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 scored in the first six innings as the Reds went on to an 11-1 victory over the Milwaukee Braves in the opener of the three-game series at Riverfront Stadium.
Reds pitcher Pat Darcy (6-2) went the distance as he gave up five hits with three strikeouts. He surrendered the run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Hank Aaron.
Braves starter Bob Trowbridge lasted four innings as he allowed eight runs on six hits. Trowbridge walked seven with five of those batters eventually scoring.
Johnny Bench got the Reds started in the first with a RBI single.
The Reds added four runs in the second as Darcy doubled home a run and Joe Morgan knocked in two. Ken Griffey later scored on a wild pitch by Trowbridge.
Dan Driessen scored on a double play in the third before Morgan blasted a two-run homer in the fourth.
Juan Pizarro went to the mound for the Braves in the fifth and he gave up and RBI ground out to Cesar Geronimo.
Bench finished the scoring with a two-run homer in the sixth.
Morgan topped the Reds with three hits and four RBI, Eddie Mathews led the Braves with two hits.
Don Gullett (8-3) gets the ball from Reds manager Sparky Anderson in the middle contest of the series with Warren Spahn going to the mound for the Braves.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1969 Mets (4-1)
1971 Pirates (3-2)
2016 Cubs (3-4)
1975 Expos (2-4)
1967 Cardinals (1-4)
2008 Phillies (1-6)
West Division
1975 Reds (42-23)
1954 Giants (2-2)
1957 Braves (2-4)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (2-5)
1975 Padres (1-5)