1975 Big Red Machine Replay
 

Starting Rotation
Gary Nolan
Jack Billingham
Fred Norman
Don Gullet

Spot Starter
Clay Kirby

Middle Relief
Pedro Boubon
Tom Hall
Clay Kirby
Pat Darcy

Mop-Up Reliever
Tom M Carroll

Set-Up Reliever
Clay Carroll
Will McEnaney

Closer
Rawly Eastwick

Lineup
1. Pete Rose 3B
2. Joe Morgan 2B
3. Johnny Bench C
4. Tony Perez 1B
5. George Foster LF
6. Ken Griffey Sr. RF
7. Dave Concepcion SS
8. Cesar Geronimo CF

Bench
C Bill Plummer
1B Dan Driessen
2B Doug Flynn
RF Terry Crowley
RF Merv Rettenmund

Game 1 Starting Lineups

Gary Nolan delivered a strong outing to give the Reds an opening night victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers by the score of 4-2. Nolan escaped a bases loaded jam in the first inning and remained steady the rest of the way. Cincinnati received their first run of the year courtesy of the bat of Pete Rose. Charlie Hustle, who went 3-4 in the game, smoked and RBI double to right center in the bottom of the 5th. His teammates would continue the trend in the next inning when a pinch hit single by Dan Driessen gave the Reds a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth. The Reds would go on to score 2 more runs two batters later thanks to a nice piece of two out hitting on a single to right off the bat of Joe Morgan. Rawly Eastwick would take over for Will McEnaney in the bottom of the 9th and hold down the fort to collect his first save and wrap up the reds first win of the 1975 season.

Whoa !!! It's great to see one of my favorite Dynasty teams during that Era ... we've certainly gave them the run for their money ... although, if we had Rice, it may have been a difference ... otherwise, I'm here to read, mate ... good choice!!! ...(by the way, please chat with Rose about his future in Gambling :crying: - you may save his doom, otherwise, he probably wouldn't of ended up with his current wife:p )

Tony Perez was a late scratch from the game, Dan Driessen was inserted in his place. When asked about the move, Reds manager Sparky Anderson revealed that Perez "tweaked" his back during BP and was benched only for precautionary reasons. The Reds would go on to taste defeat for the first time in the 1975 season at the hands of a 7-5 beating from the Dodgers. Reds starter Jack Billingham cruised through 3 scoreless. However, a 48 minute rain delay caused him to loose his rhythm. Billingham would go on to surrender back to back singles after the delay, both of which scored, and had to be replaced by Clay Kirby after the inning. The climax of the game came as a result of a two out error by shortstop Davey Concepcion that gave way to a grand slam off the bat of Steve Yeager to make it 7-0 Dodgers. The Reds would find a way to claw back. Scoring 3 in the 8th due to singles by Bench and Driessen, the Reds found themselves in a 7-3 ballgame heading into the 9th. In the bottom half, Doug Flynn led off with a pinch hit solo home run. The Reds would score once more when Joe Morgan scored on an RBI single by Ken Griffey before Davey Concepcion would fly out to end the ballgame.

haha thanks!

and i don't think he'd listen to me ;)

Greg Norman tossed a gem Thursday night as the Reds went on to take the game, and the series, from the LA Dodgers 2-0. Norman went 9 innings allowing 3 hits, walking 2, and striking out 8. He did it with the bat as well, scoring on a Joe Morgan double in the bottom of the 3rd after leading off the inning with a double himself. The only other run of the ballgame came in the bottom of the 6th when Davey Concepcion singled in Tony Perez. The Reds now head west where they will face these Dodgers again in four days. First, however, the Reds will have to meet the San Diego Padres who are coming off an opening series sweep of the Giants.

