Hank Aaron hit the 648th homer of his major league career, tying Willie Mays for second place on the all-time list, to account for the Braves' first run in a 5-4 victory over the Padres. Aaron's homer was his ninth of the season.

The Braves, who were held to five hits, scored their deciding run without the benefit of a safety in the eighth inning on two walks, a sacrifice bunt by Marty Perez and sacrifice fly by Ron Reed. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, San Diego Padres 4
Game Played on Wednesday, May       31, 1972 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium
Padres       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  1  2  -   4  8  2
Braves       2  0  2    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   5  5  1


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Thomas 2b             4   0   2   0     1   0   .226      Millan 2b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .254
Jestadt 3b            5   0   2   1     0   0   .273      Garr rf               3   1   1   0     1   0   .293
Lee lf                4   1   1   0     0   2   .336      Aaron 1b              4   1   1   1     0   1   .246
Colbert 1b            4   0   1   1     0   2   .219      Carty lf              4   2   2   0     0   0   .298
Jeter cf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .225        Lum lf              0   0   0   0     0   0   .216
Morales rf            3   0   0   0     1   1   .245      Baker cf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .306
Barton c              3   1   0   0     0   1   .190      Williams c            2   1   1   1     2   0   .243
  Blefary ph          0   1   0   0     1   0   .296      Evans 3b              1   0   0   0     3   0   .279
Hernandez ss          2   0   1   0     0   0   .177      Perez ss              2   0   0   1     1   0   .234
  Robles ph,ss        1   0   0   0     0   0   .190      Reed p                3   0   0   1     0   3   .095
  Stahl ph            1   1   1   2     0   0   .189        Upshaw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Norman p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .208
  Acosta p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Spiezio ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .214
  Ross p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Murrell ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .143
  Caldwell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Corkins p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kendall ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .194

Totals               34   4   8   4     4   7             Totals               27   5   5   4     8   4

Time of Game: 2:34   Attendance:  5,757
Left on Base: Padres 7, Braves 8
DP: Padres 2, Braves 2
Errors: Thomas, Hernandez, Perez
Doubles: Lee (7)
Home Runs: Stahl (2), Aaron (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Perez (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Reed (2)
GIDP: Morales (1), Jeter (3), Aaron (5), Perez (8)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman L(4-4)           2.2   4   4   2   3   1   1  16   2.25
Acosta                  1.1   0   0   0   2   1   0   5   3.58
Ross                    2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   2.45
Caldwell                1.1   0   1   1   2   1   0   6   2.53
Corkins                 0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.14
Totals                  8     5   5   3   8   4   1  37

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reed W(3-6)             8     8   4   3   4   7   1  35   4.39
Upshaw SV(4)            1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.09
Totals                  9     8   4   3   4   7   1  38

Wild Pitches: Norman (1)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Augie Donatelli, 3B - Stan Landes


PADRES 1ST: Thomas grounded out (second to first); Jestadt
singled to right; Lee flied out to left; Colbert struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Millan grounded out (third to first); Garr grounded
out (second to first); Aaron homered; Hank Aaron's 660th home
run to tie Willie Mays; Carty singled to center; Baker
walked [Carty to second]; Williams singled to left [Carty
scored, Baker to third, Williams to second (on throw)]; Evans
grounded out (first unassisted); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres
0, Braves 2.

PADRES 2ND: Jeter walked; Morales grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Jeter out at second]; Barton
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Perez lined to center; Reed struck out; Millan
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
0, Braves 2.

PADRES 3RD: Hernandez made an out to third; Norman flied out to
left; Thomas singled to shortstop; Jestadt forced Thomas
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Garr singled to right; Aaron popped to first in foul
territory; Carty reached on an error by Thomas (assist by
Hernandez) [Garr to third, Carty to first]; Norman threw a wild
pitch [Garr scored (unearned), Carty to second]; Baker made an
out to shortstop; Williams was walked intentionally; Evans
walked [Carty to third, Williams to second]; ACOSTA REPLACED
NORMAN (PITCHING); Perez walked [Carty scored (unearned),
Williams to third, Evans to second]; Reed struck out; 2 R (0
ER), 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 4.

PADRES 4TH: Lee struck out; Colbert struck out; Jeter flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 4.

BRAVES 4TH: Millan grounded out (second to first); Garr walked;
Aaron grounded into a double play (second to first) [Garr out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 4.

PADRES 5TH: Morales flied out to center; Barton reached on an
error by Perez [Barton to second]; Hernandez singled to third
[Barton stayed at second]; SPIEZIO BATTED FOR ACOSTA; Spiezio
grounded out (first to pitcher) [Barton to third, Hernandez to
second]; Thomas walked; Jestadt singled to pitcher [Barton
scored (unearned), Hernandez to third, Thomas to second]; Lee
was called out on strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Padres
1, Braves 4.

BRAVES 5TH: ROSS REPLACED SPIEZIO (PITCHING); Carty singled to
left; Baker reached on an error by Hernandez [Carty to second,
Baker to first]; Williams grounded out (third to first) [Carty
to third, Baker to second]; Evans was walked intentionally;
Perez grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Evans out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 4.

PADRES 6TH: Colbert grounded out (shortstop to first); Jeter
made an out to third; Morales walked; Barton was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Reed was called out on strikes; Millan grounded out
(second to first); Garr grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 4.

PADRES 7TH: ROBLES BATTED FOR HERNANDEZ; Robles grounded out
(second to first); MURRELL BATTED FOR ROSS; Murrell struck out;
Thomas singled to right; Jestadt flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 4.

BRAVES 7TH: CALDWELL REPLACED MURRELL (PITCHING); ROBLES STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Aaron was called out on strikes; Carty
grounded out (shortstop to first); Baker grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 4.

PADRES 8TH: LUM REPLACED CARTY (PLAYING LF); Lee doubled to
right; Colbert singled to center [Lee scored]; Jeter grounded
into a double play (second to first) [Colbert out at second];
Morales struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Williams walked; Evans walked [Williams to second];
Perez out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Williams to
third, Evans to second]; CORKINS REPLACED CALDWELL (PITCHING);
Reed hit a sacrifice fly to right [Williams scored]; Millan
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres
2, Braves 5.

PADRES 9TH: BLEFARY BATTED FOR BARTON; Blefary walked; STAHL
BATTED FOR ROBLES; Stahl homered [Blefary scored]; KENDALL
BATTED FOR CORKINS; UPSHAW REPLACED REED (PITCHING); Kendall
grounded out (second to first); Thomas flied out to center;
Jestadt grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 4, Braves 5.