Jim Merritt was rapped for 11 hits and failed to last the route, but the lefthander became the major leagues' first 10-game winner of the season when the Reds smashed four homers to beat the Expos, 6-4. Lee May hit two and Hal McRae whacked one to help the  Reds take a 4-2 lead.

The Expos caught up in the fifth inning with a single by Don Hahn and homer by Rusty Staub, but Bobby Tolan walked with two out in the seventh and Tony Perez hit for the circuit to give Merritt his decision. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 6, Montreal Expos 4
Game Played on Sunday, May       31, 1970 (Day game) at Crosley Field
Expos        0  0  0    2  2  0    0  0  0  -   4 12  1
Reds         1  1  0    2  0  0    2  0  x  -   6  8  1


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Hahn lf               4   1   2   0     0   1   .216      Rose rf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .276
  Day ph              1   0   0   0     0   1   .231      Tolan cf              3   1   0   0     1   1   .306
Sutherland 2b         5   0   0   0     0   0   .155      Perez 3b              3   1   2   3     0   0   .376
Staub rf              4   1   2   2     0   0   .325      Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .271
Phillips cf           4   0   3   0     0   0   .240      May 1b                4   2   2   2     0   1   .291
Bateman c             3   1   2   0     0   0   .200      McRae lf              3   1   2   1     0   0   .296
  Fairly ph,1b        1   0   0   0     0   0   .281        Stewart pr,lf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .139
Laboy 3b              3   1   1   1     0   0   .182      Helms 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .203
  Staehle ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .220      Concepcion ss         2   0   1   0     1   0   .271
Boccabella 1b,c       3   0   1   1     0   0   .192      Merritt p             3   0   0   0     0   2   .135
  Fairey ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .250        Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Wine ss               3   0   0   0     0   0   .178        Gullett p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .750
  Jones ph            0   0   0   0     0   0   .231        Granger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Brand ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .263
McGinn p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Reed p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Morton p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .190
  Bailey ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .109

Totals               37   4  12   4     1   4             Totals               31   6   8   6     2   4

Time of Game: 2:15   Attendance: 10,279
Left on Base: Expos 7, Reds 4
DP: Expos 0, Reds 2
Errors: Sutherland, Concepcion
Doubles: Staub (9), Hahn (2), Laboy (7), Rose (9)
Triples: Phillips (1)
Home Runs: Staub (6), May 2 (14), McRae (5), Perez (18)
Caught Stealing: Concepcion (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Perez (3)
GIDP: Laboy (3), Fairly (6)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McGinn                  3     5   4   4   0   2   3  15   5.16
Reed L(1-3)             4     3   2   2   2   1   1  16   5.19
Morton                  1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.60
Totals                  8     8   6   6   2   4   4  34

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Merritt W(10-3)         7.1  11   4   4   0   3   1  31   3.09
Carroll                 1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.21
Gullett                 0     0   0   0   1   0   0   1   1.45
Granger SV(12)          0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.66
Totals                  9    12   4   4   1   4   1  38

Wild Pitches: McGinn (5)

Umpires: HP - Tom Gorman, 1B - Mel Steiner, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - Nick Colosi


EXPOS 1ST: Hahn popped to catcher in foul territory; Sutherland
flied out to center; Staub doubled to center; Phillips singled
to shortstop [Staub out at home (shortstop to first to catcher
to third)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose doubled to right; Tolan grounded out (pitcher to
first) [Rose to third]; Perez hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Rose scored]; Bench flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 0, Reds 1.

EXPOS 2ND: Bateman singled to center; Laboy grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Bateman out at
second]; Boccabella grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Reds 1.

REDS 2ND: May homered; McRae grounded out (shortstop to first);
Helms popped to first in foul territory; Concepcion singled to
center; Merritt struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Reds
2.

EXPOS 3RD: Wine grounded out (third to first); McGinn struck
out; Hahn doubled to center; Sutherland flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Reds 2.

REDS 3RD: Rose reached on an error by Sutherland [Rose to
first]; McGinn threw a wild pitch [Rose to second]; Tolan struck
out; Perez lined to shortstop; Bench grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Reds 2.

EXPOS 4TH: Staub flied out to center; Phillips grounded out
(third to first); Bateman singled to right; Laboy doubled to
center [Bateman scored]; Boccabella singled to left [Laboy
scored]; Wine flied out to right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos
2, Reds 2.

REDS 4TH: May homered; McRae homered; REED REPLACED MCGINN
(PITCHING); Helms grounded out (second to first); Concepcion
walked; Concepcion was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Merritt struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2,
Reds 4.

EXPOS 5TH: Reed grounded out (third to first); Hahn singled to
center; Sutherland flied out to center; Staub homered [Hahn
scored]; Phillips tripled to left; Bateman grounded out (pitcher
to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 4, Reds 4.

REDS 5TH: Rose flied out to center; Tolan popped to pitcher;
Perez singled to center; Bench flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Expos 4, Reds 4.

EXPOS 6TH: Laboy popped to shortstop; Boccabella grounded out
(third to first); Wine flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Expos 4, Reds 4.

REDS 6TH: May flied out to right; McRae singled to left; STEWART
RAN FOR MCRAE; Helms forced Stewart (first to shortstop);
Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Expos 4, Reds 4.

EXPOS 7TH: STEWART STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Reed struck out;
Hahn struck out; Sutherland flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Expos 4, Reds 4.

REDS 7TH: Merritt grounded out (first to pitcher); Rose grounded
out (shortstop to first); Tolan walked; Perez homered [Tolan
scored]; Bench grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 4, Reds 6.

EXPOS 8TH: Staub flied out to right; Phillips singled to left;
CARROLL REPLACED MERRITT (PITCHING); FAIRLY BATTED FOR BATEMAN;
Fairly grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Phillips out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 4,
Reds 6.

REDS 8TH: FAIRLY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); BOCCABELLA CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); MORTON REPLACED REED (PITCHING); May
struck out; Stewart flied out to center; Helms flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 4, Reds 6.

EXPOS 9TH: STAEHLE BATTED FOR LABOY; Staehle grounded out
(shortstop to first); FAIREY BATTED FOR BOCCABELLA; Fairey
singled to right; JONES BATTED FOR WINE; GULLETT REPLACED
CARROLL (PITCHING); BRAND BATTED FOR JONES; Brand walked [Fairey
to second]; BAILEY BATTED FOR MORTON; GRANGER REPLACED GULLETT
(PITCHING); Bailey reached on an error by Concepcion [Fairey to
third, Brand to second, Bailey to first]; DAY BATTED FOR HAHN;
Day struck out; Sutherland grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 4, Reds 6.