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?
Cincinnati appeared to be headed for a third straight loss as Chicago’s Jon Lester was in control.
Lester had walked one through four innings, while not allowing a hit.
Unfortunately for Lester, the contest came down to two swings by Tony Perez and Johnny Bench as the Reds were able to bounce back for a 4-3 victory at Riverfront Stadium.
The Cubs battled to a 2-0 advantage in the top of the fourth against Reds starter Don Gullett as Addison Russell walked with a bases loaded and Jason Heyward hit a sacrifice fly.
In the fifth, George Foster picked up Cincinnati’s first hit with a single just before Perez blasted a two-run homer to tie the affair at 2-2.
Ben Zobrist answered for Chicago in the sixth with a solo shot off Gullett that put the Cubs back on top.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Joe Morgan doubled and Bench’s drive over the fence gave the Reds a 4-3 lead.
Pedro Strop worked the final two frames on the mound for the Cubs as he gave his team a chance to comeback.
However, Pedro Borbon shut down the Cubs in the eighth before giving up three singles in the ninth that loaded the bases.
Rawly Eastwick came on to retire Kris Bryant on a grounder to short for the final out the contest to even the series at one game apiece. It was Eastwick’s 14th save of the season.
Gullett (7-3) gave up just three hits in seven inning with seven strikeouts, but it was the five walks that caused him the most trouble.
Lester worked six innings and surrendered four hits with four strikeouts.
The two teams wrap up their four-game series with a doubleheader.
Gary Nolan (5-3) and Fred Norman (4-4) are slated to start for the Reds, while the Cubs counter with Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1969 Mets (4-1)
2016 Cubs (1-1)
1975 Expos (2-4)
1971 Pirates (1-2)
2008 Phillies (1-6)
1967 Cardinals (0-3)
West Division
1975 Reds (37-18)
1954 Giants (2-2)
1957 Braves (2-3)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (2-5)
1975 Padres (1-5)