Johnny Bench was the hitting hero, slugging a homer and climaxing a three-run, ninth-inning rally with the game-winning hit as the Reds edged the Padres, 5-4. The Reds were behind, 4-2, when Mike Vail began the bottom of the ninth with a pinch-single and was replaced by pinch-runner German Barranca, who reached second on a single by Paul Householder.

Both runners advanced on a sacrifice by Sam Mejias. An infield grounder by Ken Griffey scored Barranca and a single by Dave Concepcion tied the score at 4-4. George Foster then walked and Bench followed with a run-scoring single to end the game. Bench's round-tripper, No. 362 of his career, came in the sixth with the bases empty. [The Sporting News]

Cincinnati Reds 5, San Diego Padres 4

Game Played on Wednesday, September 9, 1981 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium

Padres 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 4 7 1 Reds 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 - 5 8 0 Padres AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Reds AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Smith ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .247 Collins rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .279 Bonilla 2b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .306 Mejias rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .311 Richards lf 3 1 1 0 1 0 .280 Griffey cf 5 0 0 1 0 0 .310 Jones cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .259 Concepcion ss 4 2 2 1 1 1 .314 Salazar 3b 2 2 1 0 2 0 .297 Foster lf 4 0 1 1 1 1 .289 Kennedy c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .300 Bench 1b 5 1 2 2 0 0 .359 Evans 1b 2 1 1 2 0 0 .309 Knight 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .257 Perkins ph,1b 1 0 1 1 0 0 .297 Kennedy 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .200 Edwards rf 3 0 1 1 0 0 .225 Driessen ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .217 Show p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Oester 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .252 Lucas p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .100 O'Berry c 0 0 0 0 3 0 .179 Urrea p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Vail ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .200 Lollar p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .200 Barranca pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .333 Lefebvre rf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .243 Leibrandt p 1 0 0 0 2 1 .000 Hume p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Householder ph 1 1 1 0 0 0 .333 Totals 28 4 7 4 3 3 Totals 32 5 8 5 8 5 Time of Game: 2:27 Attendance: 16,328 Left on Base: Padres 3, Reds 10 DP: Padres 1, Reds 0 Errors: Evans Doubles: Salazar (17), Perkins (15), Foster (19) Home Runs: Bench (6) Stolen Bases: Salazar (8) Caught Stealing: Bonilla (6) Sacrifice Hits: Kennedy (4), Jones (2), Mejias (3) Sacrifice Flies: Evans (3) GIDP: Griffey (9) Padres IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Lollar 6 4 2 2 7 4 1 28 6.68 Show 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 1.35 Lucas 0.2 2 2 2 0 0 0 4 2.22 Urrea L(2-2) 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 3 2.18 Totals 8.2 8 5 5 8 5 1 41 Reds IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Leibrandt 8.2 6 4 4 3 3 0 33 3.60 Hume W(8-3) 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3.29 Totals 9 7 4 4 3 3 0 34 Wild Pitches: Lollar (6) Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Steve Fields, 3B - Bob Engel PADRES 1ST: Smith flied out to left; Bonilla grounded out (shortstop to first); Richards walked; Jones flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 0, Reds 0. REDS 1ST: Collins flied out to right; Griffey grounded out (second to first); Concepcion singled to left; Lollar threw a wild pitch [Concepcion to second]; Foster doubled to center [Concepcion scored]; Bench grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 0, Reds 1. PADRES 2ND: Salazar walked; Salazar stole second; On a bunt Kennedy grounded out (pitcher to first); Evans singled to left [Salazar scored, Evans to second (on throw to home)]; Edwards singled to center [Evans scored]; Edwards was picked off first (pitcher to first); Lollar struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 1. REDS 2ND: Knight singled to right; Kennedy lined to third; O'Berry walked [Knight to second]; Leibrandt walked [Knight to third, O'Berry to second]; Collins forced Knight (third to catcher) [O'Berry to third, Leibrandt to second]; Griffey flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 1. PADRES 3RD: Smith struck out; Bonilla popped to catcher in foul territory; Richards popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 1. REDS 3RD: Concepcion struck out; Foster struck out; Bench popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 1. PADRES 4TH: Jones grounded out (second to first); Salazar flied out to center; Kennedy grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 1. REDS 4TH: Knight flied out to left; Kennedy flied out to right; O'Berry walked; Leibrandt struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 1. PADRES 5TH: Evans flied out to right; Edwards grounded out (shortstop to first); Lollar flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 1. REDS 5TH: Collins walked; Griffey grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Collins out at second]; Concepcion walked; Foster flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 1. PADRES 6TH: Smith grounded out (shortstop to first); Bonilla singled to left; Richards grounded out (first unassisted) [Bonilla to second]; Jones grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 1. REDS 6TH: Bench homered; Knight struck out; Kennedy grounded out (shortstop to first); O'Berry walked; Evans dropped a foul fly hit by Leibrandt for an error; Leibrandt walked [O'Berry to second]; Collins flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Padres 2, Reds 2. PADRES 7TH: MEJIAS REPLACED COLLINS (PLAYING RF); Salazar doubled to right; Kennedy out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Salazar to third]; Evans hit a sacrifice fly to center [Salazar scored]; Edwards grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 3, Reds 2. REDS 7TH: SHOW REPLACED EDWARDS (PITCHING); LEFEBVRE REPLACED LOLLAR (PLAYING RF); Griffey flied out to center; Concepcion flied out to center; Foster grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 3, Reds 2. PADRES 8TH: Lefebvre was called out on strikes; Smith flied out to left; Bonilla singled to right; Bonilla was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 3, Reds 2. REDS 8TH: Bench grounded out (third to first); Knight struck out; DRIESSEN BATTED FOR KENNEDY; Driessen flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 3, Reds 2. PADRES 9TH: OESTER REPLACED DRIESSEN (PLAYING 2B); Richards singled to left; Jones out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to first) [Richards to second]; Salazar was walked intentionally; Kennedy flied out to left; HUME REPLACED LEIBRANDT (PITCHING); PERKINS BATTED FOR EVANS; Perkins doubled to center [Richards scored, Salazar out at home (center to shortstop to catcher)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 4, Reds 2. REDS 9TH: PERKINS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); LUCAS REPLACED SHOW (PITCHING); VAIL BATTED FOR O'BERRY; Vail singled to left; BARRANCA RAN FOR VAIL; HOUSEHOLDER BATTED FOR HUME; Householder singled to center [Barranca to second]; Mejias out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Barranca to third, Householder to second]; Griffey grounded out (second to first) [Barranca scored, Householder to third]; URREA REPLACED LUCAS (PITCHING); Concepcion singled to left [Householder scored]; Foster walked [Concepcion to second]; Bench singled to center [Concepcion scored, Foster to second]; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Padres 4, Reds 5.

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