The Reds increased their West Division lead to 13 lengths over the runner-up Dodgers by completing a sweep of the four-game series with a 3-2 victory. Jack Billingham allowed only five hits, including homers by Dusty Baker and Ron Cey for the Dodgers' runs, before Rawly Eastwick took over to retire the final batter of the game.

The Reds counted twice in the fifth inning. Cesar Geronimo walked and stole second and third before scoring on a single by Bill Plummer. Billingham then helped himself with a double, driving in his catcher. The Reds added what proved to be winning the run in the sixth when Joe Morgan doubled and George Foster singled for his 98th RBI. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 3, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Game Played on Sunday, August    8, 1976 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Reds         0  0  0    0  2  1    0  0  0  -   3  6  0
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   2  5  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Lopes cf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .232
  Concepcion ss       0   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Sizemore 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .267
Griffey rf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .330      Buckner lf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .292
Morgan 2b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .317      Garvey 1b             3   0   1   0     1   1   .310
Foster lf             3   0   1   1     1   2   .326      Cey 3b                3   1   1   1     1   0   .287
Driessen 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .282      Russell ss            4   0   1   0     0   1   .300
Geronimo cf           3   1   0   0     1   1   .311      Baker rf              3   1   1   1     0   1   .247
Plummer c             4   1   1   1     0   0   .273        Mota ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .308
Flynn ss,3b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .280      Rodriguez c           2   0   0   0     1   0   .209
Billingham p          3   0   2   1     0   0   .256      Hooton p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .116
  Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lee ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Hough p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .267

Totals               32   3   6   3     3   4             Totals               30   2   5   2     3   4

Time of Game: 2:04   Attendance: 43,184
Left on Base: Reds 5, Dodgers 5
DP: Reds 1, Dodgers 1
Doubles: Billingham (3), Morgan (22)
Home Runs: Baker (4), Cey (17)
Stolen Bases: Foster 2 (13), Geronimo 2 (14), Griffey (24)
Sacrifice Hits: Hooton (8)
GIDP: Driessen (9), Russell (11)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(9-8)       8.2   5   2   2   3   4   2  33   4.64
Eastwick SV(14)         0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.32
Totals                  9     5   2   2   3   4   2  34

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hooton L(7-12)          8     6   3   3   3   4   0  32   3.88
Hough                   1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.48
Totals                  9     6   3   3   3   4   0  35

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Jerry Dale


REDS 1ST: umpire Ed Sudol missed game due to his mother's
death; Rose flied out to left; Griffey struck out; Morgan
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes grounded out (shortstop to first); Sizemore
popped to first; Buckner grounded out (second to pitcher); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster walked; Foster stole second; Driessen made an
out to second; Geronimo grounded out (pitcher to first); Plummer
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Garvey walked; Cey flied out to right; Russell
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Garvey
out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 0.

REDS 3RD: Flynn popped to first in foul territory; Billingham
grounded out (second to first); Rose grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Baker grounded out (third to first); Rodriguez
walked; Hooton out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second)
[Rodriguez to second]; Lopes flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 0.

REDS 4TH: Griffey grounded out (second to first); Morgan
grounded out (third to first); Foster struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Sizemore singled to third; Buckner flied out to
center; Garvey flied out to right; Cey walked [Sizemore to
second]; Russell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Reds 0, Dodgers 0.

REDS 5TH: Driessen flied out to center; Geronimo walked;
Geronimo stole second; Geronimo stole third; Plummer singled to
shortstop [Geronimo scored]; Flynn grounded out (pitcher to
first) [Plummer to second]; Billingham doubled to center
[Plummer scored]; Rose popped to third in foul territory; 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 5TH: Baker homered; Rodriguez grounded out (third to
first); Hooton struck out; Lopes grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Dodgers 1.

REDS 6TH: Griffey flied out to center; Morgan doubled to left;
Foster singled to right [Morgan scored]; Foster stole second;
Driessen grounded out (second to first) [Foster to third];
Geronimo struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Sizemore popped to catcher in foul territory;
Buckner flied out to left; Garvey struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers 1.

REDS 7TH: Plummer flied out to center; Flynn grounded out (third
to first); Billingham singled to second; Rose flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 7TH: Cey homered; Russell struck out; Baker struck out;
Rodriguez flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3,
Dodgers 2.

REDS 8TH: Griffey singled to second; Griffey stole second;
Morgan walked; Foster struck out; Driessen grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Morgan out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 8TH: LEE BATTED FOR HOOTON; Lee grounded out (second to
first); Lopes grounded out (second to first); Sizemore grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers
2.

REDS 9TH: HOUGH REPLACED LEE (PITCHING); Geronimo flied out to
left; Plummer flied out to center; Flynn grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 9TH: CONCEPCION REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING SS); FLYNN
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Buckner flied out to left;
Garvey singled to second; Cey flied out to left; Russell singled
to center [Garvey to third]; EASTWICK REPLACED BILLINGHAM
(PITCHING); MOTA BATTED FOR BAKER; Mota flied out to right; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Dodgers 2.