Johnny Bench's two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the 12th off Joe Niekro's 3-and-0 pitch propelled the Reds past the Astros, 9-6. The homer, following a double by Ken Griffey and intentional pass to Joe Morgan, raised Bench's RBI total for the season to 65.

The Reds scored three times in the eighth and once in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings, wiping out a 6-2 Houston lead that was manufactured with the help of a two-run homer by Bob Watson. Reliever Clay Kirby got the victory with three hitless innings of work. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Houston Astros 6
Game Played on Monday, June      30, 1975 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  4  0    0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   6 18  1
Reds         0  2  0    0  0  0    0  3  1    0  0  3  -   9 15  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Howard cf             6   0   3   0     1   0   .362      Rose 3b               7   1   2   0     0   1   .316
Gross lf              5   0   2   1     0   1   .278      Griffey rf            7   1   3   3     0   0   .320
Cabell rf             5   1   2   0     1   0   .295      Morgan 2b             4   1   1   0     3   0   .351
Watson 1b             5   2   2   2     1   0   .326      Bench c               6   2   2   3     1   0   .297
May c                 6   1   3   0     0   1   .247      Driessen lf,1b        4   2   2   0     2   0   .245
Rader 3b              6   0   2   0     0   2   .249      Perez 1b              5   0   2   0     0   1   .253
Metzger ss            5   1   1   0     1   0   .244        Geronimo pr,cf      0   0   0   0     1   0   .290
Andrews 2b            3   0   2   0     2   0   .206      Concepcion ss         4   0   1   1     1   0   .277
  Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .271      Foster cf,lf          5   1   1   0     1   1   .279
  Milbourne 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .155      T. Carroll p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Konieczny p           1   1   1   2     0   0   .182        Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Crawford p          3   0   0   0     0   1   .250        Rettenmund ph       0   0   0   1     1   0   .227
  Granger p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Borbon p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Roberts p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .097        Armbrister ph       1   1   1   0     0   0   .194
  Cruz ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .228        McEnaney p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Crowley ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .360
                                                            Plummer ph          0   0   0   1     0   0   .195
                                                            Kirby p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Chaney ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .108

Totals               48   6  18   5     6   6             Totals               45   9  15   9    10   3

Time of Game: 3:30   Attendance: 22,708
Left on Base: Astros 13, Reds 14
DP: Astros 1, Reds 3
Errors: Andrews
Doubles: Howard (3), Andrews (1), Rader (15), Cabell (11), Rose (23), Perez (11), Griffey (8)
Triples: Howard (1), Griffey (5)
Home Runs: Watson (11), Bench (16)
Stolen Bases: Rader (5), Morgan (35)
Caught Stealing: Howard (3), Morgan (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Gross (4), Borbon (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Concepcion (4), Plummer (1)
GIDP: Cabell (6), Metzger (5), Crawford (1), Foster (8)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Konieczny               1.1   4   2   2   2   0   0   9   4.31
Crawford                6.1   6   3   3   5   2   0  30   2.82
Granger                 0.2   2   1   1   1   0   0   5   2.45
Roberts                 2.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   9   4.00
Niekro L(2-3)           0.2   2   3   3   1   1   1   5   4.59
Totals                 11.2  15   9   9  10   3   1  58

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
T. Carroll              1.2   6   4   4   2   0   0  11   3.94
Eastwick                0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   5.84
Borbon                  6    11   2   2   1   3   1  27   3.14
McEnaney                1     1   0   0   1   2   0   5   1.49
Kirby W(5-3)            3     0   0   0   1   1   0  10   4.53
Totals                 12    18   6   6   6   6   1  55

Wild Pitches: T. Carroll (1)

Umpires: HP - Dutch Rennert, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


ASTROS 1ST: Howard singled to second; Howard was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Gross singled to center; Cabell
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Gross out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); Griffey flied
out to center; Morgan singled to left; Morgan was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; May singled to center [Watson to
second]; Rader flied out to left; Metzger walked [Watson to
third, May to second]; T. Carroll threw a wild pitch [Watson
scored, May to third, Metzger to second]; Andrews popped to
catcher in foul territory; Konieczny singled to center [May
scored, Metzger scored]; Howard doubled to left [Konieczny to
third]; Gross singled to center [Konieczny scored, Howard to
third]; EASTWICK REPLACED T. CARROLL (PITCHING); Cabell walked
[Gross to second]; Watson forced Cabell (second to shortstop); 4
R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench singled to left; Driessen walked [Bench to
second]; Perez singled to center [Bench to third, Driessen to
second]; Concepcion hit a sacrifice fly to center [Bench
scored]; Foster singled to right [Driessen to third, Perez to
second]; RETTENMUND BATTED FOR EASTWICK; Rettenmund walked
[Driessen scored, Perez to third, Foster to second]; CRAWFORD
REPLACED KONIECZNY (PITCHING); Rose forced Perez (third to
catcher) [Foster to third, Rettenmund to second]; Griffey lined
to third; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 2.

