The Bucs weren't stopped here

71 Reds - Rick Tharpe, 73 Pirates - Jesse Elicker
Sep 10 - Pit 4-1, 11 innings - Bob Moose vs. Ross Grimsley

Both teams were getting men on base, but scoring was another issue. The Reds left 13 men on base in the game; Pittsburgh left 6. The Bucs scored a run in the 4th on Willie Stargell's 6th HR of the year. Cincinnati tied it in the 7th when Pete Rose reached an error, Tommy Helms singled, and Hal McRae hit a sac fly. Tied at 1, bottom of the 9th, PH Willie Smith led off with a double. Rose was intentionally walked, and Dave Giusti got Helms, McRae, and Lee May to get out of the jam. Top of the 11th, Richie Zisk hit a 1-out double off Steve Blateric. Greg Garrett came in to face Stargell, who walked. Clay Carroll replace him, and gave up a single to Dave Parker. Zisk scored, 2-1. A walk to Al Oliver loaded the bases, and Richie Hebner's single made it 3-1. Gene Alley delivered an insurance run with another single, 4-1. Bottom of the 11th, Bob Johnson gave up a 2-out walk but that was it as the Pirates took the opener 4-1.


Sep 11 - Pit 7-1 - Dock Ellis vs. Gary Nolan

Dock Ellis had his A game going, holding the Reds to 3-hits through the first 8, and finishing with a 7-1, 4-hit complete game. Ellis aided his own cause with a pair of hits and an RBI. The big inning for the Pirates came in the 4th. Up 1-0, Willie Stargell led off with a triple. A ground out plated him, 2-0. An out later, Bob Robertson drew a walk. An error allowed Rennie Stennett to reach, and Dock Ellis delivered his first hit to make it 3-0. A walk to Dave Cash loaded the bases. Richie Hebner singled, 4-0, with Stennett being thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Homers by Willie Stargell (7) and Richie Zisk (6) finished off the Bucs' scoring.


Sep 12 - Pit 10-7 - Don Gullett vs. Jim Rooker

The Reds scored in the 1st to take an early 1-0 lead. Hal McRae hit a lead off double, moved to 3rd on Pete Rose' single, and scored on Tony Perez' single. Rooker avoided disaster by striking out Lee May and George Foster before getting Johnny Bench to fly out. In the 5th, McRae led off with a HR (3). Rose singled, Perez doubled him in, 3-0 Reds. Again it was McRae and Rose in the 6th, a double by Hal and Pete's single to put the Big Red Machine up 4-0. The Pirates finally scratched out a run in the bottom of the 6th. A Dave Cash single and a walk to Rennie Stennet put two on...and two outs later Bob Robertson's single broke the shutout, 4-1. Then in the bottom of the 7th, Cincinnati imploded. Al Oliver and PH Dave Augustine singled. A walk to PH Jackie Hernandez chased Gullet, and Wayne Granger entered. Cash singled to score two, making it a 4-3 game. One out later, Richie Zisk's sac fly tied the game at 4. Then Willie Stargell hit is 8th HR of the campaign to put the Pirates up 5-4. If that weren't bad enough, in the bottom of the 8th, things really went bad for the Reds. Manny Sanguillen singled. Two outs later, Jackie Hernandez singled. An error on Pedro Borbon loaded the bases, and Richie Hebner followed with a grand slam, number 6 on the year, and the Bucs went from being down 4-0 to leading 10-4. Cincinnati put together a good rally in the top of the 9th, with four singles and three runs, but they fell short, 10-7.

Turning Point - Maybe Stargell's HR in game 3, or Hebner's slam?
Series MVP - Willie Stargell - 6 for 12, 3 HR, 5 RBI Richie Hebner - 5 for 9, 1 HR, 7 RBI
--submitted by Jesse Elicker--