The Mets' acquisition of Steve Henderson from the Reds in the deal for the Seaver paid its first winning dividends when the rookie outfielder hit his first major league homer with two men on base in the 11th inning to beat the Braves, 5-2. Willie Montanez accounted for the Braves' runs with a homer in the first.

The Mets, after scoring on a wild pitch by Andy Messersmith in the home half of the first, finally knotted the count when Ed Kranepool homered in the ninth. Henderson, who went into the game as a defensive replacement for Kranepool in the top half of the 11th, came to bat and delivered his homer after a double by John Stearns and intentional pass to Felix Millan. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 5, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Tuesday, June      21, 1977 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Braves       2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  -   2  5  0
Mets         1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1    0  3  -   5  7  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bonnell cf,rf         5   0   1   0     0   3   .320      Randle 3b             3   0   0   0     2   1   .300
Moore 3b              3   1   0   0     1   1   .276      Harrelson ss          2   1   1   0     3   0   .174
  Royster 3b          1   0   0   0     0   0   .211      Boisclair cf          3   0   0   0     1   3   .267
Montanez 1b           5   1   2   2     0   1   .320        Mazzilli ph,cf      0   0   0   0     1   0   .220
Burroughs rf          3   0   0   0     1   1   .278      Milner 1b             4   0   1   0     1   1   .296
  Office cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .271      Kranepool lf          5   1   2   1     0   0   .298
Matthews lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .262        Baldwin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Correll c             4   0   0   0     0   2   .229      Vail rf               5   0   0   0     0   0   .340
Gilbreath 2b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .221      Stearns c             5   1   2   0     0   2   .280
Chaney ss             4   0   1   0     0   2   .236      Millan 2b             4   1   0   0     1   1   .213
Messersmith p         3   0   0   0     0   0   .103      Matlack p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .069
  Nolan ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .333        Valentine ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .174
  Collins p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lockwood p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
                                                            Grote ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .264
                                                            Henderson lf        1   1   1   3     0   0   .300

Totals               37   2   5   2     2  12             Totals               36   5   7   4     9   8

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance: 10,613
Left on Base: Braves 4, Mets 9
DP: Braves 2, Mets 0
Doubles: Milner (6), Harrelson (5), Stearns (10)
Triples: Chaney (2)
Home Runs: Montanez (8), Kranepool (7), Henderson (1)
Stolen Bases: Randle (13), Harrelson (5)
Caught Stealing: Gilbreath (4)
GIDP: Vail (2), Milner (3)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith             9     5   2   2   5   7   1  35   4.23
Collins L(1-5)          1.1   2   3   3   4   1   1  10   5.28
Totals                 10.1   7   5   5   9   8   2  45

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Matlack                 8     5   2   2   2   7   1  30   3.82
Lockwood                2     0   0   0   0   3   0   6   3.29
Baldwin W(1-0)          1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   3.97
Totals                 11     5   2   2   2  12   1  39

Wild Pitches: Messersmith (5)
Balks: Collins (1)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Bill Williams, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Jerry Dale


BRAVES 1ST: Bonnell was called out on strikes; Moore walked;
Montanez homered [Moore scored]; Burroughs walked; Matthews
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Burroughs to second]; Correll
struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Randle was called out on strikes; Harrelson walked;
Boisclair struck out; Milner doubled to right [Harrelson to
third]; Messersmith threw a wild pitch [Harrelson scored, Milner
to third]; Kranepool flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Mets 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Gilbreath popped to second; Chaney grounded out
(shortstop to first); Messersmith grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

METS 2ND: Vail grounded out (third to first); Stearns singled to
left; Millan forced Stearns (third to second); Matlack made an
out to catcher; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Bonnell flied out to right; Moore struck out;
Montanez singled to center; Burroughs struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Randle grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrelson
grounded out (second to first); Boisclair struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews struck out; Correll grounded out (third to
first); Gilbreath made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Milner flied out to center; Kranepool singled to
center; Vail grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Kranepool out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
2, Mets 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Chaney struck out; Messersmith flied out to right;
Bonnell singled to center; Moore grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: Stearns grounded out (third to first); Millan flied
out to right; Matlack grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Montanez flied out to center; Burroughs flied out to
right; Matthews grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

METS 6TH: Randle grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrelson
walked; Boisclair struck out; Milner walked [Harrelson to
second]; Kranepool flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 2, Mets 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Correll made an out to first; Gilbreath singled to
right; Gilbreath was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Chaney tripled to right; Messersmith flied out to right; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

METS 7TH: Vail made an out to third; Stearns was called out on
strikes; Millan struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2,
Mets 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Bonnell struck out; Moore flied out to right;
Montanez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2,
Mets 1.

METS 8TH: ROYSTER REPLACED MOORE (PLAYING 3B); VALENTINE BATTED
FOR MATLACK; Valentine popped to first in foul territory; Randle
walked; Harrelson doubled to right [Randle to third]; Boisclair
walked; Milner grounded into a double play (first to catcher)
[Randle out at home]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

BRAVES 9TH: LOCKWOOD REPLACED VALENTINE (PITCHING); Burroughs
flied out to center; Matthews flied out to center; Correll
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 1.

METS 9TH: OFFICE REPLACED BURROUGHS (PLAYING CF); BONNELL
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Kranepool homered; Vail grounded
out (pitcher to first); Stearns struck out; Millan grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 2.

BRAVES 10TH: Gilbreath grounded out (third to first); Chaney
struck out; NOLAN BATTED FOR MESSERSMITH; Nolan struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 2.

METS 10TH: COLLINS REPLACED NOLAN (PITCHING); GROTE BATTED FOR
LOCKWOOD; Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); Randle
walked; Collins balked [Randle to second]; Harrelson walked;
MAZZILLI BATTED FOR BOISCLAIR; Randle stole third and Harrelson
stole second; Mazzilli was walked intentionally; Milner struck
out; Kranepool flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Braves 2, Mets 2.

BRAVES 11TH: HENDERSON REPLACED GROTE (PLAYING LF); MAZZILLI
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); BALDWIN REPLACED KRANEPOOL
(PITCHING); Bonnell struck out; Royster grounded out (pitcher to
second to first); Montanez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Mets 2.

METS 11TH: Vail grounded out (shortstop to first); Stearns
doubled to left; Millan was walked intentionally; Henderson
homered [Stearns scored, Millan scored]; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Mets 5.