Shining both offensively and defensively, Pat Rockett was the key man in the Braves' 6-4 triumph over the Reds. After hitting a single to give the Braves a 5-3 lead in the top of the eighth inning, Rockett took a relay throw from left fielder Jeff Burroughs on Cesar Geronimo's pinch-double and threw out the potential tying run at the plate.

The Braves took advantage of shoddy play by the Reds to build an early lead, scoring twice in the fourth on a double by Gary Matthews, triple by Burroughs and a balk by Red pitcher Fred Norman, who suffered his first loss after five straight victories. Norman walked the bases full in the fifth and two Braves' runs scored when second baseman Joe Morgan misplayed Dale Murphy's grounder. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 6, Cincinnati Reds 4
Game Played on Tuesday, May       23, 1978 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    2  2  0    0  1  1  -   6  6  0
Reds         1  0  0    0  0  1    1  1  0  -   4  8  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 2b            3   2   1   0     2   0   .280      Rose 3b               4   1   2   0     1   0   .301
Bonnell cf,lf         4   1   2   0     1   0   .241      Griffey rf            2   0   0   0     0   0   .331
Matthews rf           4   1   1   0     0   1   .286        Lum rf              3   1   1   1     0   0   .208
  Asselstine rf       0   0   0   1     0   0   .284      Morgan 2b             4   0   0   0     1   1   .252
Burroughs lf          2   1   1   1     2   0   .352      Foster lf             4   0   0   0     1   0   .320
  Office pr,cf        1   1   0   0     0   1   .239      Driessen 1b           2   1   1   0     2   0   .313
Murphy 1b             4   0   0   1     0   1   .206      Bench c               3   1   1   2     1   1   .231
Pocoroba c            3   0   0   0     1   0   .231      Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   1   .318
Gilbreath 3b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .213      Henderson cf          3   0   0   0     0   1   .185
Rockett ss            3   0   1   1     1   0   .135        Collins ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .219
Hanna p               4   0   0   0     0   2   .071        Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Devine p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Norman p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .231
                                                            Auerbach ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .167
                                                            Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Geronimo ph,cf      1   0   1   1     0   0   .281

Totals               31   6   6   4     8   5             Totals               34   4   8   4     6   5

Time of Game: 2:52   Attendance: 17,771
Left on Base: Braves 8, Reds 9
DP: Braves 0, Reds 1
Errors: Morgan
Doubles: Matthews (1), Geronimo (9)
Triples: Burroughs (1)
Home Runs: Bench (8), Lum (1)
Stolen Bases: Bonnell 2 (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Murphy (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Asselstine (2)
GIDP: Pocoroba (5)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hanna W(3-0)            7     5   4   4   6   4   2  32   3.46
Devine SV(3)            2     3   0   0   0   1   0   8   5.67
Totals                  9     8   4   4   6   5   2  40

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman L(5-1)           6     4   4   3   5   3   0  27   2.79
Hume                    2     1   1   1   2   0   0   9   6.41
Bair                    1     1   1   1   1   2   0   5   0.64
Totals                  9     6   6   5   8   5   0  41

Passed Balls: Bench 2 (6)
Balks: Norman (1)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Bob Engel


BRAVES 1ST: Royster lined to shortstop; Bonnell singled to left;
Bonnell stole second; Matthews flied out to center; Burroughs
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose walked; Griffey grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Rose to second]; Morgan grounded out (first unassisted) [Rose
to third]; Foster walked; Driessen walked [Foster to second];
Bench walked [Rose scored, Foster to third, Driessen to second];
Concepcion struck out; 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy grounded out (pitcher to first); Pocoroba
flied out to left; Gilbreath popped to shortstop; 73 minute
rain delay; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 1.

REDS 2ND: Henderson grounded out (second to first); Norman flied
out to center; Rose grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Rockett popped to catcher in foul territory; Hanna
struck out; Royster singled to right; Bonnell forced Royster
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Griffey flied out to left; Morgan walked; Foster
forced Morgan (third to second); Driessen singled to center
[Foster to third]; Bench forced Driessen (third to second); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews doubled; Burroughs tripled to right
[Matthews scored]; Ken Griffey injured on triple by
Burroughs; LUM REPLACED GRIFFEY (PLAYING RF); Murphy popped
to second; Pocoroba grounded out (pitcher to first); Gilbreath
walked; Rockett walked [Gilbreath to second]; Norman balked
[Burroughs scored, Gilbreath to third, Rockett to second]; Hanna
struck out (catcher to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2,
Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first);
Henderson flied out to center; Norman singled to right; Rose
singled to right [Norman to third]; Lum popped to second; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Reds 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Royster walked; Bonnell walked [Royster to second];
Bench allowed a passed ball [Royster to third, Bonnell stayed at
first]; Matthews struck out; Burroughs walked [Bonnell to
second]; Murphy reached on an error by Morgan [Royster scored
(RBI), Bonnell scored (unearned) (no RBI), Burroughs to second,
Murphy to first]; Pocoroba grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Murphy out at second]; 2 R (1
ER), 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 1.

REDS 5TH: Morgan lined to right; Foster popped to first in foul
territory; Driessen grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Gilbreath flied out to left; Rockett grounded out
(pitcher to first); Hanna popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 1.

REDS 6TH: Bench homered; Concepcion flied out to right;
Henderson struck out; AUERBACH BATTED FOR NORMAN; Auerbach
struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 2.

BRAVES 7TH: HUME REPLACED AUERBACH (PITCHING); Royster flied out
to right; Bonnell grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews
lined to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Reds 2.

REDS 7TH: ASSELSTINE REPLACED MATTHEWS (PLAYING RF); Rose
grounded out (shortstop to first); Lum homered; Morgan struck
out; Foster popped to second; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4,
Reds 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Burroughs walked; OFFICE RAN FOR BURROUGHS; Murphy
out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Office to second];
Pocoroba was walked intentionally; Gilbreath flied out to center
[Office to third]; Rockett singled to left [Office scored,
Pocoroba to second]; Hanna grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5, Reds 3.

REDS 8TH: OFFICE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); BONNELL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Driessen walked; DEVINE REPLACED HANNA
(PITCHING); Bench struck out; Concepcion singled to left
[Driessen to second]; COLLINS BATTED FOR HENDERSON; Collins
forced Concepcion (second to shortstop) [Driessen to third];
GERONIMO BATTED FOR HUME; Geronimo doubled to left [Driessen
scored, Collins out at home (left to shortstop to catcher)]; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Reds 4.

BRAVES 9TH: GERONIMO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); BAIR REPLACED
COLLINS (PITCHING); Royster walked; Bonnell singled to center
[Royster to third]; Bonnell stole second; Asselstine hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Royster scored]; Bench allowed a passed
ball [Bonnell to third]; Office struck out; Murphy struck out; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6, Reds 4.

REDS 9TH: Rose singled to left; Lum flied out to left; Morgan
forced Rose (shortstop to second); Foster grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6, Reds 4.