Becoming a 20-game winner for the first time in his career, Al Downing beat the Braves, 2-0, to move the Dodgers within two lengths of the Giants in the West division race. Willie Davis hit a homer in the fourth inning and scored the other run after hitting a single in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 2, Atlanta Braves 0
Game Played on Friday, September 24, 1971 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium
Dodgers      0  0  0    1  0  0    1  0  0  -   2  6  0
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  8  1


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wills ss              4   0   1   0     0   0   .278      Millan 2b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .288
Buckner 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .280      Garr lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .339
  Russell rf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .227      H. Aaron 1b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .329
Davis cf              4   2   3   1     0   0   .316      Williams c            3   0   1   0     1   1   .261
Allen 3b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .299      Lum rf                4   0   0   0     0   0   .274
  Parker 1b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .275      Versalles 3b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .186
Mota lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .316      Jackson cf            4   0   2   0     0   0   .262
  Garvey 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .227      Perez ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .228
Crawford rf,lf        3   0   0   0     0   0   .279      Niekro p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .148
Valentine 2b          3   0   1   0     0   0   .255        T. Aaron ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .212
Haller c              3   0   0   0     0   1   .264        Upshaw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Downing p             3   0   0   0     0   0   .174

Totals               31   2   6   1     1   2             Totals               34   0   8   0     1   2

Time of Game: 1:57   Attendance:  9,183
Left on Base: Dodgers 3, Braves 8
DP: Dodgers 1, Braves 3
Errors: H. Aaron
Doubles: Davis (33)
Home Runs: Davis (10)
GIDP: Downing (5), Mota (9), Buckner (6)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Downing W(20-8)         9     8   0   0   1   2   0  35   2.55
Totals                  9     8   0   0   1   2   0  35

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(14-14)         7     4   2   2   0   2   1  24   3.08
Upshaw                  2     2   0   0   1   0   0   8   3.51
Totals                  9     6   2   2   1   2   1  32

Passed Balls: Williams (15)

Umpires: HP - Shag Crawford, 1B - Chris Pelekoudas, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Dick Stello


DODGERS 1ST: Wills flied out to right; Buckner flied out to
center; Davis made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Millan singled to pitcher; Garr grounded out (first
unassisted) [Millan to second]; H. Aaron made an out to
shortstop; Williams flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Allen grounded out (shortstop to first); Mota
grounded out (shortstop to first); Crawford grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Lum lined to right; Versalles was called out on
strikes; Jackson singled to left; Perez forced Jackson
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves
0.

DODGERS 3RD: Valentine singled to center; Haller flied out to
left; On a bunt Downing grounded into a double play (pitcher to
shortstop to second) [Valentine out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); Millan
popped to catcher in foul territory; Garr singled to right; H.
Aaron lined to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves
0.

DODGERS 4TH: Wills flied out to center; Buckner grounded out
(first to pitcher); Davis homered; Allen flied out to center; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Williams struck out; Lum grounded out (first
unassisted); Versalles grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 0.

DODGERS 5TH: Mota made an out to third; Crawford reached on an
error by H. Aaron [Crawford to first]; Williams allowed a passed
ball [Crawford to second]; Valentine grounded out (third to
first); Haller struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Jackson lined to right; Perez flied out to center;
Niekro singled to center; Millan made an out to third; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 0.

DODGERS 6TH: Downing flied out to right; Wills grounded out
(first unassisted); Buckner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Garr grounded out (second to first); H. Aaron
grounded out (third to first); Williams singled to left; Lum
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers
1, Braves 0.

DODGERS 7TH: Davis singled to right; Allen singled to second
[Davis to third]; Mota grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Davis scored (no RBI), Allen out at second];
Crawford lined to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Versalles flied out to right; Jackson singled to
left; Perez flied out to center; T. AARON BATTED FOR NIEKRO; T.
Aaron grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Braves 0.

DODGERS 8TH: UPSHAW REPLACED T. AARON (PITCHING); Valentine
lined to second; Haller grounded out (second to first); Downing
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 8TH: Millan singled to right; Garr grounded out (second
to first) [Millan to second]; H. Aaron singled to third [Millan
to third]; Williams walked [H. Aaron to second]; Lum lined into
a double play (first to shortstop) [H. Aaron out at second]; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 0.

DODGERS 9TH: Wills singled to right; Buckner grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Wills out at
second]; Davis doubled to right; Allen was walked intentionally;
Mota popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 9TH: RUSSELL REPLACED BUCKNER (PLAYING RF); PARKER
REPLACED ALLEN (PLAYING 1B); GARVEY REPLACED MOTA (PLAYING 3B);
CRAWFORD CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Versalles flied out to
left; Jackson grounded out (first unassisted); Perez lined to
third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 0.