A passed ball on a third strike with two out in the seventh inning proved the break that enabled the Cubs to defeat the Braves, 4-3. Billy Williams fanned, but when catcher Johnny Oates failed to hang on to the knuckleball thrown by Phil Niekro, Williams reached first. Jim Hickman then came to the plate and smashed a homer to break a 2-2 tie.

Jose Cardenal had an earlier homer for the Cubs in the second inning, while Hank Aaron hit the 691st of his career with the Braves in the sixth. The Braves rallied for a run in the ninth on singles by Dusty Baker and Frank Tepedino around a pass to Davey Johnson, but Oates ended the game by grounding into a double play. [The Sporting News]

Chicago Cubs 4, Atlanta Braves 3

Game Played on Saturday, June 16, 1973 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium

Cubs         1  1  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   4  5  2
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  1  -   3  9  1


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Monday cf             4   1   1   0     1   0   .263      Oates c               5   0   0   0     0   0   .239
Beckert 2b            4   0   0   1     0   0   .282      Garr rf               4   0   3   0     0   0   .256
  Kessinger ss        0   0   0   0     0   0   .284      Evans 3b              3   0   0   0     1   2   .281
Williams lf           2   1   0   0     2   1   .311      Aaron lf              3   1   1   1     1   1   .227
Hickman 1b            3   1   1   2     1   1   .195      Lum 1b                4   0   1   0     0   0   .279
Santo 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .314      Baker cf              3   2   2   0     1   0   .282
Cardenal rf           4   1   1   1     0   0   .304      Johnson 2b            2   0   0   1     1   1   .270
Rudolph c             4   0   0   0     0   2   .247      Perez ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .248
Popovich ss,2b        3   0   1   0     1   0   .197      P. Niekro p           2   0   1   0     0   1   .192
Reuschel p            4   0   0   0     0   1   .147        Jackson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .100        Panther p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Tepedino ph         1   0   1   1     0   0   .750

Totals               32   4   5   4     5   5             Totals               32   3   9   3     4   5

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 21,613
Left on Base: Cubs 7, Braves 7
DP: Cubs 2, Braves 1
Errors: Rudolph 2, Lum
Doubles: Monday (10), Lum (10), Garr (6)
Home Runs: Cardenal (7), Hickman (1), Aaron (18)
Stolen Bases: Popovich (1), Garr (16), Baker (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Beckert (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Johnson (1)
GIDP: Hickman (5), Perez (6), Oates (7)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuschel W(8-4)         8     8   3   2   3   5   1  33   1.78
Locker SV(8)            1     1   0   0   1   0   0   4   2.09
Totals                  9     9   3   2   4   5   1  37

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
P. Niekro L(6-3)        7     5   4   2   5   5   2  32   2.55
Panther                 2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   1.50
Totals                  9     5   4   2   5   5   2  38

Passed Balls: Oates 2 (6)
Wild Pitches: P. Niekro 2 (4)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Ken Burkhart


CUBS 1ST: Monday doubled to center; P. Niekro threw a wild pitch
[Monday to third]; Beckert grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Monday scored]; Williams walked; Hickman struck out; Santo
popped to second; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Oates grounded out (second to first); Garr singled
to shortstop; Garr stole second [Garr to third (error by
Rudolph)]; Evans struck out; Aaron was called out on strikes; 0
R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Braves 0.

CUBS 2ND: Cardenal homered; Rudolph struck out; Popovich popped
to shortstop; Reuschel grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Lum doubled to left; Baker popped to second; Johnson
was called out on strikes; Perez grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 0.

CUBS 3RD: Monday flied out to left; Beckert grounded out (third
to first); Williams walked; Hickman walked [Williams to second];
Santo grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs
2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: P. Niekro was called out on strikes; Oates grounded
out (second to first); Garr doubled to right; Evans walked;
Aaron walked [Garr to third, Evans to second]; Lum flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 0.

CUBS 4TH: Cardenal popped to shortstop; Rudolph flied out to
center; Popovich singled to right; Oates allowed a passed ball
[Popovich to second]; Reuschel struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Cubs 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Baker singled to center; Johnson flied out to
center; Perez grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Baker out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2,
Braves 0.

CUBS 5TH: Monday walked; Beckert out on a sacrifice bunt (third
to second) [Monday to second]; Williams reached on an error by
Lum [Monday to third, Williams to first]; Hickman grounded into
a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Williams out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: P. Niekro singled to center; Oates forced P. Niekro
(first to shortstop); Garr flied out to center; Evans struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 0.

CUBS 6TH: Santo singled to center; P. Niekro threw a wild pitch
[Santo to second]; Cardenal grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Santo to third]; Rudolph struck out (catcher to first);
Popovich was walked intentionally; Popovich stole second;
Reuschel flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 2,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Aaron homered; Lum popped to third; Baker walked;
Baker stole second [Baker to third (error by Rudolph)]; Johnson
hit a sacrifice fly to right [Baker scored (unearned)]; Perez
flied out to center; 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2,
Braves 2.

CUBS 7TH: Monday grounded out (first unassisted); Beckert popped
to first in foul territory; Williams struck out but advanced to
first on a passed ball; Hickman homered (unearned) [Williams
scored (unearned)]; Santo lined to third; 2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cubs 4, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: JACKSON BATTED FOR P. NIEKRO; Jackson flied out to
center; Oates flied out to left; Garr singled to right; Garr was
picked off first (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs
4, Braves 2.

CUBS 8TH: PANTHER REPLACED JACKSON (PITCHING); Cardenal lined to
third; Rudolph grounded out (third to first); Popovich popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4, Braves 2.

BRAVES 8TH: Evans flied out to left; Aaron flied out to center;
Lum grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cubs 4, Braves 2.

CUBS 9TH: Reuschel grounded out (shortstop to first); Monday
grounded out (second to first); Beckert grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4, Braves 2.

BRAVES 9TH: KESSINGER REPLACED BECKERT (PLAYING SS); POPOVICH
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); Baker singled to left; LOCKER
REPLACED REUSCHEL (PITCHING); Johnson walked [Baker to second];
On a bunt Perez made an out to first; TEPEDINO BATTED FOR
PANTHER; Tepedino singled to right [Baker scored, Johnson to
third]; Oates grounded into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Tepedino out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Braves
3.

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