Gary Matthews and Pat Rockett, both on hot hitting streaks, batted the Braves to a 4-3 victory over the Astros. Rockett, who had three hits in four trips, drove in the first two runs with a single in the second inning. Matthews, who had three hits in as many official trips, batted in the other pair with a single in the seventh after the Braves loaded the bases on three walks. [The Sporting News]
Atlanta Braves 4, Houston Astros 3

Game Played on Saturday, April 16, 1977 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Astros       0  1  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   3  8  1
Braves       0  2  0    0  0  0    2  0  x  -   4  8  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Sperring 2b,ss        4   0   1   0     0   0   .167      Office cf             4   1   0   0     1   0   .222
Cabell 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .294      Royster 3b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .278
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Montanez 1b           3   1   0   0     1   1   .273
Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Burroughs rf          3   0   0   0     1   1   .200
Cruz rf               3   0   1   1     1   0   .233      Matthews lf           3   1   3   2     1   0   .406
Ferguson c            4   2   3   1     0   0   .400      Correll c             2   1   1   0     0   0   .385
Johnson lf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .286        Pocoroba ph,c       0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Gilbreath 2b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .258
  Boswell ph,2b       1   0   1   1     0   0   .667      Rockett ss            4   0   3   2     0   0   .414
Konieczny p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .250      Messersmith p         3   0   1   0     0   0   .143
  Crawford ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   8   3     1   2             Totals               29   4   8   4     5   2

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 13,789
Left on Base: Astros 4, Braves 10
DP: Astros 1, Braves 1
Errors: Metzger
Doubles: Ferguson 2 (2)
Triples: Boswell (1)
Home Runs: Ferguson (2)
Stolen Bases: Watson (1), Royster (3)
Caught Stealing: Office (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Royster (1), Messersmith (1)
GIDP: Cabell (2), Gilbreath (1)
Hit by Pitch: Correll (1,by Konieczny), Pocoroba (1,by Forsch)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Konieczny               6     6   2   2   2   2   0  27   3.18
Sambito L(0-1)          0.1   0   2   2   2   0   0   3   6.35
Forsch                  1.2   2   0   0   1   0   0   8   1.35
Totals                  8     8   4   4   5   2   0  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith W(1-1)      9     8   3   3   1   2   1  34   5.64
Totals                  9     8   3   3   1   2   1  34

Hit by Pitch: Konieczny (1), Forsch (1)

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


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

BRAVES 1ST: Office grounded out (second to first); Royster
walked; Royster stole second; Montanez grounded out (third to
first); Burroughs struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled; Watson stole second; Cruz singled
[Watson scored, Cruz out at second (center to shortstop)];
Ferguson doubled; Johnson struck out; Metzger flied out to
center; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Matthews walked; Correll was hit by a pitch
[Matthews to second]; Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Matthews to third, Correll to second]; Rockett singled
[Matthews scored, Correll scored]; Messersmith singled [Rockett
to third]; Office flied out to left; Royster grounded out
(second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Konieczny made an out to second; Sperring made an
out to second; Cabell singled; Cedeno made an out to second; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Montanez grounded out (first unassisted); Burroughs
flied out to center; Matthews singled; Correll singled [Matthews
to third]; Gilbreath forced Correll (third to second); 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to right; Cruz walked; Ferguson
grounded out (third to first) [Cruz to second]; Johnson flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Rockett flied out to left; Messersmith flied out to
left; Office reached on an error by Metzger [Office to first];
Office was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 0 H,
1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Konieczny
was called out on strikes; Sperring grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Royster grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez
struck out; Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
flied out to left; Watson made an out to catcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Matthews singled; Correll forced Matthews (pitcher
to second); Gilbreath made an out to second; Rockett singled
[Correll to second]; Messersmith flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz made an out to first; Ferguson doubled; Johnson
flied out to left; BOSWELL BATTED FOR METZGER; Boswell tripled
[Ferguson scored]; CRAWFORD BATTED FOR KONIECZNY; Crawford made
an out to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: SAMBITO REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); BOSWELL STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); SPERRING CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS);
Office walked; Royster out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Office to second]; Montanez walked; FORSCH REPLACED
SAMBITO (PITCHING); Burroughs walked [Office to third, Montanez
to second]; Matthews singled [Office scored, Montanez scored,
Burroughs to second]; POCOROBA BATTED FOR CORRELL; Pocoroba was
hit by a pitch [Burroughs to third, Matthews to second];
Gilbreath grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Pocoroba out at second]; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 4.

ASTROS 8TH: POCOROBA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Sperring
grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell grounded out (shortstop
to first); Cedeno made an out to catcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Rockett singled; Messersmith out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Rockett to second]; Office grounded out
(second to first) [Rockett to third]; Royster grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Watson made an out to first; Cruz flied out to left;
Ferguson homered; Johnson grounded out (shortstop to first); 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 4.
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