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?
For the second time this season, the Big Red Machine stalled as Cincinnati fell 8-0 to the New York Giants in the finale of a two-games series at Riverfront Stadium.
Giants pitcher Jim Hearn limited the Reds to four hits as he struck out five on his way to a complete game.
Willie Mays got the offense rolling for the Giants with a two-homer in the first inning against Reds starter Don Gullett.
In the fifth, Monte Irvin blasted a two-run shot to double the advantage for the Giants as they led 4-0.
Gullett (3-1) left the game after the fifth as he allowed four runs on seven hits to take his first loss of the season.
The Giants scored an unearned run in the sixth against Pedro Borbon, who then gave up two more in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Hearn and a RBI single by Whitey Lockman.
Irvin finished the scoring with a RBI double in the ninth off Will McEnaney.
Ken Griffey, Joe Morgan, Cesar Geronimo and Gullett all had singles for the Reds, who were blanked by Los Angeles pitcher Burt Hooton earlier this season.
Cincinnati travels to Milwaukee for a two-game series as Gary Nolan (2-0) is slated to start for the Reds, while Bob Buhl goes to the hill for the Braves.
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 (11-5)
1957 Braves (0-0)
1954 Giants (1-1)
1975 Padres (1-2)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (1-3)