One reason the Cardinals never reached the postseason during the 1970s is the trouble they had against manager Sparky Anderson’s Reds.
The Cardinals were 42-66 against the Reds in the nine seasons (1970-78) Anderson managed them. Only once in that stretch did St. Louis have a winning record against Cincinnati (7-5 in 1977).
Anderson led the Reds to two World Series titles and four National League pennants after a three-year stint as a manager in the Cardinals’ system.
Here are five of the most memorable games between the Reds and Cardinals when Anderson managed Cincinnati:
_ July 4, 1972: The Cardinals’ Scipio Spinks entered the game with a 2.33 ERA and ranked third in the NL in strikeouts, behind Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver.
On a rainy Independence Day in Cincinnati, Spinks was on first with one out when Luis Melendez doubled. Spinks, ignoring the stop sign from third-base coach Vern Benson, scored but tore ligaments in his right knee when he collided with catcher Johnny Bench. Boxscore
Spinks needed knee surgery and missed the rest of the season.
The Cardinals, 38-33 at the time, went into a tailspin. losing 10 of 13 from July 22 to Aug. 5, and finished 75-81. The Reds won the pennant.
Spinks returned in 1973, went 1-5 with a 4.89 ERA in eight starts, hurt his shoulder, and never pitched in the big leagues again.
_ July 7, 1974: The first game of a doubleheader at Cincinnati featured starting pitchers making their big-league debuts, Bob Forsch for the Cardinals and Tom Carroll for the Reds.
Forsch was good (6.2 innings, four hits, two runs); Carroll was better (seven innings, two hits, one run). The Reds won, 2-1. Boxscore
Cesar Geronimo’s RBI-double in the second and solo home run in the seventh accounted for the Reds’ runs. Forsch said his pre-game instructions were to make sure not to walk Geronimo. He didn’t.
_ July 17, 1974: Bob Gibson struck out Geronimo to end the second inning and joined Walter Johnson as the only pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts.
Gibson was lifted after seven innings with the score 4-4. George Foster’s two-run double against Orlando Pena in the 12th gave the Reds a 6-4 victory at St. Louis. Boxscore
_ May 9, 1977: With the score 5-5 in the ninth at St. Louis, the Cardinals brought in closer Al Hrabosky. The Reds loaded the bases with no outs on a Ken Griffey single, a walk to Joe Morgan and Dan Driessen’s bunt single. Hrabosky, milking his “Mad Hungarian” act for all it was worth, then struck out George Foster, Johnny Bench and Bob Bailey.
In the 10th, the Reds threatened with two outs. Ray Knight singled and Griffey followed with a double to right. The relay throw to catcher Ted Simmons nailed Knight at the plate.
Simmons led off the bottom of the inning with a home run versus Dale Murray, giving St. Louis a 6-5 win. Boxscore
_ June 16, 1978: Tom Seaver pitched the only no-hitter of his career, beating the Cardinals, 4-0, at Cincinnati.
Seaver walked Keith Hernandez and Ken Reitz in the second. The Cardinals didn’t have another baserunner until pinch-hitter Jerry Mumphrey led off with a walk in the ninth.
Seaver, who pitched five one-hitters in his career (all with the Mets), then retired the side in order. Boxscore
RetroSimba 
First game I ever went to as a young card fan in Ohio was in 1973 at riverfront. Game went extra innings. Reds had bases loaded , no outs and a three oh count with score tied five all. Game looked over for sure. Veteran reliever Orlando Pena I think somehow got out of the jam with a pop out and a k I think. Then in the 11th I think Jose Cruz hit a homer just over the right field wall and I think a leaping Larry stahl. Of course the fences were much higher then, twelve feet I believe. Cards won six five. Pretty memorable, especially to win at Cindy vs the vaunted machine.
Thank you for sharing your insights from that game. I really enjoyed it. I found the boxscore. Just click onto this link: http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1973/B08240CIN1973.htm
thanks for finding it, i later remembered it was diego segui not pena who got the big comeback K and win.
The reds won the Nl west in 1973 but were upset by the 82 79 mets three two in the nlcs. So no pennant in 73 for Cindy.
The morning after that game we were staying in the same Stouffer’s hotel as the Cardinals. I had gotten several Redbird autographs the day before (including Brock, Simmons, Melendez). Lous was particularly nice. Went to breakfast next day and McCarver was sitting at a table with Joe Torre, not eating yet. I had my cherished ball with me and despite my reluctance, was encouraged by my parents to ask them for their autographs. They were not eating and had not ordered yet. I timidly held the ball out to TIm and asked for his autograph. He glared at me (I was 7) and sternly admonished me “Not while we are eating, son.” Of course they were not eating or I never would have approached. An embarrassed Torre put the menu up over his face. I walked away and never cared for McCarver after that.
Thanks for sharing those remembrances. I recall that Stouffer’s being directly across the river in Covington, a distinctive circular structure with a revolving restaurant at the top with panoramic views of downtown Cincinnati, the Ohio River and the Kentucky hills. I never have met Tim McCarver, but I have met Joe Torre. Torre was kind and gracious and friendly when I approached him just to say hello and introduce myself at a cocktail reception at the Westin in Cincinnati in 1990.