The Astros broke a tight game apart with six runs in the seventh inning and defeated the Cardinals, 8-2. Lee May homered for the Astros' initial run in the second. With the score tied, 2-2, the Astros loaded the bases in the seventh on singles by Tommy Helms and Claude Osteen and error by Ken Reitz on a bunt by Greg Gross.

Joe Torre mishandled a grounder by Roger Metzger and Larry Milbourne, running for Helms, scored to break the tie. Cesar Cedeno made it 4-2 with a single. Bob Watson fouled out, but Lee May hit a ground-rule double, driving in two runs. Milt May was passed intentionally and the final two tallies followed on Reitz' second error of the inning and a single by Milbourne. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Game Played on Thursday, July      18, 1974 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  1    6  0  0  -   8 13  2
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  4


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf,lf           4   1   0   0     0   1   .324      Brock lf              4   0   3   2     0   0   .314
Metzger ss            5   1   0   1     0   0   .265      McBride cf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .290
Cedeno cf             4   2   2   1     1   1   .296      Smith rf              2   0   0   0     2   0   .329
Watson lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .299      Torre 1b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .285
  Gallagher rf        1   0   0   0     0   0   .182      Reitz 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .289
L. May 1b             5   2   3   3     0   0   .273      DaVanon 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .143
M. May c              4   0   3   1     1   0   .291      Hill c                4   1   2   0     0   0   .400
Rader 3b              5   0   0   1     0   1   .256      Tyson ss              3   1   1   0     0   0   .197
Helms 2b              3   0   2   0     0   0   .282      McGlothen p           2   0   0   0     0   0   .260
  Milbourne pr,2b     2   1   1   1     0   0   .275        Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Osteen p              4   1   1   0     0   1   .289        Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Melendez ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .236
                                                            Pena p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .500

Totals               41   8  13   8     2   4             Totals               31   2   8   2     3   2

Time of Game: 2:19   Attendance: 11,560
Left on Base: Astros 9, Cardinals 5
DP: Astros 4, Cardinals 1
Errors: L. May, Rader, Torre, Reitz 3
Doubles: L. May (15), Tyson (6)
Home Runs: L. May (16)
Stolen Bases: Brock 2 (58)
Caught Stealing: Brock 2 (12)
Sacrifice Hits: Gross (5)
GIDP: L. May (9), Torre 2 (8), Hill (1), Smith (9)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Osteen W(9-7)           9     8   2   2   3   2   0  34   3.15
Totals                  9     8   2   2   3   2   0  34

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McGlothen L(12-6)       6    10   7   4   1   3   1  30   2.89
Garman                  0.1   2   1   0   1   0   0   5   3.14
Hrabosky                0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   4.78
Pena                    2     1   0   0   0   0   0   8   2.13
Totals                  9    13   8   4   2   4   1  44

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Frank Pulli


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (first unassisted); Metzger flied
out to center; Cedeno singled to right; Watson flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock singled to center; Brock was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); McBride reached on an
error by L. May [McBride to second]; Smith walked; Torre
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Smith
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: L. May homered; M. May grounded out (second to
first); Rader grounded out (pitcher to second to first); Helms
singled to left; Osteen forced Helms (shortstop to second); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Reitz singled to center; DaVanon flied out to
center; Hill grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Reitz out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross grounded out (third to first); Metzger flied
out to right; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Tyson flied out to center; McGlothen flied out to
right; Brock grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled to left; L. May grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Watson out at
second]; M. May singled to right; Rader struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: McBride singled to center; Smith grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [McBride out at
second]; Torre walked; Reitz grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms flied out to center; Osteen grounded out
(second to first); Gross was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: DaVanon flied out to right; Hill singled to left;
Tyson doubled to left [Hill to third]; McGlothen grounded out
(second to first); Brock singled to left [Hill scored, Tyson
scored]; Brock stole second; McBride flied out to center; 2 R, 3
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger flied out to right; Cedeno walked; Watson
flied out to right; L. May singled to center [Cedeno to second];
M. May singled to right [Cedeno scored, L. May to second]; Rader
flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 6TH: Smith walked; Torre grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Smith out at second]; Reitz struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Helms singled to left; MILBOURNE RAN FOR HELMS;
Osteen singled to left [Milbourne to second]; Gross reached on
an error by Reitz on a sacrifice bunt [Milbourne to third,
Osteen to second, Gross to first]; Metzger reached on an error
by Torre [Milbourne scored, Osteen to third, Gross to second];
Cedeno singled to right [Osteen scored, Gross to third, Metzger
to second]; GARMAN REPLACED MCGLOTHEN (PITCHING); Watson popped
to first in foul territory; L. May doubled to left [Gross scored
(unearned), Metzger scored (unearned), Cedeno to third]; M. May
was walked intentionally; Rader reached on an error by Reitz
[Cedeno scored (unearned), L. May to third, M. May to second];
Milbourne singled to left [L. May scored (unearned), M. May to
third, Rader to second]; HRABOSKY REPLACED GARMAN (PITCHING); M.
May was picked off third (catcher to third); Osteen was called
out on strikes; 6 R (2 ER), 5 H, 3 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 8,
Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 7TH: MILBOURNE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); GALLAGHER
REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING RF); GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
LF); DaVanon grounded out (shortstop to first); Hill singled to
left; Tyson flied out to center; MELENDEZ BATTED FOR HRABOSKY;
Melendez flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8,
Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 8TH: PENA REPLACED MELENDEZ (PITCHING); Gross flied out
to center; Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher); Cedeno lined
to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: Brock singled to center; Brock stole second;
Brock was caught stealing third (catcher to third); McBride
flied out to center; Smith lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Gallagher popped to second; L. May flied out to
left; M. May singled to center; Rader reached on an error by
Reitz [M. May to second, Rader to first]; Milbourne grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: Torre struck out; Reitz reached on an error by
Rader [Reitz to second]; DaVanon flied out to center; Hill flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 2.