Reds take opening series from Expos 3-1

—submitted by James Clouser--

Game 1; Montreal 2, Cincinnati 3.
WP; Browning, (1 -0 ), Save Franco (1)
LP: Rogers, (0 – 1
HRs Raines (1)

Tim Raines led off the game with a shot into the left field stands to give the Expos a 1 – 0 lead which held up until the bottom of the fifth.  Concepcion lead off the inning with a double and after a strikeout Browning singled him in to tie the game.  Buddy Bell then doubled and Davis followed with a single scoring both runners to give the Reds a 3 – 1 lead.  The Expos closed to within one in the sixth when Brooks tripled in Carter who had walked.  Andres Galarraga followed with a walk but Browning induced Wallach to hit into a double play to end the inning.  Montreal loaded the bases in the top of the eighth but reliever Tom Hume retired Brooks and Galarraga to end the inning.

Game 2: Montreal 6, Cincinnati 7 (14 innings)
LP: Fryman (0-1)
WP: Franco (1-0)
HRs: MON Cromartie(1) off Soto(1)
CIN Foster(1) off Burke(1), Esasky(1) off Fryman

Montreal jumped out to a one run lead in the top of the second on singles by Carter, Wallach and Foley.  The Reds answered with a run of their own on a double by Driessen and a single by the Red’s Foley.In the eighth both teams plated two runs.  In their half of the inning Montreal scored on a solo blast by Cromartie and again Foley struck singling in Galarraga for the two run lead, but the Reds tied the game in their half of the frame When George Foster followed Davis double with a home run.  In the ninth the Expos again struck for two runs on a single by Raines who stole second and scored on Cromartie’s single.  Dawson followed with another single and Galarraga drove him home with a single.  Again the Reds rallied to tie the game when Buddy Bell singled with two outs to drive in Collins who had delivered a pinch hit single.  Foley who reached first on a walk had scored earlier in the inning on a Griffey Ground out following Collins hit.  Montreal went ahead by one in the 12th when their version of Foley doubled, stole third and scored when Bench made an errant throw on the steal attempt.  But the Montreal bullpen again failed to get the save when with two out Nick Esasky who had entered the game earlier as a pinch hitter smacked a solo homer with two out to again tie the game.  The game ended ignobly when with two out and two on Woody Fryman walked consecutive batters to give the Reds a 7 – 6 win.

Game 3; Reds 10, Expos 6
WP Seaver (1-0)
LP Martinez, (0-10
HRs REDS: Davis (1,2),; Oester (1); MON; Carter (1)

Neither Seaver nor Martinez had their best stuff, but Seaver had enough to get by and get the win as the Davis hit two homers and Oester hit one off Martinez in his three innings of work in which he surrendered 8 runs.  Davis hit a solo homer in the first gave the Reds a o 1 – 0 lead, but Gary Carter hit a two run homer in the bottom of the frame to give the Expos a one run lead. The Reds struck for 6 in the third with five hits including a three run shot by Davis.  Martinez was close to getting out the inning with limited damage when Driessen was thrown out trying to score from second but two singles later and the homer from Eric Davis and the Reds had a 6 run lead.  What looked like a laugher for the Reds turned to consternation when in the 7th Brooks doubled with the bases loaded and Raines followed with another double to cut the lead to 8 – 6.  Ted Power then came in to replace Seaver and retired the next two batters to preserve the lead.  Cincinnati tallied two in the ninth to extend its lead to 10 – 6, despite seeing Driessen thrown out at home for the second time in the game.  Doubles by Foster and Knight were the big blows for the Reds.  Ted Power shutout the Expos over the final two innings to preserve the win for the Reds.

Game 4: Cincinnati 4, Montreal 5
WP: Lea, (1-0), Save; Rearden (1)
LP Pastore, (0-1)
HRs: CIN: Bench (1), Driessen, (1); MON: Dawson, (1)

Johnny Bench homered with one on to give the Reds and early 2-0 lead which was short lived as the Expos scored twice on a solo homer by Dawson and a double off the bat of Tim “Eli” Wallach scoring Galarraga who had singled.  Montreal jumped to a 4-2 lead with two runs in the fourth on two walks followed by singles from Raines and Cromartie.  In the seventh Raines doubled and Cromartie singled him to third.  Dawson followed with a sacrifice fly to lengthen the lead to 5-2. Cincinnati rallied for two in the ninth on a homer by Driessen, but Rearden settled down and retired the next three batters to secure the Expos the win and enable to avoid a sweep.  Montreal’s bullpen had themselves as series to forget.