Holding the Reds to one hit over the first four innings and getting home-run backing from Doug Rader and Cesar Cedeno, Tom Griffin chalked up his eighth victory in 11 decisions as the Astros stopped the Reds, 6-1. Rader followed Lee May's inning-opening double in the second and walk to Cliff Johnson with his homer off loser on Gullett. Tommy Helms' single, Griffin's sacrifice and Roger Metzger's bloop single made it a four-run inning.

Cedeno's 15th homer of the season came in the bottom of the seventh after Griffin had singled. The Reds managed their only run off Griffin, who hurled his fifth complete game of the season, in the fifth on Merv Rettenmund's double and a single by Hal King. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Cincinnati Reds 1
Game Played on Monday, June      24, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  5  0
Astros       0  4  0    0  0  0    2  0  x  -   6 10  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               3   0   0   0     0   0   .284      Gross rf,lf           3   0   0   0     0   1   .348
Geronimo cf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .340      Metzger ss            4   0   1   1     0   1   .265
Morgan 2b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .313      Cedeno cf             3   1   2   2     1   1   .287
Bench 3b,c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .270      Watson lf             3   0   2   0     1   1   .315
Perez 1b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .275        Gallagher rf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .216
Concepcion ss         4   0   0   0     0   2   .257      L. May 1b             4   1   2   0     0   0   .270
Rettenmund rf         4   1   2   0     0   0   .246      C. Johnson c          3   1   0   0     1   0   .281
Plummer c             2   0   1   0     0   1   .229      Rader 3b              4   1   1   3     0   0   .250
  Driessen ph,3b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .283      Helms 2b              3   1   1   0     0   0   .289
Gullett p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .226      Griffin p             2   1   1   0     0   1   .290
  King ph             1   0   1   1     0   0   .222
  Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Crowley ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .273
  Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   1   5   1     1   8             Totals               29   6  10   6     3   5

Time of Game: 2:02   Attendance: 16,428
Left on Base: Reds 6, Astros 4
DP: Reds 1, Astros 0
Errors: Griffin
Doubles: Rettenmund (4), Cedeno (15), L. May (12)
Home Runs: Rader (7), Cedeno (15)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Griffin (7), Gross (2)
GIDP: C. Johnson (2)
Hit by Pitch: Rose (3,by Griffin)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gullett L(7-5)          4     6   4   4   2   3   1  19   3.48
Borbon                  2     1   0   0   1   1   0   7   2.17
Hall                    2     3   2   2   0   1   1   8   4.68
Totals                  8    10   6   6   3   5   2  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin W(8-3)          9     5   1   1   1   8   0  34   3.51
Totals                  9     5   1   1   1   8   0  34

Hit by Pitch: Griffin (3)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Paul Runge


REDS 1ST: Rose flied out to left; Geronimo struck out; Morgan
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (second to first); Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno doubled; Watson
walked; Cedeno was caught stealing third (catcher to third); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench lined to third; Perez struck out; Concepcion
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: L. May doubled to left; C. Johnson walked; Rader
homered [L. May scored, C. Johnson scored]; Helms singled to
right; Griffin out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Helms to second]; Gross flied out to center; Metzger singled to
right [Helms scored]; Cedeno struck out; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 4.

REDS 3RD: Rettenmund made an out to shortstop; Plummer singled;
Gullett struck out; Rose was hit by a pitch [Plummer to second];
Geronimo grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson singled to left; L. May popped to second in
foul territory; C. Johnson flied out to center; Rader made an
out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 4.

REDS 4TH: Morgan walked; Morgan was picked off first but was
safe on an error by Griffin [Morgan to second]; Bench lined to
left; Perez grounded out (third to first); Concepcion struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Helms flied out to left; Griffin struck out; Gross
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros
4.

REDS 5TH: Rettenmund doubled; Plummer was called out on strikes;
KING BATTED FOR GULLETT; King singled [Rettenmund scored]; Rose
grounded out (third to first) [King to second]; Geronimo struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: BORBON REPLACED KING (PITCHING); Metzger was called
out on strikes; Cedeno walked; Cedeno was picked off first
(pitcher to first); Watson singled; L. May grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 4.

REDS 6TH: Morgan grounded out (second to first); Bench grounded
out (third to first); Perez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: C. Johnson made an out to second; Rader flied out to
right; Helms flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1,
Astros 4.

REDS 7TH: Concepcion lined to second; Rettenmund singled;
DRIESSEN BATTED FOR PLUMMER; Driessen grounded out (second to
first) [Rettenmund to second]; CROWLEY BATTED FOR BORBON;
Crowley singled to second [Rettenmund to third]; Rose grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: BENCH CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); DRIESSEN
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); HALL REPLACED CROWLEY (PITCHING);
Griffin singled; Gross out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Griffin to second]; Metzger grounded out (shortstop to
first); Cedeno homered [Griffin scored]; Watson struck out; 2 R,
2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 6.

REDS 8TH: GALLAGHER REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING RF); GROSS CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Geronimo flied out to center; Morgan
grounded out (first to pitcher); Bench grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: L. May singled; C. Johnson grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [L. May out at second]; Rader
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 6.

REDS 9TH: Perez flied out to left; Concepcion struck out;
Rettenmund grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 6.