Starting with five runs in the first inning, the Astros built up an early lead to gain a 10-7 victory over the Pirates, who scored six of their runs in last three frames in a futile effort to catch up. The Astros sent 11 men to bat in the first and chased both Bob Moose and John Morlan with an attack that included a double by Cesar Cedeno and singles by Greg Gross, Roger Metzger, Milt May and Tommy Helms, plus two walks. Metzger batted in two runs with a triple in the third.

The Astros added a pair in the sixth. A single by Bob Watson and double by Lee May accounted for the first run. Bob Gallagher ran for May, took third after a long fly by Milt May and scored on a sacrifice fly by Doug Rader. The Pirates' efforts included a two-run homer by Al Oliver. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 10, Pittsburgh Pirates 7
Game Played on Saturday, April     27, 1974 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       5  0  2    0  0  2    0  1  0  -  10 14  1
Pirates      1  0  0    0  0  0    2  1  3  -   7 13  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf,lf           4   2   2   0     2   0   .345      Stennett 2b           4   0   0   0     1   0   .275
Metzger ss            5   1   2   2     1   0   .300      Hebner 3b             4   2   2   0     1   0   .375
Cedeno cf             5   1   1   1     1   1   .329      Oliver 1b             5   2   3   2     0   2   .325
Watson lf,1b          5   2   2   0     1   0   .333      Stargell lf           4   1   2   0     1   2   .277
  Menke 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .143      Parker cf             5   1   2   2     0   2   .323
L. May 1b             3   1   1   2     1   0   .270      Zisk rf               4   1   2   1     1   0   .224
  Gallagher pr,rf     1   1   0   0     0   0   .105      Sanguillen c          5   0   1   0     0   2   .268
M. May c              5   1   2   1     0   0   .327      Taveras ss            4   0   1   1     0   0   .389
Rader 3b              3   1   2   2     1   0   .265        Kirkpatrick ph      1   0   0   0     0   0   .389
Helms 2b              3   0   1   1     0   0   .338      Moose p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Milbourne 2b        2   0   0   0     0   1   .167        Morlan p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Griffin p             3   0   1   1     0   1   .364        Sadowski p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  J. Johnson p        1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Popovich ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Kison p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Robertson ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .148
                                                            Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               40  10  14  10     7   4             Totals               40   7  13   6     4  10

Time of Game: 2:44   Attendance:  6,835
Left on Base: Astros 12, Pirates 10
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 0
Errors: Rader, Taveras
Doubles: Cedeno (7), L. May (4), Hebner (6), Stargell (1), Zisk (2)
Triples: Metzger (2)
Home Runs: Oliver (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Griffin (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Rader (2)
GIDP: Robertson (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin W(3-1)          7     9   4   3   4   9   1  35   2.25
J. Johnson              1.1   4   3   3   0   0   0   7   5.23
Forsch                  0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   0.93
Totals                  9    13   7   6   4  10   1  44

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Moose L(1-3)            0.1   4   5   5   1   0   0   6   8.14
Morlan                  0.1   1   0   0   2   0   0   4   1.69
Sadowski                3.1   3   2   2   2   0   0  15   5.40
Kison                   4     5   3   3   1   3   0  19   3.18
Hernandez               1     1   0   0   1   1   0   5   3.27
Totals                  9    14  10  10   7   4   0  49

