The Dodgers, who were assured of the West Division crown when the Reds lost to the Braves, clinched the title in their own right by defeating the Astros, 8-5. News of the Reds' demise reached the Dodger dugout at the start of the fifth inning and caused a five-minute delay of the game while the division champs celebrated. The Dodgers started their scoring with two runs in the first inning on a triple by Davey Lopes, double by Steve Garvey and single by Willie Crawford. Garvey's hit was his 200th of the season. The Dodgers added a run in the third.

When the sixth inning started, manager Walter Alston removed Don Sutton for pinch-hitter John Hale, who doubled. Two more pinch-hitters, Rick Auerbach and Lee Lacy, came through with hits to pad the Dodgers' lead to 5-0. However, Mike Marshall almost cost Sutton his 19th victory. Making his 106th appearance, Marshall relieved in the Astros' half of the sixth and gave up four runs, two of them on passes with the bases loaded. Hale helped the Dodgers pull away again with a two-run single in the seventh before Cliff Johnson homered off Marshall for the Astros' final run in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 8, Houston Astros 5
Game Played on Tuesday, October   1, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      2  0  1    0  0  2    2  0  1  -   8 13  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  4    0  0  1  -   5  9  1


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              3   1   1   0     0   1   .266      Gross rf              5   0   2   0     1   0   .311
  Auerbach ph,ss,2b   3   1   1   1     0   0   .352      Metzger ss            4   0   2   1     1   0   .254
Buckner lf            2   0   0   0     1   2   .315      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   1     1   2   .269
  Lacy ph,2b          2   0   1   1     0   0   .284      Watson lf             3   0   1   0     0   1   .298
  Royster 2b,rf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Howard pr,lf        2   1   0   0     0   1   .224
Wynn cf               2   1   0   0     1   1   .271      M. May c              3   0   0   0     2   0   .290
  Joshua cf           2   0   0   0     0   0   .242      L. May 1b             2   0   0   0     0   0   .268
Garvey 1b             3   1   2   1     0   1   .312        C. Johnson 1b       2   2   1   1     1   0   .220
  Paciorek lf         2   0   1   0     0   0   .238      Rader 3b              3   1   2   1     2   0   .258
Crawford rf           3   0   1   2     0   0   .295      Helms 2b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .279
  Marshall p          1   1   1   0     0   0   .235        Milbourne 2b        2   0   0   0     1   0   .282
  Alvarez ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .143
  Brewer p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Edwards ph          1   1   0   1     0   0   .222
Cey 3b                2   0   0   0     1   1   .262        York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McMullen 3b         2   2   1   0     0   0   .268        Gallagher ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .176
Russell ss            2   0   1   0     0   0   .269        Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .056
  Hopkins ph,1b       2   0   0   0     1   0   .286        Busse ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .188
Yeager c              5   0   1   1     0   3   .265
Sutton p              1   0   0   0     1   1   .184
  Hale ph,rf          2   1   2   2     0   0  1.000
  De Jesus ph,ss      1   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               41   8  13   8     5  11             Totals               37   5   9   5     9   5

Time of Game: 2:52   Attendance:  9,260
Left on Base: Dodgers 11, Astros 14
DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 0
Errors: Lacy, Rader
Doubles: Garvey (32), Hale (1), McMullen (1), Yeager (16), Gross (21), Metzger (18)
Triples: Lopes (3), Metzger (10)
Home Runs: C. Johnson (10)
Stolen Bases: Russell (14), Crawford (7), Lopes 2 (59)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton W(19-9)          5     4   0   0   2   4   0  21   3.23
Marshall                2     2   4   1   6   0   0  15   2.42
Brewer                  2     3   1   1   1   1   1  10   2.52
Totals                  9     9   5   2   9   5   1  46

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(2-3)          6     8   5   5   4   9   0  30   4.18
York                    1     2   2   0   1   1   0   7   3.29
Cosgrove                2     3   1   1   0   1   0   9   3.50
Totals                  9    13   8   6   5  11   0  46

Wild Pitches: Brewer (2), Richard (9), Cosgrove (3)

Umpires: HP - Bruce Froemming, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Andy Olsen


