The Mets rallied with three runs in the bottom of the ninth to nip the Astros, 5-4, the winning tally crossing the plate on Rusty Staub's two-out single. Pinch-hitter Duffy Dyer began the comeback with a single and scored on a pinch-double by Ted Martinez, who took third on Roger Metzger's throwing error on the same play. Bud Harrelson drew a walk and Felix Millan's bunt single scored Martinez with the tying run. After Ken Boswell was retired, Staub delivered his game-winning single to right

 Four singles, two of them bunts by J.R. Richard and Greg Gross, plus a throwing error by winner Jerry Koosman, moved Houston in front, 3-2, in the fourth. The Astros added a fourth run in the seventh when Cesar Cedeno singled home Gross, who had doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice. Ron Hodges hit a solo homer for the Mets' first run in the second. Both clubs scored once in the third. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 5, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Monday, August    26, 1974 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  1    2  0  0    1  0  0  -   4 11  1
Mets         0  1  1    0  0  0    0  0  3  -   5 10  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              3   1   1   1     1   0   .320      Harrelson ss          4   1   0   0     1   0   .224
Metzger ss            4   1   2   0     0   0   .266      Millan 2b             5   1   2   1     0   0   .260
Cedeno cf             5   0   1   1     0   0   .284      Jones lf              2   0   0   0     1   1   .281
L. May 1b             3   0   1   1     1   2   .276        Boswell ph,lf       2   0   0   0     0   0   .229
C. Johnson c          3   0   0   0     1   0   .227      Staub rf              4   0   2   1     1   0   .274
Rader 3b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .259      Kranepool 1b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .306
Howard lf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .273      Garrett 3b            4   0   2   1     0   1   .219
Milbourne 2b          3   0   2   0     1   0   .338      Gosger cf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .130
Richard p             4   0   1   0     0   2   .100        Theodore ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .161
  Busse ph            0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Grote c               0   0   0   0     0   0   .257
  Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .063        Hodges c            2   1   1   1     1   0   .260
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Dyer ph             1   1   1   0     0   0   .140
                                                          Koosman p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .141
                                                            Martinez ph         1   1   1   1     0   0   .213

Totals               33   4  11   3     4   4             Totals               35   5  10   5     5   3

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 15,104
Left on Base: Astros 8, Mets 9
DP: Astros 1, Mets 1
Errors: Metzger, Kranepool, Koosman
Doubles: Metzger (12), Milbourne (1), Gross (12), Martinez (12)
Home Runs: Hodges (4)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (42), Milbourne (4), Kranepool (1)
Caught Stealing: Gross (16)
Sacrifice Hits: Gross (7), Metzger (16)
GIDP: Richard (2), Gosger (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                 7     6   2   2   4   3   1  30   2.78
Cosgrove L(6-2)         1.1   2   3   3   1   0   0   7   2.57
Forsch                  0.1   2   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.99
Totals                  8.2  10   5   5   5   3   1  40

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman W(13-8)         9    11   4   3   4   4   0  39   3.29
Totals                  9    11   4   3   4   4   0  39

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Chris Pelekoudas, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Dick Stello


ASTROS 1ST: Gross walked; Gross was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Metzger singled to right; Kranepool
dropped a foul fly hit by Cedeno for an error; Cedeno flied to
right; L. May walked [Metzger to second]; C. Johnson walked
[Metzger to third, L. May to second]; Rader flied to right; 0 R,
1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Harrelson grounded out (second to first); Millan
grounded out (second to first); Jones walked; Staub walked
[Jones to second]; Kranepool grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: HODGES REPLACED GROTE (PLAYING C ); Howard grounded
out (shortstop to first); Milbourne walked; On a bunt Richard
grounded into a double play (third to shortstop to second)
[Milbourne out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets
0.

METS 2ND: Garrett singled to center; Gosger grounded into a
double play (first to shortstop to first) [Garrett out at
second]; Hodges homered; Koosman flied to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
doubled to left; Cedeno lined to third; L. May singled to left
[Metzger scored]; C. Johnson flied to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Harrelson flied to right; Millan singled; Jones flied
to center; Staub singled to right [Millan to third]; Kranepool
walked [Staub to second]; Garrett singled to left [Kranepool to
second, Staub to third, Millan scored]; Gosger grounded out
(first unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader singled to center; Howard singled to center
[Rader to second]; Milbourne popped to catcher in foul
territory; On a bunt Richard singled to pitcher [Richard to
second (error by Koosman), Howard to third (on throw to home),
Rader scored (no RBI)]; Gross out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
first) [Howard scored (unearned)]; Metzger grounded out (third
to first); 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 2.

METS 4TH: Hodges grounded out (second to first); Koosman struck
out; Harrelson grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno popped to shortstop; L. May struck out; C.
Johnson popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Mets 2.

METS 5TH: Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); Jones struck
out; Staub flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Mets 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader popped to second; Howard popped to second in
foul territory; Milbourne doubled to left; Richard struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 2.

METS 6TH: Kranepool singled to center; Kranepool stole second;
Garrett struck out; Gosger grounded out (second to first)
[Kranepool to third]; Hodges walked; Koosman flied to left; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Gross doubled to left; Metzger out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Gross to third]; Cedeno singled to
right [Gross scored]; Cedeno stole second; L. May struck out; C.
Johnson flied to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: Harrelson grounded out (first to pitcher); Millan
grounded out (third to first); BOSWELL BATTED FOR JONES; Boswell
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Mets 2.

ASTROS 8TH: BOSWELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Rader grounded
out (third to first); Howard singled to right; On a bunt
Milbourne singled to left [Howard out at third (left to
catcher)]; Milbourne stole second; BUSSE BATTED FOR RICHARD;
Busse was called out on strikes (strikeout was charged to
Richard); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: COSGROVE REPLACED BUSSE (PITCHING); Staub flied to
right; Kranepool flied to center; Garrett flied to left in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Gross grounded out (third to first); Metzger popped
to second; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 2.

METS 9TH: THEODORE BATTED FOR GOSGER; Theodore flied to center;
DYER BATTED FOR HODGES; Dyer singled; MARTINEZ BATTED FOR
KOOSMAN; Martinez doubled to left [Dyer scored, Martinez to
third (error by Metzger)]; Harrelson walked; FORSCH REPLACED
COSGROVE (PITCHING); On a bunt Millan singled [Harrelson to
second, Martinez scored]; Boswell popped to third in foul
territory; Staub singled to left [Millan to second, Harrelson
scored]; 3 R, 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 5.