The Giants broke a four-game losing streak as Willie McCovey drove in four runs and Vida Blue pitched steadily in a 5-3 conquest of the Braves. The veteran first sacker drilled a bases-loaded double in the first frame to plate three tallies and lashed his 496th career homer in the sixth to snap a 3-3 tie. The double followed a walk to Bill Madlock, single by Terry Whitfield and walk to Darrell Evans.

The Giants' final run came in the seventh when Blue beat out a bunt, moved to second on Whitfield's single, took third on a wild pitch and came across on a single by Evans. Jeff Burroughs hit a two-run homer for the Braves in the first and the other Brave run was driven in by Barry Bonnell's third-inning single, scoring Jerry Royster. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 5, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Thursday, April     27, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Giants       3  0  0    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   5  9  0
Braves       2  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  1


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Madlock 2b            4   1   0   0     1   0   .176      Royster 2b            4   1   1   0     0   1   .304
Whitfield cf,lf       5   1   2   0     0   1   .262      Bonnell cf            3   1   1   1     1   0   .207
Evans 3b              4   1   1   1     1   1   .217      Burroughs lf          2   1   2   2     2   0   .386
McCovey 1b            3   1   2   4     0   0   .231      Gaston rf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .100
  Herndon cf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .203      Murphy 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .183
Clark rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .215      Pocoroba c            4   0   1   0     0   0   .240
Ivie lf,1b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .350      Rockett ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .102
LeMaster ss           4   0   2   0     0   0   .196      Chaney 3b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .417
Sadek c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .364      Ruthven p             2   0   0   0     0   2   .111
Blue p                3   1   1   0     0   1   .250        Mahler p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gilbreath ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .257
                                                            Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   5   9   5     3   4             Totals               31   3   7   3     3   4

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance:  3,527
Left on Base: Giants 7, Braves 4
DP: Giants 2, Braves 0
Errors: Rockett
Doubles: McCovey (3)
Home Runs: McCovey (3), Burroughs (2)
Stolen Bases: LeMaster (2), Royster (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Blue (1)
GIDP: Rockett (2), Gilbreath (2)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blue W(2-1)             9     7   3   3   3   4   1  34   3.60
Totals                  9     7   3   3   3   4   1  34

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven L(1-3)          6.1   8   5   5   2   3   1  29   4.02
Mahler                  0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Camp                    0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.86
Campbell                2     0   0   0   1   1   0   7   4.26
Totals                  9     9   5   5   3   4   1  39

Wild Pitches: Mahler (1)

Umpires: HP - Dutch Rennert, 1B - Ed Montague, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


GIANTS 1ST: Madlock walked; Whitfield singled to left [Madlock
to second]; Evans walked [Madlock to third, Whitfield to
second]; McCovey doubled to left [Madlock scored, Whitfield
scored, Evans scored]; Clark was called out on strikes; Ivie
made an out to shortstop; LeMaster flied out to left; 3 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 3, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster was called out on strikes; Bonnell walked;
Burroughs homered [Bonnell scored]; Gaston struck out; Murphy
grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 3,
Braves 2.

GIANTS 2ND: Sadek reached on an error by Rockett [Sadek to
first]; Blue out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Sadek to
second]; Madlock flied out to right; Whitfield was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 3, Braves 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Pocoroba grounded out (third to first); Rockett
flied out to left; Chaney flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 3, Braves 2.

GIANTS 3RD: Evans flied out to center; McCovey grounded out
(second to first); Clark flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 3, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Ruthven struck out; Royster singled; Royster stole
second; Bonnell singled to left [Royster scored, Bonnell out at
second (left to third to first)]; Burroughs walked; Gaston flied
out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 3, Braves 3.

GIANTS 4TH: Ivie singled; LeMaster singled to left [Ivie to
third]; LeMaster was picked off first (pitcher to first); Sadek
flied out to left; Blue was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Giants 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Murphy singled to left; Pocoroba made an out to
third; Rockett grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Murphy out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 3,
Braves 3.

GIANTS 5TH: Madlock grounded out (shortstop to first); Whitfield
grounded out (second to first); Evans flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Chaney grounded out (third to first); Ruthven struck
out; Royster flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants
3, Braves 3.

GIANTS 6TH: McCovey homered; Clark grounded out (second to
first); Ivie grounded out (third to first); LeMaster singled to
center; LeMaster stole second; Sadek grounded out (pitcher to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: HERNDON REPLACED MCCOVEY (PLAYING CF); IVIE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); WHITFIELD CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
LF); Bonnell grounded out (pitcher to first); Burroughs walked;
Gaston flied out to right; Murphy flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4, Braves 3.

GIANTS 7TH: On a bunt Blue singled; Madlock flied out to center;
Whitfield singled to right [Blue to second]; MAHLER REPLACED
RUTHVEN (PITCHING); Mahler threw a wild pitch [Blue to third,
Whitfield to second]; Evans singled to center [Blue scored,
Whitfield to third]; CAMP REPLACED MAHLER (PITCHING); Herndon
made an out to shortstop; Clark made an out to second; 1 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 5, Braves 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Pocoroba singled; Rockett forced Pocoroba (third to
second); Chaney singled to right [Rockett to third]; GILBREATH
BATTED FOR CAMP; Gilbreath grounded into a double play (pitcher
to shortstop to first) [Chaney out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Giants 5, Braves 3.

GIANTS 8TH: CAMPBELL REPLACED GILBREATH (PITCHING); Ivie
grounded out (second to first); LeMaster flied out to center;
Sadek walked; Blue made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 5, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Royster flied out to center; Bonnell flied out to
center; Burroughs singled to center; Gaston flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 5, Braves 3.

GIANTS 9TH: Madlock made an out to shortstop; Whitfield flied
out to right; Evans struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 5,
Braves 3.

BRAVES 9TH: Murphy grounded out (third to first); Pocoroba made
an out to second; Rockett made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 5, Braves 3.