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 winning streak continues.
Cincinnati has won five straight games after a come-from-behind 7-2 victory over the Milwaukee Braves at Riverfront Stadium.
Still alive for the National League West crown, the Reds are now a win away from forcing a one-game playoff against the New York Giants for the title.
After the game, the result of the coin flip between the two teams was announced. If Cincinnati wins its next contest against the Braves, the Reds would entertain the Giants at home for the division showdown. A loss to the Braves and the season would be over.
The Reds fell behind 2-0 as the Braves scored twice against starter Fred Norman.
With one out, Joe Adcock‘s RBI double gave the Braves the lead and ended the day for Norman.
Clay Kirby got the final two outs of the sixth and then worked a perfect seventh.
Milwaukee starter Bob Buhl had allowed just two hits as he blanked the Reds through six innings.
However, the seventh would be different as the Reds knocked Buhl out of the contest with four runs.
Pete Rose had a RBI single that was followed run-scoring ground out by Ken Griffey that tied the game.
Morgan’s run-scoring single gave the Reds the lead and also sent Buhl to the showers.
Don McMahon was called on by Giants manager Leo Durocher to stop the rally. After surrendering a single by George Foster that brought home another run, McMahon was able to stop the Reds from blowing the game wide open.
Unfortunately for the Giants, the Reds were able to put the game away in the eighth with three more runs.
McMahon would get charged with all three scores. He gave up a RBI single to Griffey before he was replaced by Ernie Johnson.
Johnny Bench brought home the final two runs with a single off Johnson.
With Kirby (2-5) now in line for the victory, Pedro Borbon tossed the final two frames allowing just a single to Andy Pafko to earn his third save of the season.
Jack Billingham (13-9) gets in the start in the series finale, while Gene Conley heads to the mound for the Braves.
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 (98-63)
1957 Braves (7-10)
1981 Dodgers (7-11)
2017 Astros (6-12)
1975 Padres (4-14)