Ken Brett hit a homer in the third inning to account for the Pirates' first run and beat the Astros, 7-3, with relief assistance from Dave Giusti. After Brett's blast, the Pirates padded their lead with three runs in the fourth on a single by Al Oliver, homer by Willie Stargell, single by Richie Zisk, double by Manny Sanguillen and single by Frank Taveras. Doug Rader hit a two-run homer for the Astros in the fifth. Giusti bailed Brett out of trouble in the eighth, striking out Lee May with the bases loaded. Then in the home half, the Bucs' bullpen ace clinched the outcome with a two-run single. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Sunday, April     28, 1974 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  1  -   3 12  0
Pirates      0  0  1    3  0  0    1  2  x  -   7 13  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Metzger ss            5   0   2   0     0   0   .306      Stennett 2b           5   0   3   1     0   0   .294
Helms 2b              2   0   1   0     0   0   .343      Clines cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .136
  Milbourne 2b        1   0   0   0     0   0   .154      Oliver 1b             4   1   2   0     0   1   .333
  C. Johnson ph,1b    2   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Stargell lf           4   1   1   2     0   0   .275
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   2   .326      Zisk rf               3   1   2   0     1   0   .250
Watson lf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .341        Parker pr,rf        0   1   0   0     0   0   .323
L. May 1b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .256      Sanguillen c          4   0   1   0     0   0   .267
  Wilson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bevacqua 3b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Rader 3b              3   2   2   2     1   1   .282      Taveras ss            3   2   2   1     1   0   .410
Brown rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .206      Brett p               2   1   1   1     0   0   .429
M. May c              4   0   2   1     0   2   .340        Giusti p            1   0   1   2     0   0   .250
  Griffin pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .364
Osteen p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Campbell ph,2b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gross ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .357

Totals               37   3  12   3     1   8             Totals               34   7  13   7     2   1

Time of Game: 2:15   Attendance: 13,073
Left on Base: Astros 8, Pirates 6
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 2
Doubles: Rader (5), M. May (2), Stennett (5), Sanguillen (2)
Home Runs: Rader (2), Brett (1), Stargell (4)
Stolen Bases: Rader (2), Parker (1)
Caught Stealing: Helms (1), Stennett (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Brett (2)
GIDP: Watson (2), Bevacqua (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Osteen L(3-2)           7    11   5   5   1   1   2  31   3.82
Wilson                  1     2   2   2   1   0   0   6   8.10
Totals                  8    13   7   7   2   1   2  37

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Brett W(2-1)            7.2   9   2   2   1   7   1  31   3.75
Giusti SV(2)            1.1   3   1   1   0   1   0   7   6.00
Totals                  9    12   3   3   1   8   1  38

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


ASTROS 1ST: Metzger flied out to right; Helms grounded out
(pitcher to first); Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Stennett singled to right; Stennett was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Clines grounded out
(first unassisted); Oliver struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson lined to second; L. May was called out on
strikes; Rader was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell grounded out (pitcher to first); Zisk
grounded out (shortstop to first); Sanguillen flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Brown flied out to center; M. May was called out on
strikes; Osteen lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Bevacqua grounded out (shortstop to first); Taveras
lined to center; Brett homered; Stennett doubled to left; Clines
flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger popped to first in foul territory; Helms
singled to left; Cedeno struck out while Helms was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Oliver singled to right; Stargell homered [Oliver
scored]; Zisk singled to center; Sanguillen doubled to left
[Zisk to third]; MILBOURNE REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Bevacqua
grounded out (first unassisted); Taveras singled to right [Zisk
scored, Sanguillen to third]; Brett reached on a fielder's
choice [Sanguillen out at home (first to third to catcher),
Taveras to third, Brett to second]; Stennett lined to third; 3
R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson singled to right; L. May flied out to right;
Rader homered [Watson scored]; Brown flied out to center; M. May
singled to shortstop; Osteen grounded out (third to first); 2 R,
3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 5TH: Clines lined to center; Oliver made an out to
second; Stargell lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger singled to center; Milbourne forced Metzger
(shortstop to second); Cedeno singled to left [Milbourne to
second]; Watson grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Cedeno out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 6TH: Zisk singled to right; Sanguillen popped to first
in foul territory; Bevacqua grounded into a double play (second
to shortstop to first) [Zisk out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 7TH: L. May grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader
walked; Brown was called out on strikes; Rader stole second; M.
May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 7TH: Taveras walked; Brett out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Taveras to second]; Stennett singled to
left [Taveras scored]; Clines flied out to center; Oliver
singled to center [Stennett to third]; Stargell grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 5.

ASTROS 8TH: CAMPBELL BATTED FOR OSTEEN; Campbell flied out to
left; Metzger singled to center; C. JOHNSON BATTED FOR
MILBOURNE; C. Johnson singled to center [Metzger to second];
Cedeno struck out; Watson singled [Metzger to third, C. Johnson
to second]; GIUSTI REPLACED BRETT (PITCHING); L. May struck out;
0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 8TH: C. JOHNSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); WILSON
REPLACED L. MAY (PITCHING); CAMPBELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
2B); Zisk walked; PARKER RAN FOR ZISK; Parker stole second;
Sanguillen flied out to left; Bevacqua flied out to right;
Taveras singled to shortstop [Parker stayed at second]; Giusti
singled to left [Parker scored, Taveras scored, Giusti to second
(on throw to home)]; Stennett grounded out (third to first); 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 7.

ASTROS 9TH: PARKER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Rader doubled to
left; Brown grounded out (first unassisted) [Rader to third]; M.
May doubled to left [Rader scored]; GRIFFIN RAN FOR M. MAY;
GROSS BATTED FOR CAMPBELL; Gross singled to third [Griffin
stayed at second]; Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher)
[Griffin to third, Gross to second]; C. Johnson grounded out
(first unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 7.