Three unearned runs on as many errors made it possible for the Reds to defeat the Astros, 4-2. The Reds counted their only earned run in the first inning when Pete Rose singled, moved up on a pass to Joe Morgan and crossed the plate on a single by Johnny Bench. With two out, Roger Metzger muffed a grounder by Dave Concepcion, allowing Morgan to score. Two errors on the same play resulted in the Reds' other two runs in the fourth. Fred Norman and Rose singled to lead off the stanza. Morgan grounded to Lee May, who threw wildly to Claude Osteen covering first. Norman raced home and when Osteen, retrieving the ball, threw past catcher Milt May at the plate, Rose also came in to score.

Doug Rader hit a homer for the Astros, who chased Norman with one out in the ninth when Rader doubled and Ollie Brown singled. Clay Carroll relieved and gave up a run-scoring single by Cliff Johnson before ending the game by inducing Mike Easler to ground into a double play. [The Sporting News]

Cincinnati Reds 4, Houston Astros 2

Game Played on Friday, May 17, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome

Reds         2  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   4 10  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   2  9  3


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               5   2   2   0     0   1   .299      Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   2   .303
Morgan 2b             4   1   2   0     1   0   .309      Helms 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .293
Bench 3b              4   0   2   1     1   1   .277      Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .268
Perez 1b              5   0   1   0     0   1   .285      Watson lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .333
  Driessen pr,1b      0   0   0   0     0   0   .255      L. May 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .293
Foster cf,rf          5   0   0   0     0   3   .234      Rader 3b              4   2   2   1     0   1   .258
Concepcion ss         4   0   0   0     1   0   .246      Brown rf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .204
Rettenmund rf         4   0   1   0     0   0   .244      M. May c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Geronimo cf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .319        C. Johnson ph       1   0   1   1     0   0   .364
Plummer c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .200      Osteen p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .150
Norman p              4   1   1   0     0   2   .071        Gross ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .346
  C. Carroll p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        J. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Easler ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               39   4  10   1     3   8             Totals               35   2   9   2     1   5

Time of Game: 2:29   Attendance: 16,652
Left on Base: Reds 11, Astros 7
DP: Reds 1, Astros 0
Errors: Metzger, L. May, Osteen
Doubles: Morgan (7), Perez (6), Osteen (1), Rader (7)
Home Runs: Rader (5)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (16), Concepcion (5)
GIDP: Easler (1)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman W(3-3)           8.1   8   2   2   1   5   1  34   1.59
C. Carroll SV(1)        0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.20
Totals                  9     9   2   2   1   5   1  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Osteen L(4-4)           7     8   4   1   3   5   0  34   3.08
J. Johnson              2     2   0   0   0   3   0   8   3.74
Totals                  9    10   4   1   3   8   0  42

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


REDS 1ST: Rose singled; Morgan walked [Rose to second]; Bench
singled to left [Rose scored, Morgan to second]; Morgan stole
third; Perez popped to third; Foster struck out; Concepcion
reached on an error by Metzger [Morgan scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Bench to second, Concepcion to first]; Rettenmund singled
to third [Bench to third, Concepcion to second]; Plummer flied
out to center; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Helms flied
out to left; Cedeno was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Norman struck out; Rose was called out on strikes;
Morgan singled to center; Bench singled to second [Morgan to
third]; Perez flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds
2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to right; L. May singled to center
[Watson to second]; Rader lined to left; Brown flied out to
right; M. May lined to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2,
Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Foster grounded out (third to first); Concepcion
grounded out (pitcher to first); Rettenmund grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Osteen doubled; Metzger struck out; Helms flied out
to center; Cedeno popped to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
2, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Plummer grounded out (third to first); Norman singled;
Rose singled to right [Norman to second]; Morgan reached on an
error by L. May [Norman scored (error by Osteen) (unearned) (no
RBI), Rose scored (unearned) (no RBI), Morgan to second]; Bench
grounded out (second to first) [Morgan to third]; Perez flied
out to right; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to center; L. May singled to left;
Rader was called out on strikes; Brown popped to first; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

REDS 5TH: Foster flied out to center; Concepcion walked;
Concepcion stole second; Rettenmund lined to center; Plummer
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: M. May flied out to center; Osteen grounded out
(shortstop to first); Metzger was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

REDS 6TH: Norman grounded out (shortstop to first); Rose flied
out to center; Morgan doubled; Bench walked; Perez struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
walked; Watson grounded out (third to first) [Cedeno to second];
L. May grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 4, Astros 0.

REDS 7TH: Foster struck out; Concepcion flied out to left;
Rettenmund flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: FOSTER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); GERONIMO
REPLACED RETTENMUND (PLAYING CF); Rader homered; Brown was
called out on strikes; M. May flied out to left; GROSS BATTED
FOR OSTEEN; Gross flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
4, Astros 1.

REDS 8TH: J. JOHNSON REPLACED GROSS (PITCHING); Plummer singled
to shortstop; Norman struck out; Rose flied out to center;
Morgan made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Metzger singled to center; Helms flied out to right;
Cedeno made an out to shortstop; Watson forced Metzger
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 1.

REDS 9TH: Bench struck out; Perez doubled; DRIESSEN RAN FOR
PEREZ; Foster struck out; Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: DRIESSEN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); L. May flied
out to center; Rader doubled; Brown singled to shortstop [Rader
stayed at second]; C. JOHNSON BATTED FOR M. MAY; C. CARROLL
REPLACED NORMAN (PITCHING); C. Johnson singled to left [Rader
scored, Brown to second]; EASLER BATTED FOR J. JOHNSON; Easler
grounded into a double play (second to first) [C. Johnson out at
second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 2.

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