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?
Another fast start helped Cincinnati to a 5-2 victory in the opener of a two-game series in Milwaukee.
Johnny Bench got the scoring underway in the top of the first against Braves starter Bob Buhl with a run-scoring single. Terry Crowley followed with a RBI double and Dave Concepcion’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
Bench blasted a two-run homer in the third and the Reds led 5-0.
Reds starter Gary Nolan, who allowed nine hits with three strikeouts, gave up a solo homer to Hank Aaron in the fourth.
In the sixth, Wes Covington knocked in the final run for the Braves with a sacrifice fly.
Nolan (3-0) picked up the win, but he needed help in the ninth.
With two outs, Nolan gave up back-to-back singles to Red Schoendienst and Del Crandall.
Milwaukee manager Fred Haney sent Joe Adcock to the plate to bat for reliever Ernie Johnson, who tossed two scoreless frames.
Reds manager Sparky Anderson countered with Will McEnaney, who fanned Adcock to earn his third save.
Joe Morgan led the Reds with three hits and five stolen bases.
The series wraps up with Fred Norman (1-2) on the mound for the Reds with Gene Conley scheduled 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 (12-5)
1954 Giants (1-1)
1975 Padres (1-2)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (1-3)
1957 Braves (0-1)