Bob Gibson, needing three strikeouts to reach the 3,000 mark, fanned only two and was beaten to boot, 7-3, before the Cardinals came storming back to trounce the Braves, 12-0, behind the pitching of rookie Bob Forsch, who posted his first major league victory. In the lidlifter of the twi-night doubleheader, Ted Simmons hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning to stake Gibson to a 3-2 lead, but the Braves loaded the bases in the eighth on a single by Ralph Garr, forceout by Hank Aaron, walk to Darrell Evans and infield hit by Dusty Baker. Rowland Office grounded to Mike Tyson, who threw home too late to nail Leo Foster, running for Aaron. Davey Johnson walked to force in Evans and Marty Perez followed with a squeeze bunt to score Baker.

The Cardinals, ending their six-game losing streak, made Forsch's victory easy in the nightcap by knocking out Buzz Capra and scoring nine runs in the first inning. Reggie Smith accounted for the first run with a sacrifice fly and then climaxed the outburst with a three-run double. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 7, St. Louis Cardinals 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Friday, July      12, 1974 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Braves       1  0  1    0  0  0    0  3  2  -   7 11  0
Cardinals    0  0  0    3  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Garr lf               5   2   3   0     0   0   .368      Brock lf              3   0   2   0     1   0   .309
Robinson ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .217      Heidemann ss          4   1   2   0     0   0   .300
  Aaron ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .240      Smith rf              4   1   1   0     0   2   .331
  Foster pr,ss,rf     1   1   0   0     0   0   .167        Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
Evans 3b              2   3   1   1     2   0   .263        Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Baker rf,cf           4   1   2   1     1   1   .243      Simmons 1b            3   1   1   3     1   0   .273
Office cf             4   0   0   1     0   0   .233      McBride cf            4   0   0   0     0   2   .294
  Murrell ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .234      McCarver c            3   0   0   0     1   1   .226
  Tepedino ph,1b      1   0   1   2     0   0   .229      Reitz 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .295
Johnson 1b,2b         4   0   2   1     1   0   .254      Tyson 2b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Perez 2b,ss           2   0   1   1     0   0   .314        Dwyer ph,rf         1   0   0   0     1   1   .364
Oates c               3   0   1   0     1   0   .234      Gibson p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .170
Harrison p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .184        Cruz ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .248
  Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .208        Heintzelman 2b      0   0   0   0     0   0   .239
  J. Niekro p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   7  11   7     5   2             Totals               31   3   7   3     4   6

Time of Game: 2:19
Left on Base: Braves 8, Cardinals 5
DP: Braves 1, Cardinals 1
Doubles: Baker (15), Evans (12)
Home Runs: Simmons (12)
Stolen Bases: Garr (13), Cruz (4)
Caught Stealing: Johnson (2), Brock 2 (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Perez 2 (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Evans (1)
GIDP: Johnson (13), Simmons (10)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Harrison                6     6   3   3   1   2   1  22   4.50
J. Niekro W(1-1)        1.1   0   0   0   2   1   0   6   3.00
Frisella                1.2   1   0   0   1   3   0   7   4.11
Totals                  9     7   3   3   4   6   1  35

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gibson L(5-9)           8     8   5   5   4   2   0  36   4.33
Hrabosky                0.1   2   2   2   1   0   0   4   4.81
Garman                  0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.22
Totals                  9    11   7   7   5   2   0  42

Umpires: HP - Shag Crawford, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Dutch Rennert


BRAVES 1ST: Garr grounded out (third to first); Robinson popped
to catcher in foul territory; Evans walked; Baker doubled to
left [Evans scored]; Office grounded out (shortstop to first); 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock grounded out (second to first); Heidemann
flied out to center; Smith struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 1, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Johnson singled to center; Perez out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to first) [Johnson to second]; Oates grounded out
(first unassisted) [Johnson to third]; Harrison flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons grounded out (third to first); McBride
grounded out (third to first); McCarver flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Garr singled to center; Garr stole second; Robinson
grounded out (second to first) [Garr to third]; Evans hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Garr scored]; Baker grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals
0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Reitz popped to shortstop; Tyson grounded out
(second to first); Gibson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Office grounded out (second to first); Johnson
singled to left; Johnson was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Brock singled to first; Brock was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Heidemann singled to left; Smith
singled to right [Heidemann to second]; Simmons homered
[Heidemann scored, Smith scored]; McBride struck out; McCarver
walked; Reitz popped to second; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2,
Cardinals 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Oates flied out to right; Harrison struck out; Garr
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
2, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 5TH: Tyson grounded out (second to first); Gibson
flied out to right; Brock singled to left; Brock was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Cardinals 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Robinson grounded out (second to first); Evans flied
out to center; Baker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
2, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 6TH: Heidemann singled to left; Smith flied out to
center; Simmons grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Heidemann out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Cardinals 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Office flied out to right; Johnson flied out to
right; Perez singled to center; Oates singled to right [Perez to
second]; MILLER BATTED FOR HARRISON; Miller grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals
3.

CARDINALS 7TH: J. NIEKRO REPLACED MILLER (PITCHING); McBride
flied out to left; McCarver struck out; Reitz grounded out
(catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Garr singled to left; AARON BATTED FOR ROBINSON;
Aaron forced Garr (third to second); FOSTER RAN FOR AARON; Evans
walked [Foster to second]; Baker singled to third [Foster to
third, Evans to second]; Office reached on a fielder's choice
[Foster scored, Evans to third, Baker to second]; Johnson walked
[Evans scored, Baker to third, Office to second]; Perez out on a
sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Baker scored, Office to
third, Johnson to second]; Oates was walked intentionally; J.
Niekro forced Oates (shortstop to second); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
 Braves 5, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 8TH: FOSTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); DWYER BATTED
FOR TYSON; Dwyer walked; CRUZ BATTED FOR GIBSON; Cruz forced
Dwyer (first to shortstop); Cruz stole second; Brock walked;
FRISELLA REPLACED J. NIEKRO (PITCHING); Heidemann forced Brock
(shortstop to second) [Cruz to third]; Smith struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5, Cardinals 3.

BRAVES 9TH: HRABOSKY REPLACED SMITH (PITCHING); HEINTZELMAN
REPLACED CRUZ (PLAYING 2B); DWYER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF);
Garr singled to second; Foster flied out to center; Evans
doubled to right [Garr to third]; Baker was walked
intentionally; MURRELL BATTED FOR OFFICE; GARMAN REPLACED
HRABOSKY (PITCHING); TEPEDINO BATTED FOR MURRELL; Tepedino
singled to right [Garr scored, Evans scored, Baker to second];
Johnson grounded into a double play (pitcher to second to first)
[Tepedino out at second]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 7,
Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 9TH: TEPEDINO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); JOHNSON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); PEREZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
SS); FOSTER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); BAKER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); Simmons walked; McBride struck out;
McCarver flied out to left; Reitz singled to center [Simmons to
second]; Dwyer struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 7,
Cardinals 3.