Cesar Cedeno rapped four hits including a homer, as the Astros defeated the Mets, 7-1. Tommy Helms and Doug Rader chipped in with three hits apiece. The Astros started Jerry Koosman on his road to the loss with two runs in the second inning. Bob Watson singled and, after two walks loaded the bases, Rader drove in one run with a single and Don Wilson added another with a sacrifice fly.

Singles by Cedeno and Watson led to a run on a sacrifice fly by Cliff Johnson in the fifth. Rader tripled and Helms singled to add a tally in the sixth, Cedeno homered in the seventh and the Astros wrapped up the scoring with their final pair in the ninth. Wilson gave up the Mets' run on singles by Cleon Jones, Rusty Staub and John Milner in the seventh before surrendering the mound to Fred Scherman. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, New York Mets 1
Game Played on Friday, May       31, 1974 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  2  0    0  1  1    1  0  2  -   7 13  0
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  7  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross lf              4   0   0   0     1   1   .345      Harrelson ss          2   0   0   0     2   0   .257
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     1   1   .281        Martinez ph,ss      1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Cedeno cf             5   3   4   1     0   0   .307      Millan 2b             5   0   1   0     0   0   .284
Watson 1b             5   1   2   0     0   0   .318      Jones lf              4   1   1   0     1   0   .279
C. Johnson c          0   2   0   1     4   0   .350      Staub rf              4   0   2   0     1   0   .275
Brown rf              4   0   1   1     1   1   .194      Milner 1b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .249
Rader 3b              5   1   3   2     0   2   .250      Schneck cf            2   0   1   0     1   0   .248
Helms 2b              4   0   3   1     0   1   .323        Hahn ph,cf          1   0   0   0     0   1   .328
  Milbourne 2b        1   0   0   0     0   0   .263      Garrett 3b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .149
Wilson p              0   0   0   1     0   0   .100      Grote c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .254
  Scherman p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Koosman p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .107
                                                            Kranepool ph        0   0   0   0     1   0   .348
                                                            Apodaca p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Dyer ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .133
                                                            Miller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               33   7  13   7     7   7             Totals               33   1   7   1     6   2

Time of Game: 2:44   Attendance: 20,736
Left on Base: Astros 10, Mets 12
DP: Astros 0, Mets 1
Doubles: Helms (8), Schneck (5)
Triples: Rader (1)
Home Runs: Cedeno (10)
Stolen Bases: Harrelson (4)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Wilson 2 (2), Koosman (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Wilson (1), C. Johnson (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson W(2-3)           6.1   7   1   1   6   0   0  32   5.31
Scherman SV(3)          2.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   8   3.14
Totals                  9     7   1   1   6   2   0  40

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman L(5-3)          6     8   4   4   5   2   0  29   3.19
Apodaca                 2     2   1   1   1   5   1   9   6.20
Miller                  1     3   2   2   1   0   0   6   4.12
Totals                  9    13   7   7   7   7   1  44

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno popped to third; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Harrelson walked; Harrelson stole second; Millan flied
to right; Jones walked; Staub walked [Harrelson to third, Jones
to second]; Milner popped to catcher in foul territory; Schneck
popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros
0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to center; C. Johnson walked [Watson
to second]; Brown walked [Watson to third, C. Johnson to
second]; Rader singled to right [Brown to second, C. Johnson to
third, Watson scored]; Helms struck out; Wilson hit a sacrifice
fly to left [C. Johnson scored]; Gross forced Rader (shortstop
to second); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Garrett grounded out (second to first); Grote singled
to center; Koosman out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Grote to second]; Harrelson walked; Millan forced Harrelson
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger walked; Cedeno singled [Metzger to second];
Watson flied to center [Metzger to third]; Cedeno was picked off
and caught stealing second (pitcher to first to shortstop); C.
Johnson walked; Brown grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Jones grounded out (third to first); Staub singled to
right; Milner popped to catcher in foul territory; Schneck
walked [Staub to second]; Garrett popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader was called out on strikes; Helms singled to
center; Wilson out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Helms to second]; Gross walked; Metzger forced Gross (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); Koosman flied
to left; Harrelson flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Mets 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno singled to right; Watson singled to center
[Cedeno to third]; C. Johnson sacrifice flied into a double play
to center [Cedeno scored, Watson out at second (center to
second)]; Brown popped to first in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: Millan singled to left; Jones popped to first; Staub
forced Millan (second to shortstop); Milner grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader tripled to left; Helms singled to left [Rader
scored]; Wilson out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Helms to second]; Gross grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Helms to third]; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 0.

METS 6TH: Schneck doubled to right; Garrett flied to left; Grote
grounded out (shortstop to first); KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR KOOSMAN;
Kranepool walked; Harrelson grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 0.

ASTROS 7TH: APODACA REPLACED KRANEPOOL (PITCHING); Cedeno
homered; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); C. Johnson
walked; Brown struck out; Rader struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 0.

METS 7TH: Millan flied to center; Jones singled to left; Staub
singled to right [Jones to second]; Milner singled to center
[Staub to second, Jones scored]; SCHERMAN REPLACED WILSON
(PITCHING); HAHN BATTED FOR SCHNECK; Hahn struck out; Garrett
struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

ASTROS 8TH: HAHN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Helms doubled to
center; Scherman was called out on strikes; Gross struck out;
Metzger struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

METS 8TH: MILBOURNE REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Grote popped to
second; DYER BATTED FOR APODACA; Dyer flied to center; MARTINEZ
BATTED FOR HARRELSON; Martinez flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 1.

ASTROS 9TH: MARTINEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); MILLER
REPLACED DYER (PITCHING); Cedeno singled to right; Watson
grounded out (second to first) [Cedeno to second]; C. Johnson
walked; Brown singled to center [C. Johnson to second, Cedeno
scored]; Rader singled to left [C. Johnson scored, Brown out at
third (left to third to second to shortstop to second), Rader to
second (on throw to 3b)]; Milbourne grounded out (pitcher to
first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Mets 1.

METS 9TH: Millan grounded out (second to first); Jones flied to
center; Staub grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 7, Mets 1.