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 that won world championships. This series has advanced to the post-season as the Reds finished 100-63 in games played with the Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The Reds defeated the 1969 New York Mets in the NLCS during this project, while the 1975 Boston Red Sox beat the 75 Oakland A’s to take the ALCS.
The Cincinnati Reds were comfortable at Riverfront Stadium.
Cincinnati starter Fred Norman kept Boston’s offense off balance, while Reds exploded in a 9-2 victory over the Red Sox to take the third game of the 1975 World Series.
Two batters into the contest, Boston starter Bill Lee was in trouble.
Pete Rose led off with a single and then Ken Griffey smacked his second homer of the series to give the Reds a 2-0 advantage.
Rose made it 3-0 in the second with a RBI single.
Cincinnati didn’t stop as the Reds sent Lee to the showers in the third after back-to-back run-scoring doubles by George Foster and Tony Perez.
Red Sox manager Darrell Johnson went to his bullpen in the third and Roger Moret got out the inning without any more damage.
However after Moret recorded two outs, his day took a turn for the worse in a hurry. Johnny Bench banged a two-run double and Perez knocked his second RBI double of the contest to give the Reds an 8-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Norman (1-1) blanked the Red Sox through five innings before he surrendered a RBI single to Fred Lynn. Norman would leave after seven innings as he gave up six hits with eight strikeouts.
Although the run was unearned, Rose drove in the final score for the Reds with a single in the seventh off Dick Pole.
Clay Carroll worked a scoreless eighth for the Reds, while Pedro Borbon finished up in the ninth when the Red Sox got their final run as Doug Griffin hit into a double play.
Jack Billingham (0-0) was told after the game that he was going to start the fourth contest for the Reds.
Johnson also informed Luis Tiant that he would get the ball for the Red Sox as they look to even the best of seven-contest affair at two games apiece.
1975 Reds Replay Post-Season Schedule
World Series
Game 1 – Cincinnati 6, Boston 3
Game 2 – Boston 3, Cincinnati 1
Game 3 – Cincinnati 9, Boston 2
Game 4 – Boston (Tiant 1-0) at Cincinnati (Billingham 0-0)
Game 5 – Boston (Wise 2-0 or Cleveland 0-0) at Cincinnati (Gullett 1-0 or Darcy 0-0)
Game 6 – Cincinnati at Boston, if necessary
Game 7 – Cincinnati at Boston, if necessary