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?
The winning streak is now at eight for Cincinnati as the Reds pulled off a doubleheader sweep of the New York Mets at Riverfront Stadium with scores of 3-2 and 6-1.
Gary Nolan (10-5) would give up a pair of homers, but only allow six hits in the opener before leaving the mound with one out in the ninth.
After Ed Kranepool gave the Mets the lead in the second with a homer, the Reds were able to take the lead in the fourth off New York starter Jerry Koosman.
Dave Concepcion‘s two-single put the Reds on top 2-1.
The score would remain the same until the eighth when Joe Morgan hit a solo shot to welcome Mets reliever Tug McGraw, who had just entered the contest.
In the ninth, Tommy Agee’s homer with one out ended the day for Nolan.
Will McEnaney retired pinch-hitters Don Clendenon and Jerry Grote to earn his fifth save of the season.
One Inning
The seventh inning was the one frame that the Reds needed to come away with the win in the second contest.
Cincinnati starter Fred Norman (9-6) and his counterpart from the Mets Gary Gentry didn’t allow a run through six innings.
Norman surrendered a home run to Grote to give the Mets the lead, but it wouldn’t last.
After Gentry gave up a two-run single to Ken Griffey, Mets manager Gil Hodges called McGraw from the bullpen to face Morgan hoping that the odds would be with his lefty this time.
McGraw walked Morgan to load the bases, which led to an implosion.
With the Mets pulling their infield in, McGraw got the second out of the inning as Bill Plummer hit a grounder to third baseman Wayne Garrett whose throw home retired Rose.
As Jim McAndrew was trying to finish his warm-up session in the Mets bullpen, Hodges allowed McGraw to face George Foster.
It turned out to be the wrong decision as Foster’s grand slam gave the Reds a five-run lead.
Although it wasn’t a save situation, Rawly Eastwick went to the mound for the Reds and slammed the door on the Mets with two perfect innings.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1971 Pirates (3-2)
1969 Mets (4-3)
2016 Cubs (3-4)
1975 Expos (2-4)
1967 Cardinals (1-4)
2008 Phillies (1-9)
West Division
1975 Reds (59-30)
1954 Giants (2-2)
2017 Astros (5-8)
1957 Braves (4-7)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
1975 Padres (3-11)