Although Don Wilson was pitching a no-hitter, manager Preston Gomez removed the Astros' righthander for a pinch-batter in the eighth inning in an attempt to prevent a 2-1 loss to the Reds. Tommy Helms swung for Wilson and grounded out. Mike Cosgrove took over the pitching in the ninth and yielded a single by Tony Perez for the Reds' only hit. The Reds scored their runs off Wilson in the fifth on walks to Cesar Geronimo and George Foster, a sacrifice by Jack Billingham and wild throw by Roger Metzger after fielding a grounder by Pete Rose. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Wednesday, September 4, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   2  1  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  7  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .283      Gross rf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .310
Morgan 2b             2   0   0   0     2   0   .298      Metzger ss            4   0   2   0     0   0   .263
Bench c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .277      Cedeno cf             3   0   1   0     0   1   .283
Perez 1b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .273      L. May 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .276
Driessen 3b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .281      M. May c              4   1   1   0     0   0   .284
  Chaney 3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .186      Rader 3b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .258
Geronimo cf           2   1   0   0     2   0   .302      Howard lf             2   0   0   0     0   0   .263
Concepcion ss         4   0   0   0     0   1   .271        C. Johnson ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .227
Foster rf             1   1   0   0     1   1   .266        Gallagher lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .184
Billingham p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .066      Milbourne 2b          2   0   0   0     0   0   .292
                                                            Watson ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .295
                                                            Campbell 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .091
                                                          Wilson p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .241
                                                            Helms ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .288
                                                            Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .063

Totals               25   2   1   0     6   3             Totals               32   1   7   0     0   3

Time of Game: 2:13   Attendance:  8,024
Left on Base: Reds 5, Astros 5
DP: Reds 2, Astros 2
Errors: Chaney, Metzger
Stolen Bases: Morgan (55)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (15), Metzger (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Billingham 2 (10)
GIDP: Driessen (6), Concepcion (17), Watson (14)
Hit by Pitch: Foster (3,by Wilson), Cedeno (4,by Billingham)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(18-8)      9     7   1   0   0   3   0  33   3.12
Totals                  9     7   1   0   0   3   0  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilson L(10-11)         8     0   2   0   5   3   0  30   3.35
Cosgrove                1     1   0   0   1   0   0   4   3.14
Totals                  9     1   2   0   6   3   0  34

Hit by Pitch: Billingham (6), Wilson (3)

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Art Williams


REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan flied
out to right; Bench popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (second to first); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Cedeno singled to third; Cedeno
was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez flied out to center; Driessen flied out to
center; Geronimo flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: L. May was called out on strikes; M. May grounded
out (first unassisted); Rader grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion flied out to left; Foster was hit by a
pitch; Billingham out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Foster to second]; Rose flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard grounded out (third to first); Milbourne
grounded out (first to pitcher); Wilson grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Morgan walked; Morgan stole second; Bench grounded out
(second to first) [Morgan to third]; Perez popped to second;
Driessen grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Gross flied out to left; Metzger grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno was hit by a pitch; L. May grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros
0.

REDS 5TH: Geronimo walked; Concepcion struck out; Foster walked
[Geronimo to second]; Billingham out on a sacrifice bunt (third
to second) [Geronimo to third, Foster to second]; Rose reached
on an error by Metzger [Geronimo scored (unearned) (no RBI),
Foster scored (unearned) (no RBI), Rose to first]; Morgan flied
out to right; 2 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: M. May flied out to center; Rader singled to center;
Howard flied out to center; Milbourne flied out to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 6TH: Bench walked; Perez popped to first; Driessen grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Bench out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Wilson struck out; Gross grounded out (first to
pitcher); Metzger singled to right; Cedeno forced Metzger
(second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 7TH: Geronimo flied out to left; Concepcion grounded out
(shortstop to first); Foster struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: CHANEY REPLACED DRIESSEN (PLAYING 3B); L. May flied
out to center; M. May singled to right; Rader singled to third
[M. May to second]; C. JOHNSON BATTED FOR HOWARD; C. Johnson
reached on an error by Chaney [M. May scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Rader to second, C. Johnson to first]; WATSON BATTED FOR
MILBOURNE; Watson grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [C. Johnson out at second]; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

REDS 8TH: GALLAGHER REPLACED C. JOHNSON (PLAYING LF); CAMPBELL
REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 2B); Billingham struck out; Rose
grounded out (second to first); Morgan walked; Bench grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: HELMS BATTED FOR WILSON; Helms grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gross singled; Metzger singled to right
[Gross to third]; Cedeno was called out on strikes while Metzger
was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

REDS 9TH: COSGROVE REPLACED HELMS (PITCHING); Perez singled to
center; Chaney forced Perez (third to shortstop); Geronimo
walked [Chaney to second]; Concepcion grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Geronimo out at second]; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: L. May popped to second; M. May grounded out
(shortstop to first); Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 1.