Jim Crawford relieved injured Doug Konieczny in the first and pitched 8 1/3 shutout innings as the Astros downed the Pirates, 5-3. The Bucs took the lead on a three-run homer by Dave Parker and chased Konieczny when the hurler's pitching hand was struck by a two-out single by Manny Sanguillen.

The Astros scored twice in the first on run-scoring singles by Cliff Johnson and Milt May and added a tally in the second against reliever Kent Tekulve when Jerry DaVanon walked, stole second, took third on Sanguillen's throwing error and scored on Wilbur Howard's grounder. The go-ahead runs came in the third on doubles by Greg Gross and Johnson and a single by Doug Rader. The loss was their third straight and ninth in 13 games for the Pirates. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Friday, August    8, 1975 (Night game) at Astrodome
Pirates      3  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  1
Astros       2  1  2    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   5  7  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Reynolds ss           4   1   2   0     0   0   .250      Howard lf             4   0   0   1     0   0   .313
Hebner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .259      Gross rf              3   2   2   0     1   0   .308
Stargell 1b           3   1   1   0     1   0   .301      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .258
Parker rf             3   1   1   3     1   0   .326      Johnson 1b            3   1   2   2     1   0   .278
Oliver cf             3   0   0   0     0   2   .280      May c                 4   0   1   1     0   0   .248
Sanguillen c          4   0   2   0     0   0   .328      Rader 3b              4   0   1   1     0   1   .238
Zisk lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .276      Boswell 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Stennett 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .257      DaVanon ss            1   1   0   0     2   0   .353
Ellis p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Konieczny p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .186
  Tekulve p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Crawford p          1   0   0   0     2   0   .308
  Randolph ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Demery p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
  Robinson ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .284
  Giusti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
  Robertson ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .268

Totals               33   3   7   3     2   3             Totals               28   5   7   5     6   1

Time of Game: 2:22   Attendance: 14,889
Left on Base: Pirates 6, Astros 5
DP: Pirates 2, Astros 0
Errors: Sanguillen
Doubles: Reynolds (1), Stargell (25), Gross (8), Johnson (7)
Home Runs: Parker (19)
Stolen Bases: DaVanon (1)
Caught Stealing: Reynolds (1), Howard (9)
GIDP: Rader (9), May (5)
Hit by Pitch: Oliver (3,by Crawford)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis                   0.1   4   2   2   0   0   0   5   3.73
Tekulve L(0-1)          2.2   3   3   2   2   0   0  11   1.93
Demery                  3     0   0   0   3   1   0  11   2.67
Giusti                  2     0   0   0   1   0   0   7   2.00
Totals                  8     7   5   4   6   1   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Konieczny               0.2   3   3   3   1   0   1   6   4.90
Crawford W(2-3)         8.1   4   0   0   1   3   0  30   3.15
Totals                  9     7   3   3   2   3   1  36

Hit by Pitch: Crawford (2)
Wild Pitches: Crawford (3)

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


PIRATES 1ST: Reynolds doubled to center; Hebner lined to second;
Stargell walked; Parker homered [Reynolds scored, Stargell
scored]; Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); Sanguillen
singled to pitcher; CRAWFORD REPLACED KONIECZNY (PITCHING); Zisk
forced Sanguillen (third to second); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Howard grounded out (first unassisted); Gross
singled to center; Cedeno singled to left [Gross to second];
Johnson singled to center [Gross scored, Cedeno to third]; May
singled to right [Cedeno scored, Johnson to third]; TEKULVE
REPLACED ELLIS (PITCHING); Rader grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [May out at second]; 2 R, 4 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 2.

PIRATES 2ND: Stennett grounded out (second to first); Tekulve
was called out on strikes; Reynolds singled to second; Reynolds
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Boswell grounded out (first unassisted); DaVanon
walked; DaVanon stole second [DaVanon to third (error by
Sanguillen)]; Crawford walked; Howard forced Crawford (first to
shortstop) [DaVanon scored (unearned)]; Howard was picked off
and caught stealing second (pitcher to shortstop); 1 R (0 ER), 0
H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 3.

PIRATES 3RD: Hebner grounded out (first unassisted); Stargell
doubled to right; Parker flied out to center [Stargell to
third]; Oliver was hit by a pitch; Sanguillen grounded out
(catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross doubled to left; Cedeno grounded out (second
to first) [Gross to third]; Johnson doubled to left [Gross
scored]; May grounded out (first unassisted) [Johnson to third];
Rader singled to center [Johnson scored]; Boswell grounded out
(second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 5.

PIRATES 4TH: Zisk grounded out (third to first); Stennett flied
out to center; RANDOLPH BATTED FOR TEKULVE; Randolph grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 4TH: DEMERY REPLACED RANDOLPH (PITCHING); DaVanon lined
to center; Crawford walked; Howard flied out to center; Gross
forced Crawford (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 3, Astros 5.

PIRATES 5TH: On a bunt Reynolds grounded out (third to first);
Hebner made an out to third; Stargell grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno grounded out (first unassisted); Johnson
walked; May grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Johnson out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
3, Astros 5.

PIRATES 6TH: Parker grounded out (second to first); Oliver
struck out; Sanguillen singled to left; Zisk flied to right in
foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader struck out; Boswell popped to first in foul
territory; DaVanon walked; Crawford flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 5.

PIRATES 7TH: Stennett grounded out (pitcher to first); ROBINSON
BATTED FOR DEMERY; Robinson flied out to left; Reynolds grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros
5.

ASTROS 7TH: GIUSTI REPLACED ROBINSON (PITCHING); Howard grounded
out (first unassisted); Gross walked; Cedeno forced Gross
(shortstop to second); Johnson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 5.

PIRATES 8TH: Hebner grounded out (second to first); Stargell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Parker walked; Oliver was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros
5.

ASTROS 8TH: May lined to right; Rader flied out to center;
Boswell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 3, Astros 5.

PIRATES 9TH: Sanguillen lined to center; Zisk flied out to
center; Stennett singled to shortstop; ROBERTSON BATTED FOR
GIUSTI; Crawford threw a wild pitch [Stennett to second];
Robertson flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3,
Astros 5.