October 12, 1975: The Cincinnati Reds scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit and defeat the Boston Red Sox, 3-2. The win enabled the Reds to tie the 1975 World Series at one game apiece.
The Red Sox scored first when Carlton Fisk singled home Carl Yastrzemski in the bottom of the first inning. The Reds tied it in the top of the fourth inning when Joe Morgan walked with one out and advanced to third on a Johnny Bench single to centerfield. Morgan scored when Bench was forced at second base on a Tony Perez ground ball. The Red Sox regained the lead in the sixth inning on an unearned run when Rico Petrocelli singled home Yastrzemski off Reds starter Jack Billingham.
The Reds won it in the ninth. Bench led off with a double down the right field line off Red Sox starter Bill Lee, only the fifth hit allowed in the game by Lee. The Red Sox then called on Dick Drago to relieve Lee. Perez grounded out to shortstop with Bench moving to third base. George Foster flied out to left field, but not deep enough to score Bench. Bench did score when Dave Concepcion beat out an infield single. Ken Griffey then knocked in what proved to be the go ahead run on a double to the left center field gap. Rawly Eastwick retired the Red Sox in order in the bottom of the ninth inning to preserve the win.
October 12, 1976: The Reds scored three times in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-6, and sweep the National League Championship Series three games to none. The game was played in Cincinnati.
The Phillies had taken a 3-0 lead through the middle of the seventh inning before the Reds scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. Ken Griffey led off with a single and Joe Morgan walked off Phillies starter Jim Kaat. Ron Reed relieved Kaat and Tony Perez singled, scoring Griffey with Morgan advancing to third. Morgan scored on a George Foster sacrifice fly and then Johnny Bench drew a walk. One out later, Cesar Geronimo tripled, scoring both Perez and Bench, and the Reds had taken a 4-3 lead.
The Phillies scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth off Reds reliever Rawly Eastwick, taking a 6-4 lead. However, the Reds tied it in the bottom of the ninth inning on back to back home runs by Foster and Bench. Gene Garber relieved Reed and Dave Concepcion singled. Lefty starter Tom Underwood relieved Garber to pitch to lefty batting Geronimo, but Geronimo walked, moving the potential winning run to second. Pinch hitter Ed Armbrister sacrificed, with both runners moving up a base. Pete Rose was intentionally walked to reload the bases.l Griffey knocked in the winning run on a high bouncing ball to first base which skidded off the glove of Bobby Tolan to score the winning run to send the Reds to their second consecutive World Series.
October 12, 1987: The Reds fire General Manager Bill Bergesch. The Reds were fourth in the league in runs scored and fourth from the bottom in ERA with lots of young players in their pipeline. The Reds made no deadline deals and finished second for the third consecutive season. They did trade starting pitcher Bill Gulllickson (10-11, 4.85 ERA) in late August for Dennis Rasmussen (4-1, 3.97 after joining the Reds), but it was too little too late. The Reds had been in first place at the trade deadline, but didn’t make this trade until August 26. The only acquisitions made during the year were free agent signings of veteran pitcher Jerry Reuss (0-5, 7.79 ERA) and veteran outfielders Dave Collins (.294 in 100 plate appearances), Max Venable (1-7, .143), and Jim Wohlford (.210 in AAA).
October 12, 1990: The Reds win the National League Championship Series, four games to two, by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1, in Cincinnati.
The Reds scored first in the bottom of the first inning when Barry Larkin scored on an Eric Davis forced Paul O’Neill at second base. The Pirates tied it off Reds starter Danny Jackson in the fifth inning when Carmelo Martinez doubled to score Barry Bonds.
The Reds scored what proved to be the winning run in the seventh. Ron Oester singled to right, and advanced to third one out later when Billy Hatcher singled to center. Manager Lou Piniella then surprised everyone by sending utility player Luis Quinones up to pinch hit for right fielder O’Neill, who was the Reds leading hitter for the playoff series at .471 (1.324 OPS for the series). For the season, O’Neill had hit .270 and was second on the Reds with 78 rbi. Quinones had hit .241 with 17 rbi in a part-time role. Quinones responded with a single to right field off Pirates lefty reliever Zane Smith to score Oester and give the Reds a 2-1 lead.
Piniella continued to push the right buttons by sending Glenn Braggs to right field in place of Quinones. Braggs saved the game in the ninth inning with a leaping catch, robbing Martinez of a home run with one aboard and one out. Randy Myers then struck out Don Slaught to end the game, sending the Reds to the World Series.