Mike LaCoss allowed only three hits in eight innings and Doug Bair pitched a hitless ninth as the Reds gained their fifth straight victory, defeating the Cardinals, 4-1. Dan Driessen knocked in the Reds' initial run off Silvio Martinez with a sacrifice fly in the first, but Ted Simmons tied the score with a homer in the fourth.

LaCoss then paved the way for the deciding run in the seventh, beating out an infield hit. After successive forceouts by Ken Griffey and Dave Concepcion, Joe Morgan and George Foster singled to send the Reds ahead. An extra pair counted in the ninth off reliever Mark Littell on a pass to Concepcion, his second stolen base of the game, a wild pitch, a single by Foster and another wild pitch. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 4, St. Louis Cardinals 1
Game Played on Saturday, April     21, 1979 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Reds         1  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  2  -   4  9  0
Cardinals    0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  3  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Griffey rf            5   1   1   0     0   0   .383      Brock lf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .257
Concepcion ss         4   2   2   0     1   0   .369        Littell p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Morgan 2b             2   1   2   0     3   0   .365        Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Foster lf             5   0   2   2     0   1   .410      Templeton ss          4   0   1   0     0   0   .263
Driessen 1b           2   0   0   1     2   1   .273      Hernandez 1b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Bench c               3   0   0   0     2   1   .191      Simmons c             2   1   2   1     2   0   .283
Knight 3b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .333      Hendrick cf           2   0   0   0     2   1   .231
Geronimo cf           5   0   0   0     0   2   .200      Scott rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .309
LaCoss p              3   0   1   0     0   1   .200      Reitz 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .333
  Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Oberkfell 2b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                          Martinez p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Bruno p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Carbo ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Mumphrey lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   4   9   3     9   6             Totals               30   1   3   1     4   3

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance: 16,776
Left on Base: Reds 13, Cardinals 6
DP: Reds 0, Cardinals 1
Errors: Simmons
Home Runs: Simmons (3)
Stolen Bases: Morgan 2 (6), Concepcion 2 (4)
Sacrifice Hits: LaCoss (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Driessen (2)
GIDP: Foster (3)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
LaCoss W(1-0)           8     3   1   1   3   2   1  30   2.40
Bair SV(3)              1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   3.86
Totals                  9     3   1   1   4   3   1  34

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Martinez L(0-1)         6.2   8   2   2   5   5   0  32   1.86
Bruno                   1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.00
Littell                 0.2   1   2   2   4   0   0   7   2.25
Knowles                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   6.23
Totals                  9     9   4   4   9   6   0  44

Wild Pitches: Littell 2 (2)

Umpires: HP - Bob Sharp, 1B - Bill Lawson, 2B - Joe Bendekovits, 3B - Jim Jones


REDS 1ST: Griffey singled to center; Concepcion singled [Griffey
to second]; Morgan walked [Griffey to third, Concepcion to
second]; Foster was called out on strikes; Driessen lined out on
a sacrifice fly to center [Griffey scored, Concepcion to third];
Morgan stole second; Bench flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock flied out to left; Templeton grounded out
(third to first); Hernandez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals 0.

REDS 2ND: Knight walked; Geronimo was called out on strikes;
LaCoss out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Knight to
second]; Griffey lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons walked; Hendrick walked [Simmons to
second]; Scott forced Hendrick (first to shortstop) [Simmons to
third]; Reitz flied out to center; Oberkfell grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion flied out to center; Simmons dropped a foul
fly hit by Morgan for an error; Morgan singled to right; Morgan
stole second; Foster grounded out (shortstop to first); Driessen
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Martinez struck out; Brock grounded out (first to
pitcher); Templeton grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals 0.

REDS 4TH: Bench walked; Knight forced Bench (pitcher to
shortstop); Geronimo struck out; LaCoss forced Knight (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hernandez popped to third; Simmons homered;
Hendrick walked; Scott flied out to center; Reitz was called out
on strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals 1.

REDS 5TH: Griffey grounded out (pitcher to first); Concepcion
singled to right; Concepcion stole second; Morgan walked; Foster
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Morgan out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals
1.

CARDINALS 5TH: Oberkfell grounded out (shortstop to first);
Martinez flied out to center; Brock flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals 1.

REDS 6TH: Driessen flied out to center; Bench struck out; Knight
singled to center; Geronimo grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 6TH: Templeton grounded out (third to first);
Hernandez flied out to center; Simmons singled to right;
Hendrick grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 1, Cardinals 1.

REDS 7TH: LaCoss singled to shortstop; Griffey forced LaCoss
(second to shortstop); Concepcion forced Griffey (shortstop to
second); Morgan singled to right [Concepcion to third]; Foster
singled to right [Concepcion scored, Morgan to third]; Driessen
walked [Foster to second]; BRUNO REPLACED MARTINEZ (PITCHING);
Bench grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds
2, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 7TH: Scott flied out to center; Reitz popped to first
in foul territory; Oberkfell grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Cardinals 1.

REDS 8TH: Knight popped to shortstop; Geronimo popped to third
in foul territory; LaCoss was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 8TH: CARBO BATTED FOR BRUNO; Carbo grounded out (first
unassisted); Brock grounded out (second to first); Templeton
singled; Hernandez flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 2, Cardinals 1.

REDS 9TH: MUMPHREY REPLACED CARBO (PLAYING LF); LITTELL REPLACED
BROCK (PITCHING); Griffey grounded out (shortstop to first);
Concepcion walked; Concepcion stole second; Littell threw a wild
pitch [Concepcion to third]; Morgan walked; Foster singled to
right [Concepcion scored, Morgan to third]; Littell threw a wild
pitch [Morgan scored]; Driessen walked [Foster to second]; Bench
walked [Foster to third, Driessen to second]; Knight popped to
second; KNOWLES REPLACED LITTELL (PITCHING); Geronimo grounded
out (second to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 4, Cardinals
1.

CARDINALS 9TH: BAIR REPLACED LACOSS (PITCHING); Simmons walked;
Hendrick struck out; Scott popped to shortstop; Reitz lined to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Cardinals 1.