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?
One down and two to go.
Cincinnati manager Sparky Anderson is still carrying the broom he found in the Houston clubhouse as he hopes for another sweep with the Reds facing the Milwaukee Braves in the final series of the season at Riverfront Stadium.
Three straight victories would set up a one-game playoff against the New York Giants for the National League West championship.
The Reds took the opener of the series with a 5-1 win over the Braves.
Joe Morgan gave the Reds a 2-0 advantage in the first inning with a two-run homer off Braves starter Lew Burdette.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the seventh when the Reds played long ball again to send Burdette to the locker room.
Dan Driessen led off the frame with a solo shot, while Dave Concepcion followed with a blast of his own to put the Reds up 4-0.
With two outs in the seventh, the Braves finally got on the scoreboard against Reds starter Gary Nolan (18-10). Bill Bruton doubled and then raced home on a single by Johnny Logan, who was Nolan’s final hitter.
Will McEnaney fanned Eddie Mathews to end the eighth.
The Reds got the run back in their half of the eighth on a RBI single by Johnny Bench.
After McEnaney gave up a single to Hank Aaron to begin the ninth for the Braves, it was time for Rawly Eastwick.
Eastwick got pinch-hitter Joe Adcock to ground into a double play. Frank Torre also grounded out to finish the contest as Eastwick picked up his 22nd save.
Anderson will send Fred Norman (16-11) to the mound with another must-win situation in the middle game of the three-game set. The Braves have Bob Buhl scheduled to start.
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 (97-63)
1957 Braves (7-9)
1981 Dodgers (7-11)
2017 Astros (6-12)
1975 Padres (4-14)