Hank Aaron hit his fifth homer of season and 634th of his career, connecting off Bob Gibson after a single by Felix Millan in the first inning, to power the Braves to a 2-1 victory over the Cardinals. Singles by Lou Brock, Ted Sizemore and Joe Torre produced the Cardinals' run in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 2, St. Louis Cardinals 1
Game Played on Friday, May       5, 1972 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Braves       2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  6  0
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  7  3


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Millan 2b             5   1   1   0     0   1   .250      Brock lf              4   1   3   0     0   0   .288
Garr cf,lf            5   0   0   0     0   0   .313      Sizemore 2b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .216
Aaron rf              3   1   1   2     1   1   .271      Alou rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .333
Carty lf              3   0   1   0     1   1   .381      Torre 3b              4   0   1   1     0   0   .356
  Baker cf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .103      Simmons c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .305
Williams c            3   0   0   0     1   1   .232      Hague 1b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .244
Cepeda 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .400      Melendez cf           3   0   1   0     0   0   .263
Evans 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .232      Crosby ss             3   0   0   0     0   0   .300
Perez ss              4   0   2   0     0   0   .279      Gibson p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   2   .071        Cruz ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .259

Totals               35   2   6   2     3   7             Totals               32   1   7   1     0   5

Time of Game: 1:56   Attendance: 21,907
Left on Base: Braves 9, Cardinals 4
DP: Braves 2, Cardinals 1
Errors: Brock, Sizemore, Crosby
Doubles: Hague (4)
Home Runs: Aaron (5)
Stolen Bases: Evans (1), Garr (4)
GIDP: Carty (2), Sizemore (2), Crosby (2)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(3-2)           9     7   1   1   0   5   0  32   2.43
Totals                  9     7   1   1   0   5   0  32

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gibson L(0-4)           9     6   2   2   3   7   1  38   4.55
Totals                  9     6   2   2   3   7   1  38

Umpires: HP - Ken Burkhart, 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Dick Stello


BRAVES 1ST: Millan singled to shortstop; Garr flied out to left;
Aaron homered [Millan scored]; Carty walked; Williams was called
out on strikes; Cepeda struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock flied out to left; Sizemore flied out to
right; Alou flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Evans reached on an error by Sizemore [Evans to
first]; Evans stole second; Perez popped to second; Niekro
struck out; Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Torre flied out to center; Simmons popped to
second; Hague doubled to right; Melendez flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Garr flied out to left; Aaron was called out on
strikes; Carty singled to pitcher; Williams flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Crosby popped to second; Gibson grounded out
(third to first); Brock singled to center; Sizemore struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Cepeda singled to third; Evans popped to catcher in
foul territory; Perez singled to right [Cepeda to third]; Niekro
reached on a fielder's choice [Cepeda out at home (third
unassisted), Perez to second]; Millan grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Alou grounded out (second to first); Torre flied
out to right; Simmons grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Garr grounded out (second to first); Aaron reached
on an error by Crosby [Aaron to first]; Carty was called out on
strikes; Williams walked [Aaron to second]; Cepeda forced
Williams (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Hague popped to second; Melendez grounded out
(third to first); Crosby flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Evans flied out to left; Perez singled to pitcher;
Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first) [Perez to second];
Millan struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: Gibson struck out; Brock singled to center;
Sizemore grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Brock out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2,
Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Garr reached on an error by Brock [Garr to first];
Garr stole second; Aaron walked; Carty grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Garr to third, Aaron out at
second]; Williams grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 7TH: BAKER REPLACED CARTY (PLAYING CF); GARR CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Alou flied out to right; Torre flied out
to center; Simmons flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 8TH: Cepeda flied out to center; Evans popped to second;
Perez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 8TH: Hague struck out (catcher to first); Melendez
singled to right; Crosby grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Melendez out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 9TH: Niekro struck out; Millan flied out to center; Garr
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals
0.

CARDINALS 9TH: CRUZ BATTED FOR GIBSON; Cruz was called out on
strikes; Brock singled to center; Sizemore singled to right
[Brock to third]; Alou popped to second in foul territory; Torre
singled to center [Brock scored, Sizemore to third]; Simmons
struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 1.