Batting for first time in Atlanta Stadium, Jeff Burroughs smashed a two-run homer to start the Braves off to a 4-3 victory over the Astros before a home opening-night crowd of 46,469. Jerry Royster made it 3-1 for the Braves with a round-tripper in the third, but the Astros tied the score in the fourth when Cliff Johnson hit for the circuit with a man on base.

Dick Ruthven then won his own game, driving in the Braves' deciding run with a double in the sixth. However, the Braves needed clutch relief work by Rick Camp, who choked off the Astros with the bases loaded in both the seventh and eighth innings. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 4, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Friday, April     15, 1977 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  0  1    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  9  0
Braves       2  0  1    0  0  1    0  0  x  -   4 13  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gardner cf,lf         5   0   2   0     0   0   .158      Office cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Cabell 3b             5   0   2   1     0   0   .300      Royster 3b            4   1   3   1     0   0   .303
Cruz rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .222      Montanez 1b           4   1   1   0     0   1   .300
Watson 1b             2   1   1   0     2   0   .250      Burroughs rf          4   1   1   2     0   0   .222
  Cedeno pr,cf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Matthews lf           4   0   2   0     0   0   .345
Ferguson c            4   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Correll c             4   0   1   0     0   1   .364
Johnson lf,1b         3   1   2   2     1   0   .400      Gilbreath 2b          3   1   1   0     0   0   .296
Sperring 2b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Rockett ss            4   0   2   0     0   1   .360
  Boswell ph,2b       1   0   0   0     0   1   .500      Ruthven p             2   0   2   1     0   0   .500
Metzger ss            4   1   1   0     0   0   .182        Camp p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Lemongello p          2   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Crawford ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .364
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Herrmann ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               34   3   9   3     4   3             Totals               34   4  13   4     0   4

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 46,469
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 8
DP: Astros 1, Braves 1
Doubles: Metzger (1), Ruthven (1)
Home Runs: Johnson (2), Burroughs (3), Royster (1)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (3), Royster (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Ruthven (1)
GIDP: Cabell (1), Rockett (3)
Hit by Pitch: Gilbreath (1,by Lemongello)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello L(0-2)       5    10   4   4   0   3   2  25   8.10
Niekro                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.93
Sambito                 2     2   0   0   0   1   0   8   3.38
Totals                  8    13   4   4   0   4   2  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven W(2-0)          6.2   7   3   3   3   2   1  28   1.72
Camp SV(2)              2.1   2   0   0   1   1   0  10   0.00
Totals                  9     9   3   3   4   3   1  38

Hit by Pitch: Lemongello (1)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Ed Sudol


ASTROS 1ST: Gardner singled; Cabell grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Gardner out at second]; Cruz
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office flied out to center; Royster singled; Royster
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Montanez
singled; Burroughs homered [Montanez scored]; Matthews grounded
out (third to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; Ferguson flied out to right; Johnson
flied out to center; Sperring forced Watson (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Correll struck out; Gilbreath grounded out (second
to first); Rockett singled; Ruthven singled [Rockett to second];
Office flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger doubled; Lemongello struck out; Gardner
flied out to left; Cabell singled [Metzger scored]; Cabell was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Royster homered; Montanez struck out; Burroughs
grounded out (third to first); Matthews singled; Correll forced
Matthews (third to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Braves 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz flied out to center; Watson walked; Ferguson
flied out to left; Johnson homered [Watson scored]; Sperring
made an out to second; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Gilbreath was hit by a pitch; Rockett was called out
on strikes; Ruthven out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Gilbreath to second]; Office flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger flied out to left; Lemongello struck out;
Gardner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Royster singled; Montanez flied out to right;
Burroughs made an out to shortstop; Matthews grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell singled; Cruz made an out to third; Watson
flied out to right [Cabell to second]; Ferguson grounded out
(first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Correll singled; Gilbreath singled [Correll to
second]; NIEKRO REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); Rockett grounded
into a double play (third to first) [Gilbreath to second,
Correll out at third]; Ruthven doubled [Gilbreath scored];
Office grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Braves 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Johnson singled; Sperring made an out to shortstop;
Metzger forced Johnson (second to shortstop); CRAWFORD BATTED
FOR NIEKRO; Crawford walked [Metzger to second]; Gardner singled
[Metzger to third, Crawford to second]; CAMP REPLACED RUTHVEN
(PITCHING); Cabell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 4.

BRAVES 7TH: SAMBITO REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); Royster
grounded out (second to first); Montanez flied out to right;
Burroughs made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Braves 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz made an out to second; Watson singled; CEDENO
RAN FOR WATSON; Ferguson singled [Cedeno to second]; Johnson
walked [Cedeno to third, Ferguson to second]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR
SPERRING; Boswell struck out; Metzger forced Johnson (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: BOSWELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); CEDENO STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING CF); GARDNER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF);
JOHNSON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Matthews singled;
Correll made an out to third; Gilbreath flied out to right;
Rockett singled [Matthews to second]; Camp struck out; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 4.

ASTROS 9TH: HERRMANN BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Herrmann grounded out
(second to first); Gardner grounded out (third to first); Cabell
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 4.