J.R. Richard, who spent the first part of the season in the minors before being recalled July 14, pitched 6 1/3 innings and received credit for a 6-2 victory over the Mets. In achieving his first win of the year with the Astros, Richard allowed only two hits but walked four and uncorked three wild pitches. The Astros had a homer by Lee May in the second inning and added an unearned run in the third before the Mets tied the score with one hit in the fourth.

Felix Millan singled and took second on a wild pitch. After Cleon Jones walked, another wild pitch advanced the runners and they scored on grounders by Ed Kranepool and Ken Boswell. The Astros then went ahead to stay with a run in the fifth on a double by Roger Metzger and single by Bob Watson. Mike Cosgrove replaced Richard in the seventh and put down a Mets' threat before the Astros went on to score their last three runs. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, New York Mets 2
Game Played on Tuesday, August    20, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Mets         0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  3  3
Astros       0  1  1    0  1  0    1  2  x  -   6 12  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Harrelson ss          4   0   0   0     0   0   .233      Gross rf              5   1   3   1     0   0   .326
Millan 2b             4   1   2   0     0   1   .256      Metzger ss            5   2   2   0     0   0   .262
Jones lf              3   1   0   0     1   0   .280      Cedeno cf             3   0   1   1     1   1   .290
Kranepool 1b          3   0   0   1     1   0   .313      Watson lf             3   0   1   1     1   0   .305
Boswell rf            4   0   0   1     0   0   .238        Howard pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Garrett 3b            2   0   1   0     2   0   .213      M. May c              4   0   0   0     0   1   .288
Grote c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .260      L. May 1b             3   1   2   1     1   1   .277
Hahn cf               2   0   0   0     0   0   .277      Rader 3b              4   1   2   0     0   2   .260
  Staub ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .277      Helms 2b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .288
  Gosger cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Milbourne 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .321
Apodaca p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .111      Richard p             3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sadecki p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .091        Cosgrove p          1   1   0   0     0   0   .063
  Dyer ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .130
  Miller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .111

Totals               29   2   3   2     5   1             Totals               34   6  12   4     4   5

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 11,539
Left on Base: Mets 5, Astros 8
DP: Mets 1, Astros 1
Errors: Boswell, Garrett, Apodaca
Doubles: Metzger (10), Rader (22)
Triples: Metzger (6)
Home Runs: L. May (19)
Stolen Bases: Garrett (4)
GIDP: Jones (10), Richard (1)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Apodaca                 3.2   6   2   1   0   3   1  16   4.24
Sadecki L(4-7)          2.1   3   1   1   3   1   0  11   4.33
Miller                  2     3   3   1   1   1   0  11   3.43
Totals                  8    12   6   3   4   5   1  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(1-0)          6.1   2   2   2   4   1   0  25   2.84
Cosgrove SV(2)          2.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   9   2.26
Totals                  9     3   2   2   5   1   0  34

Wild Pitches: Apodaca (3), Sadecki (5), Miller (2), Richard 3 (4)

Umpires: HP - Bruce Froemming, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Andy Olsen


METS 1ST: Harrelson lined to shortstop; Millan struck out; Jones
flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to center; Metzger forced Gross
(shortstop to second); Cedeno struck out; Watson grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

METS 2ND: Kranepool walked; Richard threw a wild pitch
[Kranepool to second]; Boswell popped to shortstop; Garrett
flied to center; Grote lined to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: M. May grounded out (second to first); L. May
homered; Rader singled to left; Apodaca threw a wild pitch
[Rader to second]; Helms grounded out (third to first); Richard
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 1.

METS 3RD: Hahn grounded out (pitcher to first); Apodaca lined to
left; Harrelson lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross singled to center; Gross was picked off first
but was safe on an error by Apodaca [Gross to second]; Metzger
popped to first; Cedeno singled to center [Gross scored
(unearned), Cedeno out at second (center to third to second)];
Watson flied to right; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 2.

METS 4TH: Millan singled to right; Richard threw a wild pitch
[Millan to second]; Jones walked; Richard threw a wild pitch
[Jones to second, Millan to third]; Kranepool grounded out
(first unassisted) [Jones to third, Millan scored]; Boswell
grounded out (second to first) [Jones scored]; Garrett walked;
Grote flied to center; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: M. May was called out on strikes; L. May singled to
left; Rader struck out; SADECKI REPLACED APODACA (PITCHING);
Sadecki threw a wild pitch [L. May to second]; Helms was walked
intentionally; Richard grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 2.

METS 5TH: Hahn grounded out (third to first); Sadecki grounded
out (second to first); Harrelson grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
doubled to left; Cedeno walked; Watson singled to center
[Metzger scored, Cedeno out at third (center to third)]; M. May
popped to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 3.

METS 6TH: Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); Jones flied
to right; Kranepool flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: L. May walked; Rader struck out; Helms singled to
left [L. May to second]; On a bunt Richard grounded into a
double play (pitcher to third to second) [L. May out at third];
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 3.

METS 7TH: Boswell grounded out (second to first); Garrett
singled to right; Garrett stole second; Grote walked; STAUB
BATTED FOR HAHN; COSGROVE REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Staub
lined to right [Garrett to third]; DYER BATTED FOR SADECKI; Dyer
forced Grote (second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 2,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: GOSGER REPLACED STAUB (PLAYING CF); MILLER REPLACED
DYER (PITCHING); Gross grounded out (first unassisted); Metzger
tripled to center; Miller threw a wild pitch [Metzger scored];
Cedeno flied to left; Watson walked; HOWARD RAN FOR WATSON; M.
May grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets
2, Astros 4.

METS 8TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Harrelson flied to
center; Millan singled to right; Jones grounded into a double
play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Millan out at second]; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: L. May struck out; Rader doubled to right; Helms
grounded out (third to first); Cosgrove reached on an error by
Garrett [Rader to third]; Gross singled to right [Rader scored
(unearned), Cosgrove scored (unearned) (no RBI), Gross to third
(error by Boswell)]; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 2 R
(0 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 6.

METS 9TH: MILBOURNE REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Kranepool
grounded out (shortstop to first); Boswell flied to left;
Garrett walked; Grote flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 2, Astros 6.