Although Phl Niekro struck out 13 batters, the Phillies beat the Braves' knuckleball artist, 3-2. The Phillies used their speed on the bases to score twice in the first inning. Bake McBride led off with a single and stole second. Larry Bowa walked and the runners then worked a double steal, paving the way for two runs on a single by Greg Luzinski. Rod Gilbreath homered for the Braves in the fourth, but Mike Schmidt came back with a circuit clout in the fifth to provide the Phillies' deciding run. [The Sporting News]



Philadelphia Phillies 3, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Tuesday, August    23, 1977 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Phillies     2  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   3  8  0
Braves       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  5  1


Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
McBride cf            5   1   3   0     0   2   .309      Office cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .243
Bowa ss               4   1   0   0     1   1   .277      Gilbreath 2b          4   1   1   1     0   1   .243
Schmidt 3b            5   1   2   1     0   3   .287      Burroughs rf          4   0   0   0     0   1   .273
Luzinski lf           3   0   1   2     2   1   .317      Montanez 1b           3   0   0   0     1   0   .269
  Hutton 1b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .255      Matthews lf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .282
Hebner 1b             2   0   1   0     3   1   .287      Pocoroba c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .287
  Martin lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .271      Moore 3b              2   0   1   0     1   0   .246
Johnstone rf          4   0   0   0     0   3   .297      Rockett ss            2   0   0   0     0   0   .252
Boone c               4   0   0   0     0   2   .283        Paciorek ph         1   1   1   0     0   0   .250
Sizemore 2b           3   0   1   0     1   1   .281        Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Lerch p               4   0   0   0     0   1   .133      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .161
  McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .429        Gaston ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .284
                                                            Royster pr,ss       0   0   0   0     0   0   .201

Totals               34   3   8   3     7  15             Totals               30   2   5   2     3   2

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance:  5,972
Left on Base: Phillies 11, Braves 4
DP: Phillies 2, Braves 0
Errors: Matthews
Doubles: Matthews (21), Gaston (4)
Home Runs: Schmidt (31), Gilbreath (8)
Stolen Bases: McBride 3 (27), Bowa (24), Hebner 2 (7)
Caught Stealing: Luzinski (2)
GIDP: Pocoroba (8), Rockett (7)


Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lerch W(7-3)            7.1   5   2   2   2   1   1  27   5.31
McGraw SV(7)            1.2   0   0   0   1   1   0   6   2.42
Totals                  9     5   2   2   3   2   1  33

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(12-16)         8     6   3   3   7  13   1  36   4.07
Campbell                1     2   0   0   0   2   0   5   3.61
Totals                  9     8   3   3   7  15   1  41

Umpires: HP - Jerry Crawford, 1B - Andy Olsen, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Doug Harvey


PHILLIES 1ST: McBride singled to shortstop; McBride stole
second; Bowa walked; McBride stole third and Bowa stole second;
Schmidt struck out; Luzinski singled to right [McBride scored,
Bowa scored]; Hebner singled to right [Luzinski to second];
Johnstone was called out on strikes; Boone made an out to first;
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office grounded out (second to first); Gilbreath
made an out to shortstop; Burroughs struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Phillies 2, Braves 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Sizemore grounded out (second to first); Lerch
flied out to center; McBride singled to center; McBride stole
second; Bowa grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Phillies 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Montanez walked; Matthews flied out to center;
Pocoroba grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Montanez out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies
2, Braves 0.

PHILLIES 3RD: Schmidt struck out; Luzinski walked; Hebner walked
[Luzinski to second]; Johnstone struck out; Boone forced
Luzinski (third unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 2,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Moore walked; Rockett grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [Moore out at second]; Niekro
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 2, Braves 0.

PHILLIES 4TH: Sizemore singled to left [Sizemore to second
(error by Matthews)]; Lerch struck out; McBride struck out; Bowa
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies
2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Office grounded out (third to first); Gilbreath
homered; Burroughs flied out to center; Montanez grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 2, Braves
1.

PHILLIES 5TH: Schmidt homered; Luzinski made an out to second;
Hebner walked; Hebner stole second; Johnstone was called out on
strikes; Boone struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 3,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Matthews grounded out (second to first); Pocoroba
flied out to left; Moore singled to left; Rockett made an out to
second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 3, Braves 1.

PHILLIES 6TH: Sizemore struck out; Lerch flied out to center;
McBride struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Niekro made an out to catcher; Office grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gilbreath made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 3, Braves 1.

PHILLIES 7TH: Bowa struck out; Schmidt was called out on
strikes; Luzinski walked; Luzinski was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 3,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Burroughs grounded out (second to first); Montanez
grounded out (third to first); Matthews doubled to center;
Pocoroba grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Phillies 3, Braves 1.

PHILLIES 8TH: Hebner walked; Hebner stole second; Johnstone
grounded out (pitcher to first); Boone struck out; Sizemore was
walked intentionally; Lerch grounded out (first to pitcher); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Moore flied out to left; PACIOREK BATTED FOR
ROCKETT; Paciorek singled to center; GASTON BATTED FOR NIEKRO;
Gaston doubled to left [Paciorek scored]; ROYSTER RAN FOR
GASTON; MCGRAW REPLACED LERCH (PITCHING); Office flied out to
center; Gilbreath struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 3,
Braves 2.

PHILLIES 9TH: ROYSTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); CAMPBELL
REPLACED PACIOREK (PITCHING); McBride singled to right; Bowa
made an out to catcher; Schmidt singled to third [McBride to
second]; Luzinski struck out; Hebner struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Phillies 3, Braves 2.

BRAVES 9TH: HUTTON REPLACED LUZINSKI (PLAYING 1B); MARTIN
REPLACED HEBNER (PLAYING LF); Burroughs grounded out (shortstop
to first); Montanez flied out to right; Matthews walked;
Pocoroba forced Matthews (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Phillies 3, Braves 2.