The Cubs ended their eight-game losing streak by defeating the Astros, 6-5. The Cubs scored four runs in the first inning in a quick attack on Don Wilson. Don Kessinger tripled and Jose Cardenal, Billy Williams and Andre Thornton followed with singles to produce the first two tallies. When Bob Watson fumbled Thornton's hit in left field, Williams and Thornton advanced an extra base. Williams then scored on an infield out by Jerry Morales and Thornton crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Bill Madlock.

The Cubs' lead was cut to 4-3 before they decided the outcome with two more runs in the seventh. Cardenal walked, went to third on a single by Williams and scored on a throwing error by Doug Rader. Morales came through with a single, driving in Jim Tyrone, who ran for Williams, with the deciding run. The Astros rallied for a run in the ninth on a double by Milt May and single by Rader, scoring Larry Milbourne, who ran for May, before Jim Todd relieved and retired Watson for the final out to receive credit for his first major league save. [The Sporting News]

Chicago Cubs 6, Houston Astros 5

Game Played on Wednesday, August 14, 1974 (Day game) at Wrigley Field

Astros       1  0  2    0  0  0    0  1  1  -   5 13  2
Cubs         4  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  x  -   6  8  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   0   1   0     1   0   .324      Kessinger ss          4   1   1   0     0   0   .256
Metzger ss            4   1   2   1     1   1   .263      Cardenal rf           2   2   1   1     2   0   .308
Cedeno cf             5   1   1   0     0   1   .297      Williams lf           3   1   2   0     1   0   .284
L. May 1b             3   0   2   1     1   0   .272        Tyrone pr,lf        0   1   0   0     0   0   .212
  Howard pr,lf        1   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Thornton 1b           3   1   1   1     1   0   .303
M. May c              4   1   2   0     1   0   .291      Morales cf            4   0   1   2     0   1   .248
  Milbourne pr        0   1   0   0     0   0   .327      Madlock 3b            3   0   0   1     0   0   .283
Watson lf,1b          5   0   1   0     0   0   .297      Sperring 2b           2   0   0   0     2   0   .167
Rader 3b              5   0   1   1     0   2   .253      Swisher c             4   0   1   0     0   1   .208
Helms 2b              5   0   1   0     0   1   .288      Stone p               3   0   1   0     0   1   .143
Wilson p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .279        Frailing p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .267
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Zamora p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Gallagher ph        1   1   1   0     0   0   .192        Todd p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .077
  York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               39   5  13   3     4   5             Totals               29   6   8   5     6   3

Time of Game: 2:46   Attendance: 10,987
Left on Base: Astros 12, Cubs 7
DP: Astros 0, Cubs 1
Errors: Watson, Rader, Cardenal, Stone
Doubles: L. May (22), Wilson (4), M. May 2 (11), Gallagher (2)
Triples: Watson (4), Kessinger (5)
Stolen Bases: Cardenal (19)
Caught Stealing: Morales (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Wilson (7), Kessinger (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Madlock (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson L(8-10)          6     6   6   5   6   3   0  30   3.97
Forsch                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.96
York                    1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.35
Totals                  8     8   6   5   6   3   0  37

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Stone W(4-4)            6     8   3   1   4   2   0  31   4.51
Frailing                0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.94
Zamora                  2     4   2   2   0   3   0  10   3.15
Todd SV(1)              0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4.48
Totals                  9    13   5   3   4   5   0  44

Wild Pitches: Wilson (2)

Umpires: HP - Shag Crawford, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Dutch Rennert


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger
struck out; Cedeno singled to left; L. May doubled to right
[Cedeno scored]; L. May was picked off second but was safe on an
error by Stone [L. May to third]; M. May walked; Watson lined to
first; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Kessinger tripled to right; Cardenal singled to right
[Kessinger scored]; Williams singled to right [Cardenal to
second]; Thornton singled to left [Cardenal scored, Williams to
third (error by Watson), Thornton to second]; Morales grounded
out (shortstop to first) [Williams scored, Thornton to third];
Madlock hit a sacrifice fly to center [Thornton scored
(unearned)]; Sperring walked; Swisher struck out; 4 R (3 ER), 4
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader grounded out (third to first); Helms flied out
to center; Wilson doubled to left; Gross flied out to left; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 4.

CUBS 2ND: Stone singled to center; Kessinger out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to second) [Stone to second]; Cardenal made an out
to shortstop; Williams was walked intentionally; Thornton walked
[Stone to third, Williams to second]; Morales was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger walked; Cedeno made an out to second; L. May
flied out to right; M. May doubled to center [Metzger to third];
Watson reached on an error by Cardenal [Metzger scored
(unearned) (no RBI), M. May scored (unearned) (no RBI), Watson
to second]; Rader struck out; 2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Cubs 4.

CUBS 3RD: Madlock flied out to center; Sperring walked; Wilson
threw a wild pitch [Sperring to second]; Swisher flied out to
right; Stone grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Helms singled to shortstop; Wilson out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Helms to second]; Gross
walked; Metzger flied out to center; Cedeno grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 4.

CUBS 4TH: Kessinger made an out to shortstop; Cardenal walked;
Cardenal stole second; Williams grounded out (second to first)
[Cardenal to third]; Thornton made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 5TH: L. May walked; M. May flied out to right; Watson
grounded out (second to first) [L. May to second]; Rader flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 4.

CUBS 5TH: Morales flied out to center; Madlock grounded out
(third to first); Sperring grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Helms flied out to right; Wilson flied out to right;
Gross singled to left; Metzger singled to center [Gross to
third]; Cedeno flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
3, Cubs 4.

CUBS 6TH: Swisher grounded out (third to first); Stone was
called out on strikes; Kessinger grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 7TH: L. May singled to right; FRAILING REPLACED STONE
(PITCHING); HOWARD RAN FOR L. MAY; M. May lined into a double
play (left to first) [Howard out at first]; Watson tripled to
center; ZAMORA REPLACED FRAILING (PITCHING); Rader was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 4.

CUBS 7TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); WATSON CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Cardenal walked; Williams singled to
right [Cardenal scored (error by Rader), Williams to second];
FORSCH REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); TYRONE RAN FOR WILLIAMS; On a
bunt Thornton popped to pitcher in foul territory; Morales
singled to right [Tyrone scored]; Morales was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Madlock grounded out (second to
first); 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 6.

ASTROS 8TH: TYRONE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Helms struck
out; GALLAGHER BATTED FOR FORSCH; Gallagher doubled to right;
Gross grounded out (pitcher to second to first) [Gallagher to
third]; Metzger singled to center [Gallagher scored]; Cedeno
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 6.

CUBS 8TH: YORK REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Sperring grounded
out (shortstop to first); Swisher singled; On a bunt Zamora made
an out to pitcher; Kessinger grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 6.

ASTROS 9TH: On a bunt Howard grounded out (pitcher to first); M.
May doubled to right; MILBOURNE RAN FOR M. MAY; Watson flied out
to right; Rader singled to center [Milbourne scored]; TODD
REPLACED ZAMORA (PITCHING); Helms grounded out (first to
pitcher); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 6.

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