Posting his first complete game since August 11, 1975, Jack Billingham pitched the Reds to a 5-1 victory over the Mets. Billingham lost his bid for a shutout on a homer by Benny Ayala in the ninth. Johnny Bench, who had been out for a week with a strained right knee, returned to action with the Reds and smashed a homer with a man on base and a sacrifice fly. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 5, New York Mets 1
Game Played on Friday, May       14, 1976 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  4  3
Reds         0  0  0    1  0  2    1  1  x  -   5  4  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Unser cf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .207      Rose 3b               3   0   0   0     1   0   .402
Millan 2b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .300      Griffey rf            4   0   0   0     0   2   .327
Kranepool lf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .270      Morgan 2b             3   1   1   0     1   1   .333
Kingman rf            3   0   0   0     0   2   .256      Perez 1b              4   2   0   0     0   0   .230
Torre 1b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .375      Bench c               3   1   1   3     0   1   .259
Garrett 3b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .212      Foster cf,lf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .314
Grote c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .329      Bailey lf             3   0   0   0     0   2   .294
Harrelson ss          3   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Geronimo cf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .297
Lolich p              1   0   0   0     1   1   .167      Concepcion ss         3   1   1   0     0   1   .191
  Sanders p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Billingham p          3   0   1   1     0   1   .250
  Ayala ph            1   1   1   1     0   0   .188

Totals               28   1   4   1     2   3             Totals               30   5   4   4     2   8

Time of Game: 2:03   Attendance: 36,057
Left on Base: Mets 2, Reds 4
DP: Mets 0, Reds 4
Errors: Garrett 2, Harrelson, Concepcion
Doubles: Kranepool (4), Concepcion (4), Billingham (1), Morgan (8)
Home Runs: Ayala (1), Bench (6)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (13), Perez (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Bench (1)
GIDP: Torre (4), Unser (2), Kranepool (6)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lolich L(2-4)           6.1   3   4   1   2   8   1  27   3.14
Sanders                 1.2   1   1   1   0   0   0   6   1.04
Totals                  8     4   5   2   2   8   1  33

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(4-2)       9     4   1   1   2   3   1  30   4.34
Totals                  9     4   1   1   2   3   1  30

Wild Pitches: Lolich (3)

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Bill Williams, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Dick Stello


METS 1ST: Unser grounded out (shortstop to first); Millan
singled to third; Kranepool lined into a double play (second to
first) [Millan out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Griffey struck
out; Morgan walked; Morgan stole second; Perez flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 0.

METS 2ND: Kingman struck out; Torre grounded out (shortstop to
first); Garrett lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench popped to shortstop; Foster grounded out
(shortstop to first); Bailey struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 0, Reds 0.

METS 3RD: Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrelson
grounded out (pitcher to first); Lolich was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion struck out; Billingham grounded out (third
to first); Rose walked; Griffey struck out (catcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 0.

METS 4TH: Unser grounded out (second to first); Millan grounded
out (third to first); Kranepool flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Morgan popped to shortstop; Perez reached on an error
by Harrelson [Perez to first]; Perez stole second [Perez to
third on a wild pitch]; Bench struck out; Foster reached on an
error by Garrett [Perez scored (unearned) (no RBI)]; Bailey
struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 1.

METS 5TH: Kingman reached on an error by Concepcion [Kingman to
first]; Torre grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Kingman out at second]; Garrett singled to left;
Grote forced Garrett (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 1.

REDS 5TH: Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first);
Billingham struck out; Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 1.

METS 6TH: Harrelson grounded out (shortstop to first); Lolich
walked; Unser grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Lolich out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Reds 1.

REDS 6TH: Griffey flied out to right; Morgan was called out on
strikes; Perez reached on an error by Garrett [Perez to first];
Bench homered (unearned) [Perez scored (unearned)]; Foster
grounded out (first unassisted); 2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 0, Reds 3.

METS 7TH: Millan grounded out (third to first); Kranepool
doubled to right; Kingman struck out; Torre grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 3.

REDS 7TH: Bailey lined to shortstop; Concepcion doubled to left;
Billingham doubled [Concepcion scored]; SANDERS REPLACED LOLICH
(PITCHING); Rose popped to shortstop; Griffey flied out to
center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 4.

METS 8TH: FOSTER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); GERONIMO
REPLACED BAILEY (PLAYING CF); Garrett flied out to right; Grote
grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrelson lined to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 4.

REDS 8TH: Morgan doubled; Perez grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Morgan to third]; Bench hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Morgan scored]; Foster flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 5.

METS 9TH: AYALA BATTED FOR SANDERS; Ayala homered; Unser
grounded out (shortstop to first); Millan walked; Kranepool
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Millan out at second]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Reds 5.