Steve Garvey's three-run homer in the sixth inning powered the Dodgers to a 7-4 victory over the Braves and completed the sweep of the three-game season opening series. The Dodgers trailed, 4-2, when Reggie Smith led off the sixth with a single.

Ron Cey followed with another single and Garvey then unloaded Tommy Boggs' pitch over the right-center field fence. The Dodgers got insurance in the eighth inning when Rick Monday singled home two more runs. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Atlanta Braves 4
Game Played on Sunday, April     9, 1978 (Day game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Dodgers      0  1  1    0  0  3    0  2  0  -   7 13  1
Braves       1  2  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   4  7  3


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              5   0   1   0     0   0   .167      Royster 2b            3   1   2   1     2   0   .500
Russell ss            5   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Office cf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .182
Smith rf              5   1   1   0     0   0   .385      Matthews rf           4   1   0   0     0   1   .273
Cey 3b                5   1   2   0     0   1   .385      Burroughs lf          4   0   2   1     0   2   .455
Garvey 1b             4   3   3   3     0   0   .385      Pocoroba c            3   0   0   1     0   0   .250
Baker lf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .417      Murphy 1b             3   1   0   0     1   1   .182
Monday cf             3   0   2   2     1   0   .500      Bonnell 3b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Yeager c              4   0   1   0     0   0   .538      Rockett ss            2   1   1   1     0   0   .100
Rhoden p              3   1   0   0     0   0   .000        Nolan ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Davalillo ph        1   0   1   1     0   0   .333        Chaney ss           1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000
  Castillo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Boggs p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Beall ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               39   7  13   6     1   1             Totals               34   4   7   4     3   5

Time of Game: 2:29   Attendance: 11,473
Left on Base: Dodgers 6, Braves 7
DP: Dodgers 0, Braves 2
Errors: Cey, Office, Burroughs, Bonnell
Doubles: Monday (2), Burroughs (1)
Home Runs: Garvey (1)
Stolen Bases: Royster 2 (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Pocoroba (1)
GIDP: Russell (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rhoden W(1-0)           7     6   4   3   2   4   0  30   3.86
Castillo SV(1)          2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   0.00
Totals                  9     7   4   3   3   5   0  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Boggs L(0-1)            7     9   5   4   1   1   1  30   5.14
Camp                    2     4   2   2   0   0   0  10   4.50
Totals                  9    13   7   6   1   1   1  40

Umpires: HP - Bruce Froemming, 1B - Eric Gregg, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - Dick Stello


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes popped to shortstop; Russell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Smith grounded out (first to pitcher); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster walked; Royster stole second; Office
grounded out (second to first) [Royster to third]; Matthews
struck out; Burroughs doubled to left [Royster scored]; Pocoroba
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Braves 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Cey popped to first; Garvey singled to right; Baker
popped to catcher in foul territory; Monday doubled to right
[Garvey scored, Monday to third (on throw to home)]; Yeager
flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy walked; Bonnell grounded out (third to first)
[Murphy to second]; Rockett singled to left [Murphy scored,
Rockett to second (on throw to home)]; Boggs grounded out
(second to first) [Rockett to third]; Royster singled to center
[Rockett scored]; Royster stole second; Office popped to first
in foul territory; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 3.

DODGERS 3RD: Rhoden reached on an error by Bonnell [Rhoden to
first]; Lopes flied out to left; Russell singled to left [Rhoden
scored (error by Burroughs) (unearned) (no RBI), Russell to
third]; Smith flied out to left; Cey struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1
H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Matthews reached on an error by Cey [Matthews to
first]; Burroughs singled to right [Matthews to third]; Pocoroba
hit a sacrifice fly to center [Matthews scored (unearned)];
Murphy popped to third; Bonnell popped to shortstop; 1 R (0 ER),
1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 4.

DODGERS 4TH: On a bunt Garvey singled to third; Baker forced
Garvey (third to second); Monday lined into a double play
(second to first) [Baker out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 4TH: Rockett grounded out (shortstop to first); Boggs
grounded out (shortstop to first); Royster singled to left;
Office grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Braves 4.

DODGERS 5TH: Yeager singled to center; Rhoden popped to first;
Lopes flied out to center; Russell popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 5TH: Matthews flied out to center; Burroughs struck out;
Pocoroba grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Braves 4.

DODGERS 6TH: Smith singled to center [Smith to second (error by
Office)]; Cey singled to third [Smith to third]; Garvey homered
[Smith scored, Cey scored]; Baker grounded out (third to first);
Monday walked; Yeager popped to first in foul territory; Rhoden
flied out to center; 3 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Murphy was called out on strikes; Bonnell lined to
shortstop; NOLAN BATTED FOR ROCKETT; Nolan struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.

DODGERS 7TH: CHANEY REPLACED NOLAN (PLAYING SS); Lopes singled
to right; Russell grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Lopes out at second]; Smith flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.

BRAVES 7TH: BEALL BATTED FOR BOGGS; Beall grounded out (second
to first); Royster grounded out (pitcher to first); Office
singled to center; Matthews popped to catcher in foul territory;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Braves 4.

DODGERS 8TH: CAMP REPLACED BEALL (PITCHING); Cey singled to
shortstop; Garvey forced Cey (third to second); Baker singled to
center [Garvey to third]; Monday singled to right [Garvey
scored, Baker to second]; Yeager flied out to right [Baker to
third]; DAVALILLO BATTED FOR RHODEN; Davalillo singled to left
[Baker scored, Monday to second]; Lopes flied out to right; 2 R,
4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 7, Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: CASTILLO REPLACED DAVALILLO (PITCHING); Burroughs
struck out; Pocoroba flied out to right; Murphy grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 7, Braves 4.

DODGERS 9TH: Russell flied out to center; Smith grounded out
(first to pitcher); Cey flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 7, Braves 4.

BRAVES 9TH: Bonnell flied out to right; Chaney singled to
center; ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR CAMP; Asselstine popped to
shortstop; Royster walked [Chaney to second]; Office grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 7, Braves
4.