Pinch-hitting in the 11th inning, Hank Aaron delivered a sacrifice fly to provide the Braves with a 5-4 victory over the Astros. The Braves, who had a two-run homer by Darrell Evans, led 4-2 going into the ninth inning when Tommy Helms singled and Cliff Johnson, batting for Mike Cosgrove, hit for the circuit to tie the score. In the 11th, Dusty Baker set up the Braves' winning run with a double. After a sacrifice by Evans, the Astros walked Davey Johnson and Marty Perez intentionally to load the bases before Aaron came up to bat for Johnny Oates. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Wednesday, July      3, 1974 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium
Astros       0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  -   4  9  3
Braves       0  0  1    3  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  -   5  5  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              5   0   2   0     0   0   .342      Office cf             5   0   0   1     0   0   .242
Milbourne ss          4   0   2   0     0   0   .313      Garr lf               5   0   0   0     0   0   .354
Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     2   2   .293      Baker rf              4   2   1   0     1   0   .243
Watson lf             4   1   1   0     1   1   .316      Evans 3b              4   1   2   2     0   0   .265
L. May 1b             5   1   1   0     0   0   .264      Johnson 2b            4   1   0   0     1   1   .256
M. May c              3   0   0   0     2   1   .243      Tepedino 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Rader 3b              5   0   0   0     0   1   .246        Perez ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .285
Helms 2b              5   1   2   2     0   1   .293      Oates c               4   0   1   1     0   0   .243
Griffin p             1   0   0   0     1   0   .306        Aaron ph            0   0   0   1     0   0   .247
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .333      Robinson ss           3   1   0   0     1   0   .202
  Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Capra p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .194
  C. Johnson ph       1   1   1   2     0   0   .292        Leon p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        J. Niekro p         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .196        House p             1   0   1   0     0   0   .400
  Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Foster pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .190
  York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   4   9   4     6   7             Totals               36   5   5   5     4   3

Time of Game: 3:04   Attendance: 40,281
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 6
DP: Astros 0, Braves 2
Errors: Milbourne, Watson, Rader, Johnson
Doubles: Oates (9), Baker (13)
Home Runs: C. Johnson (5), Evans (9)
Caught Stealing: Milbourne (1), Evans (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Milbourne (1), Capra (2), Evans (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Aaron (1)
GIDP: Rader (9), Cedeno (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin                 6     3   4   1   1   2   1  24   3.13
Cosgrove                2     0   0   0   1   1   0   7   1.42
Forsch                  2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   3.27
Scherman L(1-4)         0.1   1   1   1   2   0   0   4   4.42
York                    0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.13
Totals                 10.2   5   5   2   4   3   1  43

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Capra                   4.2   4   2   2   5   2   0  22   1.43
Leon                    1.2   2   0   0   0   2   0   7   1.66
J. Niekro               1.2   2   2   2   1   2   1   7   3.24
House                   2     1   0   0   0   1   0   6   1.60
Frisella W(3-2)         1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.73
Totals                 11     9   4   4   6   7   1  45

Passed Balls: Oates (10)
Wild Pitches: Griffin (6), J. Niekro (1)
Balks: Griffin (2), Capra (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross flied out to center; Milbourne reached on an
error by Johnson [Milbourne to first]; Milbourne was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Cedeno struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office made an out to third; Garr grounded out
(second to first); Baker walked; Griffin balked [Baker to
second]; Griffin threw a wild pitch [Baker to third]; Evans
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled; L. May singled [Watson to second];
M. May walked [Watson to third, L. May to second]; Rader made an
out to shortstop; Helms singled to left [Watson scored, L. May
scored, M. May out at third (catcher to shortstop)]; Griffin
made an out to third; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Johnson struck out; Tepedino made an out to first;
Oates made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross singled; Milbourne out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Gross to second]; Cedeno walked; Watson
forced Cedeno (shortstop to second) [Gross to third]; L. May
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Robinson reached on an error by Watson [Robinson to
second]; Capra out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Robinson to third]; Office grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Robinson scored (unearned)]; Garr grounded out (pitcher to
first); 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 4TH: M. May grounded out (first unassisted); Rader
grounded out (third to first); Helms struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Baker reached on an error by Milbourne [Baker to
first]; Evans homered [Baker scored (unearned)]; Johnson reached
on an error by Rader [Johnson to first]; Tepedino grounded out
(second to first) [Johnson to second]; Oates doubled [Johnson
scored (unearned)]; Robinson flied out to center; Capra was
called out on strikes; 3 R (1 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Griffin walked; Gross flied out to right; Milbourne
flied out to center; Cedeno walked [Griffin to second]; Capra
balked [Griffin to third, Cedeno to second]; Watson walked; LEON
REPLACED CAPRA (PITCHING); L. May made an out to third; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 5TH: Office grounded out (first unassisted); Garr
grounded out (pitcher to first); Baker grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 4.

ASTROS 6TH: M. May flied out to right; Rader struck out; Helms
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Evans singled; Evans was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Johnson flied out to left; Tepedino made
an out to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 4.

ASTROS 7TH: HOWARD BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Howard struck out; Gross
singled; Milbourne singled [Gross to second]; J. NIEKRO REPLACED
LEON (PITCHING); Oates allowed a passed ball [Gross to third,
Milbourne to second]; Cedeno struck out; Watson struck out; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 7TH: COSGROVE REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Oates grounded
out (pitcher to first); Robinson walked; J. Niekro struck out;
Office forced Robinson (second to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 4.

ASTROS 8TH: L. May made an out to shortstop; M. May walked;
Rader grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[M. May out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves
4.

BRAVES 8TH: Garr grounded out (pitcher to first); Baker made an
out to third; Evans made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Helms singled; J. Niekro threw a wild pitch [Helms
to second]; C. JOHNSON BATTED FOR COSGROVE; C. Johnson homered
[Helms scored]; HOUSE REPLACED J. NIEKRO (PITCHING); Gross
grounded out (second to first); Milbourne singled; Cedeno
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Milbourne out at second]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4,
Braves 4.

BRAVES 9TH: FORSCH REPLACED C. JOHNSON (PITCHING); Johnson
grounded out (third to first); Tepedino grounded out (shortstop
to first); Oates grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 4.

ASTROS 10TH: Watson made an out to first; L. May flied out to
left; M. May was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 4.

BRAVES 10TH: Robinson made an out to second; House singled;
FOSTER RAN FOR HOUSE; Office made an out to second; Garr forced
Foster (second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Braves 4.

ASTROS 11TH: FRISELLA REPLACED FOSTER (PITCHING); Rader grounded
out (catcher unassisted); Helms made an out to shortstop;
GALLAGHER BATTED FOR FORSCH; Gallagher made an out to shortstop;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 4.

BRAVES 11TH: SCHERMAN REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Baker
doubled; Evans out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Baker
to third]; Johnson was walked intentionally; PEREZ BATTED FOR
TEPEDINO; Perez was walked intentionally [Johnson to second];
AARON BATTED FOR OATES; YORK REPLACED SCHERMAN (PITCHING); Aaron
hit a sacrifice fly to center [Baker scored, Johnson to third,
Perez to second]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 5.