Rookie Larry McWilliams won his first major league start as the Braves blanked the Mets, 3-0, in the first game of a twin bill. But the Mets came back to capture the second contest, 7-4. McWilliams went seven innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. The first Brave tally came in the seventh when Dale Murphy blasted his 13th homer of the campaign. A single by Rowland Office, double by Jeff Burroughs, walk to Bob Horner and two-run single by Joe Nolan in the eighth frame gave the Braves insurance.

The Mets went ahead, 1-0, in the second inning of the second game when John Stearns belted a homer. In the fourth frame, Stearns singled and went to third on a double by Willie Montanez. Tom Grieve followed with a two-run single. The fourth run of the inning came on an RBI single by Tom Hausman. Stearns had an RBI single in the seventh and Skip Lockwood hit a circuit clout in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 3, New York Mets 0 (Game 1)
Game Played on Monday, July      17, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  0
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  2  x  -   3  9  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Randle 3b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .229      Royster ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .281
Foli ss               4   0   1   0     0   0   .234      Office cf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .262
S. Henderson lf       4   0   1   0     0   1   .256      Matthews rf           2   0   0   0     2   0   .300
Stearns c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .262      Burroughs lf          3   0   1   0     1   1   .320
Montanez 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .266        Bonnell pr,lf       0   1   0   0     0   0   .230
Mazzilli cf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .274      Horner 3b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .265
Maddox rf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .284      Nolan c               3   0   1   2     1   0   .211
Flynn 2b              4   0   2   0     0   1   .248      Murphy 1b             4   1   3   1     0   0   .238
Espinosa p            3   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Hubbard 2b            3   0   2   0     0   0   .308
  Murray p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      McWilliams p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kranepool ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .246        Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
                                                            Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   0   6   0     2   5             Totals               28   3   9   3     5   3

Time of Game: 2:29
Left on Base: Mets 9, Braves 7
DP: Mets 2, Braves 0
Errors: Hubbard
Doubles: Maddox (9), S. Henderson (14), Foli (11), Flynn 2 (6), Hubbard (1), Burroughs (18)
Home Runs: Murphy (13)
Caught Stealing: Matthews (4)
Sacrifice Hits: McWilliams (1)
GIDP: Hubbard (1), Murphy (7)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Espinosa L(7-8)         7.1   9   3   3   5   3   1  33   4.14
Murray                  0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4.60
Totals                  8     9   3   3   5   3   1  34

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McWilliams W(1-0)       7     5   0   0   2   2   0  29   0.00
Garber SV(13)           2     1   0   0   0   3   0   7   1.27
Totals                  9     6   0   0   2   5   0  36

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


METS 1ST: Randle struck out; Debut game for Larry
McWilliams; Foli reached on an error by Hubbard [Foli to
first]; S. Henderson forced Foli (shortstop to second); Stearns
singled to left [S. Henderson to second]; Montanez grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster was called out on strikes; Office flied out
to right; Matthews walked; Matthews was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 0.

METS 2ND: Mazzilli grounded out (pitcher to first); Maddox
doubled to left; Flynn struck out; Espinosa grounded out (first
to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs struck out; Horner made an out to
shortstop; Nolan walked; Murphy singled to center [Nolan to
second]; Nolan was picked off second (pitcher to shortstop); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 0.

METS 3RD: Randle grounded out (catcher unassisted); Foli popped
to catcher in foul territory; S. Henderson doubled to left;
Stearns flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Hubbard singled to left; McWilliams out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Hubbard to second]; Royster
grounded out (second to first) [Hubbard to third]; Office popped
to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0,
Braves 0.

METS 4TH: Montanez lined to second; Mazzilli walked; Maddox
flied out to right; Flynn popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews flied out to right; Burroughs flied out to
right; Horner flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Braves 0.

METS 5TH: Espinosa grounded out (third to first); Randle
grounded out (shortstop to first); Foli doubled to left; S.
Henderson flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Nolan flied out to left; Murphy singled to left;
Hubbard grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Murphy out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Braves 0.

METS 6TH: Stearns flied out to left; Montanez flied out to left;
Mazzilli grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 6TH: McWilliams popped to third in foul territory;
Royster grounded out (first to second to first); Office singled
to first; Matthews walked [Office to second]; Burroughs walked
[Office to third, Matthews to second]; Horner popped to first in
foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 0.

METS 7TH: Maddox flied out to center; Flynn doubled to left;
Espinosa grounded out (third to first); Randle walked; Foli
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 0,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Nolan made an out to shortstop; Murphy homered;
Hubbard doubled to center; POCOROBA BATTED FOR MCWILLIAMS;
Pocoroba struck out; Royster flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 1.

METS 8TH: GARBER REPLACED POCOROBA (PITCHING); S. Henderson
struck out; Stearns grounded out (third to first); Montanez
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Office singled to right; Matthews flied out to
center; Burroughs doubled to left [Office to third]; BONNELL RAN
FOR BURROUGHS; Horner walked; Nolan singled to right [Office
scored, Bonnell scored, Horner to third]; MURRAY REPLACED
ESPINOSA (PITCHING); Murphy grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Nolan out at second]; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 3.

METS 9TH: BONNELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Mazzilli grounded
out (second to first); Maddox struck out (catcher to first);
Flynn doubled to left; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR MURRAY; Kranepool
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 3.