Restored to a starting spot after two games in relief, Claude Osteen pitched the Astros to an 8-2 victory over the Padres. Cesar Cedeno and Bob Watson hit homers in support of Osteen. Cedeno also rapped a double and single, while Greg Gross collected two singles, a double and triple. Osteen helped himself with a two-run double. The Padres got to Osteen for a run in the fifth inning on two walks and an infield hit by Nate Colbert. A triple by Johnny Grubb and sacrifice fly by Derrel Thomas added their other run in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, San Diego Padres 2
Game Played on Sunday, June      23, 1974 (Day game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  1  0  -   2 10  2
Astros       2  1  3    1  1  0    0  0  x  -   8 12  0


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Tolan rf              5   0   1   0     0   0   .282      Gross rf,lf           4   2   4   1     0   0   .353
Hernandez ss          3   0   0   0     0   0   .218      Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     1   2   .265
  Hardy p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cedeno cf             4   2   3   3     1   1   .283
  Clarke ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .225      Watson lf             3   1   1   1     0   1   .310
  Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Gallagher ph,rf     1   0   0   0     0   1   .216
  Kendall ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .249      L. May 1b             4   0   0   0     1   3   .266
Gaston lf             4   0   1   0     1   0   .234      M. May c              5   1   2   0     0   0   .248
Colbert 1b            5   0   1   1     0   2   .205      Rader 3b              3   1   0   0     0   2   .250
Grubb cf              4   1   3   0     1   0   .321      Helms 2b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .289
Thomas 2b             5   0   0   1     0   0   .293        Milbourne 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .300
Roberts 3b            3   0   1   0     1   0   .170      Osteen p              4   0   1   2     0   1   .219
Barton c              4   0   1   0     0   1   .232
Freisleben p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .292
  Laxton p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gaspar ph           0   1   0   0     1   0   .143
  Morales ss          1   0   1   0     1   0   .243

Totals               37   2  10   2     5   3             Totals               36   8  12   7     3  12

Time of Game: 2:39   Attendance: 12,183
Left on Base: Padres 13, Astros 10
DP: Padres 1, Astros 0
Errors: Hernandez, Barton
Doubles: Tolan (12), Morales (2), Gross (8), Osteen (3), Cedeno (14)
Triples: Grubb (2), Gross (5)
Home Runs: Cedeno (14), Watson (7)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno 2 (32)
GIDP: M. May (3)
Hit by Pitch: Rader (4,by Freisleben), Gross (1,by Laxton), Gallagher (1,by Tomlin)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Freisleben L(6-3)       2.2   7   6   6   1   4   2  18   3.96
Laxton                  1.1   1   1   1   2   4   0   8   6.75
Hardy                   2     2   1   1   0   3   0   8   4.53
Tomlin                  2     2   0   0   0   1   0   8   4.88
Totals                  8    12   8   8   3  12   2  42

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Osteen W(6-7)           9    10   2   2   5   3   0  42   3.59
Totals                  9    10   2   2   5   3   0  42

Hit by Pitch: Freisleben (2), Laxton (1), Tomlin (1)
Wild Pitches: Freisleben (5), Hardy (1), Osteen (3)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Andy Olsen, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Shag Crawford


PADRES 1ST: Tolan grounded out (second to first); Hernandez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Gaston lined to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross tripled to left; Metzger struck out; Cedeno
homered [Gross scored]; Watson grounded out (third to first); L.
May reached on an error by Hernandez [L. May to first]; M. May
grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0,
Astros 2.

PADRES 2ND: Colbert grounded out (first unassisted); Grubb
walked; Thomas flied out to right; Roberts forced Grubb
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader was hit by a pitch; Freisleben threw a wild
pitch [Rader to second]; Helms grounded out (second to first)
[Rader to third]; Osteen made an out to second; Gross doubled
[Rader scored]; Metzger walked; Cedeno was called out on
strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 3.

PADRES 3RD: Barton flied out to right; Freisleben grounded out
(pitcher unassisted); Tolan doubled; Hernandez flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson homered; L. May was called out on strikes; M.
May singled to left; Rader struck out; Helms singled [M. May to
second]; Osteen doubled [M. May scored, Helms scored]; LAXTON
REPLACED FREISLEBEN (PITCHING); Gross was hit by a pitch;
Metzger was called out on strikes; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres
0, Astros 6.

PADRES 4TH: Gaston singled to center; Colbert struck out; Grubb
singled to right [Gaston to third, Grubb to second (on throw to
3b)]; Thomas grounded out (pitcher to first); Roberts walked;
Barton struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 6.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Cedeno stole
third [Cedeno scored (error by Barton)]; Watson struck out; L.
May walked; M. May singled [L. May to second]; Rader struck out;
Helms was called out on strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Padres
0, Astros 7.

PADRES 5TH: GASPAR BATTED FOR LAXTON; Gaspar walked; Tolan made
an out to shortstop; Hernandez popped to third in foul
territory; Gaston walked [Gaspar to second]; Colbert singled
[Gaspar scored, Gaston to second]; Grubb flied out to center; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 7.

ASTROS 5TH: HARDY REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PITCHING); MORALES
REPLACED GASPAR (PLAYING SS); Osteen was called out on strikes;
Gross singled to right; Hardy threw a wild pitch [Gross to
second]; Metzger grounded out (second to first) [Gross to
third]; Cedeno singled to left [Gross scored]; GALLAGHER BATTED
FOR WATSON; Gallagher struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres
1, Astros 8.

PADRES 6TH: GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); GALLAGHER
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Thomas grounded out (third to
first); Roberts singled to left; Barton lined to right; Morales
doubled [Roberts to third]; On a bunt Tolan made an out to
pitcher; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 8.

ASTROS 6TH: L. May struck out; M. May grounded out (second to
first); Rader grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 8.

PADRES 7TH: CLARKE BATTED FOR HARDY; Clarke made an out to
third; Gaston grounded out (second to first); Colbert grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 8.

ASTROS 7TH: TOMLIN REPLACED CLARKE (PITCHING); Helms flied out
to left; Osteen grounded out (shortstop to first); Gross
singled; Metzger flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 1, Astros 8.

PADRES 8TH: MILBOURNE REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Grubb tripled
to center; Thomas grounded out (second to first) [Grubb scored];
Roberts flied out to right; Barton singled to left; Osteen threw
a wild pitch [Barton to second]; Morales walked; Tolan flied out
to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 8.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno doubled to left; Gallagher was hit by a
pitch; L. May struck out; M. May grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Gallagher out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 8.

PADRES 9TH: KENDALL BATTED FOR TOMLIN; Kendall singled; Gaston
grounded out (first unassisted) [Kendall to second]; Colbert
struck out; Grubb singled to center [Kendall to third]; Thomas
made an out to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 8.