George Foster got the favored 1975 team off to a good start in the opening round of the Stat-O-Matic Reds Tournament presented by Press Room Pass.
The 1975 team needed just two games in the best of three series to eliminate the 1995 squad.
Foster drove in four runs in the first contest as 1975 won 6-2. They won the second game 6-5.
The left fielder’s two-run homer in the second off 1995 starter Pete Schourek gave 1975 a lead that they would not relinquish. He capped his effort with a double in the eighth to knock in two more runs.
Don Gullett worked eight innings to get the win for 1975 as he allowed eight hits with six strikeouts.
For the 1995 team, Barry Larkin had a RBI single in the fifth and Reggie Sanders added a solo homer in the eighth.
Game 2
The second contest featured more offense as Larkin set the tone with a lead-off homer for 1995 off Gary Nolan, who would work six frames for 1975.
Bret Boone gave the 1995 squad a 2-0 with another homer in the fourth. Joe Morgan cut the deficit in half for 1975 with a long ball in the bottom of the fourth off John Smiley.
In the sixth, 1975 took the lead by scoring four times. Morgan had a run-scoring single that was followed by a three-run shot by Johnny Bench.
Jeff Branson and pinch-hitter Thomas Howard answered with a RBI singles in the seventh off Pedro Borbon before Larkin tied it at 5-5 with a run-scoring double.
Rawly Eastwick got the final two outs of the seventh and he would pick up the win for 1975 thanks to a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame by Dan Driessen.
Will McEnaney worked the eighth and ninth for 1975 to earn a save.
REDS TOURNAMENT RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
First Round
No. 1 1975 vs. No. 8 1995 (2-0) 6-2, 6-5
No. 4 1970 vs. No. 5 1961
No. 3 1940 vs. No. 6 1981
No. 2 1990 vs. No. 7 2010