The Cardinals knocked out Doug Konieczny during a four-run outburst in the third inning and breezed to an 8-2 victory over the Astros. Johnny Edwards homered off Sonny Siebert for the Astros' pair in the second, but the Cards picked up a run in their half before loading the bases in the third when Ted Sizemore and Reggie Smith singled and Tim McCarver was hit by a pitch.

Konieczny then balked to let one run score and two more followed on a single by Bake McBride. Don Wilson relieved, but before the inning ended the Cards added a tally on a wild pitch and single by Ken Reitz. Lou Brock stole three bases, marking the 11th time he had achieved that feat in his career. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 8, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Tuesday, April     23, 1974 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  1
Cardinals    0  1  4    1  0  1    1  0  x  -   8 13  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              3   0   1   0     1   0   .370      Brock lf              5   2   3   0     0   0   .324
Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   1   .303        Cruz lf             0   0   0   0     0   0   .154
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .352      Sizemore 2b           4   1   2   1     0   0   .338
Watson lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .292      Smith rf              4   1   1   1     0   1   .353
L. May 1b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .290      McCarver c            3   1   0   0     0   0   .333
Edwards c             4   1   2   2     0   0   .207      McBride cf            4   1   1   2     0   0   .302
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .233      Reitz 3b              4   1   2   1     0   2   .365
Helms 2b              3   0   2   0     0   0   .316      Torre 1b              3   1   2   1     1   0   .235
Konieczny p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Tyson ss              4   0   2   1     0   0   .231
  Wilson p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Siebert p             4   0   0   0     0   0   .091
  Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Nagy p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   2   8   2     1   3             Totals               35   8  13   7     1   3

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance:  7,188
Left on Base: Astros 5, Cardinals 7
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 1
Errors: Wilson
Doubles: Torre (3), Brock (2)
Triples: Reitz (1)
Home Runs: Edwards (1)
Stolen Bases: Brock 3 (11)
Caught Stealing: Gross (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Sizemore (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Smith (3)
GIDP: L. May (3)
Hit by Pitch: McCarver (1,by Konieczny)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Konieczny L(0-2)        2.1   6   5   5   0   1   0  14   6.30
Wilson                  3.2   5   2   2   1   2   0  17   7.00
Nagy                    2     2   1   1   0   0   0   8   2.35
Totals                  8    13   8   8   1   3   0  39

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Siebert W(2-1)          9     8   2   2   1   3   1  34   3.00
Totals                  9     8   2   2   1   3   1  34

Passed Balls: McCarver (1)
Hit by Pitch: Konieczny (2)
Balks: Konieczny (1)

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Chris Pelekoudas, 3B - Paul Pryor


ASTROS 1ST: Gross walked; Gross was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Metzger flied out to center; Cedeno
popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock singled to left; Brock stole second;
Sizemore flied out to left; Smith flied out to center [Brock to
third]; McCarver flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied to right in foul territory; L. May
singled to shortstop; Edwards homered [L. May scored]; Rader
grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms singled to left;
Konieczny struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals
0.

CARDINALS 2ND: McBride flied out to left; Reitz struck out;
Torre doubled to right; Tyson singled to right [Torre scored];
Siebert forced Tyson (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross popped to shortstop; Metzger was called out on
strikes; Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 3RD: Brock flied out to left; Sizemore singled to
center; Smith singled to left [Sizemore to third]; McCarver was
hit by a pitch [Smith to second]; Konieczny balked [Sizemore
scored, Smith to third, McCarver to second]; McBride singled to
center [Smith scored, McCarver scored]; WILSON REPLACED
KONIECZNY (PITCHING); McBride was picked off first but was safe
on an error by Wilson [McBride to third]; Reitz singled to right
[McBride scored]; Torre popped to catcher in foul territory;
Tyson singled to center [Reitz to second]; Siebert grounded out
(shortstop to first); 4 R, 5 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals
5.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled to right; L. May grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Watson out at
second]; Edwards grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 4TH: Brock singled to right; Brock stole second;
Sizemore out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Brock to
third]; Smith hit a sacrifice fly to left [Brock scored];
McCarver flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 6.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader popped to second; Helms grounded out
(shortstop to first); Wilson grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 6.

CARDINALS 5TH: McBride grounded out (third to first); Reitz was
called out on strikes; Torre walked; Tyson flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 6.

ASTROS 6TH: Gross singled to center; Metzger flied out to right;
Cedeno popped to first in foul territory; Watson flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 6.

CARDINALS 6TH: Siebert grounded out (shortstop to first); Brock
doubled to left; Brock stole third; Sizemore singled to left
[Brock scored]; Smith struck out; McCarver flied out to left; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 7.

ASTROS 7TH: L. May struck out; Edwards singled to right; Rader
flied out to right; Helms singled to center [Edwards to second];
McCarver allowed a passed ball [Edwards to third, Helms to
second]; GALLAGHER BATTED FOR WILSON; Gallagher flied out to
right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 7.

CARDINALS 7TH: NAGY REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); McBride flied
out to left; Reitz tripled to left; Torre singled to center
[Reitz scored]; Tyson forced Torre (second to shortstop);
Siebert grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 8.

ASTROS 8TH: Gross flied out to center; Metzger singled to
center; Cedeno flied out to left; Watson forced Metzger
(shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 8.

CARDINALS 8TH: Brock grounded out (second to first); Sizemore
flied out to left; Smith flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 8.

ASTROS 9TH: CRUZ REPLACED BROCK (PLAYING LF); L. May flied out
to left; Edwards grounded out (pitcher to first); Rader flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 8.