Down 9? No Problem

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - Many believe the best National League team ever was the 1976 Cincinnati Reds. A game that took place on this date in 1976 - typified that squad. The Big Red Machine was down 10 to 1 to the Chicago Cubs after three innings in Wrigley Field. They came back to win it 13 to 10 in ten innings.

Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion was 4 for 6. Second baseman Joe Morgan was 3 for 4, First baseman Tony Perez was 3 for 6, as was catcher Johnny Bench who also had 4 RBI. The only starting position player not to get a hit was leadoff man Pete Rose who was 0 for 6. After giving up nine runs in the first two innings, five Cincinnati pitchers gave up 1 run in the next eight.

The Reds won 102 games that year. They played seven post season games and won all of them, the first time that had been done. They swept three from the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series and swept four from the New York Yankees in the World Series. The Reds had no 20-game winners, but seven pitchers were in double digits in victories. The team ERA was 3.51.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCE:
1976 Cincinnati Reds

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