Jim Northrup, playing in his first N. L. game after being obtained from the Tigers, hit a homer and single to help the Expos defeat the Astros, 4-3. The Expos scored inititally in the first inning. Ron Hunt doubled, took third on a single by Tim Foli and crossed the plate while the Astros were executing a double play on a grounder by Willie Davis. The Astros, taking advantage of an error by Dennis Blair, went ahead with two unearned runs in the fourth.

Northrup hit his homer to tie the score in the seventh and then singled with one out in the ninth. Ken Singleton walked, Barry Foote singled, scoring Northrup with the tie-breaking tally, and Hunt followed with a single to add what proved to be the winning run. In the Astros' half of the ninth, a single by Greg Gross, pass to Roger Metzger and single by Cesar Cedeno put the Expos in danger, but Don Carrithers retired Lee May for the final out. [The Sporting News]



Montreal Expos 4, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Friday, August    9, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Expos        1  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  2  -   4  9  2
Astros       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  1  -   3  9  1


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Hunt 2b               5   1   2   1     0   1   .274      Gross rf              5   1   2   0     0   0   .317
  Frias 2b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .226      Metzger ss            4   0   2   0     1   1   .265
Foli ss               4   0   2   0     1   1   .236      Cedeno cf             5   0   1   1     0   0   .297
Davis cf              5   0   0   0     0   0   .288      L. May 1b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .270
Bailey 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .279      M. May c              4   1   1   0     0   0   .292
Jorgensen 1b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .315      Watson lf             3   0   1   0     1   1   .300
Northrup lf           3   2   2   1     1   0   .240      Rader 3b              3   1   1   1     1   0   .253
Singleton rf          3   1   0   0     1   0   .284      Helms 2b              2   0   0   0     1   0   .285
Foote c               4   0   2   1     0   1   .260      Wilson p              3   0   1   1     0   0   .268
Blair p               3   0   0   0     0   2   .094        Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .067
  Carrithers p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .200        C. Johnson ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .248

Totals               34   4   9   3     4   5             Totals               35   3   9   3     4   2

Time of Game: 2:11   Attendance: 12,832
Left on Base: Expos 8, Astros 10
DP: Expos 1, Astros 1
Errors: Blair 2, Metzger
Doubles: Hunt (10), Foli (9), M. May (9)
Home Runs: Northrup (1)
Caught Stealing: Bailey (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Blair (4)
GIDP: Davis (4)
Hit by Pitch: Helms (1,by Blair)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blair W(7-4)            8.2   8   3   1   4   2   0  38   2.63
Carrithers SV(1)        0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.10
Totals                  9     9   3   1   4   2   0  40

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson L(8-9)           8.2   9   4   4   4   5   1  38   3.82
Cosgrove                0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.41
Totals                  9     9   4   4   4   5   1  39

Hit by Pitch: Blair (4)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Jim Quick, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Dick Stello


EXPOS 1ST: Hunt doubled to left; Foli singled to right [Hunt to
third]; Davis grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Hunt scored, Foli out at second]; Bailey singled to
right; Bailey was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (second to first); Metzger flied
out to left; Cedeno lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos
1, Astros 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Jorgensen walked; Northrup reached on an error by
Metzger [Jorgensen to second]; Singleton flied out to left;
Foote flied out to center; Blair grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: L. May flied out to right; M. May doubled; Watson
walked; Rader grounded out (third to first) [M. May to third,
Watson to second]; Helms walked; Wilson grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Hunt was called out on strikes; Foli struck out;
Davis grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross singled to left; Metzger struck out; Cedeno
lined into a double play (second to first) [Gross out at first];
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

EXPOS 4TH: Bailey made an out to first; Jorgensen grounded out
(shortstop to first); Northrup walked; Singleton lined to left;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: L. May made an out to first; M. May reached on an
error by Blair (assist by Jorgensen); Watson singled to right
[M. May to third, Watson out at second (right to shortstop to
first)]; Rader singled to right [M. May scored (unearned)];
Helms was hit by a pitch [Rader to second]; Wilson singled
[Rader scored (unearned), Helms to second]; Gross grounded out
(first unassisted); 2 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 1,
Astros 2.

EXPOS 5TH: Foote singled to shortstop; Blair out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Foote to second]; Hunt grounded out
(third to first); Foli grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger singled to right; Cedeno flied out to right;
L. May grounded out (second to first) [Metzger to second]; M.
May grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 1, Astros 2.

EXPOS 6TH: Davis grounded out (first unassisted); Bailey flied
out to center; Jorgensen grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson struck out; Rader walked; Helms flied out to
right; Wilson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 2.

EXPOS 7TH: Northrup homered; Singleton flied out to center;
Foote was called out on strikes; Blair struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Gross flied out to left; Metzger singled to right;
Cedeno forced Metzger (third to second); Cedeno was picked off
first but was safe on an error by Blair [Cedeno to second]; L.
May flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros
2.

EXPOS 8TH: Hunt flied out to center; Foli doubled to left; Davis
grounded out (second to first) [Foli to third]; Bailey flied out
to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: M. May grounded out (second to first); Watson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 2.

EXPOS 9TH: Jorgensen grounded out (third to first); Northrup
singled to right; Singleton walked [Northrup to second]; Foote
singled to center [Northrup scored, Singleton to third]; Blair
struck out; Hunt singled to right [Singleton scored, Foote to
second]; Foli walked [Foote to third, Hunt to second]; COSGROVE
REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Davis grounded out (second to
first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: FRIAS REPLACED HUNT (PLAYING 2B); Helms grounded out
(shortstop to first); C. JOHNSON BATTED FOR COSGROVE; C. Johnson
grounded out (third to first); Gross singled; Metzger walked
[Gross to second]; CARRITHERS REPLACED BLAIR (PITCHING); Cedeno
singled to right [Gross scored, Metzger to third]; L. May
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 4,
Astros 3.