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?
Missed opportunities hurt Cincinnati as the Reds fell 5-2 to the Milwaukee Braves at Riverfront Stadium.
The Reds, who wouldn’t get a hit until the fifth off Braves starter Bob Trowbridge, left a dozen runners stranded in the contest.
Trowbridge earned the victory despite walking 10 batters in six innings, while giving up just two runs on four hits.
However, the Braves were able to cash in on their chances with all of their runs coming via homers.
In the second, Red Schoendienst hit the first of four long balls in the game by the Braves.
Andy Pafko tagged Reds starter Don Gullett in the fourth to give the Braves a 2-0 advantage.
After Pete Rose got the first hit off Trowbridge in the fifth, the Reds were able to tie it in the sixth.
Terry Crowley and Darrell Chaney singled to begin the frame and Cesar Geronimo received Trowbridge’s 10th free pass to load the bases.
George Foster, who was hitting for Gullett, knocked in a run with an infield single that left the bases jammed. Rose followed with a sacrifice fly before Ken Griffey grounded into a double play to end the rally.
Replacing Gullett on the mound in the seventh, Clay Carroll was greeted by Pafko with his second home run of the game.
Del Crandall was next and he singled before pinch-hitter Wes Covington torched a pitch from Carroll over the wall to extend the lead for the Braves.
Pedro Borbon came on to retire the next three hitters and he would go one to finish the game for the Reds.
Ernie Johnson tossed two scoreless innings for the Braves before Don McMahon picked up a save by working the ninth.
Pat Darcy (1-1) gets the call for the Reds in the middle affair of the three-game series with Warren Spahn taking 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 (16-8)
1954 Giants (2-2)
1957 Braves (1-2)
1975 Padres (1-2)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (2-5)