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 Don Gullett tossed two-hitter as the Reds closed out a three-game sweep of Philadelphia in Riverfront Stadium with a 5-1 win over the Phillies.
Gullett (11-4) allowed a RBI single in the second to Pedro Feliz and another single to Ryan Howard in the fourth. He fanned seven and walked two.
Unlike the first two contests of the series, the Reds offense would get started early.
Johnny Bench, who was playing left field to get a break from being behind the plate, drilled a two-run homer in the first inning off Phillies starter Cole Hamels.
After the Phillies scored in the second to make it 2-1, the Reds answered in the bottom of the frame.
Reds manager Sparky Anderson, who seems to be pushing all of the right buttons during his team’s six-game winning streak, watched with a big smile as catcher Bill Plummer and second baseman Doug Flynn had back-to-back singles.
Gullett followed by striking out before Pete Rose hammered a triple to put the Reds on top 4-1.
Cincinnati’s final tally would come from Plummer as he hit his first home run of the season in the fourth inning, which would be the last for Hamels.
From that point, Gullett would hold the Phillies without a hit on his way to the win.
The Reds begin a four-game set at home with the New York Mets with a twilight doubleheader.
Gary Nolan (9-5) will start the opener for the Reds, while Fred Norman (8-6) goes in the second affair.
The Mets are scheduled to counter with Jerry Koosman and Gary Gentry.
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 (1-9)
West Division
1975 Reds (57-30)
1954 Giants (2-2)
2017 Astros (5-8)
1957 Braves (4-7)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
1975 Padres (3-11)