Ellis struggled at the start of the 1974 season, with a 3–8 win-loss record and 4.54 ERA through July 10. He then won eight consecutive games and nine out of ten, pitching seven complete games in that ten-game stretch. A line drive off the bat of Willie Montañez fractured the fifth metacarpal bone in Ellis' pitching hand on September 10, prematurely ending his season. Ellis had the seventh-best walks plus hits per inning pitched ratio (1.155) that season. The Pirates won the NL East but lost the 1974 NLCS, three games to one, to the Los Angeles Dodgers.