A bases-loaded single by Brian Asselstine with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a two-run rally and lifted the Braves to a 3-2 victory in the first game of a doubleheader, but the Expos came back to win the second game, 7-6, when Gary Carter hit a three-run homer with two out in ninth. The Braves' winning spurt in the opener started when Darrel Chaney led off with a double, went to third on a bunt single by Jerry Royster and scored when Montreal reliever Bill Atkinson threw wildly past first. Royster, who had moved to second on the error, advanced to third after two straight walks and then raced home on Asselstine's game-winner.

Carter's round-tripper in the nightcap came after Larry Parrish and Chris Speier both singled with two outs. The Braves took a 6-4 lead into the ninth thanks to the hitting of Jeff Burroughs, who lifted his league-leading average to .416 with a two-run homer and single. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 3, Montreal Expos 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Tuesday, May       9, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Expos        0  0  0    0  0  0    1  1  0  -   2 10  2
Braves       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   3 14  2


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cromartie lf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .235      Royster 2b            5   1   1   0     0   1   .320
  Unser 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .273      Office cf             4   0   2   0     1   1   .266
Cash 2b               3   0   1   0     1   1   .320      Pocoroba c            4   0   2   0     1   0   .237
  Frias 2b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .667      Burroughs lf          3   1   2   0     1   0   .407
Dawson cf             4   1   2   1     0   0   .293        Bonnell pr,lf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
Carter c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .245        Beall ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .111
Perez 1b              3   1   1   0     1   1   .232      Asselstine rf         5   0   2   2     0   1   .283
  Mejias lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Murphy 1b             4   0   3   0     0   0   .198
Valentine rf          4   0   2   0     0   1   .333      Gilbreath 3b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .241
Parrish 3b            4   0   1   1     0   2   .293      Rockett ss            3   0   1   0     0   0   .139
Speier ss             4   0   1   0     0   0   .300        Easterly p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Rogers p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .188        Solomon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Garrett ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .125        Nolan ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .125
  Papi ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .200        Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bahnsen p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Ruthven p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .071
  Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000        Chaney ss           2   1   1   0     0   0   .360
  Atkinson p          1   0   1   0     0   0   .667

Totals               33   2  10   2     2   6             Totals               36   3  14   2     5   4

Time of Game: 2:41
Left on Base: Expos 7, Braves 13
DP: Expos 2, Braves 4
Errors: Speier, Atkinson, Ruthven 2
Doubles: Cromartie (5), Burroughs (9), Chaney (2)
Home Runs: Dawson (6)
Stolen Bases: Murphy (5)
Caught Stealing: Office (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Rogers (1)
GIDP: Valentine (2), Cromartie (3), Papi (1)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rogers                  6     8   1   1   3   2   0  26   3.19
Bahnsen                 1     2   0   0   0   0   0   5   3.60
Knowles                 0.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   2   3.60
Atkinson L(1-1)         1     3   2   2   2   1   0   8   3.75
Totals                  8.1  14   3   3   5   4   0  41

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven                 6.1   6   1   1   2   3   0  26   3.48
Easterly                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   1.93
Solomon                 0.2   1   1   1   0   1   1   3   1.31
Campbell W(2-1)         1     3   0   0   0   2   0   5   4.50
Totals                  9    10   2   2   2   6   1  36

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Charlie Williams, 3B - Terry Tata


EXPOS 1ST: Cromartie doubled to right; Cash walked; Dawson flied
out to center; Carter lined into a double play (third to second)
[Cromartie out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster was called out on strikes; Office walked;
Office was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Pocoroba grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 0, Braves 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Perez flied out to center; Valentine struck out;
Parrish struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs doubled to left; Asselstine singled to
right [Burroughs scored, Asselstine to second (on throw to
home)]; Murphy singled to right [Asselstine to third]; Gilbreath
popped to third; Rockett hit into a double play (first
unassisted) [Murphy out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos
0, Braves 1.

EXPOS 3RD: Speier grounded out (third to first); Rogers struck
out; Cromartie flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos
0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Ruthven struck out; Royster lined to right; Office
singled to right; Pocoroba singled to right [Office to third];
Burroughs walked [Pocoroba to second]; Asselstine popped to
second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 1.

EXPOS 4TH: Cash singled to center; Dawson singled to right [Cash
to second]; Carter grounded out (first unassisted) [Cash to
third, Dawson to second]; Perez was walked intentionally;
Valentine grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Perez out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Murphy grounded out (third to first); Gilbreath
grounded out (third to first); Rockett singled to shortstop;
Ruthven forced Rockett (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 0, Braves 1.

EXPOS 5TH: Parrish flied out to right; Speier reached on an
error by Ruthven [Speier to first]; Rogers reached on an error
by Ruthven on a sacrifice bunt [Speier to second, Rogers to
first]; Cromartie grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Rogers out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 2 E, 1
LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Royster grounded out (pitcher to first); Office
grounded out (shortstop to first); Pocoroba singled to center;
Burroughs forced Pocoroba (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 1.

EXPOS 6TH: Cash grounded out (third to first); Dawson grounded
out (third to first); Carter grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Asselstine grounded out (second to first); Murphy
singled to center; Murphy stole second [Murphy to third (error
by Speier)]; Gilbreath walked; Rockett hit into a double play
(left to catcher) [Murphy out at home]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 0, Braves 1.

EXPOS 7TH: Perez singled to right; Valentine singled to left
[Perez to second]; Parrish singled to left [Perez scored,
Valentine to second]; Speier popped to third; GARRETT BATTED FOR
ROGERS; EASTERLY REPLACED ROCKETT (PITCHING); CHANEY REPLACED
RUTHVEN (PLAYING SS); PAPI BATTED FOR GARRETT; Papi grounded
into a double play (shortstop to first) [Parrish out at second];
1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: BAHNSEN REPLACED PAPI (PITCHING); Chaney flied out
to center; Royster flied out to center; Office singled to
center; Pocoroba flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 1, Braves 1.

EXPOS 8TH: Cromartie grounded out (first unassisted); SOLOMON
REPLACED EASTERLY (PITCHING); Cash struck out; Dawson homered;
Carter popped to shortstop; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Burroughs singled to right; BONNELL RAN FOR
BURROUGHS; KNOWLES REPLACED BAHNSEN (PITCHING); Asselstine
struck out; Murphy singled to left [Bonnell to second]; ATKINSON
REPLACED KNOWLES (PITCHING); Gilbreath flied out to center;
NOLAN BATTED FOR SOLOMON; Nolan grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Braves 1.

EXPOS 9TH: CAMPBELL REPLACED NOLAN (PITCHING); BONNELL STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING LF); Perez was called out on strikes; Valentine
singled to right; Parrish struck out; Speier singled to right
[Valentine to second]; Atkinson singled to left [Valentine out
at home (left to catcher), Speier to second]; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Expos 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: UNSER REPLACED CROMARTIE (PLAYING 1B); FRIAS
REPLACED CASH (PLAYING 2B); MEJIAS REPLACED PEREZ (PLAYING LF);
Chaney doubled to right; On a bunt Royster singled to pitcher
[Chaney scored (error by Atkinson) (no RBI), Royster to second];
Office was called out on strikes; Pocoroba was walked
intentionally; BEALL BATTED FOR BONNELL; Beall walked [Royster
to third, Pocoroba to second]; Asselstine singled to right
[Royster scored, Pocoroba to third, Beall to second]; 2 R, 3 H,
1 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 2, Braves 3.