Thad Bosley hit a pinch-hit 3-run homer in the fifth inning as the Chicago Cubs used a pair of big innings to beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-6 before a crowd of 38,404 at Riverfront Stadium.

The first place Cubs, managed by Jim Frey, started Scott Sanderson on the mound. The Reds, in just their third game under player-manager Pete Rose, had Jeff Russell on the mound. Rose had taken over for Vern Rapp.

Chicago got right to work. Center fielder Bob Dernier led off with a single and stole second. Second baseman Ryne Sandberg followed with a walk. Russell struck out left fielder Gary Matthews and first baseman Leon Durham flied out to left. Right fielder Keith Moreland singled to score Dernier and then third baseman Ron Cey blasted a 3-run homer and the Cubs were up 4-0.

The Reds scored a run in the bottom of the first when left fielder Cesar Cedeno singled home Rose, who had singled and moved up on a wild pitch.

In the fourth, the Reds offense opened up. Cedeno led off with a single and one out later third baseman Dave Concepcion singled. After second baseman Ron Oester flied out, shortstop Tom Foley walked to load the bases. Russell came up and cleared the bases with a double. Center fielder Gary Redus followed with a double to bring home Russell and send Sanderson to the showers. Warren Brusstar came in to relieve and Rose greeted him with a single and the inning ended when Rose was thrown out at second trying to advance. It was now 6-4 Cincinnati

Russell didn't enjoy his lead long. Matthews led off the fifth with a double and Durham walked. Moreland singled to bring home Matthews. Cey popped out to second. Catcher Jody Davis grounded to Oester who stepped on second, but threw wildly to first and Durham scored the tying run and Davis went to second. Shortstop Larry Bowa walked. Frey then called on Bosley to bat for Brusstar. Rose had lefty Bob Owchinko warming up, but felt that Frey would counter with right handed batter Gary Woods and liked the Russell-Bosley matchup better.

Bosley got a fastball down and in and drilled it to right for a three-run homer that put the Cubs ahead 9-6. After this, Rose finally pulled Russell in favor of Owchinko.

George Frazier came in to relieve for the Cubs and he pitched the final five innings, giving up four hits and no runs to get the win. Russell's record fell to 5-14. He would finish the season 6-18.

The win improved the Cubs lead in the NL East to three games. They would win the division with a 96-65 record, 6 1/2 games better than the New York Mets. The Cubs would make their first postseason appearance since the 1945 World Series, but would lose in the NLCS to the Padres in five games.

Rick Sutcliffe, a midseason acquisition from Cleveland, went 16-1 for the Cubs with a 2.69 ERA and won the Cy Young Award. Lee Smith saved 33 games for the Cubs. Sandberg won the MVP with a .314 batting average and a .520 slugging percentage.

The Reds finished in fifth place at 70-92, 22 games behind the Padres. Rose would manage the Reds through the middle of the 1989 when he stepped down for unexplained reasons. I've looked, but I can't seem to find anything about why Rose stepped down. If you know, please send me an e-mail.

Russell would be traded to Texas in the middle of the 1985 season for Buddy Bell. The Rangers would eventually convert Russell into a reliever and saved as many as 38 games in a season. In 1992, the Rangers would trade him to Oakland along with Ruben Sierra and Bobby Witt for Jose Canseco.

As for the Cubs heroes of this day, Bosley would finish out his career as a part-time player and pinch-hitter for three more teams: Kansas City, California (whom he broke in with), and Texas. Frazier, who had been acquired with Sutcliffe, would pitch until 1987 and earn a World Series ring with the Minnesota Twins.

Sources: Chicago Tribune, Retrosheet, Baseball-reference.com