Reds Expose Montreal as Pretenders

GAME 1 - Riverfront Stadium - CIN 4, MON 0:

The Reds scored an unearned run in the 3rd when Pete Rose singled home Woody Woodward from second and Hubie Brooks airmailed the ball to the backstop. Both teams settled into an offensive rut until Cincinnati broke it open with 3 in the bottom half of the 6th. Tommy Helms led off with double and scored when "Doggie" Tony Perez singled to right and Hubie Brooks made his second throwing error of the game. Expo starter Scott Holman was rattled and as evidence he gave up consecutive doubles to Bench and Carbo and yielded 3 runs in the inning before all was said and done. Cincy starter Gary Nolan was on his game for 7 1/3 innings of no run ball. The normally shaky Red bullpen came on to get the next 5 outs and preserve the shutout.

GAME 2 - Riverfront Stadium - MON 7, CIN 1:

Montreal evened the series behind a solid 2 hit/8 inning performance by El Presidente', Dennis Martinez. Cincy's only run came in the first as Martinez, who rarely makes mistakes, walked Rose and balked twice. At that point the Reds realized that the only way to score off of Martinez was to manufacturer runs and shutout the Expos. They would do neither the rest of the way. Montreal came right back to tie it in the second when Tim "Eli" Wallach doubled home Hubie Brooks. With the score 3-1 the Expos scored 3 in the 8th to put the game out of reach. Up by 5 Martinez left the game and Tim Burke closed it out without incident. The big blow in the 8th was a 2 run shot by Brooks. Don Gullett gave up 6 (3 earned) for the Reds.

Game 3 - Olympic Stadium - CIN 5, MON 2:

For 7 innings Jim McGlothlin and Pascual Perez dueled it out. Perez left after the 7th on the short side of the ledger down 2-1. Cincy exploded for 3 in the 8th when Johnny Bench hit a 2 out 2 run homer off Expo reliever Jeff Parrett. Hal McRae followed it up with a solo shot for insurance. The Expos had big threats in both the 8th and 9th, but failed to hit the knock out blow as McGlothlin flirted with danger, but never got stung.