The Reds clinched their fifth West Division title in seven years by defeating the Padres, 9-1. With 10 games to play, the Reds had a 12-length lead over the second-place Dodgers. The Padres scored their run off Pat Zachry in the first inning on singles by Bill Almon and Johnny Grubb and Dave Concepcion's bad throw.

The Reds tied the score in the fourth and took command of the game with two runs in the fifth on a single by Joe Morgan, double by George Foster and single by Concepcion. Johnny Bench and Tony Perez batted in two runs apiece with bases-loaded singles in the sixth. Singles by Morgan and Foster added the final two tallies in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, San Diego Padres 1
Game Played on Tuesday, September 21, 1976 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Padres       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  8  3
Reds         0  0  0    1  2  4    2  0  x  -   9 12  1


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Almon ss              5   1   1   0     0   2   .240      Rose 3b               5   2   2   0     0   0   .329
Grubb rf              3   0   1   0     1   0   .278      Griffey rf            3   2   1   0     2   0   .332
W. Davis cf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .270        Armbrister rf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .284
Ivie 1b               4   0   0   0     0   2   .288      Morgan 2b             4   2   2   1     1   0   .327
Turner lf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .248        Flynn 2b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .283
  Metzger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bench c               5   1   1   2     0   2   .240
  Valentine ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Plummer c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .259
  Folkers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Foster lf             4   2   3   2     0   1   .313
Fuentes 2b            3   0   0   0     1   1   .260        Lum lf              0   0   0   0     0   0   .223
Rader 3b              4   0   1   0     0   2   .245      Perez 1b              4   0   1   2     1   1   .260
Kendall c             3   0   1   0     1   1   .244        Driessen 1b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .252
Griffin p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .080      Geronimo cf           2   0   0   0     3   0   .310
  Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Concepcion ss         5   0   2   1     0   1   .283
  Ashford ph          1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000      Zachry p              4   0   0   0     0   1   .123
  Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Rettenmund lf       2   0   2   0     0   0   .242

Totals               34   1   8   0     3   9             Totals               36   9  12   8     7   6

Time of Game: 2:36   Attendance: 20,084
Left on Base: Padres 9, Reds 12
DP: Padres 1, Reds 1
Errors: W. Davis, Turner, Griffin, Concepcion
Doubles: Turner (16), Ashford (1), Rose (40), Foster (19)
Triples: Foster (8)
Stolen Bases: Griffey (33), Morgan (58)
Caught Stealing: Fuentes (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Zachry (12)
GIDP: Concepcion (10)
Hit by Pitch: Foster (4,by Metzger)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Griffin                 3.1   3   1   1   4   3   0  18   4.47
Tomlin                  0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.23
Johnson L(1-3)          1     4   5   4   2   2   0  10   4.19
Metzger                 2     5   3   3   1   0   0  12   2.50
Folkers                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   5.28
Totals                  8    12   9   8   7   6   0  45

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Zachry W(14-5)          9     8   1   0   3   9   0  37   2.70
Totals                  9     8   1   0   3   9   0  37

Hit by Pitch: Metzger (3)
Wild Pitches: Griffin (7)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Eric Gregg


PADRES 1ST: Debut for umpire Eric Gregg; Almon singled to
right; Grubb singled to right [Almon to second]; W. Davis forced
Grubb (second to shortstop) [Almon scored (error by Concepcion)
(unearned), W. Davis to second]; Ivie struck out; Turner
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 1, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Griffey grounded
out (third to first); Morgan flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Padres 1, Reds 0.

PADRES 2ND: Fuentes walked; Rader struck out while Fuentes was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Kendall singled
to center; Griffin popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 1, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench struck out; Foster struck out; Perez walked;
Geronimo walked [Perez to second]; Concepcion was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1, Reds 0.

PADRES 3RD: Almon grounded out (shortstop to first); Grubb
walked; W. Davis forced Grubb (shortstop to second) [W. Davis to
first]; Ivie flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1,
Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Zachry flied out to left; Rose doubled; Griffey
walked; Morgan flied out to center [Rose to third]; Griffey
stole second; Bench flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Padres 1, Reds 0.

PADRES 4TH: Turner doubled to right; Fuentes grounded out
(second to first) [Turner to third]; Rader struck out; Kendall
struck out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1,
Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Foster tripled; Griffin threw a wild pitch [Foster
scored]; Perez grounded out (third to first); Geronimo walked;
Concepcion singled to shortstop [Geronimo to second]; Zachry
reached on an error by Griffin on a sacrifice bunt [Geronimo to
third, Concepcion to second, Zachry to first]; TOMLIN REPLACED
GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Rose forced Geronimo (pitcher to catcher)
[Concepcion to third, Zachry to second, Rose to first]; Griffey
forced Rose (shortstop unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Padres 1, Reds 1.

PADRES 5TH: ASHFORD BATTED FOR TOMLIN; Ashford doubled to
left; Debut game for Tucker Ashford; Almon struck out;
Grubb grounded out (second to first) [Ashford to third]; W.
Davis struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Reds 1.

REDS 5TH: JOHNSON REPLACED ASHFORD (PITCHING); Morgan singled to
center; Morgan stole second; Bench was called out on strikes;
Foster doubled to left [Morgan scored]; Perez was called out on
strikes; Geronimo was walked intentionally; Concepcion singled
to left [Foster scored, Geronimo to third (error by Turner)];
Zachry forced Concepcion (second to shortstop); 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Padres 1, Reds 3.

PADRES 6TH: Ivie flied out to center; Turner flied out to left;
Fuentes struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Reds 3.

REDS 6TH: Rose reached on an error by W. Davis [Rose to second];
Griffey singled to shortstop [Rose to third]; Morgan walked
[Griffey to second]; METZGER REPLACED TURNER (PITCHING);
RETTENMUND REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING LF); Bench singled to left
[Rose scored (unearned), Griffey scored, Morgan to second];
Foster was hit by a pitch [Morgan to third, Bench to second];
Perez singled to right [Morgan scored, Bench scored, Foster to
second]; Geronimo flied out to center; Concepcion grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Perez out at
second]; 4 R (3 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Reds 7.

PADRES 7TH: Rader singled to right; Kendall forced Rader
(shortstop to second) [Kendall to first]; Rettenmund singled to
center [Kendall to second]; Almon flied out to center; Grubb
lined to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1, Reds 7.

REDS 7TH: Zachry popped to shortstop; Rose singled to center;
Griffey walked [Rose to second]; Morgan singled to right [Rose
scored, Griffey to third]; Bench popped to shortstop; Foster
singled to center [Griffey scored, Morgan to second]; Perez
popped to catcher in foul territory; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Padres 1, Reds 9.

PADRES 8TH: FLYNN REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); PLUMMER REPLACED
BENCH (PLAYING C ); W. Davis flied out to center; Ivie struck
out; VALENTINE BATTED FOR METZGER; Valentine popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Reds 9.

REDS 8TH: FOLKERS REPLACED VALENTINE (PITCHING); Geronimo flied
out to left; Concepcion grounded out (third to first); Zachry
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Reds 9.

PADRES 9TH: ARMBRISTER REPLACED GRIFFEY (PLAYING RF); LUM
REPLACED FOSTER (PLAYING LF); DRIESSEN REPLACED PEREZ (PLAYING
1B); Fuentes flied out to center; Rader grounded out (third to
first); Kendall walked; Rettenmund singled to left [Kendall to
second]; Almon was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Padres 1, Reds 9.