1975 Reds Replay 102: 1981 Dodgers

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 rookie Pat Darcy worked eight innings as he led the Reds to a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Riverfront Stadium.

Darcy (8-3) allowed seven hits in the win with two walks and just one strikeout.

Steve Garvey‘s RBI single in the first frame gave the Dodgers a 1-0 advantage over the Reds. Darcy wouldn’t surrender another run until a homer in eighth inning by Rick Monday, who led the Dodgers with three hits.

Los Angeles starter Bobby Castillo gave up six hits in seven innings.

George Foster‘s solo homer in the second tied the contest at 1-1. The Reds went in front in the fifth as Darcy hit a sacrifice fly.

A RBI double in the seventh by Cesar Geronimo gave the Reds a 3-1 lead.

After Monday’s homer closed the gap to 3-2, the Reds added a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth as Joe Morgan had a run-scoring double and Tony Perez had a RBI single.

Will McEnaney began the ninth inning on the mound for the face and he retired pinch-hitter Steve Yeager.

Reds manager Sparky Anderson called on Rawly Eastwick, who allowed a double to pinch-hitter Pedro Guerrero, but got the final two outs to earn his 17th save of the season.

In the finale of the four-game series the Reds will have Don Gullett (13-4) on the mound facing Dodgers rookie Fernando Valenzuela.

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 (68-34)
1954 Giants (2-2)
2017 Astros (5-8)
1957 Braves (4-7)
1981 Dodgers (3-7)
1975 Padres (3-11)