After Johnny Bench hit a grand slam in the first inning, the Reds failed to hold the lead before coming back with three runs in the ninth to defeat the Braves, 7-5. An infield hit by Pete Rose, pass to Joe Morgan and a safe bunt by Bobby Tolan loaded the bases for Bench's belt off Jimmy Freeman. The Braves rallied to tie the score in the fifth. Mike Lum led off with a homer. Singles by Hank Aaron, Dusty Baker and Rico Carty added a run, and after a walk to Darrell Evans, Jim Breazeale singled to drive in the tying pair.

The deadlock persisted until the ninth when Cesar Geronimo homered on the first pitch thrown by reliever Denny McLain. Joe Hague and Rose then singled. Ted Uhlaender, running for Hague, was erased by Joe Morgan, but Tolan walked to load the bases. Bench forced Tolan, Rose scoring, and when Gil Garrido threw wildly trying for the double play, Morgan also crossed the plate. Baker homered in the Braves' half of the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 7, Atlanta Braves 5
Game Played on Tuesday, September 12, 1972 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium
Reds         4  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  3  -   7 11  1
Braves       0  0  0    0  4  0    0  0  1  -   5 11  2


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               5   2   4   0     0   0   .310      Jackson ss            5   0   0   0     0   0   .248
Morgan 2b             4   2   0   0     1   0   .287      Lum rf                4   1   1   1     1   0   .232
Tolan cf              4   1   2   0     1   1   .280      Aaron 1b              4   1   2   0     1   0   .262
Bench rf,c            5   1   1   5     0   0   .264      Williams c            4   0   0   0     1   1   .265
Perez 1b              5   0   0   0     0   0   .286      Baker cf              4   2   2   1     1   0   .318
Menke 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .235      Carty lf              3   0   2   1     0   0   .281
Concepcion ss         4   0   2   0     0   0   .216        Brown pr,lf         2   1   0   0     0   0   .212
Plummer c             2   0   0   0     0   0   .198      Evans 3b              3   0   1   0     2   0   .244
  Geronimo ph,rf      2   1   1   1     0   0   .267      Gilbreath 2b          2   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Simpson p             1   0   0   0     1   0   .068        Garr ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .322
  Borbon p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .053        Garrido 2b          2   0   0   0     0   0   .279
  Hague ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .227      Freeman p             1   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Uhlaender pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .154        Breazeale ph        1   0   1   2     0   0   .278
  Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .111        Hardin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .053
                                                            Millan ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .258
                                                            McLain p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            House p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Schueler p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .195

Totals               38   7  11   6     3   1             Totals               37   5  11   5     7   2

Time of Game: 2:37   Attendance:  4,050
Left on Base: Reds 7, Braves 12
DP: Reds 1, Braves 1
Errors: Tolan, Evans, Garrido
Doubles: Tolan (28), Millan (19)
Home Runs: Bench (32), Geronimo (4), Lum (9), Baker (14)
GIDP: Garrido (3)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Simpson                 4.1   8   4   4   4   1   1  25   4.14
Borbon W(7-2)           3.2   2   0   0   2   1   0  15   3.22
Carroll SV(28)          1     1   1   1   1   0   1   4   2.58
Totals                  9    11   5   5   7   2   2  44

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Freeman                 5     6   4   4   2   1   1  23   4.50
Hardin                  3     2   0   0   0   0   0  11   3.88
McLain L(3-5)           0     3   3   2   0   0   1   3   6.37
House                   0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   0.00
Schueler                0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.89
Totals                  9    11   7   6   3   1   2  41

Umpires: HP - Stan Landes, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Augie Donatelli, 3B - Bruce Froemming


REDS 1ST: Rose singled to shortstop; Morgan walked [Rose to
second]; On a bunt Tolan singled [Rose to third, Morgan to
second]; Bench homered [Rose scored, Morgan scored, Tolan
scored]; Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Menke flied
out to left; Concepcion singled to right; Plummer popped to
third; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Jackson grounded out (first unassisted); Lum walked;
Aaron singled to left [Lum to second]; Williams flied out to
left; Baker flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4,
Braves 0.