Reds top Padres
The Reds beat the Padres friday night in San Diego, thanks in large part to solid pitching and some timely hitting. San Diego got the scoring underway, however, when Bob Davis led off the bottom of the third inning with a solo blast off Reds starting pitcher Don Gullet. Gullet would limit the damage afterward, allowing 3 runs and scattering 9 hits while striking out 5 through 6.1 innings. In the 6th Johnny Bench belted a double that scored Joe Morgan who had singled and stole second. Tony Perez immediately returned the favor singling in bench from second on the first pitch he saw to make the score 3-1 Redlegs. In the eighth Perez was left gasping for air when a George Foster crushed double scored him from first. Yes folks, Doggy Perez ran from first to home....without stopping. Dave Concepcion would bring Foster home on a single later in the inning to make the score 5-3. And 5-3 it would stay as Pedro Borbon and Will McEnaney would team up to finish off the last two innings without allowing a baserunner and striking out a Dodger a piece.

Perez Late Inning Heroics Wasted

The Cincinnati Reds saw a 2-1 lead evaporate in the bottom of the 9th in San Diego Saturday night. The game was tied at 1 run apiece heading into the top of the 9th win Reds first baseman Tony Perez launched a go-ahead solo home run into the left field grand stand to make the game 2-1. Clay Kirby headed to the mound in the bottom half trying to hold down that lead. After hitting a batter, Kirby retired the next two hitters putting the Reds one out away from a 4-1 record. After giving up a single the Reds brought in Will McEnaney who promptly gave up back to back singles to Fred Kendall and Glen Beckert to tie and lose the ballgame. The Reds and Padres will square off again tomorrow afternoon in San Diego for the rubber match of the series.

Reds top Padres 6-1: Billingham Goes the Distance
"And this one belongs to the Reds..."
The Cincinnati Reds pounded the Padres Sunday afternoon by a score of 6 to 1. Jack Billingham went the distance in that game, surrendering only 3 hits throughout. The Reds got on the board in the 5th when Billingham, Rose, and Morgan banged back to back singles to load the bases. They could only, however, manage to scratch one run across by way of a Johnny Bench Sacrafice fly to make it a 1 to nothing ballgame. Cincinnati continued their scoring trend in the 6th when Dan Driessen, after belting a double, came around to score on a Cesar Geronimo seeing-eye-single to right. After a sac bunt by Billingham, Geronimo touched the plate by way of a Pete Rose 2 out single. Dan Driessen would contribute to the scoring once again in the 7th when he belted himself a 2-out 2-RBI single. The final runs of the ballgame came thanks to some shaky defense by the Padres. Cesar Geronimo reached and advanced to second on a throwing error. Padres pitcher Jerry Johnson then proceeded to walk Billingham, Rose, and Morgan (for the third time) to force in a run, giving Jack Billingham a nice five run cushion to finish the it out in the ninth. Cincinnati will continue this west coast road trip tomorrow evening in Los Angeles as the take on the Dodgers in the opener of a four game set.

Cincinnati Outlasts Dodgers 3-2: Foster hits game winner in 10th
And this one belongs to the Reds...

The Dodgers were the first to touch home plate Monday night when Jim Wynn crossed thanks to an RBI Double off the bat of Ivan deJesus. The Reds would regain the lead in the top of the 6th when Tony Perez knocked in Johnny Bench with a single. Ken Griffey's sac fly later in the inning made the ballgame 2-1 Redlegs. However, the Dodgers would answer in the bottom half. After back to back singles by Steve Garvey and Ron Cey, Fred Norman's wild pitch tied the game back up at 2 runs apiece. Thats the way things would stay until Tony Perez' RBI single in the top of the 10th proved to be a game winner. A slight worry for Reds fans that has been hidden in these latest wins is middle of the infield defense. The Reds double-play combination of Joe Morgan and Dave Concepcion have combined for 6 errors in 7 games. But hey, you know what they say, a wins a win, and the Cincinnati Reds are 5-2 and hold an early lead of the NL West. The Reds will be back in action tomorrow evening as they are hosted, once again, by the Dodgers in game 2 of this best-of-four series.