Given a big lift by George Foster, who drove in one run, scored another and cut down a runner at the plate, Clay Kirby improved his record to 4-3 on a neat seven-hitter as the Reds whipped the Mets, 5-2. Foster doubled and scored on Andy Kosco's single in the second. Tony Perez singled and tallied on Dave Concepcion's third-inning double, and the Reds increased their lead to 3-0 when Kosco singled and sped home on singles by Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench in the fourth.

With two out in the Mets' fourth, a pass to John Milner, singles by Dave Schneck, Jerry Grote and Jon Matlack and an error by Kosco gave the New Yorkers a pair of runs, but a perfect strike thrown by Foster from center field nailed Grote at the plate, attempting to carry home the tying run. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 5, New York Mets 2
Game Played on Monday, June      3, 1974 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Reds         0  1  1    1  1  1    0  0  0  -   5 12  1
Mets         0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               4   0   1   0     1   0   .275      Garrett 3b            4   0   1   0     1   0   .155
Morgan 2b             5   0   1   0     0   2   .322      Millan 2b             5   0   1   0     0   0   .286
Bench c               5   0   1   1     0   1   .272      Jones lf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .267
Perez 1b              5   2   3   0     0   0   .292      Staub rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .274
Concepcion ss         5   0   1   1     0   0   .272      Milner 1b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .250
Rettenmund rf         3   1   2   1     1   0   .259      Schneck cf            3   1   1   0     1   0   .250
  Geronimo cf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .304      Grote c               4   0   1   1     0   0   .256
Foster cf,rf          5   1   2   1     0   0   .243      Martinez ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .189
Kosco 3b              2   1   1   1     2   0   .200      Matlack p             1   0   1   1     0   0   .143
  Chaney 3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .211        Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .326
Kirby p               3   0   0   0     1   1   .087        Miller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Kranepool ph        0   0   0   0     1   0   .348

Totals               39   5  12   5     5   4             Totals               33   2   7   2     4   0

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance: 23,065
Left on Base: Reds 12, Mets 9
DP: Reds 0, Mets 0
Errors: Kosco
Doubles: Foster (7), Concepcion (14), Rettenmund (2)
Stolen Bases: Concepcion (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Matlack (5)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kirby W(4-3)            9     7   2   1   4   0   0  38   3.95
Totals                  9     7   2   1   4   0   0  38

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Matlack L(5-3)          7    11   5   5   5   4   0  37   2.51
Miller                  2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   3.74
Totals                  9    12   5   5   5   4   0  44

Wild Pitches: Matlack 2 (3)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - Art Williams


REDS 1ST: Rose singled to left; Morgan flied out to left; Bench
forced Rose (third to second); Perez grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Garrett flied out to left; Millan flied out to center;
Jones grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Mets 0.

REDS 2ND: Concepcion grounded out (third to first); Rettenmund
grounded out (second to first); Foster doubled to left; Kosco
singled to left [Foster scored]; Kirby walked [Kosco to second];
Rose forced Kirby (shortstop unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Reds 1, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Staub grounded out (third to first); Milner grounded
out (first unassisted); Schneck grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Mets 0.

REDS 3RD: Morgan struck out; Bench struck out; Perez singled to
center; Concepcion doubled to right [Perez scored]; Concepcion
stole third; Rettenmund walked; Foster grounded out (shortstop
to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Grote popped to third; Martinez singled to left;
Matlack out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Martinez to
second]; Garrett walked; Millan flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Mets 0.

REDS 4TH: Kosco walked; Kirby was called out on strikes; Rose
flied out to right; Morgan singled to left [Kosco to second];
Bench singled to left [Kosco scored, Morgan to second]; Perez
grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3,
Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Jones flied out to left; Staub flied out to left;
Milner walked; Schneck singled to center [Milner to third];
Grote singled to center [Milner scored, Schneck to second];
Martinez reached on an error by Kosco [Schneck to third, Grote
to second]; Matlack singled to center [Schneck scored
(unearned), Grote out at home (center to catcher), Martinez to
second]; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 2.

REDS 5TH: Concepcion flied out to right; Rettenmund doubled to
right; Foster singled to center [Rettenmund scored]; Matlack
threw a wild pitch [Foster to second]; Kosco was walked
intentionally; Matlack threw a wild pitch [Foster to third,
Kosco to second]; Kirby grounded out (third to first); Rose was
walked intentionally; Morgan struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Reds 4, Mets 2.

METS 5TH: Garrett singled to center; Millan forced Garrett
(second to shortstop); Jones flied out to center; Staub flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Mets 2.

REDS 6TH: Bench flied out to center; Perez singled to center;
Concepcion grounded out (third to first) [Perez to second];
Rettenmund singled to right [Perez scored]; Foster forced
Rettenmund (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5,
Mets 2.

METS 6TH: Milner singled to right; Schneck popped to first in
foul territory; Grote flied out to right; Martinez grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5, Mets 2.

REDS 7TH: Kosco grounded out (shortstop to first); Kirby flied
out to right; Rose grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 5, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: CHANEY REPLACED KOSCO (PLAYING 3B); BOSWELL BATTED FOR
MATLACK; Boswell flied out to right; Garrett flied out to left;
Millan singled to third; Jones flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Reds 5, Mets 2.

REDS 8TH: MILLER REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Morgan grounded
out (second to first); Bench flied out to right; Perez singled
to left; Concepcion forced Perez (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: GERONIMO REPLACED RETTENMUND (PLAYING CF); FOSTER
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Staub popped to third in foul
territory; Milner popped to shortstop; Schneck walked; Grote
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5,
Mets 2.

REDS 9TH: Geronimo grounded out (second to first); Foster flied
out to left; Chaney flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 5, Mets 2.

METS 9TH: Martinez popped to third; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR MILLER;
Kranepool walked; Garrett flied out to center; Millan lined to
pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 5, Mets 2.