Phil Niekro, the only Braves' pitcher to hurl the route this season, did it for the fifth time and beat the Cubs, 2-1, on a homer by Darrell Evans in the ninth inning. The Braves scored their initial run in the first on doubles by Felix Millan and Earl Williams. Jose Cardenal tied the score with a homer for the Cubs in the second. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 2, Chicago Cubs 1
Game Played on Sunday, May       14, 1972 (Day game) at Atlanta Stadium
Cubs         0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  5  0
Braves       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   2  9  1


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Kessinger ss          3   0   1   0     0   1   .214      Millan 2b             4   1   2   0     0   0   .294
Beckert 2b            3   0   2   0     0   0   .250      Garr cf,lf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .305
Williams lf           3   0   0   0     1   1   .268      Aaron rf              3   0   1   0     1   0   .274
Hickman 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .328      Carty lf              4   0   1   0     0   2   .306
Monday cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .344        Baker pr,cf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .161
Cardenal rf           4   1   1   1     0   1   .266      Williams c            4   0   2   1     0   0   .261
Fanzone 3b            3   0   0   0     0   0   .304      Cepeda 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .333
Hundley c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .261      Evans 3b              4   1   1   1     0   1   .243
Pappas p              3   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Perez ss              3   0   1   0     0   0   .258
                                                          Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .095

Totals               30   1   5   1     1   4             Totals               33   2   9   2     1   4

Time of Game: 1:59   Attendance: 21,967
Left on Base: Cubs 5, Braves 7
DP: Cubs 1, Braves 1
Errors: Evans
Doubles: Millan (5), Williams (5), Perez (4)
Home Runs: Cardenal (3), Evans (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Beckert (2), Kessinger (4)
GIDP: Hickman (3), Williams (1)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pappas L(3-3)           8.1   9   2   2   1   4   1  34   2.23
Totals                  8.1   9   2   2   1   4   1  34

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(5-3)           9     5   1   1   1   4   1  33   2.76
Totals                  9     5   1   1   1   4   1  33

Passed Balls: Williams 2 (5)
Balks: Niekro (2)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Ed Vargo


CUBS 1ST: Kessinger grounded out (second to first); Beckert
singled to shortstop; Niekro balked [Beckert to second];
Williams struck out; Hickman grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Millan doubled to right; Garr grounded out (second
to first) [Millan to third]; Aaron walked; Carty was called out
on strikes; Williams doubled [Millan scored, Aaron to third];
Cepeda was called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Braves 1.

CUBS 2ND: Monday grounded out (second to first); Cardenal
homered; Fanzone flied out to left; Hundley grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Evans flied out to right; Perez flied out to right;
Niekro flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Braves 1.

CUBS 3RD: Pappas grounded out (third to first); Kessinger struck
out; Beckert singled to center; Williams allowed a passed ball
[Beckert to second]; Williams popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Millan grounded out (third to first); Garr lined to
second; Aaron flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Braves 1.

CUBS 4TH: Hickman popped to first in foul territory; Monday
grounded out (second to first); Cardenal struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Carty flied out to center; Williams lined to
pitcher; Cepeda popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Braves 1.

CUBS 5TH: Fanzone flied out to left; Hundley popped to
shortstop; Pappas flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cubs 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Evans was called out on strikes; Perez doubled to
center; Niekro grounded out (third to first); Millan singled to
second [Perez to third]; Garr flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 1.

CUBS 6TH: Kessinger singled to right; Beckert out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Kessinger to second]; Williams walked;
Hickman grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Williams out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Aaron singled to left; Carty struck out; Williams
singled to third [Aaron to third]; Cepeda popped to shortstop;
Evans grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cubs 1, Braves 1.

CUBS 7TH: Monday struck out; Cardenal grounded out (shortstop to
first); Fanzone reached on an error by Evans [Fanzone to first];
Hundley flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro
flied out to left; Millan popped to first in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 1.

CUBS 8TH: Pappas singled to left; Kessinger out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Pappas to second]; Williams allowed a
passed ball [Pappas to third]; Beckert lined to third; Williams
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Garr singled to center; Aaron lined to left; Carty
singled to center [Garr to second]; BAKER RAN FOR CARTY;
Williams grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Baker out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 1.

CUBS 9TH: BAKER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); GARR CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Hickman grounded out (second to first);
Monday grounded out (shortstop to first); Cardenal flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: Cepeda flied out to center; Evans homered; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 2.