Sparked by Cesar Geronimo, who hit a homer, the Reds scored three runs in the seventh inning to defeat the Astros, 3-2. Larry Dierker, pitching for the Astros, had allowed only one hit and held a 1-0 lead before Geronimo's round-tripper tied the score. Joe Morgan then walked, stole second and crossed the plate on a double by Johnny Bench. A single by Tony Perez moved Bench to third and Dan Driessen followed with a single to drive in what proved to be the winning run. Cesar Cedeno homered for the Astros in the ninth inning. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 3, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Tuesday, June      25, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  0  -   3  6  0
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  1  -   2  7  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .280      Gross rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .342
Geronimo cf           4   1   1   1     0   1   .338      Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .265
Morgan 2b             2   1   1   0     2   0   .314      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .286
Bench c               4   1   1   1     0   2   .270      Watson lf             3   1   2   0     1   1   .319
Perez 1b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .275      L. May 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .265
  Chaney pr,3b        1   0   0   0     0   1   .171        Milbourne pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .300
Driessen 3b,1b        3   0   1   1     1   0   .284      M. May c              4   0   2   1     0   0   .255
Rettenmund rf         3   0   0   0     0   2   .241      Rader 3b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .251
Concepcion ss         3   0   1   0     0   0   .258      Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Billingham p          3   0   0   0     0   2   .034      Dierker p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .184
  C. Carroll p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   3   6   3     3   8             Totals               32   2   7   2     1   4

Time of Game: 2:06   Attendance: 21,449
Left on Base: Reds 3, Astros 4
DP: Reds 2, Astros 2
Doubles: Bench (13), Watson (8)
Home Runs: Geronimo (2), Cedeno (16)
Stolen Bases: Morgan 2 (33)
Caught Stealing: Morgan (9), Driessen (4)
GIDP: Billingham (1), Helms (6), M. May (4)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(7-6)       8     7   2   2   1   4   1  31   3.87
C. Carroll SV(2)        1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.20
Totals                  9     7   2   2   1   4   1  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker L(5-4)          6     5   3   3   3   7   1  24   2.01
Forsch                  2     1   0   0   0   0   0   6   3.58
Cosgrove                1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.31
Totals                  9     6   3   3   3   8   1  33

Umpires: HP - Paul Runge, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - John McSherry


REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Geronimo struck
out; Morgan singled to right; Morgan stole second; Bench struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross popped to shortstop; Metzger singled to
center; Cedeno grounded out (second to first) [Metzger to
second]; Watson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez grounded out (catcher to first); Driessen flied
out to center; Rettenmund struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: L. May flied out to center; M. May singled to right;
Rader singled to right [M. May to second]; Helms grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Rader out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion flied out to center; Billingham struck out;
Rose grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Dierker grounded out (shortstop to first); Gross
flied out to center; Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Geronimo popped to first; Morgan walked; Morgan was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Bench was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno was called out on strikes; Watson doubled to
left; L. May flied out to left; M. May singled to center [Watson
scored]; Rader was called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 5TH: Perez flied out to center; Driessen walked; Rettenmund
struck out while Driessen was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); Dierker
popped to catcher in foul territory; Gross grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 6TH: Concepcion grounded out (third to first); Billingham
struck out; Rose grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger flied out to left; Cedeno grounded out
(second to first); Watson walked; L. May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 7TH: Geronimo homered; Morgan walked; Morgan stole second;
Bench doubled to right [Morgan scored]; Perez singled [Bench to
third]; CHANEY RAN FOR PEREZ; Driessen singled [Bench scored,
Chaney to second]; FORSCH REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING);
Rettenmund popped to pitcher; Concepcion singled [Chaney to
third, Driessen to second]; Billingham grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Concepcion out at second];
3 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: CHANEY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); DRIESSEN CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); M. May grounded out (second to first);
Rader grounded out (third to first); Helms grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 1.

REDS 8TH: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo flied
out to center; Morgan flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: HOWARD BATTED FOR FORSCH; Howard grounded out
(second to first); Gross grounded out (second to first); Metzger
popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 1.

REDS 9TH: COSGROVE REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Bench flied out
to center; Chaney struck out; Driessen flied to left in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno homered; Watson singled to left; C. CARROLL
REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); L. May forced Watson (third to
second) [L. May to first]; MILBOURNE RAN FOR L. MAY; M. May
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Milbourne out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros
2.