Phil Niekro allowed only three hits -- all by John Milner -- and pitched the Braves to a 6-1 victory over the Mets. Milner accounted for the Mets' run with a homer in the ninth inning.

Rico Carty and Darrell Evans homered for the Braves, Carty's blow coming with two men on base. A crowd of 42,575 turned out to watch the first meeting of Willie Mays and Hank Aaron since Willie's acquisition by the Mets. Both superstars, who are tied for second place on the all-time homer list with 648 apiece, went hitless. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 6, New York Mets 1
Game Played on Friday, June      2, 1972 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  3    2  1  0  -   6 11  1
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  3  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Millan 2b             3   0   0   1     0   0   .250      Mays 1b               3   0   0   0     1   1   .237
Garr rf               5   1   3   1     0   0   .302      Harrelson ss          3   0   0   0     1   0   .224
Aaron 1b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .238      Agee cf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .297
Carty lf              4   1   1   3     0   0   .296      Staub rf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .317
  Lum lf              0   0   0   0     0   0   .216      Milner lf             4   1   3   1     0   0   .317
Evans 3b              4   1   1   1     0   1   .278      Fregosi 3b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .240
Williams c            3   1   2   0     0   1   .252      Boswell 2b            4   0   0   0     0   2   .176
Baker cf              4   1   2   0     0   0   .315      Grote c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Perez ss              4   0   1   0     0   0   .234      Gentry p              2   0   0   0     0   2   .091
Niekro p              4   1   1   0     0   2   .182        Taylor p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kranepool ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .229
                                                            Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   6  11   6     0   6             Totals               31   1   3   1     3   7

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 42,757
Left on Base: Braves 5, Mets 6
DP: Braves 0, Mets 1
Errors: Aaron
Home Runs: Carty (4), Evans (7), Milner (4)
Caught Stealing: Garr (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Millan (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Millan (1)
Hit by Pitch: Williams (2,by Gentry)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(7-4)           9     3   1   1   3   7   1  34   3.44
Totals                  9     3   1   1   3   7   1  34

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gentry L(3-3)           6.2   9   5   5   0   5   1  29   2.91
Taylor                  1.1   2   1   1   0   1   1   6   4.91
Frisella                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.71
Totals                  9    11   6   6   0   6   2  38

Hit by Pitch: Gentry (2)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (2), Gentry (4)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); Garr
singled; Aaron struck out while Garr was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Mays struck out; Harrelson grounded out (second to
first); Agee grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Carty flied to center; Evans grounded out (pitcher
to first); Williams was hit by a pitch; Baker forced Williams
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Staub lined to pitcher; Milner singled; Fregosi struck
out; Boswell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Perez grounded out (pitcher to second to first);
Niekro struck out; Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); Gentry struck
out; Mays lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Garr flied to left in foul territory; Aaron grounded
out (shortstop to first); Carty grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Harrelson walked; Agee forced Harrelson (first to
shortstop); Niekro threw a wild pitch [Agee to second]; Staub
walked; Milner flied to center [Agee to third, Staub to second];
Fregosi grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 0, Mets 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Evans flied to left; Williams was called out on
strikes; Baker singled to left; Gentry threw a wild pitch [Baker
to second]; Perez flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
0, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: Boswell struck out; Grote grounded out (pitcher to
first); Gentry struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets
0.

BRAVES 6TH: Niekro singled to left; Millan out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to first) [Niekro to second]; Garr singled to
center [Niekro to third]; Aaron popped to first in foul
territory; Carty homered [Niekro scored, Garr scored]; Evans
struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Mets 0.

METS 6TH: Mays popped to second; Harrelson reached on an error
by Aaron; Agee grounded out (shortstop to first) [Harrelson to
second]; Staub grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 3, Mets 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Williams singled to left; Baker singled to left
[Williams to second]; Perez singled to left [Williams to third,
Baker to second]; Niekro struck out; Millan hit a sacrifice fly
to center [Williams scored, Baker to third]; Garr singled to
right [Baker scored, Perez to third]; TAYLOR REPLACED GENTRY
(PITCHING); Aaron was called out on strikes; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Braves 5, Mets 0.

METS 7TH: Milner singled to right; Fregosi popped to shortstop;
Boswell flied to right; Grote popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 5, Mets 0.

BRAVES 8TH: Carty popped to shortstop; Evans homered; Williams
singled to left; Baker lined to left; Perez forced Williams
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6, Mets 0.

METS 8TH: LUM REPLACED CARTY (PLAYING LF); KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR
TAYLOR; Kranepool struck out; Mays walked; Harrelson flied to
center; Agee grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 6, Mets 0.

BRAVES 9TH: FRISELLA REPLACED KRANEPOOL (PITCHING); Niekro
grounded out (shortstop to first); Millan flied to center; Garr
grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
6, Mets 0.

METS 9TH: Staub flied to center; Milner homered; Fregosi popped
to third; Boswell lined to pitcher; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 6, Mets 1.