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?
A bases clearing double by George Foster gave Cincinnati the boost it needed as the Reds opened a three-game series in Houston with an 8-3 win over the Astros.
After Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. walked Pete Rose and Ken Griffey to begin the game, Joe Morgan had a single the filled the bases.
Foster smacked his double and the Reds led 3-0. In the second, Rose had a RBI single to put Cincinnati up by four.
Cincinnati continues its road trip as the Reds head to Houston for three-game series. Jack Billingham (3-0) starts for the Reds, while Lance McCullers Jr. will be on the mound for the Astros.
Rose was at it again in the fourth with a run-scoring double, which was followed by a sacrifice fly by Morgan to make it 6-0.
Houston’s Josh Reddick hit a homer in the bottom of the fourth off Reds starter Jack Billingham (4-0), who would go on to toss a complete game.
McCullers would leave after the fifth as he gave way to Will Harris. Harris worked three frames with six strikeouts. His only blemish was a homer by Tony Perez in the eighth.
The Reds added an unearned run in the ninth off Joe Musgrove.
Billigham labored in the ninth as Reds manager Sparky Anderson uncharacteristically allowed him to finish the contest.
Carlos Correa led off with a homer and Alex Bregman had a RBI single for the final runs of the contest.
Pat Darcy (0-1) gets the start in the middle game of the series, while the Astros counter with Justin Verlander.
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 (14-5)
1954 Giants (1-1)
1975 Padres (1-2)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (1-4)
1957 Braves (0-2)