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?
A walk-off double by Cincinnati’s Pete Rose had the Riverfront Stadium crowd in a frenzy as the Reds beat Philadelphia 6-5 for their fifth straight win.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Rose smacked a drive into the right field corner off Phillies reliever J.C. Romero that allowed Cesar Geronimo to score from first.
Reds third base coach Alex Grammas was imploring Geronimo as he rounded the bag to beat the throw from Philadelphia’s Jayson Werth as he headed home with the winning run.
Fast Start for Phillies
Philadelphia roughed up Reds starter Pat Darcy, who was gone after three innings.
Ryan Howard hit a solo homer in the second before the Phillies scored four times in the third.
Howard had a RBI single and then scored on a three-run bomb by Werth to put the Phillies on top 5-0.
In the fifth, a pinch-hit single by Johnny Bench gave the Reds their first run of the contest against Phillies starter Adam Eaton.
Eaton was able to hold off Cincinnati until the eighth when the Reds rallied to tie the contest with four runs.
With one out, Geronimo and Dan Driessen started the rally with singles against Eaton to end his day.
For the second straight game, the Philadelphia bullpen suffered a meltdown.
This time, it would be Brad Lidge as he gave up a RBI single to Rose to make it 5-2.
Ken Griffey coaxed a walk to load the bases. Lidge then issued a free pass to Joe Morgan to force in a run.
Reds manager Sparky Anderson picked Merv Rettenmund to pinch-hit for Clay Carroll and he responded with a single to make it 5-4.
George Foster tied it with a sacrifice fly to set the stage for the ninth.
Will McEnaney (5-2), Cincinnati’s fifth pitcher of the contest, got the win despite allowing the Phillies to load the bases in the top of the ninth.
Along with McEnaney, Clay Kirby, Pedro Borbon and Carroll held the Phillies scoreless over the final six innings to allow the Reds to comeback.
The two teams close out the three-game series with their aces on the mound. Don Gullett (10-4) gets the call for the Reds with Cole Hamels starting for the Phillies.
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 (1-8)
West Division
1975 Reds (56-30)
1954 Giants (2-2)
2017 Astros (5-8)
1957 Braves (4-7)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
1975 Padres (3-11)