Pitching his first complete game the of season, Ron Reed posted a a 3-1 victory to give the Braves a split of a twi-night doubleheader with the Astros, who won the first game, 7-5. In the lidlifter, the Braves scored four unearned runs off Wade Blasingame in the first three innings and added a homer by Orlando Cepeda to take a 5-2 lead. The Astros, who got their initial pair on a circuit clout by Bob Watson, rallied to tie the score in the sixth. George Culver opened the seventh with an infield hit and reached second on a wild throw by Clete Boyer. After sacrifice by Jesus Alou, Joe Morgan singled to score Culver. Morgan then stole second and counted an extra run on a single by Doug Rader.

Reed, who suffered a broken shoulder in spring training, pitched a six-hitter in the nightcap. Cepeda and Hal King hit back-to-back homers in the second inning off Larry Dierker. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 7, Atlanta Braves 5 (Game 1)

Game Played on Monday, August 3, 1970 (Night game) at Astrodome

Braves       2  1  1    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   5 11  2
Astros       0  2  0    0  0  3    2  0  x  -   7 10  4


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brown cf              5   0   1   0     0   1   .200      Alou rf               3   0   0   0     0   0   .301
Millan 2b             4   1   1   1     1   0   .310      Morgan 2b             3   1   1   1     1   0   .280
H. Aaron rf           5   0   0   0     0   1   .307      Wynn lf               3   1   0   0     1   1   .283
Cepeda 1b             4   3   2   2     1   0   .321      Menke ss              2   2   2   0     0   0   .309
Boyer 3b              4   0   2   2     1   0   .237        Martinez ss         1   0   0   0     0   1   .232
T. Aaron lf           4   0   2   0     1   1   .293      Rader 3b              4   1   3   2     0   1   .250
Tillman c             4   0   0   0     0   2   .221      Watson 1b             4   1   2   3     0   0   .260
  King ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .277      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .256
Garrido ss            4   1   2   0     0   1   .275      Edwards c             4   0   0   0     0   2   .201
  Aspromonte ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .188      Blasingame p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   3   .129        Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .263
  Navarro p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Lampard ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .220
                                                            Culver p            2   1   1   0     0   0   .211
                                                            Lemaster p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .167

Totals               40   5  11   5     4   9             Totals               32   7  10   7     2   5

Time of Game: 2:50
Left on Base: Braves 12, Astros 5
DP: Braves 2, Astros 1
Errors: Millan, Boyer, Alou, Morgan, Rader 2
Doubles: Cepeda (27), Brown (1)
Home Runs: Cepeda (22), Watson (6)
Stolen Bases: Menke (2), Cedeno (6), Morgan (24)
Sacrifice Hits: Alou (3)
GIDP: Aspromonte (3), Watson (7), Edwards (7)
Hit by Pitch: Menke (3,by Niekro)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(9-14)          6.2  10   7   7   2   5   1  32   4.37
Navarro                 1.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   5.40
Totals                  8    10   7   7   2   5   1  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blasingame              2     7   4   0   0   1   0  15   0.00
Ray                     3     2   1   1   1   6   1  12   3.89
Culver W(5-3)           3.1   1   0   0   3   2   0  15   3.75
Lemaster SV(1)          0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   4.47
Totals                  9    11   5   1   4   9   1  44

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (5)
Balks: Niekro (2)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Augie Donatelli, 3B - Chris Pelekoudas


BRAVES 1ST: Brown flied out to left; Millan reached on an error
by Rader [Millan to second]; H. Aaron grounded out (third to
first); Cepeda doubled [Millan scored (unearned)]; Boyer singled
[Cepeda scored (unearned)]; T. Aaron singled [Boyer to second];
Tillman struck out; 2 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Alou grounded out (first unassisted); Morgan popped
to second; Wynn flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Garrido singled; Niekro popped to second [Garrido to
third (error by Morgan)]; Brown grounded out (second to first);
Millan singled [Garrido scored (unearned)]; H. Aaron grounded
out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Menke was hit by a pitch; Rader struck out; Menke
stole second; Watson homered [Menke scored]; Cedeno singled;
Edwards struck out; Cedeno stole second; Niekro balked [Cedeno
to third]; Blasingame popped to shortstop; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Braves 3, Astros 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Cepeda reached on an error by Alou [Cepeda to
third]; Boyer singled [Cepeda scored (unearned)]; T. Aaron
singled [Boyer to second]; RAY REPLACED BLASINGAME (PITCHING);
Tillman struck out; Garrido struck out; Niekro struck out; 1 R
(0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Alou grounded out (third to first); Morgan grounded
out (second to first); Wynn struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 4, Astros 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Brown grounded out (pitcher to first); Millan
grounded out (shortstop to first); H. Aaron struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Menke singled; Rader singled [Menke to second];
Watson grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Menke to third, Rader out at second]; Cedeno grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Cepeda homered; Boyer walked; T. Aaron struck out;
Tillman grounded out (third to first) [Boyer to second]; Garrido
singled [Boyer to third]; Niekro struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Edwards struck out; LAMPARD BATTED FOR RAY; Lampard
grounded out (pitcher to first); Alou grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 2.

BRAVES 6TH: CULVER REPLACED LAMPARD (PITCHING); Brown doubled;
Millan grounded out (second to first) [Brown to third]; H. Aaron
flied out to center; Cepeda walked; Boyer grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Morgan walked; Wynn forced Morgan (shortstop to
first) [Wynn to first]; Menke singled [Wynn to third]; Rader
singled [Wynn scored, Menke to second]; Watson singled [Menke
scored, Rader to third]; Cedeno reached on an error by Millan
[Cedeno to first, Rader scored (RBI), Watson to second]; Edwards
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Cedeno out at second]; 3 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros
5.

BRAVES 7TH: MARTINEZ REPLACED MENKE (PLAYING SS); T. Aaron flied
out to right; Denis Menke left with injured ankle;
Tillman reached on an error by Rader [Tillman to first]; Garrido
forced Tillman (shortstop to second); Niekro struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Culver singled to third [Culver to second (error by
Boyer)]; Alou out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to third to
first) [Culver to third]; Jesus Alou, arguing ball was foul,
didn't run; George Culver was safe at 3B and the Braves still
had time to throw out Alou; Morgan singled to center [Culver
scored]; Morgan stole second; Wynn walked; Martinez struck out;
Rader singled [Morgan scored, Wynn to second]; NAVARRO REPLACED
NIEKRO (PITCHING); Watson grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R,
3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 7.

BRAVES 8TH: Brown struck out; Millan walked; H. Aaron flied to
left; Cepeda flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5,
Astros 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno popped to shortstop; Edwards grounded out
(first to pitcher); Culver grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 7.

BRAVES 9TH: Boyer grounded out (third to first); T. Aaron
walked; LEMASTER REPLACED CULVER (PITCHING); KING BATTED FOR
TILLMAN; King singled [T. Aaron to third]; ASPROMONTE BATTED FOR
GARRIDO; Aspromonte grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [King out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 5, Astros 7.

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