The Reds, who had homers by Dave Concepcion and Dan Driessen in taking a 3-1 lead, broke the close game apart with six runs in the ninth inning and defeated the Astros, 9-1. Fred Norman, who gained his fifth straight victory, gave up a homer by Bob Watson for the Astros' run in the fourth. Singles by Merv Rettenmund and Concepcion and infield out by Norman produced the tying run in the fifth. Concepcion put the Reds ahead with his homer in the seventh. Driessen added his drive in the eighth. Joe Morgan had the big blow in the ninth, driving in two runs with a double. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Wednesday, June      26, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  1  0    1  1  6  -   9 12  1
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               3   1   1   0     3   0   .281      Gross rf              3   0   1   0     1   1   .342
Geronimo cf           5   1   1   0     0   2   .333      Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .260
Morgan 2b             5   1   3   2     0   0   .320      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .286
Bench c               4   1   0   0     1   0   .265      Watson lf             4   1   2   1     0   0   .322
Perez 1b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .272      L. May 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .265
  Chaney 3b           1   1   1   1     0   0   .194      C. Johnson c          3   0   0   0     0   1   .269
Driessen 3b,1b        5   1   2   1     0   1   .286      Rader 3b              3   0   0   0     0   2   .248
Rettenmund rf         4   2   2   1     1   0   .248      Helms 2b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .286
Concepcion ss         4   1   2   1     1   0   .262      Wilson p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .158
Norman p              4   0   0   2     1   2   .100        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Menke ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .071
                                                            Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   9  12   8     8   6             Totals               31   1   6   1     1   5

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance: 17,647
Left on Base: Reds 10, Astros 4
DP: Reds 2, Astros 1
Errors: Driessen, Wilson
Doubles: Morgan (16), L. May (13), Gross (9)
Home Runs: Concepcion (5), Driessen (2), Watson (8)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (33)
Caught Stealing: Gross (6)
GIDP: Concepcion (11), L. May (7)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman W(8-5)           9     6   1   1   1   5   1  32   2.18
Totals                  9     6   1   1   1   5   1  32

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson L(3-6)           7.1   8   3   3   4   4   2  34   4.44
Forsch                  0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.51
Cosgrove                0.1   3   5   5   2   1   0   6   1.82
Scherman                0.2   1   1   1   2   1   0   5   3.82
Totals                  9    12   9   9   8   6   2  46

Passed Balls: C. Johnson (2)
Wild Pitches: Scherman 2 (2)

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


REDS 1ST: Rose singled; Geronimo struck out; Morgan singled to
right [Rose to third, Morgan out at second (right to shortstop
to first to second to shortstop)]; Bench grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross walked; Gross was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Metzger struck out; Cedeno flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

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

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to left; L. May doubled to left; C.
Johnson grounded out (third to first); Rader struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first); Norman
flied out to left; Rose walked; Geronimo forced Rose (third to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Helms reached on an error by Driessen [Helms to
first]; Wilson lined into a double play (third to first) [Helms
out at first]; Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Morgan popped to catcher in foul territory; Bench
grounded out (shortstop to first); Perez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger flied out to right; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first); Watson homered; L. May flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 5TH: Driessen grounded out (second to first); Rettenmund
singled to left; Concepcion singled to center [Rettenmund to
third]; Norman grounded out (first to pitcher) [Rettenmund
scored, Concepcion to second]; Rose walked; Geronimo struck out;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: C. Johnson flied out to left; Rader struck out;
Helms singled to right; Wilson forced Helms (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 1.

REDS 6TH: Morgan popped to third in foul territory; Bench
grounded out (shortstop to first); Perez walked; Driessen
singled to pitcher [Perez to third (error by Wilson)];
Rettenmund grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Gross struck out; Metzger grounded out (second to
first); Cedeno singled to third; Cedeno stole second; Watson
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1,
Astros 1.

REDS 7TH: Concepcion homered; Norman struck out but advanced to
first on a passed ball; Rose flied out to left; Geronimo flied
out to left; Morgan singled to right [Norman to third]; Bench
flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: L. May flied out to center; C. Johnson struck out;
Rader flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros
1.

REDS 8TH: Perez flied out to right; Driessen homered; Rettenmund
walked; FORSCH REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Concepcion grounded
into a double play (third to second to first) [Rettenmund out at
second]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: CHANEY REPLACED PEREZ (PLAYING 3B); DRIESSEN CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Helms made an out to second; MENKE
BATTED FOR FORSCH; Menke grounded out (third to first); Gross
doubled; Metzger made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Reds 3, Astros 1.

REDS 9TH: COSGROVE REPLACED MENKE (PITCHING); Norman struck out;
Rose walked; Geronimo singled [Rose to second]; Morgan doubled
[Rose scored, Geronimo scored]; Bench was walked intentionally;
Chaney singled [Morgan scored, Bench to second]; SCHERMAN
REPLACED COSGROVE (PITCHING); Driessen struck out; Rettenmund
singled [Bench scored, Chaney to second]; Scherman threw a wild
pitch [Chaney to third, Rettenmund to second]; Concepcion was
walked intentionally; Norman walked [Chaney scored, Rettenmund
to third, Concepcion to second]; Scherman threw a wild pitch
[Rettenmund scored, Concepcion to third, Norman to second]; Rose
grounded out (second to first); 6 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 9,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno flied out to center; Watson singled; L. May
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Watson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 1.