Bob Forsch of St. Louis tossed a complete game and knocked in the winning run as the Cardinals moved on in the 1975 Strat-O-Matic Tournament Presented by Press Room Pass with a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Chicago’s Jose Cardenal drove in two runs with a single in the top of the fourth, but that would be all of the offense the Cubs could muster.
The Cardinals quickly answered in the bottom of the frame with three runs of Cubs starter Rick Reuschel, who would eventually exit in the seventh. Ken Reitz and Ted Sizemore tied the contest with back-to-back RBI singles.
Forsch helped himself with a run-scoring ground out to put the Cardinals on top 3-2.
In the seventh, Forsch picked up his second hit as he led off with a triple and scored on a single by Lou Brock. With his third hit, Reggie Smith knocked in Brock with a double for the final tally of the affair.
Expos Open with Victory
Montreal’s Steve Rogers tossed a four-hitter as the Expos beat the New York Mets 4-0.
After giving up two run-scoring singles in the first inning to Mike Phillips and Rusty Staub, Rogers surrendered singles to Del Unser in the fourth and pinch-hitter Mike Vail in the eighth.
The Expos needed only one inning of offense to support Rogers.
In the third against Mets starter Tom Seaver, Gary Carter began the rally with a run-scoring single. Mike Jorgensen knocked in a run as he beat out a double play attempt by the Mets. Larry Parish made it 3-0 with a RBI triple.
Carter led the Expos with three hits, while Parrish and Jerry White added two hits apiece.
Seaver woked eight innings and fanned 10.
National League East Results and Schedule
(4) Cardinals 5, (5) Cubs 2
(4) Cardinals at (1) Pirates
(6) Expos 3, (3) Mets 0
(6) Expos at (2) Phillies
IN REAL LIFE:
Bob Forsch was his his second of 16 seasons in the big leagues in 1975. A member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame, Forsch posted a 15-10 record with four shutouts. At the plate, he batted .308 banging out 24 hits along with a home run and three triples.
Forsch pitched for the Cardinals from 1974 until the middle of the 1988 season when he was traded to the Houston Astros. He retired the following season.
The California native threw a pair of no-hitters for the Cardinals in 1977 and 1983. His best season was in 1977 when he posted a 20-7 mark.
Along with his older brother Ken Forsch, the duo became the only siblings to throw no-hitters. Ken tossed his for Houston in 1979.
A starter for the 1982 world champion Cardinals, Bob Forsch was 168-36 in his career. Offensively, he had 12 homers and won two Silver Sluggers in 1980 and 1987.