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?
The Big Red Machine was firing on all cylinders as Cincinnati blasted Houston 15-5 in the second contest of a four-game series.
Cincinnati got started early with four runs in the first inning and finished with seven homers for the game.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Johnny Bench drilled his sixth homer of the season. The three-run shot now gives him 19 RBI through the first dozen games.
George Foster followed with a solo shot off Astros starter Brad Peacock and it was 4-0.
After Peacock retired the first two hitters in the second frame, the wheels really came off for the right hander. He gave up a single to Pete Rose and walked Ken Griffey before Joe Morgan tagged his first homer of the season and it was 7-0.
In the fourth, Jose Altuve homered to get the Astros on the scoreboard against Reds starter Fred Norman.
Tony Sipp, who entered the game for Peacock after Morgan’s homer in the second, kept the Reds from scoring until the fifth.
Sipp pitched to four hitters in that inning and couldn’t get an out.
Foster led off with a double and Tony Perez homered to make it 9-1. Dave Concepcion walks and Cesar Geronimo hit a two run homer to put the Reds on to by 10.
Joe Musgrove came on for Sipp and the situation got worse. After getting Norman to ground out, Rose became the third Red in the inning to homer with a solo shot.
Cincinnati wasn’t done. Griffey tripled and the speedy runner raced home when Morgan grounded out to Musgrove.
Trailing 13-1, the Astros were able to muster some offense against Norman in the sixth.
Norman walked the bases loaded and the gave up a RBI single to Yuli Gurriel. Brian McCann walked with the bases loaded and pinch-hitter Evan Gattis singled home a run to end Norman’s day.
Pedro Borbon ended the threat as he fanned George Springer.
Perez answered for the Reds off Houston reliever Will Harris in the bottom of the sixth with at two-run homer, which was his second long ball of the contest.
Houston’s Carlos Correa homered off Borbon in the ninth for the final tally of the contest.
Norman (1-2) earned his first win of the season, while Borbon picked up a save due to pitching over three innings.
The two squads finish the series with a doubleheader at Riverfront Stadium.
Jack Billingham (2-0) and Pat Darcy (0-0) will start for the Reds, while the Astros will send Charlie Morton and Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1967 Cardinals (0-0)
1969 Mets (0-0)
1971 Pirates (0-0)
1975 Expos (0-0)
2008 Phillies (0-0)
2016 Cubs (0-0)
West Division
1975 Reds (9-3)
1954 Giants (0-0)
1957 Braves (0-0)
1975 Padres (1-2)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (0-2)