MORGAN HOMERS TWICE, DRIVES IN 8 AS REDS COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF ASTROS
Cincy 3-Game Sweep Includes 45-10 Run Margin
CINCINNATI, Apr. 11 (AP) - Joe Morgan homered twice and drove in eight leading
the Cincinnati Reds to a 19-2 pounding of the Houston Astros at Riverfront
Stadium. The bludgeoning was the culmination of a season-opening
three-game sweep of the Astros at the hands of the Reds that saw Cincinnati
outscore Houston by a mind boggling margin of 45 runs to 10. The Reds won
the opener on Thursday 11-1 and then, following an off-day, crushed the Astros
15-7 yesterday.
Morgan is off to a phenomenal start, homering in all three games of the series,
including the pair in the finale, while driving in 15 runs. George Foster
also homered--his third of the season--and Johnny Bench went deep as well for
the Reds.
Cincinnati scored five runs in the very first inning to take a commanding
lead. After Pete Rose walked and Ken Griffey singled, Morgan ripped a
three-run shot to right to put the Reds ahead 3-0. Bench then walked and,
one out later, Foster made it 5-0 with this third home run of the year.
The Reds scored four more times in the third, all but putting the game away and
then erased whatever slight doubt might have remained with five more runs in the
fourth inning to take a 14-0 lead. Two more runs in the sixth put
Cincinnati on top 16-0.
Pat Darcy worked seven shutout innings for the Reds, scattering six hits.
Will McEnnaney mopped up, allowing a run in each of the final two frames,
including Cliff Johnson's solo home run in the eighth.
In the three-game series, Houston starting pitchers--J.R. Richard, Larry Dierker
and Joe Niekro--worked a total of 8 2/3 innings and surrendered 18 runs (17
earned) on 19 hits, walked 11 and allowed five home runs. The starters
posted a combined earned run average of 17.65.
4/11/1976, Hou76-Cin76, Riverfront Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Astros 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 9 1 11 0 1976 Reds 5 0 4 5 0 2 0 3 x 19 14 2 6 1 Astros AB R H BI AVG Reds AB R H BI AVG Howard,W lf 5 0 3 0 .357 Rose 3b 1 3 0 1 .364 Cabell 3b 5 0 1 1 .143 Plummer c 1 1 1 0 1.000 Cedeno cf 5 0 1 0 .286 Griffey rf 4 3 3 2 .455 Watson 1b 3 0 0 0 .091 Morgan,J 2b 4 3 3 8 .692 Forsch,K p 0 0 0 0 .000 Bench c 2 2 1 3 .545 Roberts,L ph 1 0 0 0 .000 Bailey 3b 1 0 0 0 .000 Johnson,C c 4 1 1 1 .364 Perez,T 1b 4 0 0 1 .143 Gross,G rf 4 0 2 0 .364 Foster,G lf 5 2 2 2 .500 Milbourne 2b 3 0 1 0 .300 McEnaney p 0 0 0 0 .000 Barlow p 0 0 0 0 .000 Concepcion ss 4 2 1 0 .462 Jutze c 1 0 0 0 .000 Geronimo cf 5 2 2 1 .333 Metzger,R ss 4 0 0 0 .167 Darcy p 4 1 1 0 .250 Niekro,J p 1 0 0 0 .000 Armbrister lf 1 0 0 0 .000 Hardy p 0 0 0 0 .000 36 19 14 18 Howe 2b 1 1 0 0 .000 37 2 9 2 Astros INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Niekro,J L 0-1 2.1 6 9 9 6 2 80 38 34.71 Hardy 1.2 4 5 0 3 0 45 23 15.43 Barlow 2.0 1 2 2 1 1 32 20 13.50 Forsch,K 2.0 3 3 3 0 2 33 24 13.50 8.0 14 19 14 10 5 190 105 Reds INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Darcy W 1-0 7.0 6 0 0 2 3 107 68 0.00 McEnaney 2.0 3 2 2 0 2 35 22 9.00 9.0 9 2 2 2 5 142 90 Hou: Howe inserted at 2b in the 5th Johnson,C moved to 1b in the 7th Jutze inserted at c in the 7th Roberts,L batted for Forsch,K in the 9th Cin: Plummer inserted at c in the 7th Bailey inserted at 3b in the 7th Armbrister inserted at lf in the 8th E-Hardy, Perez,T, Concepcion. 2B-Howard,W(3). 3B-Griffey(1). HR-Johnson,C(1), Morgan,J 2(4), Bench(1), Foster,G(3). RBI-Cabell(1), Johnson,C(3), Rose(4), Griffey 2(2), Morgan,J 8(15), Bench 3(5), Perez,T(3), Foster,G 2(6), Geronimo(2). K-Johnson,C, Gross,G, Metzger,R, Niekro,J, Roberts,L, Perez,T 2, Darcy 2, Bailey. BB-Watson, Hardy, Rose 3, Griffey, Morgan,J, Bench 3, Perez,T, Concepcion. SF-Rose, Griffey, Morgan,J. HBP-Howe. HB-McEnaney. WP-Niekro,J. GWRBI: Morgan,J Temperature: 46, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: right to left at 8 MPH. Attendance: 31,708 Game Time: 2:49