Phil Niekro, who gave up 11 hits and walked four, put men on base in every inning except one, but the Braves' veteran knuckleballer was able to beat the Mets, 4-1. The Mets' only run came on a pass to John Stearns, double by Lee Mazzilli and sacrifice fly by Felix Millan in the eighth inning. Biff Pocoroba hit a two-run homer for the Braves in the second, scoring behind Rowland Office, who singled. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 4, New York Mets 1
Game Played on Wednesday, June      22, 1977 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Braves       0  2  0    0  0  1    0  0  1  -   4  9  0
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1 11  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bonnell lf            5   0   2   1     0   0   .322      Randle 3b             3   0   2   0     1   0   .306
Moore 3b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .277        Flynn 3b            1   0   0   0     0   1   .231
  Royster pr,3b       1   0   0   0     0   0   .210      Harrelson ss          5   0   1   0     0   0   .175
Montanez 1b           4   1   0   0     0   0   .313      Henderson lf          4   0   2   0     1   0   .357
Burroughs rf          3   0   1   0     1   1   .278      Milner 1b             4   0   0   0     1   1   .289
Office cf             4   1   2   1     0   0   .277      Boisclair rf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .266
Pocoroba c            3   1   1   2     1   0   .298      Grote c               0   0   0   0     0   0   .264
Gilbreath 2b          4   1   1   0     0   0   .222        Stearns c           2   1   1   0     1   1   .282
Chaney ss             4   0   0   0     0   2   .226      Mazzilli cf           4   0   2   0     0   0   .225
Niekro p              4   0   1   0     0   0   .200      Millan 2b             3   0   2   1     0   1   .220
                                                          Espinosa p            2   0   0   0     0   0   .111
                                                            Valentine ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .171
                                                            Baldwin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kranepool ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .296
                                                            Todd p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               35   4   9   4     2   3             Totals               34   1  11   1     4   5

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 12,087
Left on Base: Braves 7, Mets 12
DP: Braves 2, Mets 1
Errors: Flynn
Doubles: Mazzilli (8)
Home Runs: Pocoroba (5)
Caught Stealing: Randle (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Moore (7)
Sacrifice Flies: Millan (1)
GIDP: Montanez (9), Espinosa (1), Boisclair (2)
Hit by Pitch: Grote (1,by Niekro)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(5-9)           9    11   1   1   4   5   0  40   4.53
Totals                  9    11   1   1   4   5   0  40

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Espinosa L(4-5)         6     5   3   3   2   2   1  25   3.91
Baldwin                 2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   3.38
Todd                    1     3   1   1   0   1   0   6   4.34
Totals                  9     9   4   4   2   3   1  38

Passed Balls: Pocoroba (8)
Hit by Pitch: Niekro (2)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Bonnell singled to center; Moore out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to first) [Bonnell to second]; Montanez flied out
to right [Bonnell to third]; Burroughs made an out to shortstop;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Randle grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrelson
singled to shortstop; Henderson grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Harrelson to second]; Milner walked; Pocoroba allowed a
passed ball [Harrelson to third, Milner to second]; Boisclair
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Mets 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Office singled to left; Pocoroba homered [Office
scored]; Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop to first); Chaney
popped to third; Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R,
2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Grote was hit by a pitch; Mazzilli singled to pitcher
[Grote to second]; Millan singled to shortstop [Grote to third,
Mazzilli to second]; Espinosa grounded into a double play
(pitcher to catcher to first) [Mazzilli to third, Millan to
second, Grote out at home]; Randle walked; Harrelson forced
Randle (second to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 2,
Mets 0.

BRAVES 3RD: STEARNS REPLACED GROTE (PLAYING C ); Bonnell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Moore grounded out (first
unassisted); Montanez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Henderson singled to left; Milner forced Henderson
(second to shortstop); Boisclair grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Milner out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Burroughs was called out on strikes; Office flied
out to left; Pocoroba grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Stearns struck out; Mazzilli grounded out (first
unassisted); Millan singled to center; Espinosa grounded out
(catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Gilbreath flied out to right; Chaney struck out;
Niekro popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: Randle singled to left; Randle was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Harrelson popped to left; Henderson
walked; Milner flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Mets 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Bonnell grounded out (third to first); Moore singled
to center; Montanez forced Moore (second to shortstop);
Burroughs walked [Montanez to second]; Office singled to right
[Montanez scored, Burroughs to second]; Pocoroba walked
[Burroughs to third, Office to second]; Gilbreath popped to
right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 3, Mets 0.

METS 6TH: Boisclair singled to second; Stearns singled to left
[Boisclair to second]; Mazzilli flied out to center [Boisclair
to third]; Millan struck out; VALENTINE BATTED FOR ESPINOSA;
Valentine grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 3, Mets 0.

BRAVES 7TH: BALDWIN REPLACED VALENTINE (PITCHING); Chaney
grounded out (second to first); Niekro grounded out (second to
first); Bonnell flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 3, Mets 0.

METS 7TH: Randle singled to left; Harrelson flied out to left;
Henderson flied out to center; Milner struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 3, Mets 0.

BRAVES 8TH: FLYNN REPLACED RANDLE (PLAYING 3B); Moore reached on
an error by Flynn [Moore to first]; ROYSTER RAN FOR MOORE;
Montanez grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Royster out at second]; Burroughs singled to right;
Office forced Burroughs (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 3, Mets 0.

METS 8TH: ROYSTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Boisclair flied
out to center; Stearns walked; Mazzilli doubled to right
[Stearns to third]; Millan hit a sacrifice fly to second
[Stearns scored, Mazzilli to third]; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR
BALDWIN; Kranepool struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3,
Mets 1.

BRAVES 9TH: TODD REPLACED KRANEPOOL (PITCHING); Pocoroba flied
out to right; Gilbreath singled to left; Chaney struck out;
Niekro singled to left [Gilbreath to second]; Bonnell singled to
right [Gilbreath scored, Niekro to second]; Royster forced
Niekro (third unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4, Mets
1.

METS 9TH: Flynn was called out on strikes; Harrelson grounded
out (pitcher to first); Henderson singled to center; Milner
forced Henderson (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 4, Mets 1.