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?
Perseverance seems to be a trait of the Cincinnati Reds. No matter what the score, they find ways to win.
Down five runs after the first inning, the Reds came back to post a 9-5 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros sent nine batters to the plate against Reds starter Jack Billingham.
Jose Altuve got things going with a two-run homer. Yuli Gurriel added a two-run double before Alex Bregman capped the rally with a RBI double.
Reds manager Sparky Anderson showed perhaps more patience than usual as he allowed Billingham to continue. Anderson’s strategy paid dividends as Billingham allowed just two hits over the next five frames, which gave the Reds the opportunity to produce some runs.
In the second inning, the Reds scored three times to close the gap to 5-3. George Foster knocked in the first run with a double and eventually came home for the second on a double play. A single by Billingham brought home the final tally.
Tony Perez scored on a passed ball charged to Evan Gattis in the fourth.
Cincinnati chased Astros starter Charlie Morton from the mound in the fifth as Johnny Bench smacked a two-run homer to put the Reds on top 6-5.
Cesar Geronimo‘s homer off Chris Devenski in the seventh added to the margin for the Reds.
Joe Morgan provided Cincinnati’s final two runs on a homer in the eighth off Michael Feliz.
Billingham (8-1) survived until the seventh after giving up walks to begin the frame. Will McEnaney got out the jam to preserve the shut out. Rawly Eastwick tossed a perfect ninth to finish the contest.
Pat Darcy (6-2) gets the call from Anderson in the series finale as the Astros counter with Lance McCullers Jr.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1969 Mets (4-1)
1971 Pirates (3-2)
2016 Cubs (3-4)
1975 Expos (2-4)
1967 Cardinals (1-4)
2008 Phillies (1-6)
West Division
1975 Reds (45-24)
1954 Giants (2-2)
1957 Braves (3-5)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (2-7)
1975 Padres (1-5)