A three-run double by Ken Griffey provided the Reds with their biggest blow in a 9-3 victory over the Astros. Joe Morgan batted in a run for the Reds with a single in the first inning, but then was out trying to steal second before Johnny Bench hit a homer to make it 2-0. Pete Rose produced two more runs with a double in the second.

The Reds then broke loose for five runs in the fourth with the aid of three walks and three errors. After a wild throw by Cliff Johnson and single by Tony Perez resulted in two runs, Jim Crawford failed to tag first base, covering on a grounder by Cesar Geronimo with two out. The error loaded the bases and Griffey proceeded to clear the sacks with his double. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Saturday, April     26, 1975 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         2  2  0    5  0  0    0  0  0  -   9 12  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  2  0  -   3  8  3


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               5   0   2   2     0   0   .341      Howard rf             5   1   2   0     0   1   .333
  Armbrister lf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .300      Andrews 2b            5   0   2   1     0   1   .213
Concepcion ss         3   2   2   0     2   0   .310      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .289
Morgan 2b             2   1   2   1     1   0   .406      Johnson c             3   1   1   0     1   1   .259
  Vukovich 3b         2   0   0   0     0   1   .226      Watson 1b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .365
Bench c               3   2   1   1     1   0   .253      Cabell lf             4   0   1   1     0   1   .302
  Plummer ph,c        1   0   0   0     0   1   .167      Boswell 3b            3   0   0   0     1   2   .300
Perez 1b              5   1   1   1     0   2   .160      Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .200
Geronimo cf           2   1   0   0     2   1   .279      Griffin p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Foster ph,cf        1   0   1   0     0   0   .286        Crawford p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Griffey rf            5   1   3   3     0   0   .345        Batista ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .333
Flynn 3b,2b           4   1   0   0     1   0   .185        Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Norman p              3   0   0   0     1   2   .000        Milbourne ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .118

Totals               36   9  12   8     8   7             Totals               35   3   8   2     3   9

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance: 14,889
Left on Base: Reds 8, Astros 8
DP: Reds 1, Astros 2
Errors: Armbrister, Johnson 2, Crawford
Doubles: Rose 2 (7), Griffey (4), Howard (1)
Home Runs: Bench (4)
Stolen Bases: Concepcion (4), Morgan (11)
Caught Stealing: Morgan (2)
GIDP: Rose (2), Flynn (2), Cabell (1)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman W(1-1)           9     8   3   2   3   9   0  38   4.34
Totals                  9     8   3   2   3   9   0  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin L(0-4)          3.2   9   8   6   5   4   1  23   4.91
Crawford                3.1   2   1   0   3   0   0  15   1.93
Scherman                2     1   0   0   0   3   0   6   1.23
Totals                  9    12   9   6   8   7   1  44

Balks: Griffin (1)

Umpires: HP - Paul Runge, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Art Williams


REDS 1ST: Rose lined to center; Concepcion singled; Griffin
balked [Concepcion to second]; Morgan singled [Concepcion
scored, Morgan to second (on throw to home)]; Morgan was caught
stealing third (catcher to third); Bench homered; Perez flied
out to right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Howard singled to left; Andrews struck out; Cedeno
forced Howard (third to second); Johnson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Geronimo struck out; On a bunt Griffey singled; Flynn
walked [Griffey to second]; Norman struck out; Rose doubled
[Griffey scored, Flynn scored]; Concepcion singled to left [Rose
out at home (left to catcher)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to left; Cabell grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Watson out at
second]; Boswell walked; Metzger struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Morgan singled; Bench flied out to center; Perez was
called out on strikes; Geronimo walked [Morgan to second];
Griffey singled to second [Morgan to third, Geronimo to second];
Flynn flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Griffin flied out to center; Howard lined to center;
Andrews singled to left; Cedeno forced Andrews (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Norman was called out on strikes; Rose grounded out
(second to first); Concepcion walked; Concepcion stole second
[Concepcion to third (error by Johnson)]; Morgan walked; Morgan
stole second [Concepcion scored (error by Johnson), Morgan to
third]; Bench walked; Perez singled to left [Morgan scored,
Bench to second]; CRAWFORD REPLACED GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Geronimo
reached on an error by Crawford [Bench to third, Perez to
second, Geronimo to first]; Griffey doubled to left [Bench
scored (unearned), Perez scored (unearned), Geronimo scored
(unearned)]; Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first); 5 R (2
ER), 2 H, 3 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: VUKOVICH REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 3B); FLYNN CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); Johnson popped to first in foul
territory; Watson grounded out (third to first); Cabell singled
to center; Boswell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9,
Astros 0.

REDS 5TH: Norman walked; Rose grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Norman out at second];
Concepcion walked; Vukovich grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger flied out to left; Crawford flied out to
center; Howard doubled; Andrews singled to left [Howard scored];
Cedeno struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 1.

REDS 6TH: Bench grounded out (second to first); Perez grounded
out (first unassisted); Geronimo walked; Griffey grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Johnson walked; Watson flied out to right; Cabell
struck out; Boswell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9,
Astros 1.

REDS 7TH: Flynn flied out to right; Norman grounded out (first
to pitcher); Rose doubled to left; Concepcion grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: ARMBRISTER REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING LF); Metzger
popped to third; BATISTA BATTED FOR CRAWFORD; Batista struck
out; Howard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 1.

REDS 8TH: SCHERMAN REPLACED BATISTA (PITCHING); Vukovich struck
out; PLUMMER BATTED FOR BENCH; Plummer struck out; Perez struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: PLUMMER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Andrews flied
out to left; Cedeno singled to right; Johnson singled to center
[Cedeno to third]; Watson walked [Johnson to second]; Cabell
forced Watson (shortstop to second) [Cedeno scored, Johnson to
third]; Boswell reached on an error by Armbrister [Johnson
scored (unearned) (no RBI), Cabell to third, Boswell to second];
Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 3.

REDS 9TH: FOSTER BATTED FOR GERONIMO; Foster singled to center;
Griffey popped to shortstop; Flynn grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Foster out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: FOSTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); MILBOURNE BATTED
FOR SCHERMAN; Milbourne grounded out (first unassisted); Howard
flied out to right; Andrews grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Astros 3.