Cesar Cedeno accounted for all of the Astros' runs, hitting a homer with two men on base in the eighth inning and then driving in a run with a double in the 10th to defeat the Braves, 4-3. The Braves picked up a run on a bases-loaded pass to Davey Johnson in the first and added a tally on a homer by Darrell Evans in the third.

Cedeno's circuit clout, putting the Astros ahead, 3-2, came after passes to Bob Gallagher and Greg Gross in the eighth. The Braves tied the score in the ninth on a double by Ralph Garr and single by Evans, but Roger Metzger singled in the 10th and raced home with the Astros' winning run on Cedeno's double off the left field wall. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Thursday, July      4, 1974 (Day game) at Atlanta Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  0    1  -   4  8  0
Braves       1  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  1    0  -   3 14  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf,lf           3   1   0   0     2   0   .338      Garr lf               5   2   3   0     0   0   .357
Metzger ss            3   1   2   0     1   0   .273      Perez 2b,ss           4   0   2   0     0   0   .291
Cedeno cf             5   1   2   4     0   1   .295      Baker rf              5   0   1   0     0   0   .242
Watson lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .315      Evans 3b              5   1   2   2     0   1   .268
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Johnson 1b,2b         4   0   0   1     1   0   .252
  Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Murrell cf            3   0   1   0     0   0   .243
C. Johnson 1b         5   0   1   0     0   1   .286        Office ph,cf        2   0   1   0     0   0   .246
Edwards c             4   0   0   0     1   0   .209      Correll c             2   0   1   0     0   1   .133
Rader 3b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .250        Oates c             1   0   0   0     0   1   .241
Milbourne 2b          2   0   0   0     0   1   .294        Casanova c          1   0   0   0     0   0   .162
  L. May ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .263      Robinson ss           2   0   2   0     1   0   .208
  Campbell 2b         1   0   0   0     0   1   .133        Tepedino ph,1b      2   0   1   0     0   1   .228
Roberts p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .184      Reed p                2   0   0   0     0   0   .125
  Gallagher ph,rf     1   1   0   0     1   1   .193        Foster ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .182
                                                            Krausse p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            J. Niekro p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Aaron ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .246
                                                            House p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .400

Totals               35   4   8   4     6   5             Totals               40   3  14   3     2   4

Time of Game: 2:50   Attendance: 10,452
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 11
DP: Astros 1, Braves 3
Errors: Johnson
Doubles: Rader (15), Cedeno (18), Garr (14)
Home Runs: Cedeno (18), Evans (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Metzger (11), Correll (1), Perez (2)
GIDP: Gross (5), C. Johnson (3), Foster (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 7    10   2   2   2   2   1  31   3.89
Forsch                  1.2   3   1   1   0   1   0   8   3.35
Cosgrove W(4-0)         1.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   1.37
Totals                 10    14   3   3   2   4   1  44

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reed                    6     2   0   0   2   3   0  21   3.00
Krausse                 1     1   2   2   3   0   0   7   3.66
J. Niekro               0.1   2   1   1   0   0   1   3   4.15
Frisella                0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   4.61
House L(1-2)            2     3   1   1   1   2   0   9   1.72
Totals                 10     8   4   4   6   5   1  42

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Garr singled; Perez singled [Garr to second]; Baker
singled [Garr to third, Perez to second]; Evans struck out;
Johnson walked [Garr scored, Perez to third, Baker to second];
Murrell forced Perez (pitcher to catcher) [Baker to third,
Johnson to second]; Correll was called out on strikes; 1 R, 3 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (third to first); C. Johnson was
called out on strikes; Edwards grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Robinson singled to left [Robinson out at second
(left to second)]; Reed flied out to right; Garr made an out to
catcher; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader singled; Milbourne lined into a double play
(pitcher to first) [Rader out at first]; Roberts made an out to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Perez grounded out (third to first); Baker grounded
out (third to first); Evans homered; Johnson flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Gross walked; Metzger singled [Gross to second];
Cedeno made an out to third; Watson made an out to first; C.
Johnson forced Gross (third unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Murrell made an out to shortstop; Correll singled;
Robinson singled [Correll to second]; Reed grounded out (first
to second) [Correll to third, Robinson to second]; Garr grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Edwards flied out to right; Rader flied out to
right; Milbourne struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Perez singled; Baker flied out to right; Evans flied
out to left; Johnson forced Perez (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Roberts reached on an error by Johnson [Roberts to
first]; Gross grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Roberts out at second]; Metzger walked; Cedeno forced
Metzger (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Murrell singled; Correll out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Murrell to second]; Robinson walked; FOSTER
BATTED FOR REED; Foster grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Robinson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

ASTROS 7TH: KRAUSSE REPLACED FOSTER (PITCHING); Watson made an
out to second; C. Johnson singled; Edwards walked [C. Johnson to
second]; Rader forced Edwards (shortstop to second) [C. Johnson
to third]; L. MAY BATTED FOR MILBOURNE; L. May flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: CAMPBELL REPLACED L. MAY (PLAYING 2B); Garr singled;
Perez out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Garr to
second]; Baker made an out to shortstop; Evans flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

ASTROS 8TH: OATES REPLACED CORRELL (PLAYING C ); GALLAGHER
BATTED FOR ROBERTS; Gallagher walked; Gross walked [Gallagher to
second]; J. NIEKRO REPLACED KRAUSSE (PITCHING); Metzger out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Gallagher to third, Gross to
second]; Cedeno homered [Gallagher scored, Gross scored]; Watson
singled; FRISELLA REPLACED J. NIEKRO (PITCHING); C. Johnson made
an out to second; Edwards flied out to center; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 2.

BRAVES 8TH: GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); FORSCH
REPLACED WATSON (PITCHING); GALLAGHER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
RF); Johnson flied out to right; OFFICE BATTED FOR MURRELL;
Office singled; Oates struck out; TEPEDINO BATTED FOR ROBINSON;
Tepedino singled [Office to second]; AARON BATTED FOR FRISELLA;
Aaron flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3,
Braves 2.

ASTROS 9TH: PEREZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); JOHNSON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); OFFICE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
CF); CASANOVA REPLACED OATES (PLAYING C ); TEPEDINO STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 1B); HOUSE REPLACED AARON (PITCHING); Rader
doubled; Campbell struck out; Gallagher struck out; Gross flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 2.

BRAVES 9TH: Garr doubled; Perez made an out to pitcher; Baker
grounded out (second to first) [Garr to third]; COSGROVE
REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Evans singled [Garr scored]; Johnson
made an out to first; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 3.

ASTROS 10TH: Metzger singled; Cedeno doubled to left [Metzger
scored]; Cosgrove walked; C. Johnson grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Cedeno to third, Cosgrove out at
second]; Edwards grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 10TH: Office grounded out (second to first); Casanova
made an out to first; Tepedino was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.