Jim Merritt paved his own way for his sixth straight defeat with an error that resulted in three unearned runs and enabled the Phillies to beat the Reds, 5-3. Roger Freed singled and Joe Lis homered for the Phillies' first two runs in the second inning.

Then, in the third, after one-out singles by Lis and Mike Ryan, Merritt threw wildly to first on a bunt by Barry Lersch, allowing Lis to score. Larry Bowa flied out, but Tony Taylor walked and Willie Montanez doubled to drive in two runs. [The Sporting News]



Philadelphia Phillies 5, Cincinnati Reds 3
Game Played on Saturday, May       22, 1971 (Night game) at Veterans Stadium
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  1  -   3  7  2
Phillies     0  2  0    0  3  0    0  0  x  -   5  5  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .256      Bowa ss               4   0   0   0     0   1   .220
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   1   .263      Taylor 3b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .229
Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .261      Montanez cf           4   0   1   2     0   1   .302
Perez 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .233      Johnson 1b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .211
May 1b                4   2   2   1     0   1   .344      Freed rf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .246
Carbo lf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .219      Lis lf                3   2   2   2     0   0   .254
Helms 2b              4   1   1   1     0   0   .279        Hisle lf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Bradford cf           3   0   2   1     0   0   .187      Harmon 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Merritt p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Ryan c                3   1   1   0     0   1   .172
  Cline ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .224      Lersch p              2   1   0   0     0   0   .118
  Wilcox p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Smith ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .205
  Granger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   7   3     0   5             Totals               29   5   5   4     2   4

Time of Game: 1:57   Attendance: 31,628
Left on Base: Reds 4, Phillies 3
DP: Reds 0, Phillies 0
Errors: Concepcion, Merritt
Doubles: Rose (7), Helms (5), Bradford (3), Montanez (9)
Home Runs: May (8), Lis (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Merritt (1), Lersch (4)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Merritt L(0-6)          5     5   5   2   1   3   1  22   4.58
Wilcox                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.63
Granger                 2     0   0   0   1   1   0   7   3.64
Totals                  8     5   5   2   2   4   1  32

Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lersch W(4-3)           9     7   3   3   0   5   1  34   3.94
Totals                  9     7   3   3   0   5   1  34

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Shag Crawford, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Satch Davidson


REDS 1ST: Rose doubled; Concepcion flied out to center [Rose to
third]; Bench reached on a fielder's choice [Rose out at home
(shortstop to catcher)]; Perez popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 1ST: Bowa grounded out (third to first); Taylor struck
out; Montanez grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Phillies 0.

REDS 2ND: May grounded out (second to first); Carbo grounded out
(second to first); Helms flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Johnson flied out to center; Freed singled to
shortstop [Freed to second (error by Concepcion)]; Lis homered
[Freed scored]; Harmon flied out to left; Ryan struck out; 2 R,
2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Phillies 2.

REDS 3RD: On a bunt Bradford singled to third; Merritt out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Bradford to second]; Rose
grounded out (first to pitcher) [Bradford to third]; Concepcion
popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 3RD: Lersch grounded out (second to first); Bowa popped
to third in foul territory; Taylor popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Phillies 2.

REDS 4TH: Bench grounded out (third to first); Perez grounded
out (second to first); May struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 4TH: Montanez struck out; Johnson popped to third in
foul territory; Freed popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Phillies 2.

REDS 5TH: Carbo struck out; Helms grounded out (shortstop to
first); Bradford grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 5TH: Lis singled to third; Harmon lined to left; Ryan
singled to left [Lis to second]; Lersch reached on an error by
Merritt on a sacrifice bunt [Lis scored (unearned) (no RBI),
Ryan to third, Lersch to second]; Bowa flied out to left; Taylor
was walked intentionally; Montanez doubled [Taylor to third,
Lersch scored (unearned), Ryan scored (unearned)]; Johnson
popped to shortstop; 3 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0,
Phillies 5.

REDS 6TH: CLINE BATTED FOR MERRITT; Cline flied out to left;
Rose grounded out (second to first); Concepcion singled to
third; Bench popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Phillies 5.

PHILLIES 6TH: WILCOX REPLACED CLINE (PITCHING); Freed grounded
out (shortstop to first); Lis popped to shortstop; Harmon
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Phillies 5.

REDS 7TH: Perez grounded out (second to first); May singled to
left; Carbo struck out; Helms doubled to center [May scored];
Bradford doubled [Helms scored]; SMITH BATTED FOR WILCOX; Smith
struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Phillies 5.

PHILLIES 7TH: GRANGER REPLACED SMITH (PITCHING); Ryan grounded
out (shortstop to first); Lersch grounded out (second to first);
Bowa was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2,
Phillies 5.

REDS 8TH: On a bunt Rose grounded out (pitcher to first);
Concepcion struck out (catcher to first); Bench grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Phillies 5.

PHILLIES 8TH: Taylor grounded out (pitcher to first); Montanez
flied out to left; Johnson walked; Freed grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Phillies 5.

REDS 9TH: HISLE REPLACED LIS (PLAYING LF); Perez flied out to
right; May homered; Carbo lined to center; Helms flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Phillies 5.