Juan Marichal, coming back after a poor season in 1972 and a back operation during the winter, pitched the Giants to a 4-1 victory over the Reds in the advance opener before a crowd of 51,579 at Riverfront Stadium. Capt. Edward Mechenbier of Dayton, O., a Vietnam prisoner of war for almost six years, threw out the first pitch.

The Reds scored their run off Marichal in the second inning on a double by Cesar Geronimo, single by Denis Menke and sacrifice fly by Don Gullett. Dave Rader doubled and Tito Fuentes singled to tie the score in the fifth before the Giants broke away with three runs off Gullett in the seventh. Rader and Marichal both walked and Bobby Bonds doubled to drive in Rader with the tie-breaking run. One out later, Chris Speier singled to score Marichal and Bonds. The victory was the sixth for Marichal against two defeats and two no-decisions in 10 opening-game assignments. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 4, Cincinnati Reds 1
Game Played on Thursday, April     5, 1973 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Giants       0  0  0    0  1  0    3  0  0  -   4  9  1
Reds         0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  0


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bonds rf              5   1   1   1     0   0   .200      Rose lf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .500
Fuentes 2b            5   0   2   1     0   0   .400      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Speier ss             4   0   1   2     0   0   .250      Tolan rf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
McCovey 1b            3   0   1   0     1   0   .333      Bench c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Maddox cf             4   0   1   0     0   2   .250      Perez 1b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Gallagher 3b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Geronimo cf           4   1   1   0     0   1   .250
Matthews lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Chaney ss             3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Rader c               3   2   1   0     1   0   .333        Locklear ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Marichal p            2   1   1   0     1   1   .500      Menke 3b              2   0   1   0     1   0   .500
                                                          Gullett p             1   0   0   1     0   0   .000
                                                            Stahl ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   4   9   4     3   4             Totals               31   1   7   1     2   2

Time of Game: 2:10   Attendance: 51,579
Left on Base: Giants 7, Reds 6
DP: Giants 1, Reds 0
Errors: Rader
Doubles: Rader (1), Bonds (1), Geronimo (1), Perez (1)
Stolen Bases: Tolan (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Marichal (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Gullett (1)
GIDP: Bench (1)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Marichal W(1-0)         9     7   1   1   2   2   0  34   1.00
Totals                  9     7   1   1   2   2   0  34

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gullett L(0-1)          7     8   4   4   3   3   0  31   5.14
Borbon                  2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   0.00
Totals                  9     9   4   4   3   4   0  38

Passed Balls: Bench (1)

Umpires: HP - Augie Donatelli, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


GIANTS 1ST: Bonds flied out to right; Fuentes singled to
pitcher; Speier popped to first in foul territory; Bench allowed
a passed ball [Fuentes to second]; McCovey was walked
intentionally; Maddox struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants
0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose singled to shortstop; Morgan popped to catcher in
foul territory; Tolan singled to center [Rose out at third
(center to third)]; Tolan stole second [Tolan to third (error by
Rader)]; Bench walked; Perez flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Giants 0, Reds 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Gallagher grounded out (shortstop to first);
Matthews struck out; Rader flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Geronimo doubled to left; Chaney popped to second;
Menke singled to center [Geronimo to third]; Gullett hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Geronimo scored]; Rose grounded out
(first to pitcher); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Reds 1.

GIANTS 3RD: Marichal struck out; Bonds popped to first in foul
territory; Fuentes grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Giants 0, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Morgan flied out to right; Tolan grounded out (second
to first); Bench flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Reds 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Speier flied out to center; McCovey grounded out
(shortstop to first); Maddox singled to shortstop; Gallagher
singled to pitcher [Maddox to second]; Matthews popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Perez doubled; Geronimo popped to catcher in foul
territory; Chaney popped to third in foul territory; Menke was
walked intentionally; Gullett forced Menke (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Reds 1.

GIANTS 5TH: Rader doubled; Marichal out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Rader to third]; Bonds grounded out (third
to first); Fuentes singled [Rader scored]; Speier forced Fuentes
(pitcher to shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants
1, Reds 1.

REDS 5TH: Rose singled to center; Morgan singled [Rose to
second]; Tolan popped to shortstop; Bench grounded into a double
play (pitcher to second to first) [Morgan out at second]; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Reds 1.

GIANTS 6TH: McCovey singled to left [McCovey out at second (left
to first to second)]; Maddox flied out to right; Gallagher
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1,
Reds 1.

REDS 6TH: Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo
struck out; Chaney flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 1, Reds 1.

GIANTS 7TH: Matthews grounded out (third to first); Rader
walked; Marichal walked [Rader to second]; Bonds doubled [Rader
scored, Marichal to third]; Fuentes grounded out (third to
first); Speier singled to left [Marichal scored, Bonds scored];
McCovey flied out to right; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4,
Reds 1.

REDS 7TH: Menke flied out to right; STAHL BATTED FOR GULLETT;
Stahl grounded out (second to first); Rose grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 4, Reds 1.

GIANTS 8TH: BORBON REPLACED STAHL (PITCHING); Maddox struck out;
Gallagher grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews flied out
to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 4, Reds 1.

REDS 8TH: Morgan flied out to right; Tolan flied out to right;
Bench lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 4, Reds 1.

GIANTS 9TH: Rader flied out to left; Marichal singled to left;
Bonds flied out to left; Fuentes grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4, Reds 1.

REDS 9TH: Perez flied out to center; Geronimo popped to
shortstop; LOCKLEAR BATTED FOR CHANEY; Locklear struck out;
Debut game for Gene Locklear; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants
4, Reds 1.