The Astros piled up nine runs in the first three frames and outlasted the Mets, 12-7, with rookie Houston hurler Doug Konieczny gaining his second big league victory. Bob Watson drove in five runs for the winners, the first RBI coming on an infield hit which scored Greg Gross and tied the score at 1-1 in the first. Jose Cruz followed with a two-run double.

Gross singled home the fourth Houston run in the second. Roger Metzger singled, Cesar Cedeno was intentionally walked and Watson cleared the bases with a double to left center. The Astros made it 9-1 in the third on an RBI triple by Gross and Metzger's run-scoring single. Watson later added his seventh homer of the season. The Mets kayoed Konieczny with four runs in the sixth and reached reliever Jim Crawford for two more in the final three innings. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 12, New York Mets 7
Game Played on Sunday, May       18, 1975 (Day game) at Astrodome
Mets         1  0  0    0  0  4    0  0  2  -   7  9  3
Astros       3  4  2    0  0  1    0  2  x  -  12 12  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Phillips ss           4   1   2   1     1   0   .291      Gross lf              4   3   2   2     1   0   .235
Millan 2b             4   1   1   0     1   0   .224      Metzger ss            5   3   3   1     0   0   .293
Unser cf              4   1   1   1     1   0   .324      Cedeno cf             3   2   0   0     2   0   .269
Staub rf              4   1   1   0     1   0   .307      Watson 1b             4   2   2   5     1   0   .349
Kranepool 1b          4   0   3   0     1   0   .354      Cruz rf               5   0   2   2     0   0   .254
Milner lf             3   1   0   1     2   0   .208      May c                 5   0   2   2     0   0   .252
Garrett 3b            4   1   0   1     1   0   .275      Rader 3b              3   0   0   0     2   2   .245
Stearns c             4   1   0   1     1   2   .185      Andrews 2b            2   2   1   0     2   1   .194
Tate p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Konieczny p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .158
  Webb p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Crawford p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Clines ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .121
  Cram p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Alou ph             1   0   1   2     0   0   .350
  Baldwin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Heidemann ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .195
  Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   7   9   7     9   2             Totals               34  12  12  12     8   4

Time of Game: 2:44   Attendance: 10,252
Left on Base: Mets 10, Astros 7
DP: Mets 2, Astros 1
Errors: Phillips, Millan, Baldwin
Doubles: Phillips (1), Unser (6), Watson (8)
Triples: Gross (3)
Home Runs: Watson (7)
Caught Stealing: Rader (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Konieczny (1)
GIDP: Garrett (2), Konieczny (2), Cedeno (2)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Tate L(1-3)             1.1   3   5   5   3   0   0  10   5.26
Webb                    2.2   4   4   4   3   0   0  14   5.65
Cram                    1     1   0   0   1   1   0   4   5.40
Baldwin                 2     3   1   1   0   2   1   9   4.12
Hall                    1     1   2   0   1   1   0   6   0.77
Totals                  8    12  12  10   8   4   1  43

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Konieczny W(2-5)        5.2   5   5   5   6   0   0  27   4.50
Crawford SV(2)          3.1   4   2   2   3   2   0  17   2.49
Totals                  9     9   7   7   9   2   0  44

Passed Balls: Stearns (1)
Wild Pitches: Hall (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Bill Williams, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Terry Tata


METS 1ST: Phillips doubled to right; Millan grounded out (second
to first) [Phillips to third]; Unser doubled to right [Phillips
scored]; Staub flied out to center; Kranepool singled to second
[Unser to third]; Milner flied out to center; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross walked; Metzger singled to pitcher [Gross to
second]; Cedeno walked [Gross to third, Metzger to second];
Watson grounded out (shortstop to first) [Gross scored, Metzger
to third, Cedeno to second]; Cruz singled to left [Metzger
scored, Cedeno scored]; May made an out to second; Rader
grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1,
Astros 3.

METS 2ND: Garrett flied out to left; Stearns grounded out (first
unassisted); Tate grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Andrews walked; Konieczny out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Andrews to second]; Gross singled to center
[Andrews scored, Gross to second (on throw to home)]; WEBB
REPLACED TATE (PITCHING); Metzger singled to right [Gross to
third, Metzger to second (on throw to home)]; Cedeno was walked
intentionally; Watson doubled to left [Gross scored, Metzger
scored, Cedeno scored]; Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher)
[Watson to third]; May flied out to center; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 7.

METS 3RD: Phillips grounded out (first unassisted); Millan
walked; Unser flied out to center; Staub grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 7.

ASTROS 3RD: Rader walked; Andrews walked [Rader to second]; On a
bunt Konieczny grounded into a double play (pitcher to third to
second) [Andrews to second, Rader out at third]; Gross tripled
to center [Andrews scored]; Metzger singled to left [Gross
scored]; Cedeno flied out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets
1, Astros 9.

METS 4TH: Kranepool singled to center; Milner flied out to
center; Garrett grounded into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Kranepool out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros
9.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson popped to catcher in foul territory; Cruz
flied out to right; May flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 9.

METS 5TH: Stearns grounded out (second to first); CLINES BATTED
FOR WEBB; Clines flied out to right; Phillips walked; Millan
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets
1, Astros 9.

ASTROS 5TH: CRAM REPLACED CLINES (PITCHING); Rader walked;
Andrews singled to center [Rader to second]; Rader was caught
stealing third (catcher to third) [Andrews to second]; Konieczny
struck out; Gross grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 9.

METS 6TH: Unser flied out to right; Staub walked; Kranepool
flied out to center; Milner walked [Staub to second]; Garrett
walked [Staub to third, Milner to second]; Stearns walked [Staub
scored, Milner to third, Garrett to second]; ALOU BATTED FOR
CRAM; Alou singled to center [Milner scored, Garrett scored,
Stearns to second]; CRAWFORD REPLACED KONIECZNY (PITCHING);
Phillips singled to right [Stearns scored, Alou to second];
Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); 4 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 5, Astros 9.

ASTROS 6TH: BALDWIN REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Metzger reached on
an error by Phillips [Metzger to first]; Cedeno grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Metzger out at second];
Watson homered; Cruz singled to second; May singled to pitcher
[Cruz to third (error by Baldwin), May to second]; Rader struck
out; 1 R, 3 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 5, Astros 10.

METS 7TH: Unser grounded out (pitcher to first); Staub singled
to right; Kranepool singled to right [Staub to second]; Milner
made an out to first; Garrett grounded out (first to pitcher); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 5, Astros 10.

ASTROS 7TH: Andrews was called out on strikes; Crawford grounded
out (shortstop to first); Gross flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Astros 10.

METS 8TH: Stearns struck out; HEIDEMANN BATTED FOR BALDWIN;
Heidemann flied to right in foul territory; Phillips flied out
to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Astros 10.

ASTROS 8TH: HALL REPLACED HEIDEMANN (PITCHING); Metzger reached
on an error by Millan [Metzger to first]; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Metzger to second]; Watson was walked
intentionally; Hall threw a wild pitch [Metzger to third, Watson
to second]; Cruz popped to first in foul territory; May singled
to right [Metzger scored (unearned), Watson scored (unearned)];
Stearns allowed a passed ball [May to second]; Rader struck out;
2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5, Astros 12.

METS 9TH: Millan singled to shortstop; Unser walked [Millan to
second]; Staub grounded out (first to pitcher) [Millan to third,
Unser to second]; Kranepool walked; Milner walked [Millan
scored, Unser to third, Kranepool to second]; Garrett forced
Milner (third to second) [Unser scored, Kranepool to third];
Stearns struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 7, Astros 12.