Winless since June 14, the Pirates' Dock Ellis threw a steady eight-hitter at the Astros and ended Houston's six-game winning streak, 3-1. Ellis hurled scoreless ball after the first, when the Astros counted their only run on Greg Gross' single, a groundout and double by Bob Watson. Pittsburgh went ahead, 2-1, in the fourth on singles by Al Oliver, Richie Zisk, Manny Sanguillen, Richie Hebner and Frank Taveras. Taveras bunted safely in the seventh, was sacrificed to second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored the final run when second baseman Tommy Helms booted a grounder by Gene Clines. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Monday, July      15, 1974 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  8  1
Pirates      0  0  0    2  0  0    1  0  x  -   3 10  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .327      Stennett 2b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .294
Metzger ss            4   0   2   0     0   0   .271      Clines lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .240
Watson lf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .301      Oliver cf             3   1   1   0     0   0   .296
L. May 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Zisk rf               3   1   1   0     1   0   .319
M. May c              2   0   1   0     1   0   .283      Robertson 1b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .190
  Howard pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Stargell ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .269
  Edwards c           1   0   1   0     0   0   .218        Kirkpatrick 1b      0   0   0   0     0   0   .235
  Milbourne pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .286      Sanguillen c          4   0   3   1     0   0   .290
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .255      Hebner 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .294
Gallagher cf          3   0   0   0     0   1   .185      Taveras ss            4   1   2   1     0   0   .269
  C. Johnson ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .265      Ellis p               3   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .278
Roberts p             2   0   2   0     0   0   .250
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Cedeno ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .297
  Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   1   8   1     1   4             Totals               33   3  10   2     1   1

Time of Game: 2:10   Attendance:  9,171
Left on Base: Astros 6, Pirates 9
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 2
Errors: Helms
Doubles: Watson (10), Roberts (2)
Stolen Bases: Howard (1), Clines (12)
Sacrifice Hits: Ellis (4)
GIDP: Watson (7), Gross (7), Ellis (1)
Hit by Pitch: Oliver (2,by Roberts)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts L(6-8)          6.2   9   3   2   1   0   0  31   3.69
Forsch                  0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   3.26
Scherman                1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   4.50
Totals                  8    10   3   2   1   1   0  36

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis W(4-8)            9     8   1   1   1   4   0  34   4.20
Totals                  9     8   1   1   1   4   0  34

Hit by Pitch: Roberts (2)

Umpires: HP - Shag Crawford, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Dutch Rennert


ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to center; Metzger grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Gross to second]; Watson doubled to center
[Gross scored]; L. May flied out to center; M. May popped to
catcher in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Stennett flied out to right; Clines lined to third;
Oliver flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Pirates 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader made an out to shortstop; Gallagher struck
out; Helms made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Zisk flied out to right; Robertson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Sanguillen singled to right; Hebner
singled to center [Sanguillen to third]; Taveras forced Hebner
(second to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates
0.

ASTROS 3RD: Roberts doubled to right; Gross lined to right;
Metzger singled to right [Roberts to third]; Watson grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Metzger out
at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Ellis grounded out (shortstop to first); Stennett
flied out to center; Clines grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 4TH: L. May grounded out (shortstop to first); M. May
walked; Rader flied out to left; Gallagher grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Oliver singled to second; Zisk singled to right
[Oliver to third]; Robertson made an out to third; Sanguillen
singled to right [Oliver scored, Zisk to second]; Hebner singled
to right [Zisk to third, Sanguillen to second]; Taveras singled
to second [Zisk scored, Sanguillen to third, Hebner to second];
Ellis grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Taveras out at second]; 2 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Pirates 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms made an out to second; Roberts singled to
second; Gross grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Roberts out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Stennett flied out to left; Clines singled to
center; Oliver made an out to third; Zisk grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger flied out to left; Watson made an out to
first; L. May popped to catcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Robertson popped to third; Sanguillen grounded out
(shortstop to first); Hebner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 7TH: M. May singled to right; HOWARD RAN FOR M. MAY;
Rader struck out; Gallagher popped to third in foul territory;
Howard stole second; Helms was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 7TH: EDWARDS REPLACED HOWARD (PLAYING C ); Taveras
singled to second; Ellis out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Taveras to second]; Stennett grounded out (second to
first) [Taveras to third]; Clines reached on an error by Helms
[Taveras scored (unearned) (no RBI)]; Clines stole second;
Oliver was hit by a pitch; Zisk walked [Clines to third, Oliver
to second]; FORSCH REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); STARGELL BATTED
FOR ROBERTSON; Stargell was called out on strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 1
H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 8TH: KIRKPATRICK REPLACED STARGELL (PLAYING 1B); CEDENO
BATTED FOR FORSCH; Cedeno struck out; Gross grounded out
(shortstop to first); Metzger singled to left; Watson flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 8TH: SCHERMAN REPLACED CEDENO (PITCHING); Sanguillen
singled to center; Hebner forced Sanguillen (pitcher to
shortstop); Taveras flied out to right; Ellis forced Hebner
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates
3.

ASTROS 9TH: L. May grounded out (shortstop to first); Edwards
singled to first; MILBOURNE RAN FOR EDWARDS; Rader flied out to
left; C. JOHNSON BATTED FOR GALLAGHER; C. Johnson flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 3.