Jim Merritt ended his personal 11-game losing streak by coming out of the bullpen and pitching magnificently to receive credit for the Reds' 6-3 victory over the Pirates. The lefthander took over for Wayne Simpson with two out in the fourth inning and limited the Pirates to three hits the rest of the way.

The Pirates were winning, 3-1, when Merritt arrived, but Johnny Bench got one run back with a homer in the fourth and the Reds then exploded for four runs in the sixth. Lee May, Tony Perez and Bench singled to load the bases and George Foster cleared the sacks with a triple. Foster also scored on an infield out by Dave Concepcion. With his victory, Merritt stopped one game short of the N. L. record of 12 consecutive pitching losses. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Saturday, August    21, 1971 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Pirates      0  2  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  9  1
Reds         0  0  1    1  0  4    0  0  x  -   6  8  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mazeroski 2b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .253      Rose rf               4   0   0   1     0   0   .307
Davalillo rf          4   1   2   0     0   0   .284      McRae lf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .251
Oliver cf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .267        Bradford lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .198
Stargell lf           4   0   2   0     0   2   .308      May 1b                4   1   1   0     0   0   .278
Hebner 3b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .280        Woodward 3b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Robertson 1b          3   1   0   1     1   0   .261      Perez 3b,1b           4   1   2   0     0   0   .276
Sanguillen c          4   1   2   0     0   0   .329      Bench c               4   2   3   1     0   0   .247
J. Hernandez ss       3   0   2   1     1   0   .207      Foster cf             3   1   1   3     1   1   .239
Ellis p               2   0   1   1     0   1   .191      Helms 2b              2   0   0   0     2   1   .265
  Miller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Concepcion ss         4   1   1   1     0   1   .211
  Stennett ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Simpson p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .042
                                                            Merritt p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .160

Totals               31   3   9   3     4   4             Totals               31   6   8   6     3   4

Time of Game: 2:12   Attendance: 27,427
Left on Base: Pirates 6, Reds 5
DP: Pirates 1, Reds 1
Errors: Robertson, McRae
Doubles: Stargell (23), Davalillo (9), Sanguillen (24)
Triples: Foster (4)
Home Runs: Bench (24)
Caught Stealing: J. Hernandez (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Ellis (9), Simpson (4)
GIDP: Concepcion (11)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis L(17-7)           5     6   6   5   2   3   1  24   2.92
Miller                  3     2   0   0   1   1   0  11   1.95
Totals                  8     8   6   5   3   4   1  35

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Simpson                 3.2   6   3   3   4   0   0  19   5.09
Merritt W(1-11)         5.1   3   0   0   0   4   0  17   4.74
Totals                  9     9   3   3   4   4   0  36

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Ken Burkhart, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Bob Engel


PIRATES 1ST: Mazeroski grounded out (shortstop to first);
Davalillo grounded out (first unassisted); Oliver walked;
Stargell doubled to left [Oliver out at home (left to third to
catcher)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); McRae flied out
to left; May made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Reds 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Hebner flied out to right; Robertson walked;
Sanguillen singled [Robertson to second]; J. Hernandez singled
[Robertson scored, Sanguillen to third (error by McRae), J.
Hernandez to second]; Ellis singled to left [Sanguillen scored,
J. Hernandez to third]; J. Hernandez was caught stealing home
(catcher to third to catcher) [Ellis to second]; Mazeroski
grounded out (pitcher to second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
 Pirates 2, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez flied out to right; Bench made an out to first;
Foster walked; Helms struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
2, Reds 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Davalillo doubled; Oliver made an out to shortstop;
Stargell singled [Davalillo to third]; Hebner walked [Stargell
to second]; Robertson forced Hebner (third to second) [Davalillo
scored, Stargell to third]; Sanguillen flied out to right; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion singled; Simpson reached on an error by
Robertson on a sacrifice bunt [Concepcion to third]; Rose forced
Simpson (first to shortstop) [Concepcion scored (unearned)];
McRae grounded out (second to first) [Rose to second]; May
grounded out (third to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 3, Reds 1.

PIRATES 4TH: J. Hernandez walked; Ellis out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [J. Hernandez to second]; Mazeroski made an
out to shortstop; MERRITT REPLACED SIMPSON (PITCHING); Davalillo
singled [J. Hernandez out at home (center to catcher)]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Perez lined to right; Bench homered; Foster struck
out; Helms walked; Concepcion struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 3, Reds 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Oliver flied out to center; Stargell struck out;
Hebner lined to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Merritt flied out to center; Rose grounded out (second
to first); McRae grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Robertson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Sanguillen doubled; J. Hernandez made an out to first; Ellis
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 2.

REDS 6TH: May singled; Perez singled [May to second]; Bench
singled [May to third, Perez to second]; Foster tripled [May
scored, Perez scored, Bench scored]; MILLER REPLACED ELLIS
(PITCHING); Helms grounded out (shortstop to first); Concepcion
grounded out (first to pitcher) [Foster scored]; Merritt struck
out; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 6.

PIRATES 7TH: Mazeroski made an out to catcher; Davalillo
grounded out (third to first); Oliver struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 6.

REDS 7TH: Rose made an out to third; McRae made an out to
catcher; May flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
3, Reds 6.

PIRATES 8TH: BRADFORD REPLACED MCRAE (PLAYING LF); WOODWARD
REPLACED MAY (PLAYING 3B); PEREZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B);
Stargell struck out; Hebner flied out to right; Robertson made
an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 6.

REDS 8TH: Perez singled; Bench singled [Perez to second]; Foster
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Perez to third, Bench to
second]; Helms was walked intentionally; Concepcion grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Helms out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 6.

PIRATES 9TH: Sanguillen lined to pitcher; J. Hernandez singled;
STENNETT BATTED FOR MILLER; Stennett lined into a double play
(pitcher to first) [J. Hernandez out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 3, Reds 6.