A line drive by Marty Perez in the seventh inning not only sent Jon Matlack to the hospital, but also proved the turning point in the game as the Braves defeated the Mets, 10-6. The Braves, who were trailing 3-1, had the bases loaded with two out when Perez' smash hit Matlack on the head and bounced into the Mets' dugout for a ground-rule double, two runs scoring.

Phil Hennigan, replacing Matlack, walked Hank Aaron intentionally. Davey Johnson, who had hit a solo homer for the Braves in the fourth, then came to the plate and smashed a grand slam. Dusty Baker followed with a double and counted the Braves' seventh run of the inning on a single by Darrell Evans. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 10, New York Mets 6
Game Played on Tuesday, May       8, 1973 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    1  0  0    7  0  2  -  10 11  1
Mets         0  0  1    0  2  0    3  0  0  -   6 10  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brown rf              5   0   1   0     0   1   .219      Martinez cf           5   1   1   0     0   1   .234
Perez ss              4   1   2   2     1   0   .267      Millan 2b             5   2   3   1     0   0   .239
Aaron lf              4   2   1   0     1   0   .210      Garrett 3b            4   1   1   0     1   1   .208
Johnson 2b            4   3   2   5     1   0   .282      Staub rf              4   1   1   1     1   0   .194
Baker cf              5   1   2   2     0   0   .298      Kranepool 1b          4   1   2   1     1   0   .318
Evans 3b              4   0   1   1     1   1   .272      Gosger lf             5   0   0   1     0   1   .190
Dietz 1b              1   1   0   0     2   0   .333      Grote c               4   0   2   1     0   0   .231
  Lum ph,1b           2   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Harrelson ss          2   0   0   0     2   1   .214
Casanova c            3   0   1   0     0   0   .071      Matlack p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  Oates pr,c          2   1   0   0     0   0   .255        Hennigan p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
Reed p                2   0   0   0     0   0   .118        Sadecki p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gilbreath ph        1   1   1   0     0   0   .284        Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Harrison p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38  10  11  10     6   3             Totals               36   6  10   5     5   4

Time of Game: 2:48   Attendance:  6,840
Left on Base: Braves 7, Mets 9
DP: Braves 0, Mets 0
Errors: Aaron
Doubles: Perez (5), Baker 2 (5), Aaron (3), Millan 2 (6), Kranepool (4)
Home Runs: Johnson 2 (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Matlack (4)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reed W(1-4)             6     7   3   2   3   1   0  28   4.54
Harrison SV(2)          3     3   3   3   2   3   0  14   2.05
Totals                  9    10   6   5   5   4   0  42

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Matlack L(2-5)          6.2   6   5   5   3   2   1  29   4.96
Hennigan                0     3   3   3   1   0   1   4   4.96
Sadecki                 1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   4.70
McGraw                  1     2   2   2   2   0   0   7   6.00
Totals                  9    11  10  10   6   3   2  44

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Tom Gorman


BRAVES 1ST: Brown flied to left; Perez walked; Aaron lined to
third; Johnson flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0,
Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Martinez grounded out (first unassisted); Millan
grounded out (shortstop to first); Garrett flied to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Baker grounded out (shortstop to first); Evans was
called out on strikes; Dietz flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Staub grounded out (pitcher to first); Kranepool
singled to center; Gosger flied to center; Grote grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Casanova popped to second; Reed grounded out
(shortstop to first); Brown singled to right; Perez grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Harrelson grounded out (catcher to first); Matlack
grounded out (second to first); Martinez singled to center;
Millan doubled to left [Martinez scored]; Garrett walked; Staub
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves
0, Mets 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Aaron popped to shortstop; Johnson homered; Baker
popped to second; Evans grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Kranepool grounded out (first unassisted); Gosger
grounded out (second to first); Grote singled to center;
Harrelson walked [Grote to second]; Matlack grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Dietz walked; Casanova flied to right; Reed popped
to catcher in foul territory; Brown struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: Martinez popped to second; Millan singled to center;
Garrett singled to right [Millan to second]; Staub singled to
left [Millan scored, Garrett scored (error by Aaron) (unearned),
Staub to third (on throw)]; Kranepool grounded out (pitcher to
first); Gosger popped to second; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 1, Mets 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Perez singled to right; Aaron popped to shortstop;
Johnson popped to right; Baker grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 3.

METS 6TH: Grote flied to center; Harrelson walked; Matlack out
on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Harrelson to second];
Martinez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Evans flied to center; Dietz walked; Casanova
singled to center [Dietz to second]; OATES RAN FOR CASANOVA;
GILBREATH BATTED FOR REED; Gilbreath singled to right [Oates to
second, Dietz to third]; Brown popped to first in foul
territory; Perez doubled to center [Gilbreath to third, Oates
scored, Dietz scored]; HENNIGAN REPLACED MATLACK (PITCHING);
Aaron was walked intentionally; Johnson homered [Gilbreath
scored, Perez scored, Aaron scored]; Baker doubled to right;
Evans singled to center [Baker scored]; SADECKI REPLACED
HENNIGAN (PITCHING); LUM BATTED FOR DIETZ; Lum flied to right; 7
R, 6 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 8, Mets 3.

METS 7TH: HARRISON REPLACED GILBREATH (PITCHING); LUM STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 1B); OATES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Millan
doubled to left; Garrett struck out; Staub walked; Kranepool
doubled to right [Staub to third, Millan scored]; Gosger
grounded out (second to first) [Kranepool to third, Staub
scored]; Grote singled to center [Kranepool scored]; Harrelson
was called out on strikes; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 8, Mets
6.

BRAVES 8TH: Oates flied to right; Harrison struck out; Brown
flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 8, Mets 6.

METS 8TH: BOSWELL BATTED FOR SADECKI; Boswell flied to center;
Martinez grounded out (third to first); Millan flied to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 8, Mets 6.

BRAVES 9TH: MCGRAW REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Perez grounded
out (second to first); Aaron doubled to left; Johnson walked;
Baker doubled to left [Johnson scored, Aaron scored]; Evans
walked; Lum popped to shortstop; Oates flied to center; 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 10, Mets 6.

METS 9TH: Garrett flied to left; Staub flied to center;
Kranepool walked; Gosger was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Braves 10, Mets 6.