The Dodgers, who started only Bill Buckner and Steve Yeager among their regular players and later removed them from the lineup, beat the Astros, 5-4, to end the season with 102 victories. Andy Messersmith, tuning up for the league championship series against the Pirates, pitched five innings and allowed only two hits, but victory escaped him when the Dodgers blew a 3-1 lead. However, Charlie Hough came out a winner in the 10th when John Hale singled and Lee Lacy doubled. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Wednesday, October   2, 1974 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      0  1  0    1  0  1    0  0  1    1  -   5  6  3
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  2    1  0  0    0  -   4  8  3


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lacy 2b               4   1   1   1     0   0   .282      Milbourne 2b          5   0   1   0     0   1   .279
Auerbach ss           2   1   0   0     1   1   .342      Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     0   1   .253
  Hough p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Busse 3b            2   2   1   0     1   1   .206
  Cey ph              0   0   0   0     0   0   .262      Gross rf              4   1   3   1     1   0   .314
  Manuel ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Cedeno cf             5   1   1   1     0   0   .269
  Solomon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      M. May c              2   0   0   0     0   0   .289
Buckner lf            2   0   0   1     0   1   .314        Jutze c             1   0   0   0     1   0   .231
  Downing p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .172        Edwards ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .222
  De Jesus ss         2   1   1   0     0   1   .333      C. Johnson 1b         3   0   2   2     0   1   .228
McMullen 3b           4   0   0   0     0   2   .250        Gallagher pr,1b     2   0   0   0     0   1   .172
  Royster pr,3b       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Rader 3b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .257
Paciorek rf,lf,1b     3   0   1   2     0   0   .240        Kelleher ss         1   0   0   0     1   1   .158
Yeager c              3   1   1   1     0   0   .266        L. May ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .268
  Pasley c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Howard lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .216
  Mota ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .281      Siebert p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Alvarez lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Helms ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .279
Joshua cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .234        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hopkins 1b,c          4   0   0   0     0   1   .222        Watson ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .298
Messersmith p         2   0   0   0     0   0   .240        de los Santos p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hale rf             2   1   2   0     0   0  1.000        J. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   5   6   5     1   6             Totals               37   4   8   4     5   9

Time of Game: 2:39   Attendance:  7,267
Left on Base: Dodgers 4, Astros 9
DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 0
Errors: Auerbach, Paciorek, Messersmith, C. Johnson, Rader, Kelleher
Doubles: Paciorek (8), Lacy (6)
Triples: Gross (8)
Home Runs: Yeager (12)
Stolen Bases: Auerbach (4), Lacy (2)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (17)
Sacrifice Hits: Auerbach (1), Lacy (1), Siebert (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Buckner (2), Paciorek (2)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith             5     2   1   1   1   4   0  19   2.59
Downing                 2     5   3   3   3   0   0  13   3.66
Hough W(9-4)            2     0   0   0   0   3   0   6   3.75
Solomon SV(1)           1     1   0   0   1   2   0   5   1.50
Totals                 10     8   4   4   5   9   0  43

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Siebert                 6     2   3   2   1   4   1  22   3.55
Forsch                  3     2   1   0   0   1   0  12   2.79
de los Santos L(1-1)    0.1   2   1   1   0   0   0   3   2.19
J. Johnson              0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   4.80
Totals                 10     6   5   3   1   6   1  39

Wild Pitches: Solomon 2 (2)
Balks: Messersmith (3)

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


DODGERS 1ST: Lacy popped to first; Auerbach struck out; Buckner
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Milbourne singled to center; Milbourne was picked
off first but was safe on an error by Messersmith [Milbourne to
second]; Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Gross grounded
out (second to first); Cedeno lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 2ND: McMullen struck out; Paciorek popped to first in
foul territory; Yeager homered; Joshua grounded out (pitcher to
second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: M. May grounded out (first unassisted); C. Johnson
struck out; Rader grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Hopkins flied out to left; Messersmith flied out to
right; Lacy grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard reached on an error by Auerbach; Siebert out
on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Howard to second];
Milbourne grounded out (second to first) [Howard to third];
Metzger struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Astros 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Auerbach walked; Auerbach stole second; Buckner
flied out to center; McMullen struck out; Paciorek doubled to
right [Auerbach scored]; Yeager reached on an error by Rader
[Paciorek out at home (third to first to catcher)]; 1 R, 1 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Gross walked; Cedeno forced Gross (shortstop to
second); Messersmith balked [Cedeno to second]; M. May grounded
out (second to first) [Cedeno to third]; C. Johnson singled to
left [Cedeno scored]; Rader grounded out (second to first); 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 1.

