With homers providing big noise in both games, the Giants won the opener of a twi-night doubleheader, 8-5, before the Braves came back to gain a split with a 5-2 victory. Willie McCovey and Gary Matthews each hit two homers for the Giants in the lidlifter. McCovey connected with a man on base in the first inning and added a solo swat in the sixth. Matthews homered with a mate aboard in the second, hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth and homered again for the Giants' final run in the eighth.

The Braves, who had a circuit clout by Earl Williams in the losing cause, won the nightcap with a pair of two-run homers -- one by Dusty Baker in the third inning and the other by Ralph Garr in the sixth. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 8, Atlanta Braves 5 (Game 1)
Game Played on Saturday, September 16, 1972 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium
Giants       2  2  0    0  0  2    1  1  0  -   8 14  4
Braves       1  1  1    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   5 11  1


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bonds cf              5   2   2   0     0   1   .250      Garr rf               5   1   0   1     0   0   .318
Fuentes 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .263      Millan 2b             5   1   2   1     0   0   .258
Speier ss             4   0   0   0     1   0   .276      Breazeale 1b          5   0   1   1     0   0   .273
McCovey 1b            5   2   3   3     0   0   .214      Williams c            5   1   1   1     0   0   .264
Hart 3b               5   1   3   0     0   0   .302      Baker cf              3   0   2   0     1   0   .320
Henderson lf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .255      Carty lf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .275
Rader c               4   1   2   0     0   0   .264      Evans 3b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .246
Matthews rf           3   2   2   4     0   0   .300      Jackson ss            1   1   0   0     1   0   .236
Willoughby p          4   0   1   0     0   0   .174        Perez pr,ss         2   1   1   0     0   0   .226
                                                          Reed p                3   0   1   0     0   0   .181
                                                            Jaster p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lum ph              1   0   1   1     0   0   .231

Totals               38   8  14   7     1   1             Totals               38   5  11   5     2   0

Time of Game: 2:24
Left on Base: Giants 6, Braves 8
DP: Giants 1, Braves 1
Errors: Fuentes, Speier 2, Henderson, Perez
Doubles: Hart (3)
Home Runs: McCovey 2 (14), Matthews 2 (2), Williams (26)
Stolen Bases: Bonds 2 (39)
Sacrifice Hits: Fuentes (12)
Sacrifice Flies: Matthews (1)
GIDP: Garr (9)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Willoughby W(6-2)       9    11   5   4   2   0   1  40   2.15
Totals                  9    11   5   4   2   0   1  40

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reed L(11-15)           6    11   7   7   1   0   3  30   4.00
Jaster                  3     3   1   1   0   1   1  11   3.86
Totals                  9    14   8   8   1   1   4  41

Wild Pitches: Willoughby (1)

Umpires: HP - Satch Davidson, 1B - Stan Landes, 2B - Augie Donatelli, 3B - Bruce Froemming


GIANTS 1ST: Bonds singled to left; Bonds stole second; Fuentes
out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Bonds to third];
Speier flied out to center; McCovey homered [Bonds scored]; Hart
popped to catcher in foul territory; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Garr grounded out (shortstop to first); Millan
reached on an error by Speier [Millan to second (error by
Speier)]; Breazeale singled to center [Millan scored
(unearned)]; Williams forced Breazeale (third to second); Baker
singled to left [Williams to second]; Carty flied out to center;
1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 2, Braves 1.

GIANTS 2ND: Henderson flied out to right; Rader singled to
center; Matthews homered [Rader scored]; Willoughby flied out to
left; Bonds grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 4, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Evans singled to second; Jackson forced Evans
(second to shortstop); Reed singled to left [Jackson to third];
Garr forced Reed (second to shortstop) [Jackson scored]; Millan
forced Garr (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants
4, Braves 2.

GIANTS 3RD: Fuentes grounded out (second to first); Speier
grounded out (second to first); McCovey singled to right; Hart
doubled [McCovey to third]; Henderson made an out to shortstop;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 4, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Breazeale grounded out (shortstop to first);
Williams homered; Baker walked; Carty grounded out (pitcher to
first) [Baker to second]; Evans grounded out (second to first);
1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4, Braves 3.

GIANTS 4TH: Rader grounded out (second to first); Matthews made
an out to shortstop; Willoughby grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Jackson walked; PEREZ RAN FOR JACKSON; Reed made an
out to first; Perez was picked off first but was safe on an
error by Fuentes [Perez stayed at first]; Garr grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Perez out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 4, Braves 3.

GIANTS 5TH: PEREZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Bonds grounded
out (third to first); Fuentes grounded out (second to first);
Speier grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Millan singled to shortstop; Breazeale made an out
to second; Williams flied out to center; Baker singled to left
[Millan to second]; Carty grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 4, Braves 3.

GIANTS 6TH: McCovey homered; Hart singled to third; Henderson
popped to third in foul territory; Rader singled to right [Hart
to third]; Matthews hit a sacrifice fly to right [Hart scored,
Rader to second]; Willoughby grounded out (second to first); 2
R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 6, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Evans singled to first; Perez grounded out (pitcher
to second to first) [Evans to second]; Reed grounded out
(pitcher to first); Garr grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 6, Braves 3.

GIANTS 7TH: Bonds singled to left; Bonds stole second; Fuentes
singled to shortstop [Bonds scored (error by Perez) (no RBI),
Fuentes to second]; Speier walked; JASTER REPLACED REED
(PITCHING); McCovey lined into a double play (shortstop to
second) [Fuentes out at second]; Hart singled to left [Speier to
second]; Henderson flied out to center; 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Giants 7, Braves 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); Breazeale
flied out to right; Williams flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Giants 7, Braves 3.

GIANTS 8TH: Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews
homered; Willoughby singled to right; Bonds struck out; Fuentes
lined to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 8, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Baker grounded out (third to first); Carty flied out
to center; Evans made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 8, Braves 3.

GIANTS 9TH: Speier flied out to center; McCovey popped to third
in foul territory; Hart flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 8, Braves 3.

BRAVES 9TH: Perez singled to left [Perez to second (error by
Henderson)]; LUM BATTED FOR JASTER; Lum singled to right [Perez
scored]; Garr forced Lum (first to shortstop); Willoughby threw
a wild pitch [Garr to second]; Millan singled to left [Garr
scored]; Breazeale grounded out (second to first) [Millan to
second]; Williams flied out to left; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 8, Braves 5.