With a crowd of 38,397 on hand for the home opener, the Dodgers got six-hit pitching from Tommy John and defeated the Braves, 5-1. Ron Cey, who hit a double and two singles, figured in the production of four runs, driving in two and scoring two. Rick Monday accounted for the other marker with a homer. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Atlanta Braves 1
Game Played on Friday, April     14, 1978 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  2
Dodgers      1  1  0    0  0  2    0  1  x  -   5  9  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 2b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .400      Lopes 2b              3   1   0   0     1   0   .185
Bonnell cf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .280      Russell ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .188
Matthews rf           3   1   1   1     0   0   .381      Smith rf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .310
  Beall 1b            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cey 3b                4   2   3   2     0   0   .414
Burroughs lf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .286      Garvey 1b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .367
Gaston 1b,rf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .100      Baker lf              3   0   1   1     1   0   .370
Murphy c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .143      Monday cf             4   1   1   1     0   0   .346
Gilbreath 3b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Yeager c              3   0   1   0     0   0   .381
Rockett ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .111      John p                2   0   1   0     0   0   .400
Ruthven p             2   0   1   0     0   0   .333
  Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Solomon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   1   6   1     0   0             Totals               31   5   9   5     2   0

Time of Game: 2:09   Attendance: 38,397
Left on Base: Braves 4, Dodgers 5
DP: Braves 0, Dodgers 1
Errors: Murphy, Ruthven
Doubles: Smith (4), Cey (2)
Home Runs: Matthews (4), Monday (3)
Stolen Bases: Cey (1), Baker (1)
Caught Stealing: Garvey (1)
Sacrifice Hits: John (2)
GIDP: Matthews (2)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven L(0-2)          5     5   4   3   2   0   1  22   7.00
Camp                    2     2   0   0   0   0   0   7   3.00
Solomon                 1     2   1   1   0   0   0   5   3.60
Totals                  8     9   5   4   2   0   1  34

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
John W(2-0)             9     6   1   1   0   0   1  32   1.62
Totals                  9     6   1   1   0   0   1  32

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


BRAVES 1ST: Royster flied out to center; Bonnell grounded out
(catcher to first); Matthews lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes walked; Lopes was picked off first but was
safe on an error by Ruthven [Lopes to third]; Russell grounded
out (third to first); Smith grounded out (third to first); Cey
singled to shortstop [Lopes scored (unearned)]; Garvey flied out
to center; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Dodgers 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs lined to second; Gaston grounded out
(shortstop to first); Murphy grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Baker grounded out (shortstop to first); Monday
homered; Yeager flied out to right; John grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Dodgers 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Gilbreath grounded out (third to first); Rockett
lined to pitcher; Ruthven singled to center; Royster forced
Ruthven (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0,
Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 3RD: Lopes flied out to right; Russell flied out to
center; Smith grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Braves 0, Dodgers 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Bonnell grounded out (pitcher to first); Matthews
homered; Burroughs flied out to right; Gaston grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 4TH: Cey grounded out (shortstop to first); Garvey lined
to left; Baker walked; Monday grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Dodgers 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Murphy lined to shortstop; Gilbreath grounded out
(shortstop to first); Rockett grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 5TH: Yeager singled to center; John out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Yeager to second]; Lopes lined to right;
Russell flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1,
Dodgers 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Ruthven grounded out (shortstop to first); Royster
singled to left; Bonnell singled to third [Royster to second];
Matthews grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Bonnell out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1,
Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 6TH: BEALL REPLACED MATTHEWS (PLAYING 1B); GASTON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Smith doubled to center; Cey
doubled to left [Smith scored]; CAMP REPLACED RUTHVEN
(PITCHING); Garvey singled to left [Cey scored]; Garvey was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); Baker flied out to
right; Monday grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Dodgers 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Burroughs grounded out (third to first); Gaston
singled to left; Murphy forced Gaston (third to second);
Gilbreath forced Murphy (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 1, Dodgers 4.

DODGERS 7TH: Yeager flied out to right; John singled to
shortstop; Lopes popped to catcher in foul territory; Russell
forced John (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
1, Dodgers 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Rockett grounded out (shortstop to first); POCOROBA
BATTED FOR CAMP; Pocoroba grounded out (first to pitcher);
Royster singled to center; Bonnell flied out to center; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Dodgers 4.

DODGERS 8TH: SOLOMON REPLACED POCOROBA (PITCHING); Smith lined
to first; Cey singled to left; Cey stole second; Garvey grounded
out (first unassisted) [Cey to third]; Baker singled to center
[Cey scored]; Baker stole second [Baker to third (error by
Murphy)]; Monday grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 1, Dodgers 5.

BRAVES 9TH: Beall grounded out (pitcher to first); Burroughs
flied out to left; Gaston lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Dodgers 5.