Posting his 15th complete game, Phil Niekro scattered seven hits and struck out 11 to raise his league-leading total to 171 while pitching the Braves to a 3-1 victory over the Expos. The Braves began the scoring with a run in the third inning on singles by Rowland Office and Gary Matthews around a sacrifice by Barry Bonnell.

Singles by Pat Rockett and Office sandwiching a sacrifice by Niekro added a run in the fourth. The Braves picked up a tainted tally in the seventh before Andre Dawson ruined Niekro's shutout bid with a run-scoring single in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 3, Montreal Expos 1
Game Played on Saturday, August    6, 1977 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Expos        0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  7  1
Braves       0  0  1    1  0  0    1  0  x  -   3 11  0


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cash 2b               5   0   0   0     0   1   .281      Office cf             5   1   3   1     0   1   .259
Cromartie lf          4   1   3   0     0   0   .296      Bonnell 3b,rf         4   0   2   0     0   0   .307
Valentine rf          4   0   2   0     0   2   .310      Montanez 1b           3   0   0   0     2   0   .291
Perez 1b              3   0   0   0     1   3   .280      Burroughs rf          4   0   1   0     1   2   .280
Dawson cf             4   0   2   1     0   1   .292        Royster 3b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .204
Carter c              2   0   0   0     2   2   .276      Matthews lf           4   1   2   1     0   0   .289
Speier ss             2   0   0   0     1   0   .232      Pocoroba c            3   0   0   0     1   1   .276
  Garrett ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .272      Gilbreath 2b          4   0   1   1     0   1   .236
  Frias ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .238      Rockett ss            4   1   2   0     0   1   .250
Parrish 3b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .251      Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .143
Rogers p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .106
  Unser ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .269

Totals               33   1   7   1     4  11             Totals               34   3  11   3     4   6

Time of Game: 2:34   Attendance: 10,198
Left on Base: Expos 9, Braves 13
DP: Expos 0, Braves 0
Errors: Speier
Doubles: Valentine (25), Matthews (15)
Caught Stealing: Dawson (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Bonnell (3), Niekro (7)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rogers L(12-10)         8    11   3   2   4   6   0  40   2.67
Totals                  8    11   3   2   4   6   0  40

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(11-13)         9     7   1   1   4  11   0  37   4.08
Totals                  9     7   1   1   4  11   0  37

Wild Pitches: Rogers 2 (10)

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Dutch Rennert


EXPOS 1ST: Cash made an out to second; Cromartie singled;
Valentine struck out; Perez walked [Cromartie to second]; Dawson
was called out on strikes (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office grounded out (second to first); Bonnell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez walked; Burroughs
singled [Montanez to second]; Matthews forced Burroughs (third
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Carter walked; Speier flied out to right; Parrish
made an out to first; Rogers forced Carter (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Pocoroba was called out on strikes; Gilbreath
grounded out (third to first); Rockett singled; Niekro flied out
to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Cash made an out to shortstop; Cromartie made an out
to shortstop; Valentine doubled; Perez struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Office singled; Bonnell out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Office to second]; Montanez flied out to
left; Burroughs walked; Matthews singled [Office scored,
Burroughs to second]; Rogers threw a wild pitch [Burroughs to
third, Matthews to second]; Pocoroba grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 1.

EXPOS 4TH: Dawson singled; Dawson was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Carter struck out; Speier walked;
Parrish forced Speier (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Gilbreath was called out on strikes; Rockett
singled; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second)
[Rockett to second]; Office singled [Rockett scored]; Bonnell
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos
0, Braves 2.

EXPOS 5TH: Rogers grounded out (first unassisted); Cash grounded
out (third to first); Cromartie singled; Valentine struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Montanez walked; Burroughs struck out; Matthews
doubled [Montanez to third]; Pocoroba was walked intentionally;
Gilbreath forced Montanez (third to catcher) [Matthews to third,
Pocoroba to second]; Rockett made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 2.

EXPOS 6TH: Perez struck out; Dawson made an out to second;
Carter struck out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); Office
singled; Bonnell singled [Office to second]; Montanez flied out
to center; Burroughs flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Expos 0, Braves 2.

EXPOS 7TH: Speier grounded out (third to first); Parrish struck
out; Rogers was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: Matthews reached on an error by Speier [Matthews to
first]; Rogers threw a wild pitch [Matthews to second]; Pocoroba
grounded out (second to first) [Matthews to third]; Gilbreath
singled [Matthews scored (unearned)]; Rockett struck out; Niekro
grounded out (third to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 0, Braves 3.

EXPOS 8TH: Cash grounded out (shortstop to first); Cromartie
singled; Valentine singled [Cromartie to second]; Perez struck
out; Dawson singled [Cromartie scored, Valentine to second];
Carter walked [Valentine to third, Dawson to second]; GARRETT
BATTED FOR SPEIER; Garrett grounded out (second to first); 1 R,
3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 1, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: FRIAS REPLACED GARRETT (PLAYING SS); Office was
called out on strikes; Bonnell singled; Montanez flied out to
center; Burroughs struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 1,
Braves 3.

EXPOS 9TH: ROYSTER REPLACED BURROUGHS (PLAYING 3B); BONNELL
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Parrish made an out to
shortstop; UNSER BATTED FOR ROGERS; Unser made an out to second;
Cash struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Braves 3.