Johnny Bench batted in both of the Reds' runs to enable Jim Merritt to defeat the Braves, 2-1. In the first inning, after Bobby Tolan and Tony Perez singled, the Reds' initial run scored on a grounder by Bench. The Braves knotted the count in the second on walks to Orlando Cepeda and Tony Gonzalez and a double by Clete Boyer, Tolan was hit by a pitch in the third, stole the next two bases and scored on a single by Bench. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 2, Atlanta Braves 1
Game Played on Thursday, July      2, 1970 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Braves       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  1
Reds         1  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   2  6  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Garrido ss            5   0   0   0     0   0   .299      Rose rf               4   0   1   0     0   2   .315
Millan 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .289      Tolan cf              1   2   1   0     0   0   .324
H. Aaron rf           4   0   2   0     0   0   .317      Perez 3b              1   0   1   0     3   0   .365
Carty lf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .365      Bench c               4   0   1   2     0   0   .293
Cepeda 1b             2   1   0   0     2   0   .292      May 1b                4   0   0   0     0   1   .258
Gonzalez cf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .226      McRae lf              3   0   0   0     1   1   .308
Boyer 3b              4   0   2   1     0   0   .206        Stewart lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .180
Tillman c             3   0   0   0     0   2   .248      Helms 2b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .224
  Aspromonte ph       1   0   1   0     0   0   .180      Woodward ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .258
  Jackson pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Merritt p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .137
Stone p               3   0   0   0     0   1   .214
  T. Aaron ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               33   1   6   1     4   3             Totals               28   2   6   2     4   5

Time of Game: 2:08   Attendance: 14,599
Left on Base: Braves 9, Reds 9
DP: Braves 1, Reds 0
Errors: H. Aaron
Doubles: Boyer (8), Gonzalez (10)
Triples: H. Aaron (1)
Stolen Bases: Tolan 2 (25)
Sacrifice Hits: Tolan 2 (5)
GIDP: Helms (12)
Hit by Pitch: Tolan (4,by Stone)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Stone L(6-4)            8     6   2   2   4   5   0  35   3.34
Totals                  8     6   2   2   4   5   0  35

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Merritt W(13-6)         9     6   1   1   4   3   0  37   3.32
Totals                  9     6   1   1   4   3   0  37

Hit by Pitch: Stone (4)

Umpires: HP - Al Barlick, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Dick Stello


BRAVES 1ST: Garrido grounded out (shortstop to first); Millan
grounded out (third to first); H. Aaron grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose struck out; Tolan singled to center; Perez
singled to center [Tolan to third]; Bench forced Perez (third to
second) [Tolan scored]; May struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 0, Reds 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Carty flied out to right; Cepeda walked; Gonzalez
walked [Cepeda to second]; Boyer doubled to left [Cepeda scored,
Gonzalez to third]; Tillman struck out; Stone struck out; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 1.

REDS 2ND: McRae walked; Helms grounded into a double play (third
to second to first) [McRae out at second]; Woodward singled to
left; Merritt popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Garrido grounded out (third to first); Millan flied
out to center; H. Aaron singled to right; Carty flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Rose struck out; Tolan was hit by a pitch; Tolan stole
second; Tolan stole third; Perez walked; Bench singled to center
[Tolan scored, Perez to second]; May flied out to left; McRae
struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Cepeda grounded out (third to first); Gonzalez
doubled to left; Boyer singled to right [Gonzalez to third];
Tillman struck out; Stone grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

REDS 4TH: Helms flied out to center; Woodward grounded out
(third to first); Merritt struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 1, Reds 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Garrido flied out to right; Millan flied out to
right; H. Aaron tripled to right; Carty popped to first; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Rose reached on an error by H. Aaron [Rose to first];
Tolan out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Rose to
second]; Perez was walked intentionally; Bench popped to third
in foul territory; May flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
 Braves 1, Reds 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Cepeda flied out to center; Gonzalez grounded out
(shortstop to first); Boyer flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

REDS 6TH: McRae grounded out (shortstop to first); Helms singled
to center; Woodward forced Helms (second to shortstop); Merritt
forced Woodward (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 1, Reds 2.

BRAVES 7TH: Tillman grounded out (shortstop to first); Stone
grounded out (shortstop to first); Garrido flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

REDS 7TH: Rose singled to left; Tolan out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher unassisted) [Rose to second]; Perez was walked
intentionally; Bench popped to first; May popped to shortstop; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

BRAVES 8TH: Millan flied out to right; H. Aaron flied out to
center; Carty walked; Cepeda walked [Carty to second]; Gonzalez
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

REDS 8TH: McRae lined to second; Helms popped to second;
Woodward popped to pitcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

BRAVES 9TH: STEWART REPLACED MCRAE (PLAYING LF); Boyer grounded
out (second to first); ASPROMONTE BATTED FOR TILLMAN; Aspromonte
singled to center; T. AARON BATTED FOR STONE; JACKSON RAN FOR
ASPROMONTE; T. Aaron forced Jackson (second to shortstop);
Garrido flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1,
Reds 2.