Staked to a five-run lead by the Mets in the first three innings, unbeaten Jerry Koosman breezed past the Braves, 8-1, for his fifth straight victory. The Mets scored three of their runs in the second on singles by Jim Gosger, Jerry Grote and Bud Harrelson, an infield out by Ted Martinez and single by Felix Millan. Rusty Staub had two RBIs, batting in a run with a grounder in the first and hitting a homer in the fifth. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 8, Atlanta Braves 1
Game Played on Wednesday, May       9, 1973 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  5  1
Mets         1  3  1    0  1  1    1  0  x  -   8 11  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brown rf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .250      Martinez cf           5   0   0   1     0   0   .217
Perez ss              4   0   1   0     0   0   .266      Millan 2b             5   1   2   1     0   0   .246
Aaron lf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Garrett 3b            4   1   2   0     0   0   .228
Johnson 2b            3   0   0   0     1   3   .274      Staub rf              2   2   1   2     2   0   .200
Baker cf              3   1   1   0     1   1   .299      Kranepool 1b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .292
Evans 3b              3   0   1   1     1   0   .274      Gosger lf             2   2   1   1     1   1   .217
Dietz 1b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .263      Grote c               4   1   1   0     0   0   .232
Casanova c            1   0   0   0     0   1   .067      Harrelson ss          3   1   3   1     1   0   .241
  Oates c             1   0   0   0     0   0   .253      Koosman p             2   0   1   1     0   0   .176
Morton p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .176
  P. Niekro p         2   0   0   0     0   1   .200
  House p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Blanks ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .214
  Kelley p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   1   5   1     3   6             Totals               31   8  11   7     4   1

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance:  8,125
Left on Base: Braves 6, Mets 6
DP: Braves 2, Mets 2
Errors: Johnson
Doubles: Brown (3), Evans (6)
Home Runs: Staub (4)
Stolen Bases: Johnson (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Koosman 2 (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Gosger (1)
GIDP: P. Niekro (1), Dietz (2), Koosman (1), Martinez (1)
Hit by Pitch: Oates (1,by Koosman)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Morton L(2-3)           1.2   6   4   4   0   0   0  11   2.83
P. Niekro               4.2   5   4   2   3   1   1  20   4.19
House                   0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.52
Kelley                  1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   2.84
Totals                  8    11   8   6   4   1   1  38

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman W(5-0)          9     5   1   1   3   6   0  34   1.79
Totals                  9     5   1   1   3   6   0  34

Passed Balls: Casanova 2 (2)
Hit by Pitch: Koosman (1)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Brown flied to center; Perez grounded out (shortstop
to first); Aaron grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Martinez grounded out (third to first); Millan singled
to right; Garrett singled to right [Millan to third]; Staub
forced Garrett (second to shortstop) [Millan scored]; Kranepool
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
0, Mets 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Johnson walked; Johnson stole second; Baker struck
out; Evans grounded out (pitcher to first); Dietz grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 1.

METS 2ND: Gosger singled to right; Grote singled to right
[Gosger to third]; Harrelson singled to left [Grote to second,
Gosger scored]; Koosman out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Harrelson to second, Grote to third]; Martinez grounded
out (shortstop to first) [Grote scored, Harrelson to third];
Millan singled to left [Harrelson scored]; P. NIEKRO REPLACED
MORTON (PITCHING); Garrett popped to first in foul territory; 3
R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 4.

BRAVES 3RD: Casanova struck out; P. Niekro struck out; Brown
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Mets 4.

METS 3RD: Staub walked; Casanova allowed a passed ball [Staub to
second]; Kranepool grounded out (second to first) [Staub to
third]; Casanova allowed a passed ball [Staub scored
(unearned)]; Gosger was called out on strikes; Grote grounded
out (pitcher to first); 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Mets 5.

BRAVES 4TH: Perez grounded out (third to first); Aaron grounded
out (shortstop to first); Johnson was called out on strikes; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 5.

METS 4TH: OATES REPLACED CASANOVA (PLAYING C ); Harrelson
singled to center; Koosman grounded into a double play (pitcher
to shortstop to first) [Harrelson out at second]; Martinez
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Mets 5.

BRAVES 5TH: Baker grounded out (shortstop to first); Evans
popped to catcher; Dietz flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 0, Mets 5.

METS 5TH: Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); Garrett
flied to left; Staub homered; Kranepool grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 6.

BRAVES 6TH: Oates was hit by a pitch; P. Niekro grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Oates out at second];
Brown doubled to right; Perez grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 6.

METS 6TH: Gosger walked; Grote popped to second; Harrelson
singled to left [Gosger to second]; Koosman singled to left
[Harrelson to second, Gosger scored]; Martinez grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Koosman out at
second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 7.

BRAVES 7TH: Aaron flied to left; Johnson struck out; Baker
walked; Evans doubled to right [Baker scored]; Dietz grounded
out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 7.

METS 7TH: Millan flied to center; Garrett singled to left; Staub
walked [Garrett to second]; HOUSE REPLACED P. NIEKRO (PITCHING);
Kranepool reached on an error by Johnson [Staub to second,
Garrett to third]; Gosger hit a sacrifice fly to right [Staub to
third, Garrett scored (unearned)]; Grote grounded out (shortstop
to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 8.

BRAVES 8TH: Oates flied to center; BLANKS BATTED FOR HOUSE;
Blanks flied to right; Brown singled to center; Perez singled
[Brown to second]; Aaron grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 8.

METS 8TH: KELLEY REPLACED BLANKS (PITCHING); Harrelson walked;
Koosman out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Harrelson
to second]; Martinez grounded out (second to first) [Harrelson
to third]; Millan grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 8.

BRAVES 9TH: Johnson was called out on strikes; Baker singled to
center; Evans walked [Baker to second]; Dietz grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Evans out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Mets 8.