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 had quite a day as he helped Cincinnati sweep the San Diego Padres 4-3 and 5-1 as the Reds took three of the four in the series at Riverfront Stadium.
Bench had four hits with a pair of homers and two doubles as he drove in five runs in the twinbill.
In the opener, it was a RBI double by Bench in the eighth inning that put the Reds on top for good. The Reds catcher had his power surge in the second game.
Early Lead
Merv Rettenmund got the scoring started in the first contest against Padres ace Randy Jones with a RBI triple in the second.
After Bench doubled to begin the fourth, George Foster knocked him in with a single giving the Reds a 2-0 lead.
The Padres came back to tie the game against Reds starter Don Gullett with a run in the sixth and another in the seventh.
Johnny Grubb had a run-scoring single in the sixth, while Mike Ivie hit a homer in the next frame.
Cincinnati manager Sparky Anderson went to his bullpen with Clay Carroll working a scoreless eighth to set the stage for the Reds rally in the bottom of the inning.
With Jones still on the mound, Joe Morgan walked and then scored on the double by Bench.
Tony Perez ended the day for Jones as he brought Bench home with a double.
Carroll (3-1) walked Dave Winfield to start the ninth. Although Winfield later scored when Ivie hit into a double play, Carroll was able to hold off the Padres to get the win.
Two Long Balls
It didn’t take Bench very long to have an impact in the second contest as he blasted a three-run homer in the first inning off Padres starter Joe McIntosh.
After Dan Dreissen’s RBI single in the third, Bench greeted San Diego reliever Danny Frisella with a solo shot leading off in the fifth that gave the Reds a 5-0 advantage.
Gary Nolan (8-5) worked eight innings to get the win. He gave up 10 hits, but only allowed a sacrifice fly by Grubb in the sixth.
Although not in a save situation, Pedro Borbon threw a scoreless ninth to give the Reds the doubleheader victory.
Cincinnati entertains Houston in a three-game series with Fred Norman (7-5) slated to start for the Reds in the opener against Dallas Keuchel.
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 (51-26)
1954 Giants (2-2)
1957 Braves (4-7)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
1975 Padres (2-8)
2017 Astros (2-8)