Making an almost unbelievable comeback, the Braves overcame a nine-run deficit and won a wild game from the Cardinals, 15-12. The Cards took a 10-1 lead by exploding for nine runs in the fourth inning. Bake McBride smacked a three-run double. Dave Rader, who went 5-for-5 playing instead of Ted Simmons, hit two singles during the outburst, each driving in a run. The Braves began their comeback with three runs in the fifth on doubles by Jerry Royster and Rowland Office and a homer by Jeff Burroughs.

In the next inning, Burroughs walked with the bases loaded and Gary Matthews followed with a grand-slam homer, cutting the Cards' lead to 10-9. The Cards then made it 12-9 with homers by McBride and Jerry Mumphrey in the eighth, but the Braves refused to quit and won the game with a six-run rally in their half. After a walk, double by Biff Porcoroba, single by Tom Paciorek, sacrifice fly by Vic Correll and single by Pat Rockett produced three runs, two walks loaded the bases. On a 3-and-2 pitch with all runners moving, Barry Bonnell singled and cleared the sacks to give the Braves their winning margin. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 15, St. Louis Cardinals 12
Game Played on Sunday, May       15, 1977 (Day game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Cardinals    0  1  0    9  0  0    0  2  0  -  12 18  1
Braves       0  0  1    0  3  5    0  6  x  -  15 16  2


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              3   1   1   1     0   0   .287      Royster ss,2b         3   3   2   0     2   0   .206
  Cruz rf             2   0   0   0     1   1   .270      Moore 3b              5   1   1   1     1   0   .333
Templeton ss          6   1   2   0     0   0   .293      Office cf             3   1   1   1     0   1   .260
McBride cf            6   2   3   4     0   0   .208        Bonnell cf          2   1   1   3     1   1   .316
Hernandez 1b          3   2   1   0     2   0   .307      Burroughs rf          4   2   1   3     2   0   .291
  Simmons ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .387        Collins p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Mumphrey rf,lf        5   2   3   2     1   1   .432      Matthews lf           3   2   2   4     2   1   .382
Reitz 3b              5   2   1   0     0   1   .259      Pocoroba c            3   1   2   0     2   0   .244
Rader c               5   1   5   3     0   0   .417      Paciorek 1b           4   1   2   1     1   0   .243
Tyson 2b              4   1   1   1     1   0   .169      Chaney 2b             3   1   1   0     0   0   .308
Denny p               3   0   1   0     0   2   .100        Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Capilla p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Gaston ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .133
  Schultz p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hrabosky p          2   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Correll ph          0   0   0   1     0   0   .289
  D'Acquisto p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Asselstine rf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .237
                                                          Niekro p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
                                                            LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Rockett ph,ss       4   2   3   1     0   0   .253

Totals               45  12  18  11     5   5             Totals               35  15  16  15    11   3

Time of Game: 3:23   Attendance: 36,693
Left on Base: Cardinals 11, Braves 10
DP: Cardinals 2, Braves 0
Errors: Cruz, Royster, Office
Doubles: Rader 3 (3), McBride (4), Moore (2), Royster (1), Office (4), Matthews (5), Pocoroba (7)
Triples: Mumphrey (2)
Home Runs: McBride (3), Mumphrey (2), Burroughs (8), Matthews (3)
Stolen Bases: Pocoroba (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (3), Royster (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Correll (1)
GIDP: Moore (1), Gaston (3)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Denny                   5     8   4   4   4   2   1  26   3.18
Capilla                 0.1   2   4   4   2   0   0   5  15.43
Schultz                 0     1   1   1   2   0   1   3   1.84
Hrabosky L(1-1)         2.1   4   4   4   1   1   0  11   3.66
D'Acquisto              0.1   1   2   2   2   0   0   4   4.32
Totals                  8    16  15  15  11   3   2  49

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  3     6   6   6   2   1   0  17   6.79
LaCorte                 0.1   3   4   2   1   1   0   6  13.50
Campbell                1.2   2   0   0   0   0   0   7   1.69
Johnson                 1     1   0   0   0   1   0   3   7.20
Camp W(2-1)             2     4   2   2   2   1   2  12   3.51
Collins SV(1)           1     2   0   0   0   1   0   5   3.14
Totals                  9    18  12  10   5   5   2  50

Wild Pitches: D'Acquisto (2), Niekro (4)

