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?
With four runs over the final three innings, Cincinnati was able to comeback for an 8-5 victory over Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium to take a 2-1 lead in the four-game series.
Cesar Geronimo belted a solo homer to lead off the eighth inning, which would hang the loss on Dodgers reliever Dave Stewart.
The Reds would added two more runs in the ninth to put the game away on RBI singles by Pete Rose and Ken Griffey.
Plenty of Home Runs
A two-run homer by Johnny Bench got things started for the Reds in the first inning against Dodgers starter Bob Welch.
Steve Garvey answered for the Dodgers with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the frame off Reds righty Jack Billingham.
Billingham helped himself at the plate in the second with a RBI double to make it 3-1.
Rick Monday touched up Billingham for a solo shot in the fourth before Bill Russell tied the contest with a single that scored Ron Cey.
In the fifth, Bench and Monday both hit solo blasts, which made it 4-4.
The Dodgers manufactured a run in the sixth to take the lead.
Ken Landreaux led off with a single and swiped second. Two outs later, Dusty Baker knocked in Landreaux to make it 5-4.
Control problems helped the Reds get to Welch in the seventh to tie the contest.
With one out, Welch walked Griffey. Morgan followed with a single to right, but Monday was able to nail Griffey who was trying to reach third for the second out.
After Morgan stole second, Bench walked. George Foster‘s RBI single scored Morgan and it was 5-5.
Welch walked Tony Perez and Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda replaced him with Stewart, who got Dave Concepcion to ground out to end the inning to set the stage for Geronimo’s game-winner.
Billingham (2-0) got the win as he went seven innings and gave up 11 hits and all of the runs by the Dodgers.
Pedro Borbon worked a scoreless eighth. Rawly Eastwick had a runner reach on an error, but he slammed the door on the Dodgers to pick up his third save.
In a rematch from Cincinnati’s Opening Day victory, Don Gullett (2-0) will take the mound for the Reds in the series finale, while Fernando Valenzuela will look for redemption for the Dodgers.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1967 Cardinals (0-0)
1969 Mets (0-0)
1971 Pirates (0-0)
1975 Expos (0-0)
2008 Phillies (0-0)
2016 Cubs (0-0)
West Division
1975 Reds (6-3)
1954 Giants (0-0)
1957 Braves (0-0)
2017 Astros (0-0)
1981 Dodgers (2-4)
1975 Padres (1-2)