A fielding error by Enos Cabell opened the door to two unearned runs in the sixth inning that produced the Braves' 5-3 victory over the Astros. Winning pitcher Phil Niekro had 10 strikeouts, bringing his National League-leading total to 252, in his 20th complete game. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Wednesday, September 21, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       1  0  1    1  0  2    0  0  0  -   5 12  2
Astros       2  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  8  3


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 2b,3b         5   1   2   0     0   2   .217      Puhl lf               5   0   1   0     0   1   .303
Office cf             4   0   1   1     0   1   .246      Cabell 3b,1b          3   1   1   0     1   1   .283
Burroughs rf          4   1   1   1     1   3   .277      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .269
  Gilbreath 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .244      Cruz rf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .296
Montanez 1b           4   0   2   1     1   1   .281      Watson 1b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .290
Matthews lf           5   0   1   1     0   2   .284        Gonzalez pr,2b      0   0   0   0     0   0   .252
Murphy c              5   0   0   0     0   0   .297      Howe 2b,3b            4   0   0   1     0   2   .254
Bonnell 3b,rf         4   1   2   0     1   1   .294      Herrmann c            4   0   1   0     0   2   .285
Rockett ss            5   2   2   0     0   1   .267      Metzger ss            3   1   1   0     0   0   .187
Niekro p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .171        Roberts ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .091
                                                          Andujar p             2   0   0   0     0   2   .196
                                                            McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gardner ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .154
                                                            Thomas p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .154
                                                            Walton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               38   5  12   4     3  11             Totals               35   3   8   2     2  10

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance:  6,282
Left on Base: Braves 12, Astros 7
DP: Braves 0, Astros 1
Errors: Murphy, Bonnell, Cabell 2, Andujar
Doubles: Rockett (10), Burroughs (18), Watson (37)
Triples: Metzger (6)
Stolen Bases: Royster (26), Bonnell (7), Cedeno (55), Cruz (43), Metzger (2), Cabell (42), Watson (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro 2 (12)
Sacrifice Flies: Office (3)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(16-18)         9     8   3   3   2  10   0  37   3.95
Totals                  9     8   3   3   2  10   0  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar L(11-7)         5.2   9   5   2   2   6   0  31   3.29
McLaughlin              0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   4.20
Thomas                  1.1   2   0   0   1   2   0   7   0.00
Sambito                 1.2   1   0   0   0   2   0   5   2.22
Totals                  9    12   5   2   3  11   0  44

Wild Pitches: Niekro (17)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Jim Quick, 2B - Jerry Crawford, 3B - Ed Sudol


BRAVES 1ST: Royster singled; Royster stole second; Office made
an out to shortstop; Burroughs struck out; Montanez singled
[Royster scored]; Matthews grounded out (second to first); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled; Cabell forced Puhl (shortstop to
second); Cedeno singled [Cabell to third]; Cedeno stole second;
Cruz singled [Cabell scored, Cedeno to third]; Cruz stole
second; Watson walked; Howe forced Watson (shortstop to second)
[Cedeno scored, Cruz to third]; Herrmann struck out (catcher to
first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy made an out to second; Bonnell singled;
Rockett forced Bonnell (shortstop to second); Niekro singled
[Rockett to second]; Royster struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Metzger tripled; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Metzger
scored]; Andujar struck out; Puhl flied out to center; Cabell
walked; Cedeno flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
1, Astros 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Office struck out; Burroughs walked; Montanez
singled [Burroughs to second]; Matthews singled [Burroughs
scored, Montanez to second]; Murphy forced Montanez (third
unassisted) [Matthews to third (error by Cabell), Murphy to
second]; Bonnell struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson flied
out to center; Howe made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Rockett doubled; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Rockett to third]; Royster grounded out
(shortstop to first); Office reached on an error by Andujar
[Rockett scored (unearned) (no RBI), Office to first]; Burroughs
struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Herrmann singled; Metzger forced Herrmann (third to
second); On a bunt Andujar struck out; Metzger stole second
[Metzger to third (error by Murphy)]; Puhl flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Montanez flied out to center; Matthews grounded out
(shortstop to first); Murphy grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell singled; Cabell stole second; Cedeno made an
out to third; Cruz singled to left [Cabell out at home (left to
catcher), Cruz to second (on throw to home)]; Watson reached on
an error by Bonnell [Cruz to third, Watson to first]; Watson
stole second; Howe struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Bonnell reached on an error by Cabell [Bonnell to
first]; Rockett singled [Bonnell to second]; Niekro reached on a
fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Bonnell to third, Rockett
to second]; Royster struck out; Office hit a sacrifice fly to
right [Bonnell scored (unearned), Rockett to third]; Burroughs
doubled [Rockett scored (unearned), Niekro to third]; Montanez
was walked intentionally; MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED ANDUJAR
(PITCHING); Matthews struck out; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Braves 5, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Herrmann struck out; Metzger flied out to center;
GARDNER BATTED FOR MCLAUGHLIN; Gardner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 3.

BRAVES 7TH: THOMAS REPLACED GARDNER (PITCHING); Murphy flied out
to center; Debut game for Roy Thomas; Bonnell walked;
Bonnell stole second; Rockett struck out; Niekro made an out to
second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Puhl made an out to second; Cabell struck out
(catcher to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Royster singled; Office singled [Royster to second];
Burroughs struck out; SAMBITO REPLACED THOMAS (PITCHING);
Montanez struck out; Matthews struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 5, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz made an out to shortstop; Watson doubled to
center; GONZALEZ RAN FOR WATSON; Howe struck out; Herrmann made
an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 3.

BRAVES 9TH: GONZALEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); HOWE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); CABELL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B);
Murphy flied out to right; Bonnell singled; Rockett lined into a
double play (second to first) [Bonnell out at first]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: GILBREATH REPLACED BURROUGHS (PLAYING 2B); ROYSTER
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); BONNELL CHANGED POSITIONS
(PLAYING RF); ROBERTS BATTED FOR METZGER; Roberts struck out;
WALTON BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Walton grounded out (second to
first); Puhl struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros
3.