A three-run homer by Dave Kingman and the relief pitching of Bob Apodaca enabled the Mets to gain a 4-3 victory over the Astros with credit for the decision going to Tom Hall, who came out of the bullpen to make his first start in a New York uniform. Roger Metzger homered for the Astros in the third inning, but the Mets tied the score in their half with a single by Jerry Grote, a sacrifice, infield out and single by Felix Millan.

Then in the fourth, after Rusty Staub and Ed Kranepool reached base with singles, Kingman hit his homer. Hall ran into trouble in the sixth. Metzger walked and scored on a double by Cesar Cedeno and a muff by Joe Torre on the throw from the outfield. Bob Watson also walked and Enos Cabell bunted safely to load the bases. Apodaca came in and got Doug Rader to ground into a double play, Cedeno scoring, before striking out Milt May to end the threat. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Tuesday, June      3, 1975 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   3  5  0
Mets         0  0  1    3  0  0    0  0  x  -   4  9  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross lf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .270      Unser cf              2   0   0   0     2   1   .318
  Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Millan 2b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .247
Metzger ss            3   2   2   1     1   1   .281      Torre 3b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .254
Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .267      Staub rf              4   1   1   0     0   1   .304
Watson 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .341      Kranepool 1b          4   1   2   0     0   0   .395
Cabell rf,lf          4   0   1   0     0   1   .295      Kingman lf            3   1   2   3     0   0   .223
Rader 3b              2   0   0   0     1   1   .255        Gallagher lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
May c                 4   0   0   0     0   1   .245      Phillips ss           3   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Helms 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .182      Grote c               3   1   1   0     0   0   .265
  Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .265      Hall p                1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Forsch p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Apodaca p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Granger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Andrews ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .195
  Crawford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .400
  Cruz ph,rf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .262

Totals               31   3   5   1     3   6             Totals               28   4   9   4     3   3

Time of Game: 2:06   Attendance:  8,666
Left on Base: Astros 5, Mets 4
DP: Astros 3, Mets 1
Errors: Torre
Doubles: Cedeno (14), Torre (8)
Triples: Metzger (5)
Home Runs: Metzger (2), Kingman (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Hall (1)
GIDP: Rader (4), Staub (7)
Hit by Pitch: Rader (4,by Hall)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(2-3)           3     8   4   4   1   0   1  16   3.77
Granger                 1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   1.30
Crawford                2     1   0   0   1   0   0   6   1.91
Niekro                  2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   4.66
Totals                  8     9   4   4   3   3   1  32

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hall W(1-0)             5     4   3   3   3   4   1  23   3.66
Apodaca SV(7)           4     1   0   0   0   2   0  12   1.05
Totals                  9     5   3   3   3   6   1  35

Hit by Pitch: Hall (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled; Metzger struck out; Cedeno flied to
left; Watson flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Unser walked; Millan lined into a double play (second
to first) [Unser out at first]; Torre flied to right; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell struck out; Rader walked; May popped to
first; Helms grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Staub grounded out (shortstop to first); Kranepool
singled to right; Kingman lined to center; Phillips flied to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Forsch grounded out (first unassisted); Gross
grounded out (second to first); Metzger homered; Cedeno struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Grote singled to center; Hall out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to second) [Grote to second]; Unser grounded out (second
to first) [Grote to third]; Millan singled to left [Grote
scored]; Torre doubled to left [Millan out at home (left to
shortstop to catcher)]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell
popped to first in foul territory; Rader was hit by a pitch; May
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Staub singled to center; Kranepool singled to right
[Staub to second]; Kingman homered [Staub scored, Kranepool
scored]; Phillips singled to right; GRANGER REPLACED FORSCH
(PITCHING); Grote forced Phillips (third to second); Hall struck
out; Unser walked [Grote to second]; Millan grounded out
(shortstop to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Helms grounded out (third to first); ANDREWS BATTED
FOR GRANGER; Andrews struck out; Gross popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 4.

METS 5TH: CRAWFORD REPLACED ANDREWS (PITCHING); Torre walked;
Staub grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Torre out at second]; Kranepool grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger walked; Cedeno doubled to left [Metzger
scored (error by Torre) (no RBI)]; Watson walked; On a bunt
Cabell singled [Watson to second, Cedeno to third]; APODACA
REPLACED HALL (PITCHING); Rader grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Watson to third, Cedeno scored
(no RBI), Cabell out at second]; May struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

METS 6TH: Kingman singled to left; Phillips hit into a double
play (pitcher to second) [Kingman out at second]; Grote flied to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Helms grounded out (third to first); CRUZ BATTED FOR
CRAWFORD; Cruz grounded out (second to first); Gross grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets
4.

METS 7TH: CRUZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); CABELL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); NIEKRO REPLACED GROSS (PITCHING);
Apodaca flied to right; Unser struck out; Millan grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Metzger tripled to right; Cedeno reached on a
fielder's choice [Metzger out at home (shortstop to catcher)];
Watson forced Cedeno (shortstop to second); Cabell popped to
second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

METS 8TH: Torre flied to right; Staub struck out; Kranepool
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Mets 4.

ASTROS 9TH: GALLAGHER REPLACED KINGMAN (PLAYING LF); Rader
struck out; May grounded out (first unassisted); JOHNSON BATTED
FOR HELMS; Johnson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.