Redlegs sweep Bucs, wrap up NL West

GAME 1 – Crosley - Reds 3, Pirates 1

“The Kitten, Harvey Haddix (6-2, 2.54) continued his mastery over the NL with complete game 1 run effort.  His counterpart, Doug Drabek was just as good for 6 1/3 innings before he tired and was replaced with John Smiley, who blew PIT’s 1 run lead.  Jerry Lynch went 3 for 4 for the Reds who scored 3 runs over the final 2 frames to win it.

GAME 2 – Reds 14, Pirates 1

Don Newcombe (6-0, 1.80) continued his renaissance and domination over the NL with his 6 victory of the season.  Newk left with 1 out in the 9th and the outcome already well in hand.  Cincy banged out 14 runs on 17 hits.  Frank Robinson had 6 RBI’s and Don Hoak had 4 hits.  With no score in the game the Reds posted 4 runs in the bottom of the 3rd off of Palacios (0-1, 13.50), then posted another 5 the following inning vs Easley.

GAME 3 – 3 Rivers – Reds 3, Pirates 2

After getting blown out the night before the Bucs put up a gallant fight before going down to defeat at the hands of the NL leading Reds.  Joe Nuxhall (5-1, 2.72) allowed only 1 earned run in 8 innings of work.  Schmidt threw a perfect 9th for the save.  Brian Fisher gave up all 3 of Cincy’s runs in 7 2/3 innings of work.  With the score tied at 1 Cincy took the lead in the 4th when Frank Robinson scored on a Pete Whisenant sac fly to Barry Bonds in left.  Cincy added a much needed insurance run in the top of the 8th when Robinson tripled home Roy McMillian with 2 outs.  This would loom large when Jose Lind would triple home John Cangelosi with nobody out in the bottom of the frame.  Nuxie did his best pitching by bearing down and not allowing Lind to score the tying run.  Bobby Bonilla hit a hot smash to 1st and Lind was nailed by George Crowe’s peg to Smoky Burgess at the plate to erase the threat.  Crowe also hit his 2nd homer of the season in the second.

The win moved Cincy to 26-11 and clinched the NL West Flag for them as well as the NL East Flag for Montreal by eliminating the Pirates from contention.  Pittsburgh still has a shot at the 2nd Wild Card slot.  As of press time they are tied with SF.