Playing before a holiday crowd of 50,595, the Braves beat Tom Seaver when Biff Pocoroba hit a three-run double in the eighth inning to edge the Reds, 5-4. Willie Montanez hit a homer for the Braves in the fourth and also doubled and scored in the sixth, but the Reds took a 3-2 lead with a homer by Johnny Bench in the top of the eighth.

Pinch-hitter Joe Nolan and Rowland Office sparked the Braves' rally with singles and Montanez walked to load the bases. Seaver struck out Jeff Burroughs, but Pocoroba followed with a long drive over the head of Cesar Geronimo in center field to clear the bases. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, Cincinnati Reds 4
Game Played on Monday, July      4, 1977 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Reds         1  0  0    0  1  0    0  1  1  -   4  8  1
Braves       0  0  0    1  0  1    0  3  x  -   5  8  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               3   1   1   0     1   0   .303      Matthews lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .279
  Knight 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .323      Office cf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .249
Geronimo cf           5   0   0   0     0   2   .290      Montanez 1b           3   3   2   1     1   0   .308
Morgan 2b             4   1   2   0     1   2   .316      Burroughs rf          4   0   2   1     0   1   .273
Driessen 1b           3   1   2   2     2   0   .313      Pocoroba c            3   0   1   3     1   0   .308
Foster lf             5   0   0   1     0   0   .311      Moore 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .274
Bench c               3   1   1   1     2   0   .275        Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Lum rf                3   0   0   0     1   1   .114      Gilbreath 2b          3   0   1   0     0   0   .242
Concepcion ss         3   0   2   0     1   0   .297      Chaney ss             3   0   0   0     0   2   .226
Seaver p              2   0   0   0     1   2   .200      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   2   .204
                                                            Nolan ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .348
                                                            Royster pr,3b       0   1   0   0     0   0   .212

Totals               31   4   8   4     9   7             Totals               31   5   8   5     2   6

Time of Game: 2:36   Attendance: 50,595
Left on Base: Reds 11, Braves 4
DP: Reds 0, Braves 1
Errors: Rose
Doubles: Morgan (12), Concepcion (13), Montanez (12), Pocoroba (15)
Home Runs: Bench (18), Driessen (11), Montanez (11)
Stolen Bases: Driessen (17), Lum (1)
Caught Stealing: Concepcion (4), Foster (4), Gilbreath (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Seaver (5)
GIDP: Foster (8)
Hit by Pitch: Rose (4,by Niekro)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver L(8-5)           8     8   5   5   2   6   1  33   3.07
Totals                  8     8   5   5   2   6   1  33

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(8-9)           8     7   3   3   9   6   1  38   4.44
Camp SV(7)              1     1   1   1   0   1   1   4   3.45
Totals                  9     8   4   4   9   7   2  42

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (3)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (9)

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Eric Gregg


REDS 1ST: Rose singled to center; Geronimo popped to shortstop;
Morgan walked [Rose to second]; Driessen singled to left [Rose
scored, Morgan to third]; Driessen stole second; Foster popped
to second; Bench walked; Lum forced Bench (shortstop to second);
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Matthews flied out to right; Office grounded out
(first unassisted); Montanez popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

REDS 2ND: Concepcion walked; Concepcion was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Seaver walked; Rose grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Seaver to second]; Geronimo grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs flied out to left; Pocoroba grounded out
(first unassisted); Moore grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

REDS 3RD: Morgan singled to right; Driessen walked [Morgan to
second]; Foster grounded into a double play (third to first)
[Driessen to second, Morgan out at third]; Bench grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Gilbreath flied out to right; Chaney struck out;
Niekro struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

REDS 4TH: Lum walked; Lum stole second; Concepcion flied out to
center; Seaver struck out; Rose flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews grounded out (second to first); Office
lined to shortstop; Montanez homered; Burroughs singled to third
[Burroughs to second (error by Rose)]; Pocoroba was walked
intentionally; Moore grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 5TH: Geronimo struck out; Morgan doubled to left; Niekro
threw a wild pitch [Morgan to third]; Driessen walked; Foster
forced Driessen (second to shortstop) [Morgan scored]; Foster
was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Gilbreath singled to center; Gilbreath was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Chaney flied out to
center; Niekro struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves
1.

REDS 6TH: Bench walked; Lum struck out; Concepcion singled to
left [Bench to second]; Seaver out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to second) [Bench to third, Concepcion to second]; Rose walked;
Geronimo flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 2,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Matthews grounded out (shortstop to first); Office
flied out to left; Montanez doubled; Burroughs singled to center
[Montanez scored]; Pocoroba grounded out (second to first); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 2.

REDS 7TH: Morgan was called out on strikes; Driessen grounded
out (first unassisted); Foster popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: Moore lined to right; Gilbreath flied out to right;
Chaney struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 2.

REDS 8TH: Bench homered; Lum grounded out (shortstop to first);
Concepcion doubled to left; Seaver struck out; Rose was hit by a
pitch; Geronimo struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3,
Braves 2.

BRAVES 8TH: KNIGHT REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); NOLAN BATTED FOR
NIEKRO; Nolan singled to right; ROYSTER RAN FOR NOLAN; Matthews
struck out; Office singled to left [Royster to second]; Montanez
walked [Royster to third, Office to second]; Burroughs struck
out; Pocoroba doubled to center [Royster scored, Office scored,
Montanez scored]; Moore popped to second; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 3, Braves 5.

REDS 9TH: ROYSTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); CAMP REPLACED
MOORE (PITCHING); Morgan struck out; Driessen homered; Foster
grounded out (second to first); Bench flied out to right; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 5.