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 completed a three-game sweep of in Montreal as the Reds defeated the Expos 4-0. The win is Cincinnati’s fourth straight and 12th in the last 13 games.
A pair of crafty left-handers silenced their opposing bats for five innings.
Reds starter Fred Norman had surrendered five hits, but his teammates had turned four double plays to help him get out of trouble.
Montreal’s Woodie Fryman had allowed just two hits as he blanked the Reds until the sixth.
Doug Flynn singled to begin the top of the sixth for the Reds. Norman moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt.
After Fryman fanned Rose, Dave Concepcion tripled to break up the scoreless contest. Concepcion scored on a single by Joe Morgan and the Reds led 2-0.
Fryman, who would get tagged with the loss, gave up five hits and two runs with eight strikeouts.
From that point, Norman (10-6) worked eight innings to get the win. After the fifth, he just allowed one base runner with a walk to Jerry White in the sixth.
For the Expos, reliever Dan Warthen kept the Reds off the scoreboard until the ninth.
George Foster doubled to begin the ninth. After Tony Perez moved Foster to third with a ground out to second, Warthen walked Merv Rettenmund and Flynn.
Montreal Gene Mauch manager decided to call to the bullpen and bring in Dale Murray, which had Reds manager Sparky Anderson looking to his bench for a pinch-hitter for Norman.
Anderson picked Dan Driessen, who responded with a two-run single to extend Cincinnati’s lead.
Although not a save situation, Anderson selected right-handed closer Rawly Eastwick to pitch in the bottom of the ninth to close the door on the Expos. Eastwick retired all three hitters to give the Reds the sweep.
Cincinnati heads to Philadelphia for the next stop on an eight-game road trip.
Jack Billingham (9-3) gets the start in the opener of the two-game series against the Phillies, who will counter with Kyle Kendrick.
National League Standings
(Records involve games only with Reds)
East Division
1971 Pirates (3-2)
1969 Mets (5-4)
2016 Cubs (3-4)
1975 Expos (2-7)
1967 Cardinals (1-4)
2008 Phillies (1-9)
West Division
1975 Reds (63-31)
1954 Giants (2-2)
2017 Astros (5-8)
1957 Braves (4-7)
1981 Dodgers (2-5)
1975 Padres (3-11)