Exploding for five runs in the ninth inning, the Reds defeated the Mets, 8-4, After Dave Concepcion batted in two runs, Johnny Bench homered in the fourth inning to put the Reds ahead, 3-2, but Joel Youngblood smashed a two-run drive for a 4-3 Mets' lead in the eighth. George Foster ignited the Reds' outburst in the ninth with a homer that tied the score.

Bench doubled and, after an intentional pass to Dan Driessen, Ray Knight sacrificed. Another intentional pass to pinch-hitter Harry Spilman loaded the bases. Hector Cruz, also pinch-hitting, laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Bench. Dave Collins singled, driving in two runs, and the final run of the frame followed on an infield out by Concepcion. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 8, New York Mets 4
Game Played on Saturday, August    25, 1979 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Reds         1  0  1    1  0  0    0  0  5  -   8  9  0
Mets         0  2  0    0  0  0    0  2  0  -   4  9  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Collins rf,lf         4   2   3   2     1   0   .332      Taveras ss            5   0   2   1     0   1   .261
Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .242      Trevino c             2   0   1   0     1   1   .303
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   3     0   0   .294        Kranepool ph,1b     2   0   0   0     0   0   .220
Foster lf             4   1   1   1     1   0   .315      Mazzilli cf           3   0   0   0     2   1   .300
  Mejias pr,cf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .182      Stearns 1b,c          5   0   0   0     0   0   .249
Bench c               5   2   2   1     0   0   .269      Hebner 3b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .255
Driessen 1b           3   1   0   0     1   0   .240      Youngblood lf         4   1   1   2     0   0   .291
Knight 3b             2   0   0   0     0   1   .313      Norman rf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .200
Geronimo cf           2   0   0   0     0   0   .251      Flynn 2b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .255
  Blair cf            1   0   0   0     0   0   .159      Swan p                1   1   1   1     0   0   .136
  Spilman ph          0   1   0   0     1   0   .275        Maddox ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .274
  Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Hassler p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Norman p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .157        Flores ph           0   0   0   0     0   0   .188
  Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Reardon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Cruz ph,rf          1   1   1   1     0   0   .230        Allen p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hodges ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .143

Totals               33   8   9   8     5   2             Totals               34   4   9   4     5   4

Time of Game: 2:43   Attendance: 16,635
Left on Base: Reds 6, Mets 9
DP: Reds 1, Mets 1
Doubles: Bench (14), Swan (2)
Triples: Taveras (7)
Home Runs: Bench (16), Foster (23), Youngblood (16)
Stolen Bases: Collins 2 (12)
Sacrifice Hits: Knight (4), Flores (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Concepcion (6)
GIDP: Foster (6), Stearns (18)
Hit by Pitch: Knight (3,by Swan)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman                  6.1   7   2   2   2   4   0  27   3.45
Bair W(9-6)             1.2   1   2   2   1   0   1   7   3.94
Hume                    1     1   0   0   2   0   0   6   2.79
Totals                  9     9   4   4   5   4   1  40

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Swan                    4     4   3   3   1   1   1  17   3.29
Hassler                 3     1   0   0   0   1   0  10   4.78
Reardon L(1-1)          1     2   2   2   0   0   1   5   9.00
Allen                   1     2   3   3   4   0   0   9   4.18
Totals                  9     9   8   8   5   2   2  41

Hit by Pitch: Swan (2)

Umpires: HP - Ed Montague (left in the 9th inning), 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - Dutch Rennert,


REDS 1ST: Collins singled to second; Morgan singled to right
[Collins to third]; Concepcion hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Collins scored]; Foster grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Morgan out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 1, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: On a bunt Taveras grounded out (pitcher to first);
Trevino singled to center; Mazzilli walked [Trevino to second];
Stearns popped to first; Hebner forced Mazzilli (second to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Mets 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench grounded out (first unassisted); Driessen flied
out to left; Knight was hit by a pitch; Geronimo grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Youngblood flied out to center; Norman singled to
right; Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first) [Norman to
second]; Swan doubled to right [Norman scored]; Taveras tripled
to left [Swan scored]; Trevino struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Reds 1, Mets 2.

REDS 3RD: Norman popped to third in foul territory; Collins
walked; Collins stole second; Morgan grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Collins to third]; Concepcion singled to left [Collins
scored]; Foster forced Concepcion (shortstop to second); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Mets 2.

METS 3RD: Mazzilli grounded out (pitcher to first); Stearns
grounded out (third to shortstop to first); Hebner lined to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Mets 2.

REDS 4TH: Bench homered; Driessen flied out to right; Knight
struck out; Geronimo grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 2.

METS 4TH: Youngblood grounded out (second to first); Norman
grounded out (shortstop to first); Flynn singled to right;
MADDOX BATTED FOR SWAN; Maddox singled to right [Flynn to
third]; Taveras struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets
2.

REDS 5TH: HASSLER REPLACED MADDOX (PITCHING); Norman was called
out on strikes; Collins singled to left; Morgan forced Collins
(second to shortstop); Concepcion forced Morgan (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 2.

METS 5TH: BLAIR REPLACED GERONIMO (PLAYING CF); Trevino walked;
Mazzilli was called out on strikes; Stearns grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Trevino out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 2.

REDS 6TH: Foster flied out to right; Bench grounded out
(shortstop to first); Driessen grounded out (first to pitcher);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 2.

METS 6TH: Hebner grounded out (first unassisted); Youngblood
grounded out (shortstop to first); Norman struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 2.

REDS 7TH: Knight lined to second; Blair grounded out (third to
first); Norman grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: Flynn singled to center; FLORES BATTED FOR HASSLER;
Flores out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Flynn to
second]; BAIR REPLACED NORMAN (PITCHING); Taveras flied out to
center; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR TREVINO; Kranepool popped to third;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 2.

REDS 8TH: REARDON REPLACED FLORES (PITCHING); KRANEPOOL STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); STEARNS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C );
Collins grounded out (second to first); Debut game for Jeff
Reardon; Morgan popped to shortstop; Concepcion flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: Mazzilli flied out to right; Stearns grounded out
(second to first); Hebner walked; Youngblood homered [Hebner
scored]; Norman flied out to right; HP umpire Ed Montague
struck on the throat by a foul ball by George Foster on the 2-1
pitch; Montague was carried off the field on a stretcher and
taken to the hospital; Dutch Rennert moved from 2B to HP; 2
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 4.

REDS 9TH: Foster homered; Bench doubled to center; ALLEN
REPLACED REARDON (PITCHING); Driessen was walked intentionally;
Knight out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Bench to
third, Driessen to second]; SPILMAN BATTED FOR BLAIR; Spilman
was walked intentionally; CRUZ BATTED FOR BAIR; On a bunt Cruz
singled [Bench scored, Driessen to third, Spilman to second];
Collins singled to right [Driessen scored, Spilman scored, Cruz
to third]; Collins stole second; Morgan was walked
intentionally; Concepcion forced Morgan (third to second) [Cruz
scored, Collins to third]; Foster walked [Concepcion to second];
MEJIAS RAN FOR FOSTER; Bench popped to second; 5 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Reds 8, Mets 4.

METS 9TH: MEJIAS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); CRUZ STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING RF); HUME REPLACED SPILMAN (PITCHING); COLLINS
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Flynn grounded out (second to
first); HODGES BATTED FOR ALLEN; Hodges walked; Taveras singled
to center [Hodges to second]; Kranepool grounded out (pitcher to
first) [Hodges to third, Taveras to second]; Mazzilli walked;
Stearns forced Mazzilli (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Reds 8, Mets 4.