Lee May drove in two runs with a double in the third inning and two more with a homer in the fifth to highlight the Astros' scoring in a 9-4 victory over the Cubs. The Astros counted twice in the first on an error, triple by Roger Metzger and single by Cesar Cedeno before knocking out Rick Reuschel during a five-run barrage in the third. Cedeno accounted for his second RBI of the game and 72nd of the season with a sacrifice fly. May hit his double with the bases loaded. Don Kessinger rapped his first homer of the season for the Cubs. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, Chicago Cubs 4
Game Played on Friday, July      12, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cubs         1  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  1  -   4  6  1
Astros       2  0  5    0  2  0    0  0  x  -   9 13  0


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Kessinger ss          3   1   2   1     2   0   .265      Gross rf              5   2   2   0     0   0   .337
Monday cf             4   0   1   0     1   1   .301      Metzger ss            4   2   1   1     1   0   .274
Cardenal rf           3   0   0   1     2   1   .285      Cedeno cf             4   0   2   2     0   1   .297
Williams 1b           4   0   0   0     1   0   .285      Watson lf,1b          3   2   1   0     1   0   .304
Morales lf            3   0   0   0     1   0   .254      L. May 1b             4   2   2   4     0   0   .270
Madlock 3b            4   1   1   0     0   0   .307        Howard lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Grabarkewitz 2b       4   1   1   0     0   0   .146      M. May c              3   0   1   0     1   1   .272
Swisher c             3   1   1   1     0   0   .214      Rader 3b              4   0   2   1     0   1   .253
Reuschel p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .196      Helms 2b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .285
  Stone p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .115        Milbourne 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
  Fanzone ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .191      Wilson p              3   1   1   0     0   1   .185
  Pina p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .200        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Todd p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Ward ph             0   0   0   1     0   0   .271
  Frailing p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .308
  Thornton ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .284

Totals               31   4   6   4     7   2             Totals               34   9  13   8     3   5

Time of Game: 2:33   Attendance: 16,946
Left on Base: Cubs 9, Astros 6
DP: Cubs 2, Astros 0
Errors: Morales
Doubles: Swisher (2), L. May (14), Rader (17)
Triples: Metzger (4)
Home Runs: Kessinger (1), L. May (15)
Stolen Bases: Kessinger (5), Gross (10)
Caught Stealing: Williams (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Ward (1), Cedeno (5)
GIDP: Helms (8)
Hit by Pitch: Swisher (1,by Forsch), Wilson (1,by Reuschel)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuschel L(8-7)         2.1   5   7   6   2   1   0  15   4.44
Stone                   1.2   2   0   0   0   1   0   6   4.92
Pina                    0.2   4   2   2   1   1   1   6   3.43
Todd                    1.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   5   3.71
Frailing                2     1   0   0   0   2   0   7   4.47
Totals                  8    13   9   8   3   5   1  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson W(6-6)           8     4   3   3   6   2   1  33   3.58
Forsch                  1     2   1   1   1   0   0   7   3.40
Totals                  9     6   4   4   7   2   1  40

Hit by Pitch: Reuschel (4), Forsch (3)
Wild Pitches: Reuschel (3)

Umpires: HP - Tom Gorman, 1B - Bill Williams, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - Terry Tata


CUBS 1ST: Kessinger homered; Monday grounded out (first to
pitcher); Cardenal grounded out (shortstop to first); Williams
walked; Williams was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross reached on an error by Morales [Gross to
second]; Jerry Morales dropped a sinking liner; Metzger
tripled to left [Gross scored (unearned)]; Cedeno singled to
shortstop [Metzger scored]; Watson lined into a double play
(first unassisted) [Cedeno out at first]; L. May grounded out
(third to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 2.

CUBS 2ND: Morales popped to catcher in foul territory; Madlock
popped to shortstop; Grabarkewitz grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: M. May flied out to right; Rader flied out to
center; Helms struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros
2.

CUBS 3RD: Swisher grounded out (third to first); Reuschel popped
to catcher in foul territory; Kessinger walked; Monday walked
[Kessinger to second]; Cardenal struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Wilson was hit by a pitch; On a bunt Gross singled
to third [Wilson to second]; Metzger walked [Wilson to third,
Gross to second]; Cedeno hit a sacrifice fly to left [Wilson
scored]; Watson singled to third [Gross to third, Metzger to
second]; L. May doubled [Gross scored, Metzger scored, Watson to
third]; M. May was walked intentionally; Reuschel threw a wild
pitch [Watson scored, L. May to third, M. May to second]; STONE
REPLACED REUSCHEL (PITCHING); Rader singled to right [L. May
scored, M. May to third]; Helms grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Rader out at second]; 5 R, 4 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 7.

CUBS 4TH: Williams flied out to center; Morales flied out to
left; Madlock grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 7.

ASTROS 4TH: Wilson grounded out (third to first); Gross singled
to right; Gross stole second; Metzger popped to shortstop;
Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 7.

CUBS 5TH: Grabarkewitz grounded out (pitcher to first); Swisher
flied out to center; FANZONE BATTED FOR STONE; Fanzone grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros
7.

ASTROS 5TH: PINA REPLACED FANZONE (PITCHING); Watson walked; L.
May homered [Watson scored]; M. May singled to right [M. May out
at second (right to second)]; Rader struck out; Helms singled to
third; Wilson singled to center [Helms to second]; TODD REPLACED
PINA (PITCHING); Gross forced Helms (third unassisted); 2 R, 4
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 9.

CUBS 6TH: Kessinger walked; Kessinger stole second; Monday made
an out to catcher; Cardenal flied out to right; Williams
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Astros 9.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
singled to shortstop; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Cedeno to second]; L. May flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 9.

CUBS 7TH: WATSON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); HOWARD REPLACED
L. MAY (PLAYING LF); Morales popped to second; Madlock singled;
Grabarkewitz singled to center [Madlock to third]; Swisher
doubled to left [Madlock scored, Grabarkewitz to third]; WARD
BATTED FOR TODD; Ward hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Grabarkewitz scored]; Kessinger grounded out (second to first);
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 3, Astros 9.

ASTROS 7TH: FRAILING REPLACED WARD (PITCHING); M. May struck
out; Rader doubled to left; Helms grounded out (third to first);
Wilson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 3, Astros 9.

CUBS 8TH: MILBOURNE REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Monday struck
out; Cardenal walked; Williams flied out to right; Morales
walked [Cardenal to second]; Madlock lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 3, Astros 9.

ASTROS 8TH: Gross flied out to left; Metzger popped to first in
foul territory; Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cubs 3, Astros 9.

CUBS 9TH: FORSCH REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Grabarkewitz
grounded out (second to first); Swisher was hit by a pitch;
THORNTON BATTED FOR FRAILING; Thornton popped to first in foul
territory; Kessinger singled to left [Swisher to second]; Monday
singled to left [Swisher to third, Kessinger to second];
Cardenal walked [Swisher scored, Kessinger to third, Monday to
second]; Williams grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 4, Astros 9.