A freak storm dumped two inches of snow on Riverfront Stadium, but the hard-working grounds crew cleared the way for the world champion Reds to open their season with a 5-3 victory over the Padres. A near-capacity crowd of 51,937 turned out for the inaugural, despite temperatures of 38 degrees.

Woodie Fryman, acquired from the Expos in a winter deal, started for the Reds and got credit for the victory, but the lefthander was lifted after giving up six walks and seven hits, including a homer by Mike Ivie, in 5 1/3 innings. Randy Jones, the Padres' Cy Young Award winner who underwent offseason surgery, went down to defeat when Bill Plummer singled in the fourth and Cesar Geronimo homered to break a 2-2 tie. Plummer caught in place of Johnny Bench, who did not play because of a strained right knee. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 5, San Diego Padres 3
Game Played on Wednesday, April     6, 1977 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Padres       0  0  2    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   3  9  2
Reds         0  1  1    2  1  0    0  0  x  -   5 10  0


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Richards lf           3   0   1   0     2   0   .333      Rose 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Champion 2b           5   1   3   0     0   0   .600      Griffey rf            4   2   3   0     0   0   .750
Winfield rf           3   1   0   0     2   0   .000      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Hendrick cf           3   0   1   0     2   0   .333      Foster lf             2   0   1   2     1   0   .500
Tenace c              5   0   1   2     0   0   .200      Concepcion ss         4   1   2   0     0   1   .500
Ivie 1b               5   1   3   1     0   0   .600      Driessen 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Plummer c             4   1   2   1     0   1   .500
Almon ss              4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Geronimo cf           4   1   1   2     0   2   .250
Jones p               1   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Fryman p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Valentine ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Armbrister ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bernal p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Turner ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   3   9   3     7   2             Totals               33   5  10   5     1   5

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 51,937
Left on Base: Padres 12, Reds 6
DP: Padres 0, Reds 1
Errors: Richards, Ivie
Doubles: Ivie (1), Champion (1), Concepcion (1), Griffey (1), Morgan (1)
Triples: Foster (1)
Home Runs: Ivie (1), Geronimo (1)
Stolen Bases: Richards (1), Concepcion 2 (2)
Caught Stealing: Plummer (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Foster (1)
GIDP: Almon (1)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Jones L(0-1)            5     9   5   4   0   2   1  24   7.20
Tomlin                  1.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   6   0.00
Bernal                  0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   0.00
Fingers                 1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   0.00
Totals                  8    10   5   4   1   5   1  35

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fryman W(1-0)           5.1   7   3   3   6   2   1  29   5.06
Borbon                  0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
Eastwick SV(1)          3     1   0   0   1   0   0  10   0.00
Totals                  9     9   3   3   7   2   1  42

Balks: Jones (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Jim Quick


PADRES 1ST: Richards singled to second; Debut game for Gene
Richards; Richards stole second; Champion popped to second;
Winfield popped to second; Hendrick walked; Tenace flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffey
singled to shortstop; Jones balked [Griffey to second]; Morgan
popped to first in foul territory; Foster flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Reds 0.

PADRES 2ND: Ivie doubled to right; On a bunt Rader reached on a
fielder's choice [Ivie out at third (pitcher to third)]; Almon
struck out; Jones was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Padres 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Concepcion doubled to left; Concepcion stole third;
Driessen struck out; Plummer singled to center [Concepcion
scored]; Geronimo reached on an error by Richards [Plummer to
second, Geronimo to first]; Plummer was caught stealing third
(catcher to third); Fryman grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Reds 1.

PADRES 3RD: Richards grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Champion
doubled to left; Winfield walked; Hendrick walked [Champion to
third, Winfield to second]; Tenace singled to left [Champion
scored, Winfield scored, Hendrick to second]; Ivie popped to
second in foul territory; Rader flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Rose grounded out (second to first); Griffey doubled
to right; Morgan flied out to center; Foster tripled [Griffey
scored]; Concepcion struck out (catcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Reds 2.

PADRES 4TH: Almon grounded out (third to first); Jones walked;
Richards forced Jones (third to second); Champion singled to
shortstop [Richards to second]; Winfield walked [Richards to
third, Champion to second]; Hendrick forced Winfield (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Padres 2, Reds 2.

REDS 4TH: Driessen popped to second; Plummer singled to right;
Geronimo homered [Plummer scored]; Fryman grounded out
(shortstop to first); Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Reds 4.

PADRES 5TH: Tenace flied out to right; Ivie homered; Rader
grounded out (third to first); Almon made an out to shortstop; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Reds 4.

REDS 5TH: Griffey singled to right; Griffey was picked off first
but was safe on an error by Ivie [Griffey to second]; Morgan
grounded out (second to pitcher) [Griffey to third]; Foster hit
a sacrifice fly to center [Griffey scored (unearned)];
Concepcion singled to center; Concepcion stole second; Driessen
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 3, Reds 5.

PADRES 6TH: VALENTINE BATTED FOR JONES; Valentine flied out to
left; Richards walked; Champion singled to pitcher [Richards to
second]; BORBON REPLACED FRYMAN (PITCHING); Winfield forced
Richards (shortstop to third) [Champion to second]; Hendrick
singled to first [Champion to third, Winfield to second]; Tenace
lined to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Padres 3, Reds 5.

REDS 6TH: TOMLIN REPLACED VALENTINE (PITCHING); Plummer grounded
out (third to first); Geronimo struck out; ARMBRISTER BATTED FOR
BORBON; Armbrister grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Padres 3, Reds 5.

PADRES 7TH: EASTWICK REPLACED ARMBRISTER (PITCHING); Ivie
singled to left; Rader popped to second; Almon grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Ivie out at second];
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Reds 5.

REDS 7TH: Rose grounded out (second to first); Griffey grounded
out (third to first); Morgan doubled to left; BERNAL REPLACED
TOMLIN (PITCHING); Foster was walked intentionally; Debut
game for Victor Bernal; Concepcion lined to left; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 3, Reds 5.

PADRES 8TH: TURNER BATTED FOR BERNAL; Turner flied out to
center; Richards walked; Champion grounded out (second to first)
[Richards to second]; Winfield grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3, Reds 5.

REDS 8TH: FINGERS REPLACED TURNER (PITCHING); Driessen flied out
to left; Plummer struck out; Geronimo struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Padres 3, Reds 5.

PADRES 9TH: Hendrick popped to first; Tenace popped to first;
Ivie flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Reds
5.