Major league home-run leader George Foster rapped his 32nd of the season and drove in a pair of runs as the Reds ended their longest losing streak since 1966 -- eight games -- with a 6-2 victory over the Cubs in the first game of a twin bill. Chicago, scoring all of its runs in the eighth inning of the second game, salvaged a split with a 5-1 decision. Cesar Geronimo and Mike Lum drove in fourth-inning runs for the Reds in the opener. Foster homered in the sixth, Johnny Bench singled home the 1,000th run of his career in the eighth and the Reds added two insurance runs in the ninth in support of Mario Soto's first major league victory.

Trailing 1-0 in the eighth inning of the second contest, the Cubs tied the score on Ivan DeJesus' triple and a grounder by Gene Clines to Joe Morgan, who failed to throw out DeJesus at the plate. Singles by Jose Cardenal and Larry Biittner chased Clines home with the winning run. Bobby Murcer walked to load the bases and Cardenal scored on Jerry Morales' sacrifice fly. Two more Chicago runs crossed the plate on Steve Ontiveros' single and a sacrifice fly by Manny Trillo. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 6, Chicago Cubs 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Wednesday, July      27, 1977 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Reds         0  0  0    2  0  1    0  1  2  -   6 10  1
Cubs         0  1  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   2  9  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Griffey rf            4   1   2   0     1   1   .323      Wallis cf             4   0   1   0     0   3   .290
Rose 3b               4   1   0   0     1   2   .309      Biittner lf,1b        4   0   0   0     0   1   .293
Morgan 2b             4   0   0   0     1   0   .298      Buckner 1b            4   1   2   0     0   1   .285
Foster lf,cf          4   3   3   2     0   0   .315        Clines pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .308
Bench c               3   1   1   1     2   1   .270      Murcer rf             3   0   2   1     1   0   .276
Geronimo cf           4   0   3   1     0   0   .278      Ontiveros 3b          4   1   2   1     0   1   .286
  Bailey ph,1b        1   0   0   1     0   0   .288      Trillo 2b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .300
Concepcion ss         5   0   0   0     0   0   .283      Mitterwald c          3   0   1   0     0   0   .253
Lum 1b                3   0   1   1     1   0   .175        Cardenal pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .231
  Armbrister ph,lf    1   0   0   0     0   0   .313        P. Reuschel p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Soto p                3   0   0   0     1   0   .000        Moore p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            G. Hernandez p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Morales ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .333
                                                          De Jesus ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .249
                                                          Krukow p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .162
                                                            Broberg p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Gross ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .281
                                                            Swisher c           1   0   0   0     0   1   .170

Totals               36   6  10   6     7   4             Totals               34   2   9   2     2   9

Time of Game: 3:19
Left on Base: Reds 11, Cubs 7
DP: Reds 1, Cubs 1
Errors: Geronimo, Ontiveros
Doubles: Wallis (3), Buckner (12), Morales (28)
Home Runs: Foster (32), Ontiveros (7)
Stolen Bases: Foster (5)
Caught Stealing: Murcer (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Foster (6)
GIDP: Mitterwald (15)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Soto W(1-0)             9     9   2   2   2   9   1  36   3.00
Totals                  9     9   2   2   2   9   1  36

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Krukow L(7-8)           3.2   5   2   2   1   3   0  17   4.45
Broberg                 3.1   2   1   1   2   1   1  13   5.79
P. Reuschel             1     3   3   3   3   0   0   9   2.73
Moore                   0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.55
G. Hernandez            0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   4   2.14
Totals                  9    10   6   6   7   4   1  44

Passed Balls: Mitterwald (4)
Wild Pitches: Soto (2)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Jerry Crawford


REDS 1ST: Griffey singled to left; Rose flied out to center;
Morgan flied out to center; Foster lined to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Wallis doubled to right; Biittner struck out; Buckner
flied out to center; Murcer grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Cubs 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench was called out on strikes; Geronimo singled to
right; Concepcion flied out to right; Lum forced Geronimo
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Ontiveros homered; Trillo walked; Mitterwald grounded
out (third to first) [Trillo to second]; De Jesus grounded out
(third to first) [Trillo to third]; Krukow grounded out (third
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Cubs 1.

