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?
It was just one mistake.
Cincinnati’s Fred Norman made one bad pitch, but it cost the Reds as they fell 4-1 to the Milwaukee Braves in the finale of a four-game series.
With the contest tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Eddie Mathews made Norman pay for his miscue with a three-run blast that gave the Braves the lead.
Norman (16-11) tossed six innings and allowed six hits with two strikeouts. Pedro Borbon worked the final two frames and gave up a run on three hits.
Johnny Logan knocked in the last run for the Braves with a single in the seventh.
Bob Buhl picked up for the Braves limiting Cincinnati to four hits with two coming in the ninth as the Reds scored their only run.
After back-to-back singles by Cesar Geronimo and pinch-hitter Dan Driessen, Braves manager Fred Haney replaced his starter with Don McMahon.
McMahon walked Pete Rose to load the bases. After fanning Ken Griffey, McMahon surrendered a sacrifice fly to Joe Morgan.
McMahon earned the save as Johnny Bench was retired on a routine fly to Andy Pafko in left.
With a .596 winning percentage, the Reds (.596) now trail the first-place New York Giants (.611) in the National League West with six games left in the season.
The Reds play their final road contests of the season with a three-game set in Houston. Jack Billingham (12-9) gets the ball from Red manager Sparky Anderson in the opener, while Charlie Morton will start for the Astros.
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
1954 Giants (11-7)
1975 Reds (93-63)
1957 Braves (7-8)
2017 Astros (6-9)
1981 Dodgers (7-11)
1975 Padres (4-14)