With a record Atlanta crowd of 53,775 on hand, Hank Aaron hit the 715th homer of his career, breaking Babe Ruth's record, to provide a historic highlight to the Braves' 7-4 victory over the Dodgers. Aaron walked on his first trip without getting a chance to swing the bat in the second inning and scored on a double by Dusty Baker and a fumble in the outfield by Bill Buckner. The run was the 2,063rd of his career, setting an N. L. record.

In the fourth, Darrell Evans was safe on an error before Aaron came up again. After taking a count of one ball, Aaron ripped into the next pitch by Al Downing and smashed his homer over the left-center field fence. Unsettled by the blow, Downing walked Baker and Davey Johnson. Mike Marshall relieved. The Braves went on to add two runs on an error that loaded the bases, a pass to Frank Tepedino and sacrifice fly by Ralph Garr. Aaron grounded out in the fifth and seventh innings before leaving the game. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 4
Game Played on Monday, April     8, 1974 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium
Dodgers      0  0  3    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   4  7  6
Braves       0  1  0    4  0  2    0  0  x  -   7  4  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              2   1   0   0     1   1   .286      Garr rf,lf            3   0   0   1     0   1   .000
  Lacy ph,2b          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Lum 1b                5   0   0   1     0   1   .222
Buckner lf            3   0   1   0     1   0   .250      Evans 3b              4   1   0   0     0   0   .267
Wynn cf               4   0   1   2     0   1   .471      Aaron lf              3   2   1   2     1   0   .222
Ferguson c            4   0   0   0     0   3   .214        Office cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Crawford rf           4   1   1   0     0   2   .357      Baker cf,rf           2   1   1   0     2   1   .267
Cey 3b                4   0   1   1     0   0   .467      Johnson 2b            3   1   1   0     1   0   .167
Garvey 1b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .250        Foster 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Russell ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Correll c             4   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Downing p             1   1   1   1     0   0  1.000      Robinson ss           0   0   0   0     1   0   .091
  Marshall p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Tepedino ph         0   0   0   1     1   0   .000
  Joshua ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Perez ss            2   1   1   0     0   0   .500
  Hough p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Reed p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Mota ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Oates ph            1   0   0   1     0   0   .111
                                                            Capra p             0   0   0   0     1   0   .000

Totals               34   4   7   4     2  10             Totals               29   7   4   6     7   4

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 53,775
Left on Base: Dodgers 5, Braves 7
DP: Dodgers 0, Braves 0
Errors: Lopes, Buckner, Ferguson, Cey, Russell 2
Doubles: Russell (1), Wynn (2), Baker (1)
Home Runs: Aaron (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Garr (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Garr (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Downing L(0-1)          3     2   5   2   4   2   1  15   6.00
Marshall                3     2   2   1   1   1   0  15   3.00
Hough                   2     0   0   0   2   1   0   8   0.00
Totals                  8     4   7   3   7   4   1  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reed W(1-0)             6     7   4   4   1   4   0  26   6.00
Capra SV(1)             3     0   0   0   1   6   0  10   2.45
Totals                  9     7   4   4   2  10   0  36

Passed Balls: Ferguson (1)
Wild Pitches: Reed (1)

Umpires: HP - Satch Davidson, 1B - Frank Pulli, 2B - Ed Sudol, 3B - Lee Weyer


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes was called out on strikes; Buckner grounded
out (second to first); Wynn popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Garr grounded out (pitcher to first); Lum grounded
out (pitcher to first); Evans grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Ferguson struck out; Crawford grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cey grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Aaron walked; Baker doubled to left [Aaron scored
(error by Buckner) (unearned), Baker out at third (left to
third)]; Johnson flied out to center; Correll grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Braves 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Garvey singled to third; Russell doubled to right
[Garvey to third]; Downing singled to center [Garvey scored,
Russell to third]; Lopes reached on a fielder's choice [Russell
out at home (third to catcher), Downing to second]; Buckner
popped to third in foul territory; Wynn doubled to left [Downing
scored, Lopes scored]; Ferguson was called out on strikes; 3 R,
4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Robinson walked; Robinson was picked off first
(pitcher to first); Reed struck out; Garr reached on an error by
Cey; Lum struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Braves 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Crawford struck out; Cey flied out to center;
Garvey popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Evans reached on an error by Russell; Aaron homered
[Evans scored (unearned)]; Hank Aaron's 715th homer to pass
Babe Ruth; 11 minute delay for celebration; Baker walked;
Johnson walked [Baker to second]; MARSHALL REPLACED DOWNING
(PITCHING); Correll reached on a fielder's choice [Johnson to
second (error by Russell; assist by Lopes), Baker to third];
TEPEDINO BATTED FOR ROBINSON; Tepedino walked [Baker scored,
Johnson to third, Correll to second]; Reed popped to shortstop;
Garr hit a sacrifice fly to left [Johnson scored (unearned)];
Lum grounded out (pitcher to first); 4 R (2 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 2
LOB.  Dodgers 3, Braves 5.

DODGERS 5TH: PEREZ REPLACED TEPEDINO (PLAYING SS); Russell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Marshall made an out to
shortstop; Lopes walked; Buckner singled to right [Lopes to
third]; Wynn forced Buckner (second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Braves 5.

BRAVES 5TH: Evans made an out to second; Aaron grounded out
(third to first); Baker was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Braves 5.

DODGERS 6TH: Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Crawford singled to shortstop; Reed threw a wild pitch [Crawford
to second]; Cey singled to center [Crawford scored]; Garvey
forced Cey (third to second); Russell grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Braves 5.

BRAVES 6TH: Johnson singled to left; Correll forced Johnson
(third to second); Perez singled to right [Correll to third];
OATES BATTED FOR REED; Oates reached on a fielder's choice
[Correll scored, Perez to second (error by Lopes; assist by
Russell)]; Garr reached on an error by Ferguson on a sacrifice
bunt [Perez to third, Oates to second]; Lum grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Perez scored (unearned), Oates to third,
Garr to second]; Evans popped to third in foul territory; 2 R (1
ER), 2 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Braves 7.

DODGERS 7TH: CAPRA REPLACED OATES (PITCHING); JOSHUA BATTED FOR
MARSHALL; Joshua struck out; LACY BATTED FOR LOPES; Lacy was
called out on strikes; Davey Lopes hurts back; Buckner
walked; Wynn struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 4,
Braves 7.

BRAVES 7TH: LACY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); HOUGH REPLACED
JOSHUA (PITCHING); Aaron grounded out (shortstop to first);
Baker walked; Johnson flied out to center; Correll lined to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Braves 7.

DODGERS 8TH: GARR CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); OFFICE
REPLACED AARON (PLAYING CF); BAKER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
RF); FOSTER REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING 2B); Ferguson struck out;
Crawford was called out on strikes; Cey grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Braves 7.

BRAVES 8TH: Perez grounded out (pitcher to first); Capra walked;
Ferguson allowed a passed ball [Capra to second]; Garr struck
out; Lum grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 4, Braves 7.

DODGERS 9TH: Garvey struck out; Russell grounded out (third to
first); MOTA BATTED FOR HOUGH; Mota lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Braves 7.