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 won a pitcher’s duel as three Reds hurlers combined to toss a five-hitter in a 2-1 win over Los Angeles 2-1 at Dodger Stadium.
Winning pitcher Gary Nolan (1-0) gave way to Pedro Borbon, who got the final out of the seventh and worked a perfect eighth.
Rawly Eastwick earned his second save with three straight outs in the ninth.
Nolan gave up all five hits with three by Bill Russell and two by Steve Garvey. He fanned three and walked one.
The Reds got on the scoreboard in the second inning against Dodgers starter Jerry Reuss.
Johnny Bench walked to begin the frame. After Tony Perez popped out to first, Dave Concepcion singled.
Cesar Geronimo doubled to score Bench giving the Reds a 1-0 lead.
With two outs in the fifth, Pete Rose singled and Ken Griffey followed with a triple to put the Reds up by two runs.
The Dodgers picked up their run in the seventh on a RBI single by Russell.
Reuss worked seven frames for the Dodgers giving up seven hits with two strikeouts, while Dave Stewart went the final two innings.
In the second contest of the four-game series, Reds lefty Fred Norman (0-1) will oppose Burt Hooton, who threw a six-hit shutout for the Dodgers in a 2-0 win in Cincinnati during his last outing against the Reds.
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 (5-2)
1954 Giants (0-0)
1957 Braves (0-0)
2017 Astros (0-0)
1975 Padres (1-2)
1981 Dodgers (1-3)