A single by Gary Matthews and double by Rod Gilbreath scored a run in the eighth inning and gave the Braves a 5-4 victory over the Astros in a game that saw the umpires walk off the field briefly in protest against showing a close play on Atlanta Stadium's electronic scoreboard.

In the fourth inning, after Bob Watson scored for the Astros on a passed ball in a nip-and-tuck play at the plate, a replay was shown on the scoreboard. When the crowd responded with a storm of boos, the umpiring crew left the field but returned after Braves' director of player personnel Bill Lucas assured them that no more close calls would be shown. [The Sporting News]

Atlanta Braves 5, Houston Astros 4

Game Played on Sunday, April 17, 1977 (Day game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Astros       0  0  1    2  0  0    1  0  0  -   4  8  2
Braves       0  0  0    1  0  2    1  1  x  -   5  7  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Sperring 2b           5   0   1   0     0   1   .176      Office cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .225
Cabell 3b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .256      Royster 3b            2   1   0   1     1   0   .263
Cedeno cf             3   1   0   0     1   1   .000      Montanez 1b           4   2   2   0     0   1   .297
Watson 1b             4   1   2   0     0   1   .281      Burroughs rf          3   0   1   1     1   1   .212
Cruz rf               4   0   2   1     0   2   .265        Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Ferguson c            3   0   1   0     1   1   .393      Matthews lf           3   1   1   0     1   2   .400
  Gardner pr,lf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .158      Pocoroba c            1   0   0   1     1   0   .158
Johnson lf            2   1   1   1     2   0   .313      Gilbreath 2b          3   0   1   1     1   0   .265
  Herrmann c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Rockett ss            3   1   0   0     1   0   .375
Metzger ss            3   1   1   0     1   0   .185      Niekro p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .429
Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Moore ph            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Crawford ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .333        Marshall p          0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
  Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Asselstine ph,rf    1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .500

Totals               32   4   8   2     6   6             Totals               26   5   7   4     6   4

Time of Game: 2:42   Attendance: 11,024
Left on Base: Astros 7, Braves 7
DP: Astros 2, Braves 2
Errors: Cabell, Ferguson
Doubles: Metzger (2), Montanez (1), Gilbreath (1)
Home Runs: Johnson (3)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (2)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Moore (1), Pocoroba (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Pocoroba (1), Royster (1)
GIDP: Cabell (3), Office (2), Gilbreath (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                 6     3   3   1   5   4   0  25   1.64
Niekro                  0.2   2   1   1   1   0   0   5   3.38
Forsch L(2-1)           1.1   2   1   1   0   0   0   6   2.25
Totals                  8     7   5   3   6   4   0  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  7     7   4   4   5   4   1  30   3.91
Marshall W(1-0)         1     1   0   0   1   1   0   5  10.80
Camp SV(3)              1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9     8   4   4   6   6   1  38

Passed Balls: Ferguson 2 (4), Pocoroba 2 (2)
Wild Pitches: Richard (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Sperring grounded out (third to first); Cabell
grounded out (second to first); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office flied out to left; Royster grounded out
(shortstop to first); Montanez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson struck out; Cruz singled; Cruz was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Ferguson flied out to left;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs walked; Ferguson allowed a passed ball
[Burroughs to second]; Matthews struck out (catcher to first);
Pocoroba grounded out (second to first) [Burroughs to third];
Gilbreath grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Johnson homered; Metzger grounded out (second to
first); Richard grounded out (shortstop to first); Sperring made
an out to second; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Rockett made an out to catcher; Niekro flied out to
right; Office made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell flied out to center; Cedeno walked; Watson
singled [Cedeno to second]; Cruz singled [Cedeno scored, Watson
to third]; Cruz stole second; Pocoroba allowed a passed ball
[Watson scored, Cruz to third]; Bob Watson scored on close
play that was rerun on the scoreboard causing a storm of boos;
the umpires left the field and returned after assurance that no
more close plays would be shown; Ferguson struck out;
Johnson walked; Metzger walked [Johnson to second]; Richard made
an out to pitcher; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Royster made an out to first; Montanez doubled;
Richard threw a wild pitch [Montanez to third]; Ferguson allowed
a passed ball [Montanez scored (unearned)]; Burroughs struck
out; Matthews was called out on strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Sperring flied out to center; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Pocoroba walked; Gilbreath walked [Pocoroba to
second]; Rockett made an out to catcher; Niekro singled
[Pocoroba to third, Gilbreath to second]; Office grounded into a
double play (second to first) [Niekro out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson singled; Pocoroba allowed a passed ball
[Watson to second]; Cruz struck out; Ferguson walked; Johnson
hit into a double play (shortstop to second) [Watson out at
third]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Royster walked; Montanez reached on an error by
Ferguson [Royster to second, Montanez to first]; Burroughs
singled [Royster scored (unearned), Montanez to second];
Matthews walked [Montanez to third, Burroughs to second];
Pocoroba hit a sacrifice fly to center [Montanez scored];
Gilbreath grounded into a double play (third to first)
[Burroughs out at third]; 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
3, Braves 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger doubled; CRAWFORD BATTED FOR RICHARD;
Crawford walked; Sperring singled [Metzger to third, Crawford to
second]; Cabell grounded into a double play (second to first)
[Metzger scored (no RBI), Crawford to third, Sperring out at
second]; Cedeno struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Braves 3.

BRAVES 7TH: NIEKRO REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); Rockett walked;
MOORE BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Moore out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to second) [Rockett to second]; Office singled [Rockett to
third]; Royster hit a sacrifice fly to center [Rockett scored];
Montanez singled [Office to third]; FORSCH REPLACED NIEKRO
(PITCHING); Burroughs flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Astros 4, Braves 4.

ASTROS 8TH: MARSHALL REPLACED MOORE (PITCHING); Watson flied out
to center; Cruz was called out on strikes; Ferguson singled;
GARDNER RAN FOR FERGUSON; Johnson walked [Gardner to second];
Metzger flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4,
Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: GARDNER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); HERRMANN
REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING C ); Matthews singled; Pocoroba out on
a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Matthews to second];
Gilbreath doubled [Matthews scored]; Rockett reached on an error
by Cabell [Gilbreath stayed at second, Rockett to first];
Rockett was out trying to advance to second (first
unassisted); Bob Watson caught Pat Rockett with the hidden
ball trick; ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR MARSHALL; Asselstine flied
out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 5.

ASTROS 9TH: ASSELSTINE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); CAMP
REPLACED BURROUGHS (PITCHING); BOSWELL BATTED FOR FORSCH;
Boswell flied out to right; Sperring was called out on strikes;
Cabell flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4,
Braves 5.

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