Pete Rose tied the all-time N. L. record by hitting in his 44th consecutive game, equaling Willie Keeler (1897). The Cincinnati third baseman led off the sixth inning with a ground single to right as the Reds went on to down the Braves, 3-2. The first Reds' run came in the second on a solo round-tripper by Johnny Bench.

The Reds scored the decisive pair in the ninth after two were out and nobody on base. Dave Concepcion singled, stole second and scored on a single by Cesar Geronimo. A single by Junior Kennedy moved Geronimo to second and a pinch-single by Joe Morgan tallied Geronimo. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 3, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Monday, July      31, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Reds         0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   3  9  1
Braves       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  1  -   2 11  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               4   0   1   0     1   0   .316      Royster ss            5   0   1   0     0   0   .273
Griffey rf            4   0   2   0     0   1   .287      Office cf             5   0   2   0     0   0   .266
Driessen 1b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .283      Matthews rf           5   1   3   0     0   1   .291
Foster lf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .299      Burroughs lf          3   0   2   1     2   0   .321
Bench c               4   1   1   1     0   2   .257      Horner 3b             4   0   0   0     1   0   .272
Concepcion ss         4   1   1   0     0   2   .301      Pocoroba c            3   0   0   1     0   0   .245
Geronimo cf           4   1   1   1     0   2   .243      Murphy 1b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .244
Kennedy 2b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .216      Gilbreath 2b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .241
LaCoss p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .111      Niekro p              3   0   1   0     0   0   .227
  Morgan ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .264        Beall ph            1   1   1   0     0   0   .233
  Knight pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .173
  Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .100

Totals               35   3   9   3     2  10             Totals               36   2  11   2     4   2

Time of Game: 2:29   Attendance: 45,007
Left on Base: Reds 7, Braves 12
DP: Reds 2, Braves 1
Errors: Driessen
Doubles: Griffey (23), Burroughs 2 (24), Office (4)
Home Runs: Bench (15)
Stolen Bases: Concepcion (15), Matthews (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Pocoroba (4)
GIDP: Foster (10), Murphy (9), Royster (5)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
LaCoss W(2-1)           8     8   1   1   4   1   0  35   5.73
Bair SV(20)             1     3   1   1   0   1   0   6   1.50
Totals                  9    11   2   2   4   2   0  41

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(12-11)         9     9   3   3   2  10   1  37   2.97
Totals                  9     9   3   3   2  10   1  37

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Jim Quick, 2B - Jerry Crawford, 3B - Doug Harvey


REDS 1ST: Rose walked; Griffey struck out; Driessen singled to
center [Rose to second]; Foster grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Driessen out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster lined to second; Office grounded out
(shortstop to first); Matthews grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench homered; Concepcion struck out; Geronimo struck
out; Kennedy flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs doubled to left; Horner lined to left;
Pocoroba reached on an error by Driessen [Burroughs to third,
Pocoroba to first]; Murphy grounded into a double play (second
to shortstop to first) [Pocoroba out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

REDS 3RD: LaCoss grounded out (shortstop to first); Rose lined
to shortstop; Griffey singled to center; Driessen grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro
singled to shortstop; Royster grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Niekro out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

REDS 4TH: Foster popped to right; Bench struck out; Concepcion
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Office grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Matthews
singled to right; Burroughs doubled to left [Matthews to third];
Horner was walked intentionally; Pocoroba hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Matthews scored, Burroughs to third, Horner to second];
Murphy walked; Gilbreath forced Horner (third unassisted); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 5TH: Geronimo flied out to left; Kennedy popped to third;
LaCoss struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); Royster
grounded out (third to first); Office doubled to left; Matthews
singled to shortstop [Office to third]; Burroughs walked
[Matthews to second]; Horner popped to third in foul territory;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 6TH: Rose singled to right; Pete Rose tied Willie Keeler
44-game hitting streak; Griffey doubled to right [Rose to
third]; Driessen popped to catcher in foul territory; Foster was
walked intentionally; Bench struck out; Concepcion struck out; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Pocoroba flied out to right; Murphy grounded out
(third to first); Gilbreath singled to left; Niekro flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 7TH: Geronimo struck out; Kennedy struck out (catcher to
first); LaCoss struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves
1.

BRAVES 7TH: Royster grounded out (shortstop to first); Office
flied out to left; Matthews singled to left; Matthews stole
second; Burroughs was walked intentionally; Horner popped to
catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves
1.

REDS 8TH: Rose grounded out (first unassisted); Griffey grounded
out (second to first); Driessen popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Pocoroba flied out to center; Murphy struck out;
Gilbreath flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1,
Braves 1.

REDS 9TH: Foster grounded out (third to first); Bench grounded
out (third to first); Concepcion singled to left; Concepcion
stole second; Geronimo singled to center [Concepcion scored];
Kennedy singled to right [Geronimo to second]; MORGAN BATTED FOR
LACOSS; Morgan singled to center [Geronimo scored, Kennedy to
third]; KNIGHT RAN FOR MORGAN; Rose grounded out (first
unassisted); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: BAIR REPLACED KNIGHT (PITCHING); BEALL BATTED FOR
NIEKRO; Beall singled to first; Royster singled to center [Beall
to second]; On a bunt Office singled [Beall to third, Royster to
second]; Matthews struck out; Burroughs grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Beall scored, Royster to third, Office to second];
Horner popped to shortstop; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3,
Braves 2.