Editor’s note: How good were the 1975 Cincinnati Reds? The best way to end the speculation is to challenge the team with a 162-game season against some great teams. This is a series that will include each game played with the Strat-o-Matic cards and dice, while hoping to reach the 108-54 record that the Reds had that season. Game stories will be published periodically on Press Room Pass through out the year. What’s your predicted victory total?
Los Angeles evened its three-game series with Cincinnati after a 6-4 victory over the Reds at Dodger Stadium.Back-to-back singles by Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench gave the Reds a 2-0 lead against Dodgers starter Jerry Reuss in the first inning.
The Dodgers quickly answered in the bottom of the first with a RBI triple by Steve Garvey and a two-run homer by Dusty Baker.
In the third, the Dodgers added to their lead with a run-scoring single by Garvey, which was followed by Baker driving in another base-runner with a fielder’s choice.
Cincinnati starting pitcher Gary Nolan helped himself in the fourth as he cut the Reds deficit to 5-4 by slapping a triple that Dodgers right fielder Rick Monday had trouble fielding.
Monday got a bit of revenge in the sixth against Nolan with a RBI double for the final tally by the Dodgers.
Nolan (11-7) worked six innings as he got the loss after giving up eight hits and five earned runs with six strikeouts. Clay Carroll toseed the final two frames for Cincinnati allowing a hit.
Reuss went the distance scattering six hits with three strikeouts and three earned runs.
Fred Norman (10-8) is slated to start for the Reds in the series finale, while Burt Hooton is scheduled for the Dodgers. Hooton has won both is his starts against the Reds, which includes a shutout.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1971 Pirates (3-2)
1969 Mets (7-5)
2016 Cubs (3-4)
1975 Expos (2-7)
1967 Cardinals (1-4)
2008 Phillies (2-10)
West Division
1975 Reds (71-38)
1954 Giants (5-3)
2017 Astros (5-8)
1957 Braves (4-7)
1981 Dodgers (4-9)
1975 Padres (3-11)