The relief pitching of Ken Forsch, who took over for Don Wilson in the ninth inning, saved the Astros' 3-2 victory over the Phillies. Tommy Hutton doubled and stopped at third on a single by Mike Anderson to force the exit of Wilson. Forsch then quelled the threat, inducing Dave Cash to bounce into a double play via the plate and retiring Larry Bowa on a grounder.

The Astros scored their runs with the benefit of only one hit. In the fourth, Milt May was hit by a pitch and Cliff Johnson and Doug Rader walked. After Larry Milbourne forced May at the plate, Wilson laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Johnson. Roger Metzger tripled in the fifth and Cesar Cedeno walked. When Cedeno stole second, Bob Boone made a wild throw, allowing Metzger to cross the plate. Cedeno took third on the error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bob Watson. Del Unser batted in both of the Phillies' runs with a single and homer. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Philadelphia Phillies 2
Game Played on Friday, August    30, 1974 (Night game) at Veterans Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  2  0    0  0  0  -   3  5  0
Phillies     1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   2  8  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .313      Cash 2b               4   0   1   0     1   0   .299
Metzger ss            4   1   2   0     0   0   .265      Bowa ss               5   1   1   0     0   0   .272
Cedeno cf             2   1   1   0     2   1   .285      Schmidt 3b            2   0   0   0     2   1   .296
Watson lf,1b          3   0   0   1     0   2   .296      Luzinski lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .264
M. May c              3   0   1   0     0   1   .279        Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
C. Johnson 1b         3   1   0   0     1   3   .226      Johnstone rf,lf       3   0   0   0     1   0   .319
  Howard lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Unser cf              4   1   3   2     0   0   .270
Rader 3b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .256      Boone c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .243
Milbourne 2b          4   0   1   0     0   1   .300      Hutton 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .237
Wilson p              3   0   0   1     0   2   .250      Twitchell p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .185
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Harmon ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .167
                                                            Anderson rf         1   0   1   0     0   0   .260

Totals               29   3   5   2     4  11             Totals               34   2   8   2     4   5

Time of Game: 2:46   Attendance: 17,106
Left on Base: Astros 6, Phillies 9
DP: Astros 1, Phillies 0
Errors: Boone
Doubles: Cash (22), Hutton 2 (6)
Triples: Metzger (7)
Home Runs: Unser (9)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno 2 (46), Bowa (34)
Caught Stealing: Metzger (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Wilson (8)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson (5)
GIDP: Cash (7)
Hit by Pitch: M. May (1,by Twitchell)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson W(10-10)         8     8   2   2   4   5   1  36   3.51
Forsch SV(6)            1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.93
Totals                  9     8   2   2   4   5   1  38

Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Twitchell L(6-7)        7     5   3   2   4   7   0  30   4.40
Garber                  2     0   0   0   0   4   0   6   4.35
Totals                  9     5   3   2   4  11   0  36

Hit by Pitch: Twitchell (5)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Ed Sudol


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (third to first); Metzger flied
out to left; Cedeno singled to center; Cedeno stole second;
Watson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 1ST: Cash flied out to right; Bowa singled to left;
Bowa stole second; Schmidt walked; Luzinski grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Bowa to third, Schmidt to second];
Johnstone walked; Unser singled to second [Bowa scored, Schmidt
to third, Johnstone to second]; Boone popped to catcher in foul
territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Phillies 1.

ASTROS 2ND: M. May singled to center; C. Johnson struck out;
Rader popped to shortstop; Milbourne singled to center [M. May
to second]; Wilson struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 2ND: Hutton flied out to center; Twitchell struck out;
Cash doubled to center; Bowa grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Phillies 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger lined
to pitcher; Cedeno walked; Watson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 3RD: Schmidt flied out to center; Luzinski flied out to
center; Johnstone flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Phillies 1.

ASTROS 4TH: M. May was hit by a pitch; C. Johnson walked [M. May
to second]; Rader walked [M. May to third, C. Johnson to
second]; Milbourne forced M. May (shortstop to catcher) [C.
Johnson to third, Rader to second]; Wilson out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to first) [C. Johnson scored, Rader to third,
Milbourne to second]; Gross grounded out (pitcher to first); 1
R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 4TH: Unser singled to center; Boone flied out to right;
Hutton popped to catcher in foul territory; Twitchell grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies
1.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger tripled to right; Cedeno walked; Cedeno
stole second [Metzger scored (error by Boone), Cedeno to third];
Watson hit a sacrifice fly to center [Cedeno scored (unearned)];
M. May flied out to center; C. Johnson struck out; 2 R (1 ER), 1
H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 5TH: Cash flied out to right; Bowa flied out to center;
Schmidt struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader struck out; Milbourne lined to shortstop;
Wilson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 6TH: Luzinski popped to shortstop; Johnstone flied out
to left; Unser homered; Boone grounded out (third to first); 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Gross grounded out (second to first); Metzger
singled to right; Metzger was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 7TH: Hutton doubled to right; HARMON BATTED FOR
TWITCHELL; Harmon struck out; Cash walked; Bowa flied out to
right; Schmidt walked [Hutton to third, Cash to second];
Luzinski struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 2.

ASTROS 8TH: ANDERSON REPLACED HARMON (PLAYING RF); JOHNSTONE
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); GARBER REPLACED LUZINSKI
(PITCHING); Watson struck out; M. May struck out; C. Johnson
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 8TH: HOWARD REPLACED C. JOHNSON (PLAYING LF); WATSON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Johnstone flied out to right;
Unser flied out to center; Boone struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Rader lined to right; Milbourne struck out; Wilson
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 9TH: Hutton doubled to right; Anderson singled to right
[Hutton to third]; FORSCH REPLACED WILSON (PITCHING); Cash
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Hutton
stayed at third, Anderson out at second]; Bowa grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 2.