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 began it’s six-game road trip with a 7-3 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
The Reds got started early in the contest as Johnny Bench singled to drive in a run in the top of the first.
After Houston’s Josh Reddick tied it with a RBI single in the second, Cincinnati scored three times in the third to take the lead for good.
Ken Griffey led off with a single and he came home on a triple by Joe Morgan. Bench knocked in another run with a sacrifice fly. Later in the frame, Cesar Geronimo made it 4-1 with a run-scoring double.
Homers accounted for the next final runs by the Reds as Bench had a solo shot in the fourth off Astros starter Brad Peacock, while Pete Rose had a two-run blast off James Hoyt in the fifth.
Brian McCann drove in Houston’s second run with a single off Reds starter Fred Norman.
Norman (6-5) left the contest with one out in the eighth with runners on first and third. Will McEnaney fanned Alex Bregman and pinch-hitter Carlos Beltran to end the threat.
Rawly Eastwick worked the ninth for the Reds and gave up a sacrifice fly to Reddick before finishing the game.
Morgan led the Reds with three hits. Yuli Gurriel topped the Astros with three hits, including a pair of doubles.
Jack Billingham (7-1) is slated to start for the Reds in the middle contest of the three-game series, while Charlie Morton takes the mound for the Astros.
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 (44-24)
1954 Giants (2-2)
1957 Braves (3-5)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (2-6)
1975 Padres (1-5)