Johnny Bench and Tony Perez each homered with two on base to help Jim Merritt become the N.L.'s first 18-game winner of the season as the Reds defeated the Phillies, 9-3. Bench's blast followed singles by Pete Rose and Bobby Tolan in the first inning. Perez connected in the fourth. Merritt added to his margin with a homer in the seventh. The Phillies, who were held to one hit in the first seven innings, spoiled Merritt's shutout bid with three runs in the eighth, two crossing the plate on a pinch-homer by Joseph. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Philadelphia Phillies 3
Game Played on Monday, August    17, 1970 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Phillies     0  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  0  -   3  6  0
Reds         3  0  0    4  0  1    1  0  x  -   9 13  0


Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Hisle cf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .192      Rose rf               5   2   2   1     0   1   .324
Taylor 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .284      Tolan cf              4   2   1   0     0   1   .321
Money 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .298      Perez 3b              3   1   2   3     1   1   .337
Johnson 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .255        Concepcion pr,ss    1   1   0   0     0   0   .268
Browne rf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .258      Bench c,lf            4   1   3   3     1   0   .300
Briggs lf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .255      May 1b                4   0   1   1     1   2   .258
Bowa ss               3   1   2   0     0   0   .241      McRae lf              4   0   0   0     0   3   .260
Compton c             3   0   0   1     0   0   .184        Corrales c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .278
G. Jackson p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .083      Helms 2b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .227
  Champion p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Woodward ss,3b        4   0   2   0     0   0   .250
  Joseph ph           1   1   1   2     0   0   .225      Merritt p             3   1   1   1     0   1   .164
  Wilson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   6   3     0   6             Totals               36   9  13   9     3   9

Time of Game: 2:15   Attendance: 23,255
Left on Base: Phillies 3, Reds 8
DP: Phillies 0, Reds 0
Doubles: Bowa 2 (8), Browne (15), Woodward (5), Perez (21), Helms (16)
Home Runs: Joseph (3), Bench (41), Perez (37), Merritt (3)
Stolen Bases: Tolan (45)
Sacrifice Hits: Merritt (6)
Hit by Pitch: Tolan (5,by G. Jackson)


Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
G. Jackson L(3-12)      3.2   7   6   6   1   4   1  20   5.35
Champion                3.1   5   3   3   2   3   2  17  10.80
Wilson                  1     1   0   0   0   2   0   4   4.95
Totals                  8    13   9   9   3   9   3  41

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Merritt W(18-10)        9     6   3   3   0   6   1  33   3.83
Totals                  9     6   3   3   0   6   1  33

Hit by Pitch: G. Jackson (1)

Umpires: HP - Tony Venzon, 1B - Frank Secory, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


PHILLIES 1ST: Hisle grounded out (shortstop to first); Taylor
flied out to left; Money was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose singled to left; Tolan singled to right [Rose to
third]; Perez was called out on strikes; Tolan stole second;
Bench homered [Rose scored, Tolan scored]; May struck out; McRae
struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 3.

PHILLIES 2ND: Johnson flied out to left; Browne grounded out
(shortstop to first); Briggs flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 3.

REDS 2ND: Helms flied out to right; Woodward doubled to center;
Merritt struck out; Rose grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 3.

PHILLIES 3RD: Bowa doubled to left; Compton flied out to center
[Bowa to third]; G. Jackson was called out on strikes; Hisle was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 3.

REDS 3RD: Tolan flied out to center; Perez doubled to left;
Bench was walked intentionally; May forced Perez (pitcher
unassisted) [Bench to second]; McRae flied out to right; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 3.

PHILLIES 4TH: Taylor lined to first; Money flied out to center;
Johnson popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds
3.

REDS 4TH: Helms doubled to left; On a bunt Woodward made an out
to first [Helms stayed at second]; Merritt popped to third; Rose
singled to center [Helms scored]; Tolan was hit by a pitch [Rose
to second]; CHAMPION REPLACED G. JACKSON (PITCHING); Perez
homered [Rose scored, Tolan scored]; Bench singled to center;
May walked [Bench to second]; McRae struck out; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 7.

PHILLIES 5TH: Browne flied out to left; Briggs grounded out
(pitcher to first); Bowa flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 7.

REDS 5TH: Helms lined to right; Woodward singled to center;
Merritt out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Woodward to
second]; Rose popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 7.

PHILLIES 6TH: Compton grounded out (shortstop to first);
Champion popped to first in foul territory; Hisle grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 7.

REDS 6TH: Tolan grounded out (second to first); Perez walked;
CONCEPCION RAN FOR PEREZ; Bench grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Concepcion to second]; May singled to right [Concepcion
scored]; McRae struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0,
Reds 8.

PHILLIES 7TH: CONCEPCION STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); WOODWARD
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); CORRALES REPLACED MCRAE (PLAYING
C ); BENCH CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Taylor popped to
second; Money flied out to right; Johnson flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 8.

REDS 7TH: Helms grounded out (pitcher to first); Woodward flied
out to right; Merritt homered; Rose was called out on strikes; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Reds 9.

PHILLIES 8TH: Browne singled to right; Briggs was called out on
strikes; Bowa doubled to left [Browne to third]; Compton
grounded out (second to first) [Browne scored, Bowa to third];
JOSEPH BATTED FOR CHAMPION; Joseph homered [Bowa scored]; Hisle
singled to center; Taylor struck out; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Phillies 3, Reds 9.

REDS 8TH: WILSON REPLACED JOSEPH (PITCHING); Tolan was called
out on strikes; Concepcion grounded out (pitcher to first);
Bench singled to left; May struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Phillies 3, Reds 9.

PHILLIES 9TH: Money lined to center; Johnson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Browne doubled to left; Briggs struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 3, Reds 9.