The Astros shattered a 1-1 tie with four runs in the ninth inning, defeating the Braves, 5-1. A sacrifice fly by Roger Metzger with the bases loaded produced the Astros' initial run in the third. The Braves came back with the tying tally in their half on singles by Carl Morton and Dusty Baker around a sacrifice. Tommy Helms opened the Astros' outburst in the ninth with a double and gave way to pinch-runner Larry Milbourne, who scored the tie-breaking run on a single by pinch-hitter Bob Gallagher. Morton departed in favor of Jack Aker, who was tagged for a single by Metzger and homer by Cesar Cedeno to account for three more runs. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Atlanta Braves 1
Game Played on Saturday, May       25, 1974 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  4  -   5 15  0
Braves       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  9  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf,lf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .331      Garr rf               3   0   3   0     0   0   .388
Metzger ss            4   1   2   1     0   0   .288      Evans 3b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .252
Cedeno cf             5   1   2   3     0   0   .291      Baker cf              4   0   2   1     0   0   .295
Watson lf             4   0   1   0     1   0   .312      Aaron lf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .242
  J. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Johnson 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .242
L. May 1b             5   0   0   0     0   1   .261      Perez 2b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .361
M. May c              4   0   1   0     0   1   .257      Casanova c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .071
Rader 3b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .253        Oates ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .246
Helms 2b              4   1   4   0     0   0   .315      Robinson ss           3   0   1   0     0   0   .224
  Milbourne pr,2b     0   1   0   0     0   0   .278        Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .188
Roberts p             3   0   1   0     0   0   .214      Morton p              2   1   1   0     0   0   .103
  Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Aker p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Tepedino ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Gallagher ph,rf     1   1   1   1     0   0   .209

Totals               37   5  15   5     2   2             Totals               32   1   9   1     1   3

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance: 20,412
Left on Base: Astros 9, Braves 8
DP: Astros 1, Braves 1
Doubles: Helms (6)
Home Runs: Cedeno (9)
Caught Stealing: Rader (1), Cedeno (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Gross (1), Evans (2), Garr (4), Morton (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Metzger (1)
GIDP: L. May (6), Evans (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 6.1   9   1   1   1   1   0  28   3.50
Scherman                0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   3.65
Forsch W(2-1)           1.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.91
J. Johnson              1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.60
Totals                  9     9   1   1   1   3   0  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Morton L(6-4)           8    13   3   3   2   2   0  36   3.48
Aker                    1     2   2   2   0   0   1   5   4.30
Totals                  9    15   5   5   2   2   1  41

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (second to first); Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Garr singled; Evans out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to first) [Garr to second]; Baker grounded out (third to first);
Aaron made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to center; L. May struck out; M.
May was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Johnson struck out; Perez singled; Casanova grounded
out (shortstop to first) [Perez to second]; Robinson flied out
to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader made an out to second; Helms singled; Roberts
singled [Helms to second]; Gross walked [Helms to third, Roberts
to second]; Metzger hit a sacrifice fly to right [Helms scored];
Cedeno forced Gross (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Morton singled; Garr out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Morton to second]; Evans flied out to right;
Baker singled [Morton scored]; Aaron walked [Baker to second];
Johnson flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Braves 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); L. May
grounded out (third to first); M. May made an out to shortstop;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Perez flied out to right; Casanova grounded out
(third to first); Robinson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Rader singled; Helms singled [Rader to second];
Roberts forced Rader (pitcher to third) [Helms to second]; Gross
flied out to left; Metzger singled [Helms to third, Roberts to
second]; Cedeno made an out to first; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Morton grounded out (third to first); Garr singled;
Evans grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to
first) [Garr out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Braves 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson singled; L. May grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Watson out at second]; M. May
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Baker singled; Aaron flied out to left; Johnson
flied out to right; Perez singled [Baker to second]; Casanova
flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Rader singled; Rader was picked off and caught
stealing second (catcher to first to second to first); Helms
singled; Roberts flied out to center; Gross singled [Helms to
second]; Metzger made an out to third; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Robinson singled; Morton out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Robinson to second]; Garr singled [Robinson
to third]; SCHERMAN REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); Evans struck
out; FORSCH REPLACED SCHERMAN (PITCHING); Baker made an out to
first; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno singled; Cedeno was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Watson walked; L. May forced Watson
(shortstop to second); M. May singled [L. May to third]; Rader
forced M. May (second to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Aaron flied out to right; Johnson flied out to
right; Perez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Helms doubled; MILBOURNE RAN FOR HELMS; GALLAGHER
BATTED FOR FORSCH; Gallagher singled [Milbourne scored]; AKER
REPLACED MORTON (PITCHING); Gross out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to first) [Gallagher to second]; Metzger singled
[Gallagher to third]; Cedeno homered [Gallagher scored, Metzger
scored]; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); L. May flied
out to right; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); J. JOHNSON
REPLACED WATSON (PITCHING); MILBOURNE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
2B); GALLAGHER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); OATES BATTED FOR
CASANOVA; Oates flied out to left; MILLER BATTED FOR ROBINSON;
Miller struck out; TEPEDINO BATTED FOR AKER; Tepedino grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Braves 1.