Paced by Terry Whitfield, who had four hits, the Giants opened the 1979 major league season by romping over the Reds, 11-5, and spoiling John McNamara's debut as Cincinnati manager. The Reds hurt their own cause with five errors, one being a two-run throwing miscue by catcher Johnny Bench that contributed heavily to Frisco's eight-run second inning.

Because of the strike, three of the four umpires were from local amateur leagues. The only regular ump was Paul Pryor, who worked behind the plate. The Reds announced that 52,155 had purchased tickets, but cold, overcast weather kept several thousand at home. [The Sporting News]

San Francisco Giants 11, Cincinnati Reds 5

Game Played on Wednesday, April 4, 1979 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium

Giants       0  8  1    1  0  1    0  0  0  -  11 11  0
Reds         0  0  1    3  1  0    0  0  0  -   5  9  5


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
North cf              6   0   0   1     0   1   .000      Griffey rf            4   0   2   0     1   0   .500
Whitfield lf          5   1   4   2     0   0   .800      Concepcion ss         3   0   1   1     1   0   .333
Madlock 2b            4   1   1   1     1   0   .250      Morgan 2b             4   1   1   0     1   0   .250
Clark rf              3   3   1   0     2   0   .333      Foster lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Evans 3b              4   1   2   2     0   0   .500      Bench c               3   1   1   0     1   0   .333
Ivie 1b               4   2   2   1     1   0   .500      Driessen 1b           4   1   1   1     0   0   .250
Hill c                4   1   1   1     1   0   .250      Auerbach 3b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Metzger ss            4   2   0   0     0   0   .000      Geronimo cf           4   2   2   2     0   0   .500
Blue p                3   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Seaver p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Moskau p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            DeFreites ph        0   0   0   1     0   0   .000
                                                            Capilla p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Collins ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Pastore p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kennedy ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37  11  11   8     5   3             Totals               33   5   9   5     4   2

Time of Game: 2:45   Attendance: 52,115
Left on Base: Giants 8, Reds 7
DP: Giants 1, Reds 0
Errors: Morgan, Foster, Bench, Auerbach, Seaver
Doubles: Whitfield (1), Clark (1), Griffey 2 (2)
Triples: Geronimo (1)
Home Runs: Ivie (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Metzger (1), Blue 2 (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Evans (1), Concepcion (1), DeFreites (1)
GIDP: Morgan (1)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blue W(1-0)             9     9   5   5   4   2   0  39   5.00
Totals                  9     9   5   5   4   2   0  39

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver L(0-1)           1.2   6   7   4   1   0   0  14  21.60
Moskau                  2.1   3   3   1   1   0   1  12   3.86
Capilla                 1.1   1   1   1   3   0   0   8   6.75
Tomlin                  0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   0.00
Pastore                 3     1   0   0   0   2   0  10   0.00
Totals                  9    11  11   6   5   3   1  46

Wild Pitches: Seaver (1)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Roger Grooms, 2B - Les Treitel, 3B - Mick Sharkey


GIANTS 1ST: Debut for umpire Roger Grooms; North flied
out to left; Whitfield doubled to right; Madlock flied out to
right; Clark walked; Evans grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Griffey grounded out (pitcher to first); Concepcion
walked; Morgan grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop
to first) [Concepcion out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Reds 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Ivie singled to center; Hill singled [Ivie to
second]; Metzger reached on a fielder's choice on a sacrifice
bunt [Ivie scored (error by Seaver) (no RBI), Hill to third];
Blue out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Metzger to
second]; North grounded out (second to first) [Hill scored];
Whitfield singled to center [Metzger scored]; Seaver threw a
wild pitch [Whitfield to second]; Madlock singled to center
[Whitfield scored]; Clark reached on an error by Auerbach
[Madlock to second, Clark to first]; Evans singled to right
[Madlock scored (unearned), Clark to third, Evans to second (on
throw)]; MOSKAU REPLACED SEAVER (PITCHING); Clark was picked off
third but was safe on an error by Bench [Clark scored
(unearned), Evans scored (unearned)]; Ivie homered; Hill flied
out to left; 8 R (5 ER), 6 H, 3 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 8, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster popped to second; Bench walked; Driessen forced
Bench (second to shortstop); Auerbach flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 8, Reds 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Metzger reached on an error by Morgan [Metzger to
first]; Blue out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Metzger
to second]; North lined to shortstop; Whitfield singled to
center [Metzger scored (unearned)]; Madlock flied out to center;
1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 9, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Geronimo singled to shortstop; Moskau struck out;
Griffey doubled to right [Geronimo to third]; Concepcion hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Geronimo scored]; Morgan walked; Foster
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 9,
Reds 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Clark doubled to left [Clark to third (error by
Foster)]; Evans hit a sacrifice fly to right [Clark scored
(unearned)]; Ivie walked; Hill flied out to center; Metzger
flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 10, Reds
1.

REDS 4TH: Bench singled to left; Driessen singled to center
[Bench to second]; Auerbach flied out to left; Geronimo tripled
to center [Bench scored, Driessen scored]; DEFREITES BATTED FOR
MOSKAU; DeFreites hit a sacrifice fly to right [Geronimo
scored]; Griffey doubled to right; Concepcion popped to second;
3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 10, Reds 4.

GIANTS 5TH: CAPILLA REPLACED DEFREITES (PITCHING); Blue grounded
out (pitcher to first); North flied out to center; Whitfield
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants
10, Reds 4.

REDS 5TH: Morgan singled to right; Foster singled to right
[Morgan to third]; Bench lined to third; Driessen grounded out
(first unassisted) [Morgan scored, Foster to second]; Auerbach
flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 10, Reds 5.

GIANTS 6TH: Madlock walked; Clark walked [Madlock to second];
Evans singled to center [Madlock to third, Clark to second];
Ivie forced Madlock (shortstop to catcher) [Clark to third,
Evans to second]; Hill walked [Clark scored, Evans to third,
Ivie to second]; TOMLIN REPLACED CAPILLA (PITCHING); Metzger
forced Evans (third to catcher) [Ivie to third, Hill to second];
Blue struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 11, Reds 5.

REDS 6TH: Geronimo grounded out (second to first); COLLINS
BATTED FOR TOMLIN; Collins struck out; Griffey grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 11, Reds 5.

GIANTS 7TH: PASTORE REPLACED COLLINS (PITCHING); North struck
out; Debut game for Frank Pastore; Whitfield singled to
right; Madlock forced Whitfield (third to shortstop to second);
Clark flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 11,
Reds 5.

REDS 7TH: Concepcion flied out to center; Morgan popped to
first; Foster grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 11, Reds 5.

GIANTS 8TH: Evans lined to first; Ivie grounded out (third to
first); Hill popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants
11, Reds 5.

REDS 8TH: Bench flied out to left; Driessen flied out to center;
Auerbach flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 11,
Reds 5.

GIANTS 9TH: Metzger flied out to left; Blue struck out; North
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 11, Reds 5.

REDS 9TH: Geronimo flied out to center; KENNEDY BATTED FOR
PASTORE; Kennedy grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffey
walked; Concepcion singled to center [Griffey to second]; Morgan
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants
11, Reds 5.

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