ASTROS 3RD: BORBON REPLACED RETTENMUND (PITCHING); May grounded
out (second to first); Rader struck out; Metzger singled to
right; Andrews singled to left [Metzger to second]; Crawford
forced Andrews (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Reds 2.

REDS 3RD: Morgan walked; Morgan stole second [Morgan to third
(error by Andrews)]; Bench grounded out (shortstop to first);
Driessen walked; Perez lined to second; Concepcion grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Howard grounded out (third to first); Gross struck
out; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 2.

REDS 4TH: Foster struck out; Borbon grounded out (third to
first); Rose doubled to right; Griffey singled to right [Rose to
third]; Morgan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson singled to left; May singled to right [Watson
to third]; Rader reached on a fielder's choice [Watson out at
home (third to catcher to third), May to second]; Metzger
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Rader out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Bench popped to first in foul territory; Driessen
popped to shortstop; Perez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Andrews doubled; Andrews was picked off second
(catcher to shortstop); Crawford struck out; Howard tripled;
Gross flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 2.

REDS 6TH: On a bunt Concepcion grounded out (catcher to first);
Foster walked; Borbon out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Foster to second]; Rose grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell singled to center; Watson homered [Cabell
scored]; May singled; Rader doubled to left [May to third];
Metzger flied out to center; Andrews was walked intentionally;
Crawford grounded into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Andrews out at second]; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 2.

REDS 7TH: Griffey grounded out (second to first); Morgan walked;
Bench walked [Morgan to second]; Driessen grounded out (second
to first) [Morgan to third, Bench to second]; Perez struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Howard flied out to left; Gross grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cabell doubled; Watson flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 2.

REDS 8TH: Concepcion singled to left; Foster forced Concepcion
(third to second); ARMBRISTER BATTED FOR BORBON; Armbrister
singled to left [Foster to second]; On a bunt Rose singled
[Foster to third, Armbrister to second]; Griffey tripled to left
[Foster scored, Armbrister scored, Rose scored]; Morgan reached
on a fielder's choice [Griffey out at home (first to pitcher)];
GRANGER REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); Bench grounded out
(shortstop to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 5.

ASTROS 9TH: MCENANEY REPLACED ARMBRISTER (PITCHING); May struck
out; Rader singled to right; Rader stole second; Metzger flied
out to center [Rader to third]; Andrews was walked
intentionally; Granger struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
6, Reds 5.

REDS 9TH: Driessen singled to second; Perez doubled to left
[Driessen to third]; GERONIMO RAN FOR PEREZ; Concepcion was
walked intentionally; Foster popped to first in foul territory;
CROWLEY BATTED FOR MCENANEY; ROBERTS REPLACED GRANGER
(PITCHING); PLUMMER BATTED FOR CROWLEY; Plummer hit a sacrifice
fly to right [Driessen scored]; Rose grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 6.

ASTROS 10TH: DRIESSEN CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); GERONIMO
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); FOSTER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
LF); KIRBY REPLACED PLUMMER (PITCHING); Howard walked; Gross out
on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Howard to second]; Cabell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 6.

REDS 10TH: Griffey grounded out (first to pitcher); Morgan
grounded out (first to pitcher); Bench popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 6.

ASTROS 11TH: May popped to third; Rader struck out; Metzger
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 6.

REDS 11TH: Driessen singled to center; Geronimo walked [Driessen
to second]; Concepcion popped to first in foul territory; Foster
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Geronimo out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds
6.

ASTROS 12TH: JOHNSON BATTED FOR ANDREWS; Johnson flied out to
center; CRUZ BATTED FOR ROBERTS; Cruz flied out to center;
Howard grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 6, Reds 6.

REDS 12TH: MILBOURNE REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING 2B); NIEKRO
REPLACED CRUZ (PITCHING); CHANEY BATTED FOR KIRBY; Chaney flied
out to center; Rose struck out; Griffey doubled to left; Morgan
was walked intentionally; Bench homered [Griffey scored, Morgan
scored]; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 9.