Relieving in the 10th inning, Max Leon failed to retire a batter and was the loser when Doug Rader singled with the bases loaded to give the Astros a 6-5 victory over the Braves. Paul Siebert, who shut out the Giants for his first major league victory September 15, started for the Astros and was kayoed in the second inning when the Braves scored four times. The Astros came back with three runs, two coming on a homer by Tommy Helms, and tied the score in the third, but the Braves regained the lead in the fourth before Helms batted in the tying run with a single in the sixth.

Leon, taking over in the 10th, issued a pass to Cesar Cedeno, who stole second and continued to third on a bad throw by Vic Correll. After also passing Lee May, Leon walked Milt May intentionally to load the bases. The Braves' outfield was forced to play in and Rader ended the game with a long single, driving in Cedeno. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Atlanta Braves 5
Game Played on Saturday, September 21, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  4  0    1  0  0    0  0  0    0  -   5 14  2
Astros       0  3  1    0  0  1    0  0  0    1  -   6 11  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Evans 3b              6   1   1   1     0   1   .241      Howard lf             3   1   2   0     0   0   .262
Perez 2b              4   1   3   2     1   1   .257        Watson ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .297
Baker cf              5   0   2   1     0   0   .251        Milbourne pr,lf     1   0   1   0     0   0   .289
Aaron lf              4   0   1   1     1   0   .264      Gross rf              4   0   1   0     1   1   .308
Johnson 1b            4   0   0   0     1   1   .251      Cedeno cf             4   1   0   1     1   0   .272
Murrell rf            5   1   3   0     0   0   .250      L. May 1b             4   1   1   0     1   2   .268
Correll c             5   0   1   0     0   1   .231      M. May c              4   1   1   1     1   0   .296
Robinson ss           5   1   2   0     0   1   .217      Rader 3b              5   1   1   1     0   1   .254
Reed p                2   1   0   0     1   0   .107      Helms 2b              4   1   3   3     0   0   .283
  House p             1   0   1   0     0   0   .444      Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .258
  Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Siebert p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Leon p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Cosgrove p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .056
                                                            York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .177
                                                            Roberts p           1   0   1   0     0   0   .217
                                                            C. Johnson ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .212
                                                            Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               42   5  14   5     4   5             Totals               37   6  11   6     5   4

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance: 10,139
Left on Base: Braves 11, Astros 9
DP: Braves 1, Astros 2
Errors: Evans, Correll
Doubles: Robinson (4), M. May (17)
Triples: Roberts (3)
Home Runs: Evans (23), Helms (4)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno 2 (55), Howard (4)
GIDP: Aaron (6), Robinson (15), Cedeno (9)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reed                    6.1   8   5   4   2   3   1  28   3.35
House                   2.2   2   0   0   0   1   0  10   1.93
Leon L(4-6)             0     1   1   1   3   0   0   4   2.63
Totals                  9    11   6   5   5   4   1  42

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Siebert                 1.2   5   4   4   2   0   0  12   2.55
Cosgrove                2.1   5   1   1   1   1   1  12   3.42
York                    1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.18
Roberts                 4     2   0   0   1   3   0  15   3.49
Forsch W(7-7)           1     2   0   0   0   1   0   5   2.80
Totals                 10    14   5   5   4   5   1  46

Wild Pitches: Reed (5)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Evans flied out to right; Perez walked; Baker
singled [Perez to second]; Aaron made an out to second; Johnson
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Howard grounded out (first unassisted); Gross
walked; Cedeno grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Gross out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Murrell singled; Correll flied out to right;
Robinson doubled [Murrell to third]; Reed walked; Evans made an
out to second; Perez singled [Murrell scored, Robinson scored,
Reed to second]; Baker singled [Reed scored, Perez to second];
COSGROVE REPLACED SIEBERT (PITCHING); Aaron singled [Perez
scored, Baker to second]; Johnson struck out; 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: L. May singled; M. May doubled [L. May scored];
Rader struck out; Helms homered [M. May scored]; Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Cosgrove grounded out (third to
first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Murrell flied out to center; Correll flied out to
center; Robinson singled; Reed flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard singled; Gross singled to right [Howard to
third]; Cedeno forced Gross (shortstop to second) [Howard
scored]; Cedeno stole second; L. May struck out; M. May flied
out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 4.

BRAVES 4TH: Evans homered; Perez singled; Baker flied out to
center; Aaron grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Perez out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
5, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms flied
out to right; Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 4.

BRAVES 5TH: Johnson walked; Murrell singled [Johnson to third];
YORK REPLACED COSGROVE (PITCHING); Correll reached on a
fielder's choice [Johnson out at home (third to catcher),
Murrell to second]; Robinson grounded into a double play (third
to second to first) [Correll out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: GALLAGHER BATTED FOR YORK; Gallagher grounded out
(second to first); Howard singled; Howard stole second; Gross
struck out; Cedeno reached on a fielder's choice [Howard out at
third (third unassisted)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5,
Astros 4.

BRAVES 6TH: ROBERTS REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Reed grounded
out (pitcher to first); Evans made an out to first; Perez struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: L. May flied out to right; M. May grounded out
(second to first); Rader reached on an error by Evans; Reed
threw a wild pitch [Rader to second]; Helms singled to center
[Rader scored (unearned), Helms out at second (center to first
to second)]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 5.

BRAVES 7TH: Baker popped to first in foul territory; Aaron
walked; Johnson flied out to center; Murrell popped to first in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger flied out to left; Roberts tripled; WATSON
BATTED FOR HOWARD; Watson walked; HOUSE REPLACED REED
(PITCHING); MILBOURNE RAN FOR WATSON; Gross flied out to center;
Cedeno flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5,
Astros 5.

BRAVES 8TH: MILBOURNE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Correll
struck out; Robinson grounded out (pitcher to first); House
singled; Evans struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5,
Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: L. May struck out; M. May grounded out (pitcher to
first); Rader lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5,
Astros 5.

BRAVES 9TH: Perez singled; Baker forced Perez (first to
shortstop); Aaron lined to left; Johnson lined to shortstop; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Helms singled; Metzger forced Helms (pitcher to
shortstop); C. JOHNSON BATTED FOR ROBERTS; C. Johnson flied out
to center; Milbourne singled to shortstop [Metzger to second];
Gross forced Milbourne (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 5.

BRAVES 10TH: FORSCH REPLACED C. JOHNSON (PITCHING); Murrell
singled; Correll singled [Murrell to second]; Robinson struck
out; LUM BATTED FOR HOUSE; Lum flied out to center; Evans
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5,
Astros 5.

ASTROS 10TH: LEON REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Cedeno walked; Cedeno
stole second [Cedeno to third (error by Correll)]; L. May
walked; M. May was walked intentionally [L. May to second];
Rader singled [Cedeno scored, L. May to third, M. May to
second]; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 6.