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’s Jack Billingham wasn’t perfect, but he was close.
Billingham didn’t allow a base-runner after the fourth inning as he no-hit the San Diego Padres 3-0 at Riverfront Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.
Now 9-1 this season, Billingham finished with four strikeouts and just a pair of walks.
The fourth inning proved to be the only difficult situation for Billingham.
Johnny Grubb coaxed a leadoff walk and Dave Winfield hit a grounder to Reds third baseman Pete Rose. Grubb was out at second, but Winfield beat out the throw from Joe Morgan to deny the Reds of a double play.
Reds catcher Johnny Bench became a pivotal part of the rest of the frame. Bench threw out Winfield as he was trying to swipe second.
On the downside, Bench couldn’t field a dribbler hit by Willie McCovey in front of the plate as the slugger to reached first.
Billingham ended the threat by retiring Gene Locklear on a fly ball to George Foster in left. McCovey was the last base-runner that Billingham allowed.
San Diego starter Dave Freisleben was nearly as good as his counterpart. He gave up five hits with three strikeouts.
Back-to-back RBI singles by Bench and Foster in the first inning gave the Reds a 2-0 advantage.
Foster’s sacrifice fly in the sixth provided the Reds with their final run of the contest.
Pat Darcy (7-2) gets the start for Cincinnati in the second contest of the four-game set with the Padres sending Brent Strom to the mound.
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 (49-25)
1954 Giants (2-2)
1957 Braves (4-7)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
2017 Astros (2-8)
1975 Padres (1-6)