October 5, 1939: Yankees pitcher Monte Pearson holds the Reds hitless for seven and 1/3 innings as the Yankees shutout the Reds, 4-0, to take a two game to none lead in the 1939 World Series.
The Yankees reached Reds starter Bucky Walters for five hits in the third inning, plating three runs, and later added a Babe Dahlgren fourth inning home run to account for all their scoring. The Reds’ Billy Werber was the Reds’ only baserunner before the eighth inning, drawing a fourth inning leadoff walk. However, Werber was erased trying to steal second base as Lonnie Frey struck out. The Reds got their first hit on an Ernie Lombardi single in the eighth inning. Werber got the Reds’ only other hit, a ninth inning single.
October 5, 1940: The Reds’ Paul Derringer pitches a five-hitter to win his first World Series game in six starts as the Reds evened the 1940 World Series at two games each with a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Derringer had previously started two World Series games in the 1931 classic while with the St. Louis Cardinals and the 1939 Series with the Reds as well as the opening game in the 1940 Series before notching his first WS victory in this game. His career walk rate was 1.9 in regular season play, but he averaged 4.6 walks per nine innings during his postseason career and he walked six in this 1940 victory. Four different Reds had two hits in this game with Ival Goodman collecting two rbi.
October 5, 1961: The Reds even the 1961 World Series game at one game apiece as Joey Jay pitches a four-hitter while Gordy Coleman and Johnny Edwards each collect two rbi in a 6-1 win over the New York Yankees.
The Reds struck first when Coleman socked a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning, but Yogi Berra tied it with a two-run homer of his own in the bottom half of the inning. The Reds took the lead for good in the top of the fifth inning when Elio Chacon scored on a passed ball only eight feel away from Yankees catcher Elston Howard. The Reds added insurance runs on two Edwards run-scoring singles, and a run-scoring single by Coleman. The two Edwards singles came immediately following intentional walks to Reds third baseman Gene Freese.
October 5, 1970: The Reds complete their sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1970 National League Championship Series with a 3-2 victory.
The Pirates opened the scoring with a first inning run on an Al Oliver single off Reds starter Tony Cloninger. The Reds took the lead in the bottom half of the inning on back to back home runs by Tony Perez and Johnny Bench off Pirates starter Bob Moose. The Pirates tied it at 2-2 on a Willie Stargell single. The Reds scored the deciding run in the eighth inning when pinch hitter Ty Cline drew a two-out walk. Pete Rose singled Cline to second, and then Cline scored on a Bobby Tolan single to left field.
Twenty-year-old rookie Milt Wilcox, who had pitched in only five regular season games, pitched three scoreless one-hit innings, striking out five to get the win for the game. The Pirates threatened in the ninth inning off Reds closer Wayne Granger. After retiring the first two batters of the Pirates ninth, Granger surrendered a single to Roberto Clemente. Reds manager Sparky Anderson called on another rookie, 19-year-old Don Gullett to finish the game. Willie Stargell greeted Gullett with a single to put the winning runner on first base, but Gullett induced Al Oliver to ground out to second base to end the game.
October 5, 1975: Fred Norman and Rawly Eastwick combine on a five-hitter and Tony Perez goes 3-4 with a home run and three rbi as the Reds take a two games to none lead with a 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1975 National League Championship Series.
Perez homered in the bottom of the first with Pete Rose aboard to give the Reds a 2-0 lead. The Pirates scored one run in the fourth, but the Reds added two more in the bottom of the inning on a single by Ken Griffey and a sacrifice fly by Norman. The Reds didn’t look back the rest of the way.
October 5, 1979: The Pittsburgh Pirates complete their sweep of the Cincinnati Reds in the 1979 National League Championship Series with a 7-1 victory over the Reds. Bert Blyleven went the distance for the Pirates who had built a 6-0 lead through four innings off Reds pitchers Mike LaCoss and Fred Norman. The Reds’ only run came on a Johnny Bench solo home run in the sixth inning.
October 5, 1990: Paul O’Neill drives in both Reds runs as Tom Browning and the Reds knot the 1990 League Championship Series at one game apiece with the Pittsburgh Pirates following a 2-1 victory.
O’Neill’s first inning single scored Barry Larkin with the game’s first run, but the Pirates tied it in the fifth when Jose Lind homered off Browning. O’Neill doubled home Herm Winningham with the deciding run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rob Dibble and Randy Myers combined to pitch three innings of no-hit baseball to nail down the series sweep.
Ray Washburn was key