After getting seven innings of shutout pitching from J.R. Richard, the Astros almost blew the game before winding up with a 4-3 victory over the Padres. The Astros scored twice in the first inning on triples by Greg Gross and Roger Metzger and a wild throw by Dave Winfield. Their two other runs followed in the second on a double by Wilbur Howard, single by Larry Milbourne, a stolen base and single by Gross.

Ken Forsch took the mound for the Astros in the eighth and gave up three unearned runs resulting from an error by Metzger before quelling the Padres' uprising. Winfield, who had three of the Padres' seven hits, drove in two runs with a single. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, San Diego Padres 3
Game Played on Friday, September 6, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  0  -   3  7  2
Astros       2  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   4  9  1


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Thomas 2b,ss          4   1   0   1     1   1   .244      Gross rf              2   1   2   1     2   0   .312
Hilton 3b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .245      Metzger ss            4   1   2   1     0   0   .265
  McCovey ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .257      Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     1   3   .281
  Hardy p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      L. May 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .276
Turner lf             3   0   0   0     2   0   .167        Campbell pr,1b      0   0   0   0     0   0   .091
Winfield rf           4   0   3   2     1   1   .275      M. May c              3   0   0   0     1   0   .281
Grubb cf              5   0   1   0     0   3   .286      Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .255
Ivie 1b               4   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Howard lf             3   1   2   0     1   0   .293
Kendall c             4   0   1   0     1   0   .235      Milbourne 2b          4   1   2   1     0   0   .300
Almon ss              3   0   1   0     0   2   .125      Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   2   .154
  Clarke ph,2b        0   1   0   0     1   0   .208        Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Spillner p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .029
  Laxton p            0   0   0   0     1   0   .200
  Locklear ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .297
  Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gaston ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .215
  Roberts pr,3b       0   1   0   0     0   0   .167

Totals               34   3   7   3     9   9             Totals               30   4   9   3     5   9

Time of Game: 2:45   Attendance:  5,163
Left on Base: Padres 13, Astros 8
DP: Padres 1, Astros 0
Errors: Winfield, Kendall, Metzger
Doubles: Howard (2), Metzger (14)
Triples: Gross (7), Metzger (8)
Stolen Bases: Thomas (7), Milbourne 2 (6)
Caught Stealing: Gross (17)
Sacrifice Hits: Richard (1)
GIDP: M. May (8)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Spillner L(6-10)        2     6   4   3   0   2   0  11   3.99
Laxton                  3     1   0   0   3   4   0  13   3.11
Johnson                 2     2   0   0   1   2   0   8   4.67
Hardy                   1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   4.74
Totals                  8     9   4   3   5   9   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(2-1)          7     5   0   0   8   7   0  34   3.38
Forsch                  2     2   3   0   1   2   0   9   2.94
Totals                  9     7   3   0   9   9   0  43

Wild Pitches: Forsch (4)

Umpires: HP - Shag Crawford, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Dutch Rennert


PADRES 1ST: Thomas walked; Thomas stole second; Hilton struck
out; Turner walked; Winfield was called out on strikes; Grubb
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross tripled to right; Metzger tripled to right
[Gross scored, Metzger scored (error by Winfield) (unearned)];
Cedeno struck out; L. May grounded out (third to first); M. May
flied out to right; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0,
Astros 2.

PADRES 2ND: Ivie lined to left; Kendall singled to right; Almon
singled to right [Kendall to second]; On a bunt Spillner forced
Kendall (catcher to third) [Almon to second]; Thomas grounded
out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros
2.

ASTROS 2ND: Rader made an out to first; Howard doubled to left;
Milbourne singled to center [Howard scored]; Milbourne stole
second [Milbourne to third (error by Kendall)]; Richard struck
out; Gross singled to center [Milbourne scored]; Gross was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 4.

PADRES 3RD: Hilton grounded out (third to first); Turner walked;
Winfield walked [Turner to second]; Grubb struck out; Ivie
popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger doubled to right; LAXTON REPLACED SPILLNER
(PITCHING); Cedeno walked; L. May struck out; M. May forced
Cedeno (second unassisted) [Metzger to third]; Rader struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 4.

PADRES 4TH: Kendall lined to third; Almon struck out; Laxton
walked; Thomas flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Howard singled to center; Milbourne made an out to
second; Richard out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Howard to second]; Gross walked; Metzger lined to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 4.

PADRES 5TH: Hilton flied out to right; Turner grounded out
(second to first); Winfield singled; Grubb singled [Winfield to
third]; Ivie forced Grubb (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno was called out on strikes; L. May flied out
to center; M. May walked; Rader struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 4.

PADRES 6TH: Kendall walked; Almon struck out; LOCKLEAR BATTED
FOR LAXTON; Locklear walked [Kendall to second]; Thomas struck
out; Hilton made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres
0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: JOHNSON REPLACED LOCKLEAR (PITCHING); Howard made an
out to second; Milbourne singled to left; Milbourne stole
second; On a bunt Richard struck out; Gross was walked
intentionally; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 4.

PADRES 7TH: Turner grounded out (second to first); Winfield
singled to left; Grubb lined to center; Ivie walked [Winfield to
second]; Kendall lined to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres
0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Cedeno was called out on strikes; L. May singled to
right; CAMPBELL RAN FOR L. MAY; M. May grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Campbell out at second]; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 4.

PADRES 8TH: CAMPBELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); FORSCH
REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); CLARKE BATTED FOR ALMON; Clarke
walked; GASTON BATTED FOR JOHNSON; Gaston singled to right
[Clarke to third]; ROBERTS RAN FOR GASTON; Thomas reached on a
fielder's choice [Clarke scored (unearned), Roberts to second
(error by Metzger)]; MCCOVEY BATTED FOR HILTON; Forsch threw a
wild pitch [Roberts to third, Thomas to second]; McCovey was
called out on strikes; Turner made an out to second; Winfield
singled to left [Roberts scored (unearned), Thomas scored
(unearned), Winfield out at second (left to third to second to
first)]; 3 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: HARDY REPLACED MCCOVEY (PITCHING); ROBERTS STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 3B); CLARKE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); THOMAS
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Rader flied out to right; Howard
walked; Milbourne forced Howard (third to second); Forsch struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 4.

PADRES 9TH: Grubb was called out on strikes; Ivie grounded out
(third to first); Kendall grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 4.