Driving in four runs with a homer and single, Johnny Bench led the Reds to a 9-7 triumph over the Pirates, who suffered their fourth straight defeat. Bench's third homer in two games came with two men on base in a four-run third inning and put the Reds ahead to stay, 6-5. Bench also added an RBI single in a two-run fourth frame. Dave Collins and Dan Driessen each had RBI doubles. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Pittsburgh Pirates 7
Game Played on Thursday, July      26, 1979 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Reds         0  2  4    2  0  0    0  1  0  -   9 11  1
Pirates      2  3  0    0  0  1    0  1  0  -   7  9  2


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Collins lf            5   1   2   1     0   0   .346      Moreno cf             5   1   1   1     0   0   .292
  Geronimo cf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .246      Foli ss               3   1   1   1     0   0   .279
Cruz rf               4   2   1   0     1   1   .130      Parker rf             3   1   0   0     1   1   .294
Morgan 2b             3   1   0   0     2   1   .248      Stargell 1b           3   1   2   2     1   0   .319
Bench c               5   1   2   4     0   1   .261      B. Robinson lf        4   1   2   1     0   1   .277
Concepcion ss         5   2   2   0     0   1   .299      Madlock 3b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .283
Knight 3b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .304      Ott c                 4   1   1   0     0   1   .264
Driessen 1b           4   1   1   1     1   0   .242      Garner 2b             4   1   1   0     0   2   .304
Blair cf,lf           5   0   1   1     0   0   .178      Roberts p             0   0   0   1     0   0   .000
Sarmiento p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Coleman p           0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
  Soto p              3   1   1   0     0   2   .333        Easler ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .276
  Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .184        Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lacy ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .261
                                                            Romo p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Milner ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .267

Totals               38   9  11   7     5   6             Totals               33   7   9   6     2   7

Time of Game: 2:51   Attendance: 20,339
Left on Base: Reds 8, Pirates 3
DP: Reds 1, Pirates 1
Errors: Knight, Madlock, Ott
Doubles: Concepcion 2 (17), Driessen (15), Collins (7), Garner (21)
Triples: Moreno (9)
Home Runs: Bench (11), Stargell (20), B. Robinson (21)
Stolen Bases: B. Robinson (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Sarmiento (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Roberts (1), Foli (3)
GIDP: Driessen (5), B. Robinson (11)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sarmiento               1.1   6   5   5   0   0   1  10   6.55
Soto W(1-2)             5.2   2   2   2   2   5   1  21   8.79
Hume SV(3)              2     1   0   0   0   2   0   6   3.28
Totals                  9     9   7   7   2   7   2  37

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts L(1-3)          2     6   6   4   1   0   1  14   3.26
Coleman                 2     4   2   2   1   1   0  10   1.74
Jackson                 3     0   0   0   2   3   0  11   3.10
Romo                    2     1   1   0   1   2   0   9   3.01
Totals                  9    11   9   6   5   6   1  44

Passed Balls: Ott (5)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Dave Pallone, 3B - Paul Runge


REDS 1ST: Collins singled to center; Cruz flied out to center;
Morgan popped to second in foul territory; Bench flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Moreno grounded out (second to first); Foli singled
to left; Parker lined to center; Stargell homered [Foli scored];
B. Robinson singled to left; B. Robinson stole second; Madlock
grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
0, Pirates 2.

REDS 2ND: Concepcion doubled to left; Knight lined to center;
Driessen doubled to center [Concepcion scored]; Blair singled to
center [Driessen scored]; Sarmiento out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Blair to second]; Collins flied out to
center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 2ND: Ott singled to center; Garner doubled to left [Ott
to third]; Roberts hit a sacrifice fly to center [Ott scored,
Garner to third]; Moreno tripled to center [Garner scored]; SOTO
REPLACED SARMIENTO (PITCHING); Foli hit a sacrifice fly to left
[Moreno scored]; Parker popped to third; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 2, Pirates 5.

REDS 3RD: Cruz reached on an error by Madlock [Cruz to first];
Morgan walked [Cruz to second]; Bench homered [Cruz scored
(unearned), Morgan scored]; Concepcion doubled to right; COLEMAN
REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); Knight singled to center
[Concepcion to third]; Driessen grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Concepcion scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Knight out at second]; Blair flied out to center; 4 R (2
ER), 3 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 6, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 3RD: Stargell walked; B. Robinson struck out; Madlock
struck out; Ott forced Stargell (second to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 6, Pirates 5.

REDS 4TH: Soto singled to third; Collins doubled to left [Soto
scored]; Cruz walked; Morgan struck out; Bench singled to left
[Collins scored, Cruz to second]; Concepcion flied out to left;
Knight forced Bench (shortstop to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Reds 8, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 4TH: Garner struck out; EASLER BATTED FOR COLEMAN;
Easler struck out; Moreno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 8, Pirates 5.

REDS 5TH: JACKSON REPLACED EASLER (PITCHING); Driessen popped to
first; Blair flied out to center; Soto struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 8, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 5TH: Foli grounded out (third to first); Parker struck
out; Stargell grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 8, Pirates 5.

REDS 6TH: Collins flied out to right; Cruz struck out; Morgan
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
8, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 6TH: B. Robinson homered; Madlock flied out to left; Ott
lined to right; Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 8, Pirates 6.

REDS 7TH: Bench struck out; Concepcion grounded out (second to
first); Knight walked; Driessen walked [Knight to second]; Blair
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 8, Pirates 6.

PIRATES 7TH: LACY BATTED FOR JACKSON; Lacy grounded out (third
to first); Moreno flied out to center; Foli flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 8, Pirates 6.

REDS 8TH: ROMO REPLACED LACY (PITCHING); Soto struck out;
Collins popped to third in foul territory; Cruz singled to left;
Morgan walked [Cruz to second]; Ott allowed a passed ball [Cruz
to third, Morgan to second]; Bench reached on an error by Ott
[Cruz scored (unearned) (no RBI), Bench to first]; Concepcion
struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 9, Pirates 6.

PIRATES 8TH: GERONIMO REPLACED COLLINS (PLAYING CF); BLAIR
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Parker walked; Stargell singled
to right [Parker to third]; HUME REPLACED SOTO (PITCHING); B.
Robinson grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Parker scored (no RBI), Stargell out at second]; Madlock
singled to third [Madlock to second (error by Knight)]; Ott
struck out (catcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9,
Pirates 7.

REDS 9TH: Knight grounded out (third to first); Driessen lined
to left; Blair lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9,
Pirates 7.

PIRATES 9TH: Garner struck out; MILNER BATTED FOR ROMO; Milner
grounded out (second to first); Moreno grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Pirates 7.