Wild Pitches: Griffin 2 (3), Forsch (1), Kison (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to left; Metzger singled to left
[Gross to third]; Cedeno doubled to left [Gross scored, Metzger
to third]; Watson was walked intentionally; L. May forced Watson
(shortstop to second) [Metzger scored, Cedeno to third]; M. May
singled to second [Cedeno scored, L. May to second]; MORLAN
REPLACED MOOSE (PITCHING); Rader walked [L. May to third, M. May
to second]; Helms singled to center [L. May scored, M. May to
third, Rader to second]; Griffin grounded out (first unassisted)
[M. May scored, Rader to third, Helms to second]; Gross walked;
SADOWSKI REPLACED MORLAN (PITCHING); Metzger flied out to
right; Debut game for Jim Sadowski; 5 R, 5 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
 Astros 5, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); Hebner
singled to right; Oliver struck out; Stargell walked [Hebner to
second]; Parker singled to center [Hebner scored, Stargell to
second]; Zisk walked [Stargell to third, Parker to second];
Sanguillen popped to first in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cedeno flied out to center; Watson flied out to
right; L. May walked; M. May lined to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 2ND: Taveras grounded out (pitcher to first); Sadowski
struck out; Stennett walked; Hebner grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader singled to third; Helms flied out to right;
Griffin out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Rader to
second]; Gross walked; Metzger tripled to right [Rader scored,
Gross scored]; Cedeno grounded out (first to pitcher); 2 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Oliver struck out; Stargell struck out; Parker made
an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); L. May
flied out to center; M. May singled to second; Rader flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Zisk singled to center; Sanguillen forced Zisk
(third to second); Taveras made an out to shortstop; POPOVICH
BATTED FOR SADOWSKI; Popovich struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 7, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 5TH: KISON REPLACED POPOVICH (PITCHING); Helms grounded
out (pitcher to first); Griffin was called out on strikes; Gross
reached on an error by Taveras [Gross to first]; Metzger walked
[Gross to second]; Cedeno forced Metzger (shortstop to second);
0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 5TH: MILBOURNE REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Stennett
grounded out (shortstop to first); Hebner walked; Oliver singled
to right [Hebner to second]; Stargell struck out; Parker struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson singled to center; L. May doubled to right
[Watson scored]; GALLAGHER RAN FOR L. MAY; M. May flied out to
center [Gallagher to third]; Rader hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Gallagher scored]; Milbourne struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 9, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 6TH: GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); WATSON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); GALLAGHER STAYED IN GAME
(PLAYING RF); Zisk grounded out (third to first); Sanguillen
struck out; Taveras grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 9, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Griffin singled to left; Gross flied out to left;
Metzger made an out to shortstop; Kison threw a wild pitch
[Griffin to second]; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 9, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 7TH: Kison made an out to third; Stennett popped to
catcher in foul territory; Hebner doubled to right; Oliver
homered [Hebner scored]; Stargell doubled to left; Griffin threw
a wild pitch [Stargell to third]; Parker struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson singled to center; Gallagher grounded out
(first to pitcher) [Watson to second]; M. May grounded out
(first unassisted) [Watson to third]; Rader singled to left
[Watson scored]; Milbourne grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 10, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 8TH: Zisk reached on an error by Rader [Zisk to first];
Griffin threw a wild pitch [Zisk to second]; Sanguillen singled
to center [Zisk to third]; Taveras singled to center [Zisk
scored (unearned), Sanguillen to second]; ROBERTSON BATTED FOR
KISON; J. JOHNSON REPLACED GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Robertson
grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Sanguillen to third, Taveras out at second]; Stennett flied out
to center; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 10, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 9TH: HERNANDEZ REPLACED ROBERTSON (PITCHING); J. Johnson
was called out on strikes; Gross singled to center; Metzger
grounded out (second to first) [Gross to second]; Cedeno walked;
Watson lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 10, Pirates
4.

PIRATES 9TH: MENKE REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); Hebner grounded
out (third to first); Oliver singled to left; Stargell singled
to left [Oliver to second]; Parker singled to left [Oliver
scored, Stargell to second]; Zisk doubled to left [Stargell
scored, Parker to third]; FORSCH REPLACED J. JOHNSON (PITCHING);
Sanguillen struck out; KIRKPATRICK BATTED FOR TAVERAS; Forsch
threw a wild pitch [Parker scored, Zisk to third]; Kirkpatrick
grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
10, Pirates 7.