third];
Johnson popped to third in foul territory; Oates doubled [Aaron
scored, Baker scored]; Robinson grounded out (second to first)
[Oates to third]; P. Niekro flied out to left; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: L. May was called out on strikes; M. May popped to
third in foul territory; Menke walked; Helms lined to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Garr flied out to center; Perez singled; Murrell
struck out; Aaron grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Roberts grounded out (second to first); Gross flied
out to center; Metzger singled to left [Metzger to second (error
by Aaron)]; P. Niekro threw a wild pitch [Metzger to third];
Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Watson grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Baker was called out on strikes; Johnson popped to
first in foul territory; Oates made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: L. May struck out; M. May singled; Menke struck out;
Helms homered [M. May scored]; Roberts struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Robinson was called out on strikes; P. Niekro
grounded out (third to first); Garr singled; Garr stole second;
Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Gross singled; Gross stole second; Metzger out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Gross to third]; Cedeno
singled [Gross scored]; Cedeno was caught stealing second;
Watson struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Murrell flied out to center; Aaron grounded out
(third to first); Baker grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: L. May singled; GALLAGHER RAN FOR L. MAY; Gallagher
stole second; M. May singled [Gallagher to third]; Oates allowed
a passed ball [M. May to second]; Menke hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Gallagher scored]; Helms singled [M. May to third];
Roberts hit a sacrifice fly to center [M. May scored]; Gross
tripled [Helms scored]; CAPRA REPLACED PEREZ (PITCHING); FOSTER
REPLACED P. NIEKRO (PLAYING 3B); Metzger walked; Cedeno grounded
out (third to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 6.

BRAVES 7TH: GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); WATSON CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); GALLAGHER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF);
MILBOURNE REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Johnson flied out to
center; Oates grounded out (first to pitcher); Robinson flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson popped to catcher in foul territory;
Gallagher was called out on strikes; M. May singled; M. May was
caught stealing second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros
6.

BRAVES 8TH: Foster struck out; Garr flied out to right; CORRELL
BATTED FOR CAPRA; Correll grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: AKER REPLACED CORRELL (PITCHING); Menke reached on
an error by Foster [Menke to first]; Milbourne singled [Menke to
second]; Roberts singled [Menke scored (unearned), Milbourne to
third]; Gross grounded into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Milbourne scored (unearned) (no RBI), Roberts out at second];
Metzger flied out to center; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 8.

BRAVES 9TH: Murrell singled; Aaron made an out to shortstop;
Baker singled [Murrell to second]; Johnson made an out to
shortstop; Oates grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 8.