DODGERS 5TH: BUSSE REPLACED METZGER (PLAYING 3B); JUTZE REPLACED
M. MAY (PLAYING C ); KELLEHER REPLACED RADER (PLAYING SS);
Joshua grounded out (second to first); Hopkins grounded out
(first to pitcher); Messersmith grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); Siebert
struck out; Milbourne struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
2, Astros 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Lacy reached on an error by C. Johnson; Lacy stole
second; Auerbach out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Lacy to third]; Buckner hit a sacrifice fly to center [Lacy
scored (unearned)]; McMullen flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 0 H,
1 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: DOWNING REPLACED BUCKNER (PITCHING); PACIOREK
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); HALE REPLACED MESSERSMITH
(PLAYING RF); Busse singled to right; Gross singled to left
[Busse to third (error by Paciorek), Gross to second]; Cedeno
singled to third [Busse scored, Gross to third]; Cedeno was
picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to shortstop to
second); Jutze walked; C. Johnson singled to left [Gross scored,
Jutze to second]; GALLAGHER RAN FOR C. JOHNSON; Kelleher walked
[Jutze to third, Gallagher to second]; Howard forced Jutze
(third to catcher) [Gallagher to third, Kelleher to second];
HELMS BATTED FOR SIEBERT; Helms grounded out (second to first);
2 R, 4 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 3.

DODGERS 7TH: GALLAGHER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); FORSCH
REPLACED HELMS (PITCHING); Paciorek grounded out (third to
first); Yeager grounded out (shortstop to first); Joshua
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: PASLEY REPLACED YEAGER (PLAYING C ); Milbourne
grounded out (shortstop to first); Debut game for Kevin
Pasley; Busse walked; Gross tripled to right [Busse scored];
Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Jutze grounded out (first
unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 4.

DODGERS 8TH: Hopkins struck out; Hale singled to left; Lacy out
on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Hale to second];
Auerbach grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: HOUGH REPLACED AUERBACH (PITCHING); DE JESUS
REPLACED DOWNING (PLAYING SS); Gallagher lined to second;
Kelleher struck out; Howard flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 4.

DODGERS 9TH: De Jesus singled to left; McMullen reached on an
error by Kelleher [De Jesus to third, McMullen to second];
ROYSTER RAN FOR MCMULLEN; Paciorek hit a sacrifice fly to right
[De Jesus scored (unearned), Royster to third]; MOTA BATTED FOR
PASLEY; Mota flied out to right; Joshua grounded out (second to
first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 4.

ASTROS 9TH: ROYSTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); ALVAREZ
REPLACED MOTA (PLAYING LF); PACIOREK CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
1B); HOPKINS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); WATSON BATTED FOR
FORSCH; Watson struck out (catcher to first); Milbourne popped
to first in foul territory; Busse struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 4, Astros 4.

DODGERS 10TH: DE LOS SANTOS REPLACED WATSON (PITCHING); Hopkins
popped to shortstop; Hale singled to third; Lacy doubled to left
[Hale scored]; CEY BATTED FOR HOUGH; J. JOHNSON REPLACED DE LOS
SANTOS (PITCHING); MANUEL BATTED FOR CEY; Manuel flied out to
left; De Jesus struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5,
Astros 4.

ASTROS 10TH: SOLOMON REPLACED MANUEL (PITCHING); Gross singled
to left; Solomon threw a wild pitch [Gross to second]; Cedeno
flied out to left; EDWARDS BATTED FOR JUTZE; Edwards walked;
Solomon threw a wild pitch [Gross to third, Edwards to second];
Gallagher struck out; L. MAY BATTED FOR KELLEHER; L. May struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Astros 4.