The largest crowd at the delayed openers, 37,865, failed to spark the Reds, who collected only three hits and lost to the Dodgers, 3-1. The Dodgers started the scoring with a run in the first inning on a double by Willie Davis and a single by Frank Robinson in his first time at bat in a Los Angeles uniform.

Denis Menke did even better in his first plate appearance for the Reds, hitting a homer to tie the score in the second. The Dodgers regained the upper hand with a run on doubles by Bill Buckner and Jim Lefebvre in the sixth, and Duke Sims applied the finishing touch with a homer in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 3, Cincinnati Reds 1
Game Played on Saturday, April     15, 1972 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Dodgers      1  0  0    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   3  7  2
Reds         0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  3  2


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wills ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      xRose lf              3   0   2   0     0   0   .000
Buckner 1b            4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Morgan 2b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Davis cf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Tolan cf              4   0   0   0     0   3   .000
Robinson rf           4   0   1   1     0   1   .250      Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Lefebvre 2b           4   0   1   1     0   1   .250      Perez 1b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .000
Crawford lf           4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Menke 3b              3   1   1   1     0   0   .333
  Brewer p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Geronimo rf           3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Sims c                4   1   1   1     0   0   .250      Concepcion ss         3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Grabarkewitz 3b       4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Billingham p          2   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Garvey 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Sutton p              3   0   1   0     0   0   .333        Javier ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Mota lf             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        McGlothlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   3   7   3     0   3             Totals               30   1   3   1     1   7

Time of Game: 2:13   Attendance: 37,895
Left on Base: Dodgers 6, Reds 4
DP: Dodgers 1, Reds 0
Errors: Sims, Grabarkewitz, Morgan, Hall
Doubles: Davis (1), Buckner (1), Lefebvre (1), Rose (1)
Home Runs: Sims (1), Menke (1)
GIDP: Geronimo (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton W(1-0)           7     3   1   1   1   5   1  26   1.29
Brewer SV(1)            2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   0.00
Totals                  9     3   1   1   1   7   1  32

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham L(0-1)       5.2   5   2   2   0   1   0  23   3.18
Hall                    2.1   2   1   1   0   2   1  10   3.86
McGlothlin              1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9     7   3   3   0   3   1  36

Wild Pitches: Sutton (1)

Umpires: HP - Tom Gorman, 1B - Bill Williams, 2B - John McSherry, 3B - Frank Pulli


DODGERS 1ST: Debut for umpire Frank Pulli; Wills grounded
out (shortstop to first); Buckner grounded out (second to
first); Davis doubled to left; Robinson singled to center [Davis
scored]; Lefebvre flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose doubled to left; Morgan grounded out (first
unassisted) [Rose to third]; Tolan reached on a fielder's choice
[Rose out at home (pitcher to catcher)]; Sutton threw a wild
pitch [Tolan to second]; Bench grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Reds 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Crawford grounded out (first unassisted); Sims
grounded out (first unassisted); Grabarkewitz grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez struck out; Menke homered; Geronimo grounded out
(second to first); Concepcion grounded out (pitcher to first); 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Reds 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Sutton grounded out (second to first); Wills flied
out to left; Buckner grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Billingham struck out; On a bunt Rose singled; Morgan
flied out to left; Tolan struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Reds 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Davis lined to right; Robinson flied out to center;
Lefebvre grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Bench grounded out (first to pitcher); Perez grounded
out (third to first); Menke grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Reds 1.

DODGERS 5TH: Crawford singled to pitcher; Sims reached on an
error by Morgan [Crawford to second, Sims to first];
Grabarkewitz forced Sims (third to second) [Crawford to third];
Sutton popped to first in foul territory; Wills flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Reds 1.

REDS 5TH: Geronimo popped to shortstop; Concepcion grounded out
(shortstop to first); Billingham struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 1, Reds 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Buckner doubled to left; Davis popped to shortstop;
Robinson struck out; Lefebvre doubled to right [Buckner scored];
HALL REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Crawford grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Reds 1.

REDS 6TH: Rose reached on catcher's interference by Sims; Morgan
walked [Rose to second]; Tolan was called out on strikes; Bench
popped to catcher; Perez popped to catcher in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Reds 1.

DODGERS 7TH: Sims homered; Grabarkewitz flied out to center;
Sutton singled to right; Wills grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Sutton to second]; Buckner reached on an error by Hall [Sutton
to third, Buckner to first]; Davis flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H,
1 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Reds 1.

REDS 7TH: Menke reached on an error by Grabarkewitz [Menke to
first]; Geronimo grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Menke out at second]; Concepcion flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Reds 1.

DODGERS 8TH: Robinson grounded out (second to first); Lefebvre
was called out on strikes; Crawford struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 3, Reds 1.

REDS 8TH: BREWER REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); MOTA REPLACED
SUTTON (PLAYING LF); JAVIER BATTED FOR HALL; Javier grounded out
(second to first); Rose lined to right; Morgan flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Reds 1.

DODGERS 9TH: MCGLOTHLIN REPLACED JAVIER (PITCHING); Sims
grounded out (second to first); Grabarkewitz grounded out (third
to first); Mota grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 3, Reds 1.

REDS 9TH: GARVEY REPLACED GRABARKEWITZ (PLAYING 3B); Tolan
struck out; Bench flied out to right; Perez struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Reds 1.