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes tripled to right; Buckner struck out; Wynn
struck out; Garvey doubled to left [Lopes scored]; Crawford
singled to center [Garvey scored]; Cey struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross flied out to center; Metzger tripled to
center; Cedeno was called out on strikes; Watson grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Russell singled to center; Russell stole second;
Yeager struck out; Sutton struck out; Lopes struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: M. May walked; L. May forced M. May (shortstop to
second); Rader walked [L. May to second]; Helms flied out to
center; Richard flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Buckner struck out; Wynn walked; Garvey singled to
center [Wynn to third]; Crawford forced Garvey (shortstop to
second) [Wynn scored]; Crawford stole second; Richard threw a
wild pitch [Crawford to third]; Cey walked; Russell forced Cey
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros
0.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross doubled to left; Metzger grounded out (pitcher
to first); Cedeno popped to shortstop; Watson struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Yeager struck out; Sutton walked; Lopes forced
Sutton (second to shortstop); Lopes stole second; Lopes stole
third; Buckner walked; Wynn flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: M. May grounded out (first unassisted); L. May
grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader singled to shortstop;
Helms flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3,
Astros 0.

DODGERS 5TH: C. JOHNSON REPLACED L. MAY (PLAYING 1B); MILBOURNE
REPLACED HELMS (PLAYING 2B); Garvey struck out; Crawford popped
to third; Cey flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: JOSHUA REPLACED WYNN (PLAYING CF); Richard struck
out; Gross singled to left; Metzger flied out to right; Cedeno
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

DODGERS 6TH: HOPKINS BATTED FOR RUSSELL; Hopkins grounded out
(first to pitcher); Yeager flied out to left; HALE BATTED FOR
SUTTON; Hale doubled to right; AUERBACH BATTED FOR LOPES;
Auerbach singled to left [Hale scored, Auerbach to second (on
throw to home)]; LACY BATTED FOR BUCKNER; Lacy singled to center
[Auerbach scored]; Joshua flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: AUERBACH STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); LACY STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 2B); PACIOREK REPLACED GARVEY (PLAYING LF);
MARSHALL REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); MCMULLEN REPLACED CEY
(PLAYING 3B); HOPKINS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); HALE STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Watson singled to left; HOWARD RAN FOR
WATSON; M. May popped to second; C. Johnson walked [Howard to
second]; Rader singled to center [Howard scored, C. Johnson to
second]; Milbourne reached on a fielder's choice [Rader to
second (error by Lacy; assist by Auerbach), C. Johnson to
third]; EDWARDS BATTED FOR RICHARD; Edwards forced Milbourne
(first to shortstop) [C. Johnson scored (unearned), Rader to
third]; Gross walked [Edwards to second]; Metzger walked [Rader
scored (unearned), Edwards to third, Gross to second]; Cedeno
walked [Edwards scored (unearned), Gross to third, Metzger to
second]; Howard grounded out (pitcher to first); 4 R (1 ER), 2
H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 4.

DODGERS 7TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); YORK REPLACED
EDWARDS (PITCHING); Paciorek grounded out (shortstop to first);
Marshall singled to center; McMullen reached on an error by
Rader [Marshall to third, McMullen to second]; Hopkins was
walked intentionally; Yeager struck out; Hale singled to left
[Marshall scored (unearned), McMullen scored (unearned), Hopkins
to second]; Auerbach grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R (0
ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 7, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: M. May walked; C. Johnson forced M. May (second
unassisted); Rader flied out to center; Milbourne walked [C.
Johnson to second]; GALLAGHER BATTED FOR YORK; Gallagher
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers
7, Astros 4.

DODGERS 8TH: COSGROVE REPLACED GALLAGHER (PITCHING); Lacy
grounded out (third to first); Joshua flied out to center;
Paciorek singled to right; ALVAREZ BATTED FOR MARSHALL; Alvarez
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers
7, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: ROYSTER REPLACED LACY (PLAYING 2B); BREWER REPLACED
ALVAREZ (PITCHING); Gross grounded out (second to first);
Metzger doubled to left; Cedeno singled to left [Metzger to
third]; Howard struck out; M. May grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 7, Astros 4.

DODGERS 9TH: McMullen doubled to center; Hopkins popped to
second; Yeager doubled to left [McMullen scored]; DE JESUS
BATTED FOR HALE; Cosgrove threw a wild pitch [Yeager to third];
De Jesus struck out; Auerbach grounded out (third to first); 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 8, Astros 4.

ASTROS 9TH: AUERBACH CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); ROYSTER
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); DE JESUS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
SS); C. Johnson homered; Rader walked; Milbourne forced Rader
(right to shortstop); BUSSE BATTED FOR COSGROVE; Brewer threw a
wild pitch [Milbourne to second]; Busse grounded out (third to
first); Gross grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Dodgers 8, Astros 5.