A free-hitting contest ended with a clutch relief performance by Cecil Upshaw, who saved the Braves' 10-9 victory over the Reds. Hank Aaron and Dusty Baker homered for the Braves. Aaron's drive was his 32nd of the season and 671st of his career. Johnny Bench hit two homers and drove in the Reds' first four runs. The Braves had a 9-4 lead before the Cincy crew rallied for four runs in the eighth inning, three scoring on a double by Pete Rose.

The Braves added what proved to be the deciding run in the ninth when Aaron walked, Baker and Oscar Brown singled and Larvell Blanks hit a sacrifice fly. In the Reds' half, Bobby Tolan singled and Tony Perez walked with one out. Upshaw, taking over, gave up a run-scoring double by Denis Menke to put himself in deep trouble. However, after walking Cesar Geronimo intentionally Upshaw struck out Hal McRae and retired Darrel Chaney on a fly. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 10, Cincinnati Reds 9
Game Played on Tuesday, September 26, 1972 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Braves       1  0  3    0  1  2    0  2  1  -  10 13  1
Reds         2  0  0    0  0  2    0  4  1  -   9 14  2


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Garr lf               5   1   2   2     0   0   .321      Rose lf               5   0   1   3     0   0   .309
Millan 2b             5   1   1   1     0   2   .257      Morgan 2b             5   0   1   0     0   0   .292
Aaron 1b              4   2   2   1     1   1   .263      Tolan cf              4   3   3   0     1   0   .284
Williams 3b           4   1   1   2     1   1   .263      Bench c               5   2   2   4     0   0   .272
Baker cf              5   1   2   2     0   1   .326      Perez 1b              4   1   2   0     1   0   .285
Brown rf              5   1   2   0     0   1   .224        Foster pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .201
Blanks ss             4   1   1   1     0   0   .323      Menke 3b              5   0   2   1     0   0   .240
Casanova c            5   1   1   0     0   1   .211      Geronimo rf           4   1   1   0     1   0   .271
Hardin p              2   1   1   0     1   1   .095      Concepcion ss         2   0   0   0     0   1   .211
  House p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Uhlaender ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .162
  Upshaw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Sprague p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hague ph            1   1   1   0     0   0   .242
                                                            Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            McRae ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .289
                                                          Gullett p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .229
                                                            Chaney ss           3   1   1   1     0   0   .249

Totals               39  10  13   9     3   8             Totals               42   9  14   9     3   2

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance:  7,234
Left on Base: Braves 7, Reds 9
DP: Braves 0, Reds 1
Errors: Williams, Morgan, Geronimo
Doubles: Williams (24), Perez (31), Menke 2 (19), Rose (29)
Home Runs: Aaron (32), Baker (17), Bench 2 (39)
Stolen Bases: Tolan (41)
Sacrifice Hits: Hardin (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Blanks (1)
GIDP: Millan (7)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hardin W(5-2)           7.2  12   8   8   1   1   2  37   4.22
House                   0.2   1   1   1   1   0   0   4   1.69
Upshaw SV(13)           0.2   1   0   0   1   1   0   4   3.76
Totals                  9    14   9   9   3   2   2  45

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gullett L(8-10)         6     7   7   6   2   3   2  28   4.19
Sprague                 2     4   2   2   0   4   0  10   4.13
Tomlin                  1     2   1   1   1   1   0   6   9.00
Totals                  9    13  10   9   3   8   2  44

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Stan Landes, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Augie Donatelli


BRAVES 1ST: Garr grounded out (catcher to first); Millan struck
out; Aaron homered; Williams flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan
grounded out (second to first); Tolan singled to center; Bench
homered [Tolan scored]; Perez reached on an error by Williams
[Perez to first]; Menke grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 2 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Baker flied out to center; Brown flied out to right;
Blanks grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 1, Reds 2.

REDS 2ND: Geronimo flied out to left; Concepcion struck out
(catcher to first); Gullett grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Casanova singled to left; Hardin out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher unassisted) [Casanova to second]; Garr singled to
left [Casanova to third]; Millan singled to center [Casanova
scored, Garr to second]; Aaron grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Garr to third, Millan to second]; Williams doubled [Garr
scored, Millan scored]; Baker flied out to left; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 2.

REDS 3RD: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan
grounded out (pitcher to first); Tolan walked; Tolan stole
second; Bench grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Brown struck out; Blanks flied out to left; Casanova
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 2.

REDS 4TH: Perez doubled; Menke grounded out (shortstop to
first); Geronimo flied out to center; Concepcion grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Hardin singled to left; Garr reached on an error by
Geronimo [Hardin to third, Garr to first]; Millan grounded into
a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Hardin scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Garr out at second]; Aaron was called out
on strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Gullett grounded out (third to first); Rose popped to
shortstop; Morgan flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 5, Reds 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Williams walked; Baker homered [Williams scored];
Brown reached on an error by Morgan [Brown to first]; Blanks
flied out to center; Casanova flied out to right; Hardin walked
[Brown to second]; Garr grounded out (pitcher unassisted); 2 R,
1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 7, Reds 2.

REDS 6TH: On a bunt Tolan singled; Bench homered [Tolan scored];
Perez popped to third; Menke doubled to left; Geronimo popped to
shortstop; UHLAENDER BATTED FOR CONCEPCION; Uhlaender grounded
out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 7, Reds 4.

BRAVES 7TH: SPRAGUE REPLACED UHLAENDER (PITCHING); CHANEY
REPLACED GULLETT (PLAYING SS); Millan flied out to left; Aaron
singled to left; Williams struck out; Baker struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 7, Reds 4.

REDS 7TH: Chaney flied out to center; Rose lined to left; Morgan
singled to right; Tolan flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 7, Reds 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Brown singled to left; Blanks singled to left [Brown
to second]; Casanova grounded out (first unassisted) [Brown to
third, Blanks to second]; Hardin struck out; Garr singled to
left [Brown scored, Blanks scored]; Millan struck out; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 9, Reds 4.

REDS 8TH: Bench popped to third; Perez singled to center; Menke
flied out to left; Geronimo singled to center [Perez to second];
HAGUE BATTED FOR SPRAGUE; Hague singled to shortstop [Perez to
third, Geronimo to second]; Chaney singled to pitcher [Perez
scored, Geronimo to third, Hague to second]; Rose doubled
[Geronimo scored, Hague scored, Chaney scored]; HOUSE REPLACED
HARDIN (PITCHING); Morgan flied out to right; 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 9, Reds 8.

BRAVES 9TH: TOMLIN REPLACED HAGUE (PITCHING); Aaron walked;
Williams popped to shortstop; Baker singled to left [Aaron to
second]; Brown singled to left [Aaron to third, Baker to
second]; Blanks hit a sacrifice fly to right [Aaron scored];
Casanova struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 10, Reds 8.

REDS 9TH: Tolan singled to center; Bench flied out to right;
Perez walked [Tolan to second]; FOSTER RAN FOR PEREZ; UPSHAW
REPLACED HOUSE (PITCHING); Menke doubled to left [Tolan scored,
Foster to third]; Geronimo was walked intentionally; MCRAE
BATTED FOR TOMLIN; McRae struck out; Chaney flied out to right;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 10, Reds 9.