Phil Niekro turned in his 15th complete game of the season and improved his record to 13-11 by pitching the Braves to a 7-2 victory over the Astros. The Braves decided the outcome in the first inning when Jerry Royster singled, Rowland Office walked and Jeff Burroughs homered. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 7, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Friday, August    4, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    1  0  0  -   2 10  1
Braves       3  1  1    0  1  0    0  1  x  -   7 12  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               3   1   2   0     2   0   .292      Royster ss            5   2   4   1     0   0   .279
Gonzalez 2b           5   0   1   0     0   2   .268      Office cf             3   1   1   0     2   2   .262
Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .289      Matthews rf           5   1   2   1     0   1   .292
Cruz rf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .296      Burroughs lf          3   1   1   3     1   1   .322
Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .290        Bonnell lf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .235
Bergman lf            4   0   2   1     0   2   .241      Horner 3b             3   0   2   2     0   0   .284
Bochy c               4   0   1   0     0   1   .276      Pocoroba c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .239
Fischlin ss           3   0   0   0     0   1   .132      Murphy 1b             2   1   0   0     2   0   .243
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .240      Gilbreath 2b          4   1   1   0     0   1   .246
Lemongello p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .170      Niekro p              4   0   1   0     0   0   .228
  Bannister p         1   0   1   0     0   0   .167
  Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .225
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .130
  Williams p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Landestoy ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .256
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Alou ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .351

Totals               36   2  10   1     2  12             Totals               34   7  12   7     5   5

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 11,282
Left on Base: Astros 9, Braves 9
DP: Astros 1, Braves 1
Errors: Fischlin
Doubles: Matthews (13), Horner (11)
Home Runs: Burroughs (16)
Stolen Bases: Bergman (2), Royster (20)
Sacrifice Flies: Horner (4)
GIDP: Gonzalez (2), Niekro (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello L(7-10)      1     3   4   4   2   0   1   8   3.97
Bannister               2     3   1   1   0   1   0   7   4.33
Andujar                 1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.90
Williams                2     3   1   1   1   2   0  11   4.85
Forsch                  2     3   1   1   2   2   0  11   3.03
Totals                  8    12   7   7   5   5   1  40

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(13-11)         9    10   2   1   2  12   0  38   2.89
Totals                  9    10   2   1   2  12   0  38

Passed Balls: Pocoroba (12)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (5)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to left; Gonzalez grounded out
(second to first); Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster singled; Royster stole second; Office
walked; Matthews flied out to left; Burroughs homered [Royster
scored, Office scored]; Horner flied out to center; Pocoroba
made an out to shortstop; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz made an out to first; Watson grounded out
(third to first); Bergman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 3.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy walked; Gilbreath singled [Murphy to second];
BANNISTER REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); On a bunt Niekro
grounded into a double play (pitcher to third to first)
[Gilbreath to second, Murphy out at third]; Royster singled to
right [Gilbreath scored, Royster out at third (right to third)];
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Bochy singled; Fischlin grounded out (first
unassisted) [Bochy to second]; Bannister singled [Bochy to
third]; Puhl walked [Bannister to second]; Gonzalez struck out;
Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 4.

BRAVES 3RD: Office struck out; Matthews doubled; Burroughs flied
out to center; Horner doubled [Matthews scored]; Pocoroba
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 5.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz singled; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Cruz to
second]; Watson singled [Cruz to third]; Bergman singled [Cruz
scored, Watson to second]; Bochy flied out to left; Fischlin
made an out to catcher; WALLING BATTED FOR BANNISTER; Walling
struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 5.

BRAVES 4TH: ANDUJAR REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Murphy flied
out to right; Gilbreath flied out to left; Niekro flied out to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl walked; Gonzalez struck out; Cabell flied out
to center; Cruz made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 5.

BRAVES 5TH: WILLIAMS REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Royster
singled; Office singled [Royster to second]; Matthews struck
out; Burroughs walked [Royster to third, Office to second];
Horner hit a sacrifice fly to center [Royster scored, Office to
third]; Pocoroba grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 6.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson grounded out (second to first); Bergman
singled; Bergman stole second; Bochy struck out; Fischlin was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 6.

BRAVES 6TH: Murphy grounded out (third to first); Gilbreath
reached on an error by Fischlin [Gilbreath to first]; Niekro
flied out to right; Royster singled [Gilbreath to second];
Office struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 6.

ASTROS 7TH: LANDESTOY BATTED FOR WILLIAMS; Landestoy struck out;
Puhl singled; Gonzalez singled [Puhl to third, Gonzalez to
second (on throw to 3b)]; Pocoroba allowed a passed ball [Puhl
scored (unearned), Gonzalez to third]; Cabell struck out; Cruz
grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 6.

BRAVES 7TH: FORSCH REPLACED LANDESTOY (PITCHING); Matthews flied
out to left; Burroughs struck out; Horner singled; Pocoroba
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 6.

ASTROS 8TH: BONNELL REPLACED BURROUGHS (PLAYING LF); Watson
struck out (catcher to first); Bergman struck out; Bochy flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 6.

BRAVES 8TH: Murphy walked; Gilbreath struck out; Niekro singled
[Murphy to second]; Royster made an out to shortstop; Office
walked [Murphy to third, Niekro to second]; Matthews singled
[Murphy scored, Niekro to third, Office to second]; Bonnell made
an out to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 7.

ASTROS 9TH: HOWARD BATTED FOR FISCHLIN; Howard struck out; ALOU
BATTED FOR FORSCH; Alou singled; Puhl singled [Alou to second];
Gonzalez grounded into a double play (third to first) [Alou out
at third]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 7.