Phil Niekro scattered eight hits and tied a major league record by striking out four batters in one inning as the Braves posted a 5-3 victory to snap the Pirates' eight-game winning streak. Jeff Burroughs and Rod Gilbreath hit homers for the Braves and Jerry Royster knocked in two runs with a triple.

Niekro struck out Dave Parker and Bill Robinson to start the sixth inning. After Al Oliver doubled, Rennie Stennett also fanned but reached first base on a passed ball by Biff Pocoroba. Niekro then struck out Omar Moreno to become the 15th pitcher in major league history to whiff four batters in one inning. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Friday, July      29, 1977 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Pirates      1  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  1  -   3  8  0
Braves       0  1  0    1  2  0    1  0  x  -   5  8  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            3   1   1   0     0   0   .225      Royster 3b            4   0   1   2     0   0   .202
Garner 3b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .241      Office cf             3   0   1   0     0   1   .245
Parker rf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .340        Bonnell ph,cf       0   0   0   0     1   0   .306
Robinson 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .315      Montanez 1b           3   1   0   0     1   1   .302
Oliver lf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .292        Paciorek 1b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .239
Stennett 2b           4   2   2   0     0   1   .333      Burroughs rf          4   1   3   1     0   1   .273
Moreno cf             2   0   1   1     2   1   .239      Matthews lf           4   0   1   1     0   0   .283
Dyer c                3   0   1   1     0   0   .268      Pocoroba c            3   0   0   0     1   0   .284
Kison p               2   0   1   0     0   0   .222      Chaney ss             3   1   0   0     1   1   .207
  Hairston ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Gilbreath 2b          3   2   2   1     0   0   .237
  Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .286      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .155
  Tolan ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .217

Totals               31   3   8   2     3   7             Totals               29   5   8   5     4   4

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance:  9,505
Left on Base: Pirates 6, Braves 5
DP: Pirates 2, Braves 1
Doubles: Oliver (22), Stennett (17), Moreno (10), Burroughs 2 (10)
Triples: Taveras (6), Royster (1)
Home Runs: Burroughs (23), Gilbreath (4)
Stolen Bases: Stennett (24)
Caught Stealing: Kison (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Taveras (7), Niekro (6)
GIDP: Hairston (1)
Hit by Pitch: Dyer (1,by Niekro)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kison L(6-5)            6     6   4   4   3   3   1  25   4.83
Jackson                 2     2   1   1   1   1   1   9   4.65
Totals                  8     8   5   5   4   4   2  34

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(10-12)         9     8   3   3   3   7   0  36   4.26
Totals                  9     8   3   3   3   7   0  36

Passed Balls: Pocoroba (10)
Hit by Pitch: Niekro (5)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (11)

Umpires: HP - Ed Montague, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - Frank Pulli


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras tripled to left; Garner struck out; Niekro
threw a wild pitch [Taveras scored]; Parker singled to left;
Parker was picked off first (pitcher to first); Robinson
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster flied out to right; Office lined to
shortstop; Montanez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
1, Braves 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Oliver grounded out (pitcher to first); Stennett
grounded out (pitcher to first); Moreno walked; Dyer grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs homered; Matthews flied out to right;
Pocoroba grounded out (second to first); Chaney grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Kison grounded out (pitcher to first); Taveras made
an out to second; Garner walked; Parker grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Gilbreath flied out to center; Niekro grounded out
(pitcher to first); Royster grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Robinson made an out to second; Oliver struck out;
Stennett singled to left; Moreno walked [Stennett to second];
Dyer singled to center [Stennett scored, Moreno to second];
Moreno was picked off second (pitcher to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Office singled to center; Montanez walked [Office to
second]; Burroughs struck out [Office out at third (catcher to
third), Montanez to second]; Matthews singled to center
[Montanez scored]; Pocoroba flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Kison singled to left; Taveras out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to second) [Kison to second]; Kison was picked off
and caught stealing third (pitcher to second to third); Garner
made an out to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Chaney walked; Gilbreath singled to shortstop
[Chaney to second]; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (first to
second) [Chaney to third, Gilbreath to second]; Royster tripled
to center [Chaney scored, Gilbreath scored]; Office struck out;
Montanez grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 2, Braves 4.

PIRATES 6TH: Parker struck out; Robinson struck out; Oliver
doubled to right; Stennett struck out but Oliver advanced to
third and Stennett advanced to first on a passed ball; Stennett
stole second; Moreno struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Burroughs doubled to left; Matthews grounded out
(shortstop to first); Pocoroba was walked intentionally; Chaney
hit into a double play (first unassisted) [Pocoroba out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves 4.

PIRATES 7TH: Dyer was hit by a pitch; HAIRSTON BATTED FOR KISON;
Hairston grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Dyer out at second]; Taveras grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 7TH: JACKSON REPLACED HAIRSTON (PITCHING); Gilbreath
homered; Niekro flied out to left; Royster grounded out (first
unassisted); BONNELL BATTED FOR OFFICE; Bonnell walked; Montanez
forced Bonnell (shortstop to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 2, Braves 5.

PIRATES 8TH: BONNELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); PACIOREK
REPLACED MONTANEZ (PLAYING 1B); Garner made an out to catcher;
Parker grounded out (first to pitcher); Robinson grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves 5.

BRAVES 8TH: Burroughs doubled to left; Matthews made an out to
first; Pocoroba made an out to third; Chaney was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves 5.

PIRATES 9TH: Oliver flied out to left; Stennett doubled to left;
Moreno doubled to right [Stennett scored]; Dyer grounded out
(pitcher to first); TOLAN BATTED FOR JACKSON; Tolan struck out
(catcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Braves 5.