Jay Johnstone homered with two men on base in the second inning and Willie Montanez accounted for three RBIs with a double in the fourth when the Phillies exploded for seven runs to defeat the Astros, 10-6. Larry Christenson, who relieved when Jim Lonborg went out for a pinch-hitter in the fourth, gained his first victory of the season. Johnstone's homer followed a double by Greg Luzinski and single by Del Unser.

In the fourth, Luzinski, Unser and Bob Boone singled for a run to chase J.R. Richard. Ollie Brown, batting for Lonborg, greeted Mike Cosgrove with a double to drive in another run. Larry Bowa hit a sacrifice fly. After the Phillies loaded the bases, Montanez cleared the sacks with his double and then scored himself on a single by Luzinski. Milt May, Doug Rader and Cesar Cedeno homered for the Astros. [The Sporting News]



Philadelphia Phillies 10, Houston Astros 6
Game Played on Saturday, August    31, 1974 (Night game) at Veterans Stadium
Astros       0  0  1    3  0  0    0  1  1  -   6 12  0
Phillies     0  3  0    7  0  0    0  0  x  -  10 16  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   0   0   0     1   0   .310      Cash 2b               4   1   1   0     1   0   .299
Metzger ss            5   1   1   0     0   0   .264      Bowa ss               3   0   1   1     0   0   .272
Cedeno cf             4   2   2   2     0   1   .287        Harmon ss           1   0   0   0     0   0   .154
Watson lf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .294      Schmidt 3b            4   1   1   0     1   1   .296
M. May c              4   1   3   2     0   0   .285      Montanez 1b           5   1   2   3     0   0   .308
C. Johnson 1b         4   0   1   0     0   1   .227      Luzinski lf           3   2   3   1     0   0   .275
Rader 3b              4   1   1   1     0   0   .256        Anderson rf         1   0   0   0     0   1   .259
Milbourne 2b          4   1   2   0     0   0   .310      Unser cf              4   2   3   0     0   0   .275
Richard p             1   0   1   0     0   0   .182      Johnstone rf          3   1   1   3     0   1   .319
  Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .063        Christenson p       1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Boone c               4   1   3   1     0   0   .248
  Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .187      Lonborg p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .101
  Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Brown ph,lf         3   1   1   1     0   1   .228
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .240
  de los Santos p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Edwards ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .217

Totals               36   6  12   6     2   5             Totals               37  10  16  10     2   5

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 35,257
Left on Base: Astros 5, Phillies 6
DP: Astros 1, Phillies 3
Doubles: Metzger (13), Cedeno (27), C. Johnson (3), Milbourne (2), Luzinski (10), Brown (5), Montanez (25), Unser (17)
Home Runs: Rader (14), M. May (5), Cedeno (23), Johnstone (6)
Caught Stealing: Bowa (9)
Sacrifice Flies: Bowa (3)
GIDP: C. Johnson (4), Gross (11), Metzger (10)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(1-1)          3.1   8   6   6   0   1   1  17   4.04
Cosgrove                0.1   2   4   4   2   0   0   5   3.18
York                    0.1   2   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.25
Scherman                2     4   0   0   0   3   0   9   4.01
de los Santos           2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   0.00
Totals                  8    16  10  10   2   5   1  40

Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lonborg                 4     6   4   4   1   0   2  17   3.40
Christenson W(1-0)      5     6   2   2   1   5   1  21   2.57
Totals                  9    12   6   6   2   5   3  38

Passed Balls: Boone (7)
Wild Pitches: Richard (5)

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


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

PHILLIES 1ST: Cash flied out to left; Bowa grounded out (third
to first); Schmidt struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Phillies 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; M. May flied out to center; C.
Johnson grounded into a double play (third to shortstop to
second to first) [Watson out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Montanez grounded out (pitcher to first); Luzinski
doubled to left; Unser singled to right [Luzinski to third];
Johnstone homered [Luzinski scored, Unser scored]; On a bunt
Boone singled to third; Richard threw a wild pitch [Boone to
second]; Lonborg popped to first; Cash grounded out (second to
first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Phillies 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader hit an inside the park homer to center;
Milbourne grounded out (shortstop to first); Richard singled to
right; Gross grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Richard out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Phillies 3.

PHILLIES 3RD: On a bunt Bowa singled to first; Bowa was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Schmidt lined to shortstop;
Montanez flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Phillies 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger doubled to right; Cedeno doubled to center
[Metzger scored]; Watson grounded out (second to first); M. May
homered [Cedeno scored]; C. Johnson doubled to left; Rader
grounded out (shortstop to first); Milbourne grounded out
(shortstop to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies
3.

PHILLIES 4TH: Luzinski singled to center; Unser singled to right
[Luzinski to second]; Johnstone lined to first; Boone singled to
left [Luzinski scored, Unser to second]; BROWN BATTED FOR
LONBORG; COSGROVE REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Brown doubled
[Unser scored, Boone to third]; Cash was walked intentionally;
Bowa hit a sacrifice fly to center [Boone scored]; Schmidt
walked [Brown to third, Cash to second]; Montanez doubled [Brown
scored, Cash scored, Schmidt scored]; YORK REPLACED COSGROVE
(PITCHING); Luzinski singled to center [Montanez scored]; Unser
doubled to left [Luzinski to third]; Johnstone struck out; 7 R,
7 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 10.

ASTROS 5TH: CHRISTENSON REPLACED JOHNSTONE (PITCHING); ANDERSON
REPLACED LUZINSKI (PLAYING RF); BROWN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
LF); GALLAGHER BATTED FOR YORK; Gallagher struck out; Gross
walked; Metzger grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Gross out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Phillies 10.

PHILLIES 5TH: SCHERMAN REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Boone
singled to left; Brown struck out; Cash singled to right [Boone
to second]; Bowa hit into a double play to right [Boone out at
home (right to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Phillies 10.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson struck out; M. May singled
to left; C. Johnson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Phillies 10.

PHILLIES 6TH: Schmidt singled to left; Montanez singled to left
[Schmidt to second]; Anderson struck out; Unser flied out to
center; Christenson struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4,
Phillies 10.

ASTROS 7TH: Rader flied out to center; Milbourne singled to
shortstop; HOWARD BATTED FOR SCHERMAN; Howard struck out; Gross
lined to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 10.

PHILLIES 7TH: DE LOS SANTOS REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Boone
popped to second; Brown grounded out (shortstop to first); Cash
popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 10.

ASTROS 8TH: HARMON REPLACED BOWA (PLAYING SS); Metzger grounded
out (second to first); Cedeno homered; Watson lined to first; M.
May singled to left; C. Johnson lined to third; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Phillies 10.

PHILLIES 8TH: Harmon flied out to center; Schmidt flied out to
center; Montanez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 5, Phillies 10.

ASTROS 9TH: Rader flied out to right; Milbourne doubled to left;
EDWARDS BATTED FOR DE LOS SANTOS; Boone allowed a passed ball
[Milbourne to third]; Edwards singled to center [Milbourne
scored]; Gross forced Edwards (second to shortstop); Metzger
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
6, Phillies 10.