‘76 Reds sweep ‘46 Cards as the Plummer makes a house call

9/13-9/14 - Sportsman Park
GAME 1 - Reds 8, Cardinals 4
Coming into this series the Cards had the best record in the NL.  Cincy was just starting to get hot as evidenced by the fact that they were sitting atop their respective division.  Fred Norman (5-0, 2.72) started the game and allowed just 2 hits and 1 run (a solo shot by Dusak in the 5th) over 8 innings of craftsman like work.  Norman had to be good, because going into the 9th he was protecting a 2-1 lead.  For the first 8 innings both teams looked like two heavyweight prize fighter feeling each other out and keeping things close to the vest.  The 9th inning however resembled the 15th round of a Rocky movie with both heavyweights slugging it out toe to toe.  Cincy landed 6 haymakers, which at the time looked to have blown the game wide open.  Cardinal reliever Mury Dickson was betrayed by the glove of his best hitter, Stan  Musial who booted a routine grounder as Cesar Geronimo led off the 9th.  Danny Driessen hit a 2 run shot to cap off the inning.  To their credit the Cards did not fold up their tent. St. Louis  posted 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the frame off of reliever Wil McEnaney.  Terry Moore hit a big double to start the scoring.  Unfortunately for the hometown fans the Cards just ran out of outs as their comeback came up short.

GAME 2 - Reds 5, Cardinals 0
Pat Zachry (1-2, 3.15) finally got some run support late in the game to get a win.  "Zach" has been pitching well of late, but the Big Red Machine just hasn't been able to get the big hit for him.  With neither team able to score the Reds finally broke the ice in the top of the 7th when backup catcher Bill Plummer led the inning off with an unlikely triple.  With the infield drawn in Zachry grounded out to third and Plummer was forced to hold.  Pete Rose ran down to first after he worked out a walk.  Dave Concepcion hit a sure DP ball to Marty Marion at short, but Rose hustled his butt to second so fast that Marion was forced to go to first for the sure out as Plummer strolled home easily to make it 1-0.  Ken Griffey Sr. lined a single to right to score Rose, then stole second and scored on a Joe Morgan hit to make it 3-0 Cincy.  In the 9th Plummer and Dave Concepcion hit solo homers to add two insurance run.  Pedro Borbon Sr. pitched the final 2 innings to record a save.

9/15- Riverfront Stadium
GAME 3 - Reds 6, Cardinals 1
Jack Billingham (3-1, 3.55) was only able to go 6 innings, but the Red pen slammed the door shut on the fading Cardinal offense.  With the score tied a 1 apiece the Cards erupted for 4 big runs in the bottom of the 4th off of Howie Pollet (2-3, 3.96).  Three consecutive singles by Doug Flynn, Bill Plummer and Bob Bailey accounted for the first run.  A suicide squeeze executed to perfection by Billingham scored Plummer for run number 2.  A Pete Rose single accounted for run number 3 and a George Foster single would take credit for the 4th run.  Cincy would go on to sweep this series and take firm control of first place in their division.  St. Louis' 3 losses put them in a dead heat with the '55 Dodgers and the '08 Phillies.  All 3 teams have identical 17-10 records with 11 games to play.