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?
Cincinnati won its fourth straight contest as the Reds defeated the New York Giants 7-2 in the opener of a three-game series at Riverfront Stadium.
The Reds scored in the first four frames against Giants starter Jim Hearn to take control of the contest.
Pete Rose led off the bottom of the first with a single and Ken Griffey tripled to drive a run.
Later in the inning, George Foster gave the Reds a 2-0 advantage by knocking Griffey with a single.
In the second, Rose walked and Griffey followed with an other RBI triple. This time, Joe Morgan‘s single brought Griffey home and the Reds led 4-0.
Merv Rettenmund walked with the bases loaded in the third to make it 5-0.
A two-run homer in the fourth by Johnny Bench sent Hearn to the showers as the Reds built a 7-0 lead.
Reds starter Fred Norman (15-9) faltered in the seventh as the Giants would score a pair of runs.
Norman’s only out in the sixth came on a sacrifice fly by Dave Williams forthe first Giants run.
Whitey Lockman also had a sacrifice fly off Clay Carroll, which turned out to be the final tally of the game.
Although not a save situation, Pedro Borbon worked a perfect ninth to preserve the victory.
Jack Billingham (12-6) is set to start the middle affair of the three-game series for the Reds, while the Giants counter with Sal Maglie.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1969 Mets (7-5)
2016 Cubs (6-6)
1971 Pirates (5-7)
1967 Cardinals (4-8)
1975 Expos (4-8)
2008 Phillies (2-10)
West Division
1975 Reds (87-53)
1954 Giants (7-5)
2017 Astros (5-8)
1957 Braves (4-7)
1981 Dodgers (5-11)
1975 Padres (4-12)