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Paul Pryor


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock flied out to left; Templeton grounded out
(second to first); McBride flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster walked; Moore grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Royster out at second]; Office
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals
0, Braves 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hernandez flied out to left; Mumphrey tripled to
right; Reitz reached on a fielder's choice [Mumphrey out at home
(third to catcher to third)]; Rader doubled to right [Reitz
scored]; Tyson grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to first);
Matthews walked; Pocoroba grounded out (second to first)
[Matthews to second]; Paciorek flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Denny was called out on strikes; Brock singled to
center; Templeton forced Brock (second to shortstop); McBride
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals
1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Chaney singled to left; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Chaney to second]; Royster grounded out
(third to first); Moore doubled to left [Chaney scored]; Office
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 1.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hernandez walked; Niekro threw a wild pitch
[Hernandez to second]; Mumphrey walked; Reitz singled to center
[Hernandez to third, Mumphrey to second]; Rader singled to
center [Hernandez scored, Mumphrey scored (error by Office) (no
RBI), Reitz to third, Rader to second]; Tyson singled to left
[Reitz scored, Rader to third]; LACORTE REPLACED NIEKRO
(PITCHING); Denny was called out on strikes; Brock reached on an
error by Royster [Rader scored (RBI), Tyson to second, Brock to
first]; Templeton singled to shortstop [Tyson to third, Brock to
second]; McBride doubled to center [Tyson scored, Brock scored
(unearned), Templeton scored]; Hernandez walked; Mumphrey
singled to right [McBride scored, Hernandez to third]; CAMPBELL
REPLACED LACORTE (PITCHING); Reitz popped to second; Rader
singled to right [Hernandez scored (unearned), Mumphrey to
third]; Tyson forced Rader (shortstop to second); 9 R (7 ER), 7
H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 10, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: CRUZ REPLACED BROCK (PLAYING RF); MUMPHREY CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Burroughs walked; Matthews struck out;
Pocoroba singled to left [Burroughs to second]; Paciorek flied
out to right; Chaney grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 10, Braves 1.

CARDINALS 5TH: Denny singled to left; Cruz flied out to center;
Templeton flied out to left; McBride forced Denny (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 10, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: ROCKETT BATTED FOR CAMPBELL; Rockett grounded out
(third to first); Royster doubled to left; Moore grounded out
(pitcher to first); Office doubled to right [Royster scored];
Burroughs homered [Office scored]; Matthews doubled to left;
Pocoroba walked; Paciorek singled to third [Matthews to third,
Pocoroba to second]; Chaney grounded out (first unassisted); 3
R, 5 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 10, Braves 4.

CARDINALS 6TH: ROCKETT STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); ROYSTER
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); JOHNSON REPLACED CHANEY
(PITCHING); BONNELL REPLACED OFFICE (PLAYING CF); Hernandez
singled to left; Mumphrey struck out; Reitz hit into a double
play to center [Hernandez out at second (center to second)];
Keith Hernandez out on appeal; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 10, Braves 4.

BRAVES 6TH: CAPILLA REPLACED DENNY (PITCHING); Rockett singled
to left; Royster singled to left [Rockett to second]; Moore
flied out to center [Rockett to third, Royster to second];
Bonnell walked; Burroughs walked [Rockett scored, Royster to
third, Bonnell to second]; SCHULTZ REPLACED CAPILLA (PITCHING);
Matthews homered [Royster scored, Bonnell scored, Burroughs
scored]; Pocoroba walked; Pocoroba stole second; Paciorek
walked; GASTON BATTED FOR JOHNSON; HRABOSKY REPLACED SCHULTZ
(PITCHING); Gaston grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Paciorek out at second]; 5 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Cardinals 10, Braves 9.

CARDINALS 7TH: CAMP REPLACED GASTON (PITCHING); Rader doubled to
left; Tyson flied out to right; Hrabosky popped to first in foul
territory; Cruz walked; Templeton flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 10, Braves 9.

BRAVES 7TH: Rockett singled to left; Royster out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Rockett to second]; Moore flied out to
center; Bonnell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 10,
Braves 9.

CARDINALS 8TH: McBride homered; Hernandez grounded out (second
to first); Mumphrey homered; Reitz struck out; Rader doubled to
left; Tyson was walked intentionally; Hrabosky flied out to
left; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 12, Braves 9.

BRAVES 8TH: Burroughs flied out to right; Matthews walked;
Pocoroba doubled to left [Matthews to third]; Paciorek singled
to left [Matthews scored, Pocoroba to third]; CORRELL BATTED FOR
CAMP; Correll hit a sacrifice fly to right [Pocoroba scored,
Paciorek to third (error by Cruz)]; Rockett singled to center
[Paciorek scored]; D'ACQUISTO REPLACED HRABOSKY (PITCHING);
D'Acquisto threw a wild pitch [Rockett to second]; Royster
walked; Moore walked [Rockett to third, Royster to second];
Bonnell singled to center [Rockett scored, Royster scored, Moore
scored]; Burroughs popped to third; 6 R, 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 12, Braves 15.

CARDINALS 9TH: ASSELSTINE REPLACED CORRELL (PLAYING RF); COLLINS
REPLACED BURROUGHS (PITCHING); Cruz struck out; Templeton
singled to right; McBride singled to center [Templeton to
second]; SIMMONS BATTED FOR HERNANDEZ; Simmons flied out to
center; Mumphrey forced McBride (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 12, Braves 15.