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.

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