Continuing his slugging spree, Johnny Bench hit his 40th homer of the season and seventh in a stretch of seven games, but the Reds lost to the Braves, 8-5. Hank Aaron and Earl Williams homered for the Braves. Aaron's blow was his 33rd of the year and 672nd of his career. Larvell Blanks, Aaron and Bob Didier each had three hits for the Braves, with Didier accounting for three runs. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 8, Cincinnati Reds 5
Game Played on Wednesday, September 27, 1972 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Braves       1  0  0    0  1  2    3  0  1  -   8 16  1
Reds         0  3  0    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   5  7  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Garr lf               5   0   0   0     0   0   .318      Rose lf               4   0   0   0     1   0   .307
Blanks 2b             5   1   3   1     0   1   .343      Morgan 2b             3   0   1   1     0   1   .293
Aaron 1b              5   2   3   2     0   1   .267        Concepcion ph,ss    2   0   0   0     0   0   .209
Williams 3b           5   2   2   1     0   2   .264      Tolan cf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .284
Baker cf              5   0   1   0     0   1   .325      Bench c               4   1   1   1     0   1   .272
Brown rf              5   1   3   1     0   0   .237        Plummer c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .192
Garrido ss            4   1   1   0     1   1   .274      Perez 1b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .285
Didier c              4   1   3   3     0   0   .364      Menke 3b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .238
Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .196      Geronimo rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .266
                                                          Chaney ss,2b          3   3   2   1     1   0   .255
                                                          Grimsley p            1   0   1   1     0   0   .125
                                                            Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .048
                                                            Uhlaender ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .161
                                                            Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .100
                                                            Hague ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .241

Totals               41   8  16   8     1   6             Totals               34   5   7   4     2   7

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance:  7,033
Left on Base: Braves 9, Reds 6
DP: Braves 0, Reds 1
Errors: Williams, Menke
Doubles: Brown (5), Didier 2 (2), Blanks 2 (5)
Triples: Chaney (2)
Home Runs: Aaron (33), Williams (28), Bench (40)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (10), Grimsley (11)
Sacrifice Flies: Didier (1)
GIDP: Aaron (17)
Hit by Pitch: Menke (5,by Niekro)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(16-11)         9     7   5   4   2   7   1  38   2.97
Totals                  9     7   5   4   2   7   1  38

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Grimsley L(14-8)        6    12   6   5   0   4   1  30   3.11
Borbon                  1     3   1   1   0   0   0   6   3.10
Hall                    2     1   1   1   1   2   1   8   2.65
Totals                  9    16   8   7   1   6   2  44

Passed Balls: Didier 2 (4)
Hit by Pitch: Niekro (4)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (10)

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


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

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (first to pitcher); Morgan struck
out; Tolan grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Baker struck out; Brown flied out to left; Garrido
singled to left; Didier singled to right [Garrido to second];
Niekro flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds
0.

REDS 2ND: Bench homered; Perez singled to center; Menke struck
out; Geronimo struck out; Chaney tripled [Perez scored];
Grimsley singled to center [Chaney scored]; Rose grounded out
(second to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Garr grounded out (first unassisted); Blanks singled
to right; Aaron grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Blanks out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1,
Reds 3.

REDS 3RD: Morgan flied out to right; Tolan struck out; Bench
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Williams struck out; Baker flied out to left; Brown
doubled; Garrido struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1,
Reds 3.

REDS 4TH: Perez flied out to right; Menke popped to third in
foul territory; Geronimo flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Reds 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Didier doubled to left; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Didier to third]; Garr lined to
shortstop; Blanks doubled to left [Didier scored]; Aaron singled
to shortstop [Blanks to third]; Williams popped to shortstop; 1
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Reds 3.

REDS 5TH: Chaney walked; Grimsley out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to first) [Chaney to second]; Rose grounded out
(pitcher to first); Morgan singled to right [Chaney scored,
Morgan out at second (right to first to shortstop)]; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Reds 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Baker popped to first; Brown singled to center;
Garrido reached on an error by Menke [Brown to third, Garrido to
second]; Didier doubled [Brown scored, Garrido scored
(unearned)]; Niekro grounded out (third to first); Garr flied
out to center; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 4.

REDS 6TH: Tolan singled to right; Bench forced Tolan (third to
second); Perez flied out to right; Menke reached on an error by
Williams [Bench to second, Menke to first]; Geronimo lined to
pitcher; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Blanks doubled; Aaron singled to center [Blanks
scored]; BORBON REPLACED GRIMSLEY (PITCHING); Williams singled
to left [Aaron to second]; Baker singled to shortstop [Aaron to
third, Williams to second]; Brown singled to center [Aaron
scored, Williams to third, Baker to second]; Garrido popped to
second; Didier hit a sacrifice fly to left [Williams scored];
Niekro popped to catcher in foul territory; 3 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Braves 7, Reds 4.

REDS 7TH: Chaney singled to right; UHLAENDER BATTED FOR BORBON;
Uhlaender popped to shortstop; Rose walked [Chaney to second];
CONCEPCION BATTED FOR MORGAN; Didier allowed a passed ball
[Chaney to third, Rose to second]; Niekro threw a wild pitch
[Chaney scored (unearned), Rose to third]; Concepcion popped to
first in foul territory; Tolan grounded out (first unassisted);
1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 7, Reds 5.

BRAVES 8TH: HALL REPLACED UHLAENDER (PITCHING); CONCEPCION
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); CHANEY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
2B); Garr grounded out (third to first); Blanks struck out;
Aaron struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 7, Reds 5.

REDS 8TH: Bench flied out to center; Perez struck out; Menke was
hit by a pitch; Geronimo forced Menke (first to shortstop); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 7, Reds 5.

BRAVES 9TH: PLUMMER REPLACED BENCH (PLAYING C ); Williams
homered; Baker flied out to left; Brown popped to third; Garrido
walked; Didier grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 8, Reds 5.

REDS 9TH: Chaney grounded out (second to first); HAGUE BATTED
FOR HALL; Hague struck out but advanced to first on a passed
ball; Rose flied out to center; Concepcion grounded out (pitcher
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 8, Reds 5.