October 13, 1870: The Cincinnati Red Stockings lose to the Chicago White Stockings for the second time in the season, 16-13. From “Redleg Journal” by Greg Rhodes and John Snyder:
The two defeats to the White Stockings ended hopes that the Reds had of being considered champions for the 1870 season.
Asa Brainard held the White Stockings to just two runs through seven innings, but gave up six runs in the eighth and eight runs in the ninth. The Reds rallied for five runs in the bottom of the ninth, but fell short.
October 13, 1970: The Reds lose the third game of the 1970 World Series, 9-3, to the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore. The Reds now trailed the Orioles three games to none. This is the game where the Orioles’ Dave McNally became the only pitcher to hit a grand slam home run in a game, in the sixth inning off Reds closer Wayne Granger.
The Orioles scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning off Reds starter Tony Cloninger when Brooks Robinson doubled home Don Buford and and Frank Robinson. The Reds got one back in the second when Dave Concepcion drove home Hal McRae with a two-out single. Frank Robinson and Don Buford homered in the third and fifth innings, respectively, off Cloninger and the the Orioles led 4-1 after five innings of play.
In the Orioles sixth, Paul Blair singled with one out and Granger relieved Cloninger. Brooks Robinson greeted Granger with a double to left field with Blair holding at third. Dave Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases. Granger struck out Orioles catcher Andy Etchebarren for the second out of the inning, but Orioles pitcher McNally unloaded for a grand slam home run over the left field fence to give the Orioles an 8-1 lead. For his 14-year career, McNally batted .133 with nine home runs, including three in the 1968 season (one in 1970). The Reds scored twice in the seventh on a Concepcion sacrifice fly and a Pete Rose single to make it 8-3, and the Orioles finished the scoring on a Blair double in the bottom of the seventh to make the final score, 9-3.
The real star of the Series was Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson who seemingly made enough outstanding defensive plays to make his own highlight reel. He made two spectacular plays in this game alone.
October 13, 1987: The Reds hire former Montreal Expos and New York Yankees GM Murray Cook to be their new General Manager and Vice-President. Cook will last as GM through the 1989 season.
October 13, 1989 The Reds fire VP-GM Murray Cook two years to the day that he was hired. It is announced that Bob Quinn would replace Cook as GM. Quinn is the third consecutive Reds GM to have previously worked as a GM for the Yankee’s George Steinbrenner. The GM before Cook, Bill Bergesch, also had previously been a Yankee GM.
October 13, 1995 The Reds fall behind, three games to none, to the Atlanta Braves in the National League League Championship Series, as they lose, 5-2.
The Braves led 5-0 after seven innings following a three-run homer by catcher Charlie O’Brien off Reds starter David Wells in the sixth and a two-run homer by Chipper Jones off Xavier Hernandez in the seventh. The Reds finally got on the board in the eighth when Hal Morris hit a run scoring single off Braves starter Greg Maddux. The game’s final run came in the ninth inning when the Reds’ Jeff Branson scored on a Thomas Howard sacrifice fly. Maddux pitched eight innings in getting the win for the Braves.