After a shaky start, Jack Billingham steadied and pitched the Reds to a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers, who went down to their fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. Billingham gave up a run in the first inning and loaded the bases with one away in the second, but worked his way out of that trouble.

The Reds then took the lead with two runs in the third. Pete Rose walked, Joe Morgan doubled and Bobby Tolan singled to score Rose. Morgan crossed the plate when Johnny Bench grounded into a double play. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Game Played on Thursday, April     12, 1973 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium
Reds         0  0  2    0  1  0    1  0  1  -   5 12  1
Dodgers      1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   2  9  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               4   3   2   0     1   0   .423      Lacy 2b               4   1   1   0     1   1   .250
Morgan 2b             5   1   2   1     0   1   .320      Buckner 1b            5   0   1   0     0   0   .241
Tolan rf              5   1   3   1     0   0   .400      Davis cf              3   0   2   0     1   0   .250
Bench c               5   0   1   1     0   2   .211      Crawford rf           4   0   1   1     0   1   .143
Perez 1b              5   0   3   0     0   1   .391      Ferguson c            2   1   0   0     2   0   .208
Geronimo cf           5   0   1   0     0   2   .192      Joshua lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .429
Chaney ss             3   0   0   0     1   2   .059      Cey 3b                4   0   0   0     0   1   .100
Menke 3b              2   0   0   0     1   1   .167      Russell ss            4   0   1   1     0   0   .346
Billingham p          4   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Messersmith p         3   0   1   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Rau p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Garvey ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .385

Totals               38   5  12   3     3  11             Totals               34   2   9   2     4   3

Time of Game: 2:19   Attendance: 14,056
Left on Base: Reds 10, Dodgers 9
DP: Reds 2, Dodgers 1
Errors: Perez, Russell
Doubles: Morgan (2), Rose (2), Tolan (1), Davis (2)
Stolen Bases: Rose (1)
Caught Stealing: Joshua (1)
GIDP: Bench (2), Cey (1), Buckner (1)
Hit by Pitch: Menke (1,by Messersmith)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(1-0)       9     9   2   2   4   3   0  38   3.00
Totals                  9     9   2   2   4   3   0  38

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith L(0-1)      8.2  12   5   4   3  10   0  41   2.30
Rau                     0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   0.00
Totals                  9    12   5   4   3  11   0  42

Hit by Pitch: Messersmith (1)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Ken Burkhart


REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Morgan flied out
to right; Tolan singled to right; Bench struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lacy singled to center; Buckner grounded out
(second to first) [Lacy to second]; Davis walked; Crawford
singled to center [Lacy scored, Davis to third]; Ferguson walked
[Crawford to second]; Joshua popped to first in foul territory;
Cey grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Reds 0, Dodgers 1.

REDS 2ND: Perez struck out; Geronimo flied out to center; Chaney
walked; Menke walked [Chaney to second]; Billingham grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Russell grounded out (shortstop to first);
Messersmith singled to right; Lacy popped to second; Buckner
singled to left [Messersmith to third]; Davis grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 1.

REDS 3RD: Rose walked; Morgan doubled to right [Rose to third];
Tolan singled to first [Rose scored, Morgan to third]; Bench
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Morgan
scored (no RBI), Tolan out at second]; Perez popped to second; 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Crawford grounded out (second to first); Ferguson
grounded out (second to first); Joshua reached on an error by
Perez [Joshua to first]; Joshua was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Dodgers 1.

REDS 4TH: Geronimo grounded out (second to first); Chaney struck
out; Menke was hit by a pitch; Billingham grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Cey was called out on strikes; Russell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Messersmith flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Dodgers 1.

REDS 5TH: Rose doubled to center; Morgan singled to right [Rose
scored, Morgan out at second (right to first to shortstop)];
Tolan grounded out (second to first); Bench was called out on
strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 5TH: Lacy was called out on strikes; Buckner grounded
out (third to first); Davis singled to left; Crawford struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers 1.

REDS 6TH: Perez singled to shortstop; On a bunt Geronimo singled
to pitcher [Perez to second]; Chaney struck out; Menke flied out
to right; Billingham was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Ferguson walked; Joshua singled to center [Ferguson
to second]; Cey grounded into a double play (pitcher to
shortstop to first) [Ferguson to third, Joshua out at second];
Russell singled to center [Ferguson scored]; Messersmith
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3,
Dodgers 2.

REDS 7TH: Rose grounded out (second to first); Morgan flied out
to center; Tolan doubled to right; Bench reached on an error by
Russell [Tolan scored (unearned) (no RBI), Bench to first];
Perez singled to left [Bench to second]; Geronimo struck out; 1
R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 7TH: Lacy walked; Buckner grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Lacy out at second]; Davis
doubled to right; Crawford flied to left in foul territory; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Dodgers 2.

REDS 8TH: Chaney grounded out (shortstop to first); Menke struck
out; Billingham was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Reds 4, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 8TH: Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first); Joshua
popped to second; Cey flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Reds 4, Dodgers 2.

REDS 9TH: Rose singled to center; Rose stole second; Morgan
struck out; Tolan grounded out (first to pitcher) [Rose to
third]; Bench singled to left [Rose scored]; Perez singled to
left [Bench to third]; RAU REPLACED MESSERSMITH (PITCHING);
Geronimo struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 5, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 9TH: Russell popped to first in foul territory; GARVEY
BATTED FOR RAU; Garvey singled to third; Lacy forced Garvey
(second unassisted); Buckner forced Lacy (second to shortstop);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5, Dodgers 2.