Batting for the first time in the major leagues, Benny Ayala homered in the second inning to start the Mets off to a 4-2 victory over the Astros. Ayala, who came up from Tidewater (International), became the 40th rookie in big league history to homer on his first trip. After Ayala's drive, the Mets added two more runs in the second on a single by Ted Martinez, two walks and a single by Felix Millan. Their other run counted in the eighth on two more passes and an error by Doug Rader.

Tug McGraw, coming out of the bullpen, made his first start for the Mets since June 30 last year, and pitched six innings before giving way to Harry Parker. McGraw gave up only one run on a homer by Milt May. The victory as a starter was his first since May 4, 1969. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Tuesday, August    27, 1974 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   2  7  1
Mets         0  3  0    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   4  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   0   1   1     0   0   .319      Gosger cf             4   0   0   0     1   1   .111
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .264      Millan 2b             4   0   1   2     0   0   .260
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .282      Kranepool 1b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .305
Watson lf             3   0   0   0     1   2   .299      Staub rf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .274
L. May 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .276      Garrett 3b            3   0   1   0     1   1   .220
Rader 3b              4   1   1   0     0   2   .259      Ayala lf              3   2   1   1     1   1   .333
M. May c              3   1   3   1     0   0   .286      Hodges c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Howard pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .273      Martinez ss           3   1   2   0     1   0   .219
  de los Santos p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      McGraw p              1   1   0   0     1   0   .125
  Edwards ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .210        Theodore ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .159
Milbourne 2b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .319        Parker p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Griffin p             2   0   1   0     0   0   .283
  C. Johnson ph,c     1   0   0   0     0   0   .225

Totals               34   2   7   2     1   7             Totals               32   4   7   3     5   4

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 20,934
Left on Base: Astros 6, Mets 9
DP: Astros 0, Mets 0
Errors: Rader, Hodges
Doubles: L. May (24), M. May (14), Kranepool (6)
Home Runs: M. May (4), Ayala (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin L(12-7)         6     7   3   3   3   1   1  28   3.35
de los Santos           2     0   1   0   2   3   0   9   0.00
Totals                  8     7   4   3   5   4   1  37

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McGraw W(5-7)           6     4   1   1   1   4   1  23   4.22
Parker SV(3)            3     3   1   1   0   3   0  12   3.78
Totals                  9     7   2   2   1   7   1  35

Balks: Griffin (3)

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


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

METS 1ST: Gosger grounded out (first unassisted); Millan
grounded out (third to first); Kranepool doubled to left; Staub
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; L. May forced Watson (shortstop to
second); Rader struck out; M. May singled to center [L. May to
third]; Milbourne grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Garrett popped to second; Ayala homered; Debut game
for Benny Ayala; Hodges grounded out (second to first);
Martinez singled to right; McGraw walked [Martinez to second];
Gosger walked [Martinez to third, McGraw to second]; Millan
singled to left [Gosger to second, McGraw scored, Martinez
scored]; Kranepool flied to center; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Hodges dropped a foul fly hit by Griffin for an
error; Griffin grounded out (third to first); Gross flied to
left; Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 3.

METS 3RD: Staub singled to right; Garrett singled to right
[Staub to second]; Ayala struck out; Hodges forced Garrett
(shortstop to second) [Staub to third]; Martinez grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson struck out; L. May doubled
to center; Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 3.

METS 4TH: McGraw flied to center; Gosger grounded out (first to
pitcher); Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 3.

ASTROS 5TH: M. May homered; Milbourne struck out; Griffin
singled to left; Gross forced Griffin (shortstop to second);
Metzger forced Gross (shortstop unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 3.

METS 5TH: Kranepool grounded out (second to first); Staub
grounded out (first unassisted); Garrett walked; Ayala flied to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno flied to right; Watson flied to left; L. May
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Mets 3.

METS 6TH: Hodges made an out to first; Martinez singled to
center; THEODORE BATTED FOR MCGRAW; Griffin balked [Martinez to
second]; Theodore grounded out (third to first); Gosger flied to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 3.

ASTROS 7TH: PARKER REPLACED THEODORE (PITCHING); Rader singled
to center; M. May doubled to right [Rader to third]; HOWARD RAN
FOR M. MAY; Milbourne grounded out (pitcher to first); C.
JOHNSON BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; C. Johnson popped to second; Gross
singled to left [Howard to third, Rader scored]; Metzger
grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
2, Mets 3.

METS 7TH: C. JOHNSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); DE LOS SANTOS
REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Millan flied to center; Kranepool
grounded out (pitcher to first); Staub struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson was called out on strikes;
L. May popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 3.

METS 8TH: Garrett was called out on strikes; Ayala walked;
Hodges grounded out (second to first) [Ayala to second];
Martinez was walked intentionally; Parker reached on an error by
Rader [Ayala scored (unearned) (no RBI), Parker to second,
Martinez to third]; Gosger was called out on strikes; 1 R (0
ER), 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Rader struck out; EDWARDS BATTED FOR DE LOS SANTOS;
Edwards popped to shortstop; Milbourne flied to left; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Mets 4.