With Duke Sims as the hero of the hour, the Dodgers defeated the Braves, 5-4, and moved within one game of the Giants in the West division race. The Dodgers were trailing, 3-1, when Dick Allen doubled in the sixth inning and scored on a single by Willie Crawford. Manny Mota followed with a single and Sims then smashed a three-run homer to enable the Dodgers to post their important victory.

The Braves, who had been held scoreless for 29 straight innings by Dodger pitching, broke through for two runs on three hits in the third, including a single by Ralph Garr, who batted safely in his 20th straight game. Mota drove in a Dodger run with a triple in the fourth. but the Braves took a 3-1 lead when Darrell Evans homered in their half. After the Dodgers exploded in the sixth, the Braves came back with a run, but Jim Brewer replaced Don Sutton and pitched scoreless ball in the last 2 2/3 innings. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Atlanta Braves 4
Game Played on Saturday, September 25, 1971 (Day game) at Atlanta Stadium
Dodgers      0  0  0    1  0  4    0  0  0  -   5  9  2
Braves       0  0  2    1  0  1    0  0  0  -   4 11  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wills ss              5   0   2   0     0   0   .279      Millan 2b             5   1   3   1     0   0   .291
Buckner 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .277      Garr lf               5   0   3   1     0   0   .341
  Parker 1b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .275      H. Aaron 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .326
Davis cf              5   0   1   0     0   1   .315      Williams c            4   0   0   0     0   1   .259
Allen 3b              3   1   1   0     1   1   .299      Lum rf                4   1   1   0     0   2   .274
Crawford rf           4   2   2   1     0   0   .281      Evans 3b              4   1   2   1     0   1   .246
Mota lf               4   1   2   1     0   1   .319      Jackson cf            4   1   1   1     0   0   .262
Sims c                2   1   1   3     2   0   .265      Perez ss              4   0   0   0     0   2   .226
Valentine 2b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .251      Reed p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .149
Sutton p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .212        Nash p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .149
  Brewer p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Breazeale ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Barber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .154
                                                            Jarvis p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .106
                                                            King ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .207
                                                            Foster pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   5   9   5     3   4             Totals               37   4  11   4     0   7

Time of Game: 2:46   Attendance:  7,887
Left on Base: Dodgers 7, Braves 7
DP: Dodgers 1, Braves 0
Errors: Wills, Mota
Doubles: Allen (24), Millan (20)
Triples: Mota (5)
Home Runs: Sims (4), Evans (12)
Stolen Bases: Crawford (5), Jackson (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Buckner (7), Reed (6)
GIDP: Millan (12)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton W(16-12)         6.1   9   4   4   0   7   1  28   2.60
Brewer SV(21)           2.2   2   0   0   0   0   0  10   1.90
Totals                  9    11   4   4   0   7   1  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reed L(13-14)           5.1   7   5   5   2   2   1  25   3.72
Nash                    1.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   6   4.94
Barber                  0.1   1   0   0   1   0   0   3   4.93
Jarvis                  1.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   5   4.10
Totals                  9     9   5   5   3   4   1  39

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


DODGERS 1ST: Wills grounded out (shortstop to first); Buckner
grounded out (shortstop to first); Davis singled to left; Allen
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Millan popped to first in foul territory; Garr lined
to center; H. Aaron struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
0, Braves 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Crawford grounded out (second to pitcher); Mota
struck out; Sims walked; Valentine forced Sims (second to
shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Williams flied out to center; Lum struck out; Evans
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Sutton made an out to second; Wills singled to
left; Buckner popped to third in foul territory; Davis grounded
out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves
0.

BRAVES 3RD: Jackson singled to right; Perez struck out; Reed out
on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Jackson to second];
Millan singled to left [Jackson scored, Millan to third (error
by Mota)]; Garr singled to left [Millan scored]; H. Aaron lined
to left; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 2.

DODGERS 4TH: Allen walked; Crawford forced Allen (shortstop to
second); Mota tripled to center [Crawford scored]; Sims grounded
out (first unassisted); Valentine made an out to second; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Williams grounded out (shortstop to first); Lum
struck out; Evans homered; Jackson made an out to shortstop; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 3.

DODGERS 5TH: Sutton grounded out (second to first); Wills flied
out to center; Buckner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Perez flied out to left; Reed flied out to center;
Millan doubled to left; Garr singled to second [Millan to
third]; H. Aaron forced Garr (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 3.

DODGERS 6TH: Davis flied out to right; Allen doubled to left;
Crawford singled to center [Allen scored]; Mota singled to
center [Crawford to third]; Sims homered [Crawford scored, Mota
scored]; NASH REPLACED REED (PITCHING); Valentine popped to
first in foul territory; Sutton lined to right; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Williams struck out; Lum singled to center; Evans
singled to center [Lum to third]; Jackson grounded out (first
unassisted) [Lum scored, Evans to second]; Perez was called out
on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.

DODGERS 7TH: Wills singled to second; Buckner out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Wills to second]; Davis grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Wills to third]; Allen grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.

BRAVES 7TH: BREAZEALE BATTED FOR NASH; Breazeale popped to first
in foul territory; Millan singled to left; BREWER REPLACED
SUTTON (PITCHING); Garr singled to right [Millan to third]; H.
Aaron popped to third in foul territory; Williams flied out to
center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.

DODGERS 8TH: BARBER REPLACED BREAZEALE (PITCHING); Crawford
singled to left; Crawford stole second; Mota grounded out
(shortstop to first); Sims walked; JARVIS REPLACED BARBER
(PITCHING); Valentine popped to first in foul territory; Brewer
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Lum grounded out (third to first); Evans grounded
out (first to pitcher); Jackson reached on an error by Wills
[Jackson to first]; Jackson stole second; Perez flied out to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.

DODGERS 9TH: Wills grounded out (second to first); Buckner
struck out; Davis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5,
Braves 4.

BRAVES 9TH: PARKER REPLACED BUCKNER (PLAYING 1B); KING BATTED
FOR JARVIS; King singled to right; FOSTER RAN FOR KING; On a
bunt Millan grounded into a double play (catcher to shortstop to
second) [Foster out at second]; Garr flied to left in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.