LA takes 2 of 3 from Cincy, as Reds clinch at least a tie for NL West.

Dodger Stadium
GAME 1
Grimsley vs Moeller
Dodgers 2, Reds 1

LA needed a sweep to tie the Reds and force a 1 game playoff for the division.  The Reds jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Pete Rose led off the 2nd with a double and scored on Woody Woodward's ground out.  That lead was safe for just 2 innings.  In the home half of the 4th Maury Wills lef off with a single and stole second and wound up on 3rd on a rare throwing error by Johnny Bench.  After Willie Davis walked, Tommie Davis singled home Wills to tie the game at 1-1.  Frank Howard's rope to left scored Davis to make it 2-1.  It was now time to play Dodger ball, which meant white knuckling it along as the pitchers had to hold the opposition at bay.  Joe Moeller (8k's/1 ER) was fantastic for 6.1 innings before he was lifted in favor of pen star Bob Miller, who gave up just one walk while retiring the final 8 outs for the save (his 6th).  Losing pitcher Ross Grimsley gave up just 2 in 6 innings, but his powerful offense never came to life to support him.

GAME 2
Nolan vs Ortega
Reds 2, Dodgers 0

Phil Ortega, who has been LA's best starter not named Koufax, toed the rubber and threw another solid game.  Unfortunately for him his team could not plate a single solitary run despite banging out 8 hits (2 more than Cincy).  Cincy's offense relied on solo blasts from Lee May and George Foster.  That was more than enough to reward Gary Nolan (7-1, 1.26) with the victory.  Nolan has been responsible for almost 1/3 of the Reds wins this season and is the odds on candidate for the NL Cy Young.  With the win Cincy clinched themselves nothing worse than a tie for the division (provided HOU or SDP sweep their series).  LA's Wes Parker was 3-4 and upped his avg to .349, but never found a way to touch home.  Howie Reed tossed two scoreless innings in relief of Ortega who finished the season 5-1, 3.00.

GAME 3
Gullett vs Koufax
Dodgers 8, Reds 3

With the division out of reach the Dodgers still went to their ace Sandy Koufax to keep their wild card bid alive.  Sandy carried a 1 hitter into the 9th inning, but faltered a bit and allowed 3 backdoor runs as the nimble lefty is not used to protecting 8 run leads.  LA's offensive explosion (5 runs in the 3rd) chased Don Gullett (7 ER's) after 5 innings.  Jim Merritt came on to mop up over the final 3.  Koufax fanned "just" 7 batsman.  3-Dog and Trixie both had 3-4 days with Trix scorning 3 runs out of the 8 hole.  Frank Howard knocked in 3 with a huge 3 run shot to bust the game open in the 3rd.  LA will now sit back and watch what SDP and HOU do to see where their post season fate lies.