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?
Johnny Bench ended a roller-coaster ride for Cincinnati with a 10th inning two-run homer to give the Reds a 7-5 victory over St. Louis in Busch Stadium.
An unearned run in the top of the ninth by the Reds off Cardinals starter Ray Washburn tied the contest at 5-5 and set the stage for Bench.
Cincinnati starter Jack Billigham, who was looking for his seventh straight win without a loss, got the Reds on the scoreboard with a solo homer in the top of the second inning.
Lou Brock‘s RBI ground out made it 1-1 in the bottom of the frame.
Bench put the Reds in front with his first two-run shot of the game in the third.
Unfortunatley for Billingham, the advantage didn’t last very long.
Orlando Cepeda led off the third for St. louis with a single and Tim McCarver followed with a double.
Roger Maris then took Billingham deep to right with a three-run blast and the Cardinals led 4-3. Mike Shannon singled and Billingham was done in what was his shortest outing of the season.
Dan Driessen‘s RBI single in the sixth made it 4-4 and took Billingham off the hook for the loss.
Clay Kirby was working on his fourth scoreless frame in relief of Billingham when Brock homered with two outs in the seventh to put the Cardinals on top 5-4.
With two outs in the ninth, Washburn was looking for a complete game when McCarver made an error on pinch-hitter Dave Concepcion‘s grounder in front oh the plate.
Concepcion swiped second just before Cesar Geronimo doubled to tie it at 5-5.
Will McEnaney worked a scoreless ninth in place of Kirby to send the game into extra innings.
After Bench’s game-winning homer, McEnaney (3-2) slammed the door in the 10th as he retired Curt Flood, Cepeda and McCarver in order to get the win.
Pat Darcy (5-1) gets the start for Cincinnati in the middle contest of the three-game series with Larry Jaster scheduled to be on the mound for the Cardinals.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1969 Mets (4-1)
1975 Expos (2-4)
2008 Phillies (1-6)
1967 Cardinals (0-1)
1971 Pirates (0-0)
2016 Cubs (0-0)
West Division
1975 Reds (32-16)
1954 Giants (2-2)
1957 Braves (2-3)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (2-5)
1975 Padres (1-5)