REDS 3RD: Soto grounded out (second to first); Griffey was
called out on strikes; Rose was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 3RD: Wallis was called out on strikes; Biittner flied out
to right; Buckner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Cubs 1.

REDS 4TH: Morgan grounded out (second to first); Foster singled
to left; Bench walked [Foster to second]; Geronimo singled to
left [Foster scored, Bench to second]; Concepcion popped to
second; Lum singled to pitcher [Bench scored, Geronimo to
second]; BROBERG REPLACED KRUKOW (PITCHING); Soto grounded out
(pitcher to first); Mike Krukow hit on right arm by Mike Lum
liner; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Cubs 1.

CUBS 4TH: On a bunt Murcer singled to third; Ontiveros singled
to right [Murcer to third]; Trillo popped to second in foul
territory; Mitterwald grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Ontiveros out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 2, Cubs 1.

REDS 5TH: Griffey walked; Rose flied out to center; Morgan hit
into a double play (right to first) [Griffey out at second]; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Cubs 1.

CUBS 5TH: On a bunt De Jesus popped to catcher in foul
territory; Broberg struck out; Wallis was called out on strikes;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Cubs 1.

REDS 6TH: Foster homered; Bench flied out to center; On a bunt
Geronimo singled to pitcher; Concepcion lined to right; Lum
flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Cubs 1.

CUBS 6TH: Biittner popped to shortstop; Buckner singled to
center; Soto threw a wild pitch [Buckner to second]; Murcer
singled to center [Buckner scored]; Murcer was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Ontiveros was called out on
strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Cubs 2.

REDS 7TH: Soto walked; Griffey forced Soto (second to
shortstop); Rose struck out; Mitterwald allowed a passed ball
[Griffey to second]; Morgan grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Cubs 2.

CUBS 7TH: Trillo flied out to left; Mitterwald singled to center
[Mitterwald to second (error by Geronimo)]; CARDENAL RAN FOR
MITTERWALD; De Jesus lined to left; GROSS BATTED FOR BROBERG;
Gross struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Cubs 2.

REDS 8TH: P. REUSCHEL REPLACED CARDENAL (PITCHING); SWISHER
REPLACED GROSS (PLAYING C ); Foster singled to right; Foster
stole second; Bench singled to left [Foster scored]; Geronimo
lined to left; Concepcion forced Bench (shortstop to second);
Lum walked [Concepcion to second]; Soto forced Lum (second to
shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Cubs 2.

CUBS 8TH: Wallis struck out; Biittner flied out to left; Buckner
doubled to right; CLINES RAN FOR BUCKNER; Murcer walked;
Ontiveros popped to shortstop in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Reds 4, Cubs 2.

REDS 9TH: CLINES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); BIITTNER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Griffey singled to second; Rose walked
[Griffey to second]; Morgan walked [Griffey to third, Rose to
second]; MOORE REPLACED P. REUSCHEL (PITCHING); Foster hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Griffey scored, Rose to third]; G.
HERNANDEZ REPLACED MOORE (PITCHING); Bench was walked
intentionally [Morgan to second]; BAILEY BATTED FOR GERONIMO;
Bailey reached on an error by Ontiveros [Rose scored (RBI),
Morgan to third, Bench to second, Bailey to first]; Concepcion
popped to third; ARMBRISTER BATTED FOR LUM; Armbrister flied out
to center; 2 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 6, Cubs 2.

CUBS 9TH: BAILEY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); ARMBRISTER STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); FOSTER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF);
Trillo flied out to right; MORALES BATTED FOR G. HERNANDEZ;
Morales doubled to left; De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to
first); Swisher struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 6, Cubs
2.