Johnny Bench and Dave Concepcion collected three hits apiece to lead the Reds to a 5-1 victory over the Astros. After the Reds scored in the fourth inning on singles by Dan Driessen, Concepcion and Ken Griffey, Bob Watson homered in the fifth for the Astros' lone run off Fred Norman. The Reds came back with three runs in their half.

Joe Morgan walked and scored on a triple by Bench, who also crossed the plate on a passed ball. Driessen followed with a single, moved up on an infield out and scored on a single by Concepcion. The Reds added their last run in the seventh on a single by Bench, pass to Driessen and single by Concepcion. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 5, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Tuesday, September 24, 1974 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  0
Reds         0  0  0    1  3  0    1  0  x  -   5 10  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              3   0   1   0     1   0   .311      Rose lf               4   0   0   0     1   0   .281
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .255      Morgan 2b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .295
Howard cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .253        Chaney 2b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Watson lf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .298      Bench c               4   2   3   1     0   0   .279
L. May 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .268      Perez 1b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .265
M. May c              3   0   0   0     0   1   .296      Driessen 3b           3   2   2   0     1   0   .283
Helms 2b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .281        Knight 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Busse 3b              3   0   1   0     0   2   .208      Geronimo cf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .290
Griffin p             2   0   0   0     0   2   .288      Concepcion ss         4   0   3   2     0   0   .274
  Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .056      Griffey rf            3   0   2   1     0   0   .234
  J. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Armbrister ph,rf    1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Campbell ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .087      Norman p              4   0   0   0     0   0   .133
  Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   1   6   1     1   8             Totals               34   5  10   4     4   2

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance: 12,487
Left on Base: Astros 4, Reds 9
DP: Astros 0, Reds 1
Triples: Bench (2)
Home Runs: Watson (11)
Stolen Bases: Driessen (10)
Caught Stealing: Gross (20)
GIDP: M. May (9)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin L(14-10)        4.2   8   4   4   3   1   0  25   3.40
Cosgrove                2     2   1   1   1   1   0   9   3.39
J. Johnson              0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   5.23
Scherman                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.11
Totals                  8    10   5   5   4   2   0  38

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman W(13-12)         9     6   1   1   1   8   1  32   2.99
Totals                  9     6   1   1   1   8   1  32

Passed Balls: M. May (9)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to center; Gross was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Metzger was called out on
strikes; Howard flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 0.

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

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to right; L. May struck out; M. May
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez walked; Driessen forced Perez (third to second);
Driessen stole second; Geronimo struck out; Concepcion flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Helms popped to first in foul territory; Busse
struck out; Griffin was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Griffey singled to left; On a bunt Norman forced
Griffey (catcher to shortstop); Rose walked [Norman to second];
Morgan flied out to center; Bench singled to left [Norman to
third, Rose to second]; Perez forced Bench (third to second); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Howard grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Driessen singled to left; Geronimo popped to
shortstop; Concepcion singled to right [Driessen to second];
Griffey singled to left [Driessen scored, Concepcion to second];
On a bunt Norman forced Concepcion (pitcher to third) [Griffey
to second]; Rose flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson homered; L. May singled to left; M. May
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [L.
May out at second]; Helms singled to center; Busse singled to
shortstop [Helms to second]; Griffin struck out; 1 R, 4 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 5TH: Morgan walked; Bench tripled to right [Morgan scored];
M. May allowed a passed ball [Bench scored]; Perez flied out to
right; Driessen singled to right; Geronimo grounded out (second
to first) [Driessen to second]; Concepcion singled to left
[Driessen scored]; COSGROVE REPLACED GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Griffey
grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Gross walked; Metzger flied out to center; Howard
singled to right [Gross to third]; Watson struck out; L. May
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 4.

REDS 6TH: Norman grounded out (first to pitcher); Rose flied out
to right; Morgan flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 4.

ASTROS 7TH: CHANEY REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); M. May struck
out; Helms popped to shortstop; Busse struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 4.

REDS 7TH: Bench singled; Perez lined to right; Driessen walked
[Bench to second]; Geronimo struck out; Concepcion singled to
left [Bench scored, Driessen to third]; ARMBRISTER BATTED FOR
GRIFFEY; J. JOHNSON REPLACED COSGROVE (PITCHING); Armbrister
forced Concepcion (third to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 5.

ASTROS 8TH: KNIGHT REPLACED DRIESSEN (PLAYING 3B); ARMBRISTER
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); CAMPBELL BATTED FOR J. JOHNSON;
Campbell flied out to center; Gross flied out to left; Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Reds 5.

REDS 8TH: SCHERMAN REPLACED CAMPBELL (PITCHING); Norman popped
to second; Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); Chaney grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Howard grounded out (second to first); Watson popped
to shortstop; L. May flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 5.