REDS 2ND: Simpson walked; Rose singled to left [Simpson to
second]; Morgan popped to third in foul territory; Tolan forced
Rose (second to shortstop) [Simpson to third]; Bench flied out
to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Carty singled to center; Evans singled to right
[Carty to second]; Gilbreath singled to left [Carty to third,
Evans to second]; Freeman popped to third in foul territory;
Jackson popped to left; Lum lined to right; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

REDS 3RD: Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Menke
grounded out (third to first); Concepcion grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Aaron flied out to left; Pete Rose took HR away
from Hank Aaron; Williams grounded out (first unassisted);
Baker walked; Carty grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

REDS 4TH: Plummer popped to third in foul territory; Simpson
reached on an error by Evans [Simpson to first]; Rose singled to
center [Simpson to second]; Morgan hit into a double play
(center to shortstop) [Simpson out at third]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Evans grounded out (first unassisted); Gilbreath
flied out to left; Freeman walked; Jackson forced Freeman
(second to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

REDS 5TH: Tolan struck out; Bench popped to third in foul
territory; Perez popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Lum homered; Aaron singled to left; Williams struck
out; Baker singled to left [Aaron to second]; Carty singled to
center [Aaron scored, Baker to third]; BROWN RAN FOR CARTY;
Evans walked [Brown to second]; BORBON REPLACED SIMPSON
(PITCHING); GARR BATTED FOR GILBREATH; Garr struck out;
BREAZEALE BATTED FOR FREEMAN; Breazeale singled to center [Baker
scored, Brown scored, Evans to third (error by Tolan)]; Jackson
grounded out (second to first); 4 R, 5 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4,
Braves 4.

REDS 6TH: HARDIN REPLACED BREAZEALE (PITCHING); GARRIDO REPLACED
GARR (PLAYING 2B); BROWN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Menke
grounded out (shortstop to first); Concepcion singled to third;
GERONIMO BATTED FOR PLUMMER; Geronimo popped to first; Borbon
forced Concepcion (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 4, Braves 4.

BRAVES 6TH: GERONIMO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); BENCH CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); Lum flied out to center; Aaron flied out
to right; Williams walked; Baker grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 4.

REDS 7TH: Rose lined to left; Morgan grounded out (first
unassisted); Tolan doubled; Bench grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Brown grounded out (shortstop to first); Evans
grounded out (second to first); Garrido flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 4.

REDS 8TH: Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Menke lined
to shortstop; Concepcion grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: MILLAN BATTED FOR HARDIN; Millan doubled; Jackson
popped to shortstop; Lum flied out to center; Aaron was walked
intentionally; Williams forced Aaron (shortstop to second); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 4.

REDS 9TH: MCLAIN REPLACED MILLAN (PITCHING); Geronimo homered;
HAGUE BATTED FOR BORBON; Hague singled to right; UHLAENDER RAN
FOR HAGUE; Rose singled to right [Uhlaender to third]; HOUSE
REPLACED MCLAIN (PITCHING); Morgan reached on a fielder's choice
[Uhlaender out at home (shortstop to catcher), Rose to second];
Tolan walked [Rose to third, Morgan to second]; SCHUELER
REPLACED HOUSE (PITCHING); Bench forced Tolan (shortstop to
second) [Rose scored, Morgan scored (error by Garrido)
(unearned) (no RBI), Bench to second]; Perez grounded out
(shortstop to first); 3 R (2 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 7,
Braves 4.

BRAVES 9TH: CARROLL REPLACED UHLAENDER (PITCHING); Baker
homered; Brown popped to right; Evans walked; Garrido grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Evans out at
second]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 7, Braves 5.