Homers by Earl Williams and Hank Aaron, each with a man on base, helped power the Braves to a 9-3 victory over the Cardinals. Williams connected in the first inning when the Braves broke away with four runs off Bob Gibson.

Aaron's homer in the second inning was his third in three games and 642nd of his major league career. Ted Simmons hit the Cardinals' first homer of the season in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 9, St. Louis Cardinals 3
Game Played on Tuesday, April     25, 1972 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium
Cardinals    0  0  0    1  0  0    1  1  0  -   3  9  1
Braves       4  2  0    0  0  0    3  0  x  -   9  8  1


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Alou rf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .324      Millan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .234
Sizemore 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .184      Garr rf               5   2   1   0     0   0   .304
Hague 1b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .273      Aaron 1b              3   2   1   2     1   2   .176
Torre 3b              3   0   0   1     0   2   .292      Carty lf              3   1   1   1     1   1   .476
Simmons c             4   1   1   1     0   0   .333        Brown pr,lf         0   1   0   0     0   0   .400
Brock lf              3   0   2   0     0   0   .237      Williams c            4   2   2   3     0   0   .295
Cruz cf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .257      Evans 3b              2   1   1   2     2   0   .303
Crosby ss             4   0   0   0     0   1   .318      Lum cf                4   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Gibson p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Perez ss              4   0   1   0     0   0   .286
  Fiore ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Higgins p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Clemons p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Clendenon ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   3   9   2     0   5             Totals               33   9   8   8     4   4

Time of Game: 2:01   Attendance:  9,643
Left on Base: Cardinals 6, Braves 5
DP: Cardinals 0, Braves 1
Errors: Brock, Aaron
Doubles: Alou (2), Evans (1)
Triples: Hague (1)
Home Runs: Simmons (1), Williams (3), Aaron (3)
Stolen Bases: Garr (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Torre (1)
GIDP: Crosby (1)
Hit by Pitch: Brock (1,by Niekro), Millan (1,by Gibson)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gibson L(0-2)           6     5   6   5   2   3   2  27   3.60
Higgins                 0.2   1   3   3   2   0   0   5  12.27
Clemons                 1.1   2   0   0   0   1   0   6   0.00
Totals                  8     8   9   8   4   4   2  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(1-2)           9     9   3   2   0   5   1  36   3.57
Totals                  9     9   3   2   0   5   1  36

Passed Balls: Simmons (1)
Hit by Pitch: Gibson (1), Niekro (1)
Wild Pitches: Gibson 2 (2)
Balks: Niekro (1)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - Shag Crawford, 2B - Chris Pelekoudas, 3B - Mel Steiner


CARDINALS 1ST: Alou doubled to right; Sizemore grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Alou to third]; Hague struck out; Torre
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Millan was hit by a pitch; Garr forced Millan (first
to shortstop); Garr stole second; Aaron struck out; Carty
singled to center [Garr scored]; Williams homered [Carty
scored]; Evans walked; Gibson threw a wild pitch [Evans to
second]; Lum reached on an error by Brock [Evans scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Lum to first]; Perez forced Lum (third to
second); 4 R (3 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 4.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons flied out to right; Brock was hit by a
pitch; Cruz singled to right [Brock to third]; Crosby grounded
into a double play (first to shortstop) [Cruz out at second]; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 4.

BRAVES 2ND: Niekro flied out to right; Millan flied out to
right; Garr singled to left; Aaron homered [Garr scored]; Carty
was called out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0,
Braves 6.

CARDINALS 3RD: Gibson struck out; Alou flied out to center;
Sizemore grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Braves 6.

BRAVES 3RD: Williams grounded out (pitcher to first); Evans
walked; Gibson threw a wild pitch [Evans to second]; Simmons
allowed a passed ball [Evans to third]; Lum flied out to right;
Perez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Braves 6.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hague tripled to right; Torre hit a sacrifice fly
to right [Hague scored]; Simmons grounded out (second to first);
Brock singled to center; Cruz popped to first in foul territory;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 6.

BRAVES 4TH: Niekro flied out to left; Millan popped to first in
foul territory; Garr grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 6.

CARDINALS 5TH: Crosby grounded out (catcher to first); Gibson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 6.

BRAVES 5TH: Aaron struck out; Carty grounded out (third to
first); Williams popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Braves 6.

CARDINALS 6TH: Sizemore grounded out (third to first); Hague
flied out to right; Torre flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 6.

BRAVES 6TH: Evans popped to shortstop; Lum popped to first in
foul territory; Perez singled to left; Niekro forced Perez
(second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves
6.

CARDINALS 7TH: Simmons homered; Brock flied out to left; Cruz
singled to right; Crosby forced Cruz (pitcher to shortstop);
FIORE BATTED FOR GIBSON; Fiore popped to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Braves 6.

BRAVES 7TH: HIGGINS REPLACED FIORE (PITCHING); Millan flied out
to center; Garr grounded out (second to first); Aaron walked;
Carty walked [Aaron to second]; BROWN RAN FOR CARTY; Williams
singled to center [Aaron scored, Brown to second]; CLEMONS
REPLACED HIGGINS (PITCHING); Evans doubled to left [Brown
scored, Williams scored]; Lum grounded out (shortstop to first);
3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Braves 9.

CARDINALS 8TH: BROWN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); On a bunt Alou
singled to first [Alou to second (error by Aaron)]; Sizemore
singled to center [Alou to third]; Niekro balked [Alou scored
(unearned), Sizemore to second]; Hague grounded out (shortstop
to first); Torre struck out; Simmons flied out to right; 1 R (0
ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Braves 9.

BRAVES 8TH: Perez popped to pitcher; Niekro struck out (catcher
to first); Millan singled to left; Garr forced Millan (shortstop
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Braves 9.

CARDINALS 9TH: Brock singled to center; On a bunt Cruz grounded
out (third to first) [Brock to second]; Crosby struck out;
CLENDENON BATTED FOR CLEMONS; Clendenon popped to second; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Braves 9.