Four home runs and the three-hit pitching by Phil Niekro carried the Braves to a 9-0 thrashing of the Cubs. Jeff Burroughs hit a round-tripper in the sixth after a walk to Gary Matthews and Joe Nolan hit a solo shot in the same inning. Bob Horner clouted a two-run smash in the eighth frame and Dale Murphy smacked a bases-empty blow later in the inning. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 9, Chicago Cubs 0
Game Played on Wednesday, August    16, 1978 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Braves       0  2  0    0  0  3    1  3  0  -   9  9  0
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  3  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster ss            3   0   0   0     2   0   .270      De Jesus ss           4   0   0   0     0   2   .267
Office cf             5   0   1   1     0   0   .246      White cf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .244
Matthews rf           4   1   0   0     1   2   .286      Buckner 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .303
Burroughs lf          3   2   2   2     1   0   .322      Murcer rf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .277
  Bonnell pr,lf       0   1   0   0     1   0   .228      Kingman lf            3   0   0   0     0   1   .241
Horner 3b             5   2   2   2     0   1   .267      Johnson 3b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .216
Nolan c               4   1   2   2     0   0   .243        Burris p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .140
Murphy 1b             4   1   1   1     0   2   .241        Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Ruiz 2b               4   1   1   0     0   0   .292      Scott 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .285
Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .218      Blackwell c           3   0   2   0     0   0   .195
                                                          Krukow p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .208
                                                            Kelleher 3b         1   0   0   0     0   0   .277

Totals               35   9   9   8     5   6             Totals               30   0   3   0     1   5

Time of Game: 2:06   Attendance: 19,828
Left on Base: Braves 5, Cubs 4
DP: Braves 0, Cubs 0
Errors: Scott
Doubles: Horner (12)
Home Runs: Burroughs (18), Nolan (3), Horner (14), Murphy (19)
Caught Stealing: Royster (14)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (4)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(15-12)         9     3   0   0   1   5   0  31   2.89
Totals                  9     3   0   0   1   5   0  31

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Krukow L(5-1)           7     8   8   7   3   3   3  32   3.84
Burris                  1     1   1   1   0   1   1   4   5.05
Hernandez               1     0   0   0   2   2   0   5   4.06
Totals                  9     9   9   8   5   6   4  41

Passed Balls: Nolan (4)

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


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

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus struck out (catcher to first); White grounded
out (second to first); Buckner flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Braves 0, Cubs 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs walked; Horner doubled to right [Burroughs
to third]; Nolan reached on an error by Scott [Burroughs scored
(RBI), Horner scored (unearned) (no RBI), Nolan to second];
Murphy grounded out (shortstop to first) [Nolan to third]; Ruiz
popped to second; Niekro grounded out (third to first); 2 R (1
ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Murcer grounded out (second to first); Kingman popped
to first; Johnson singled to second; Nolan allowed a passed ball
[Johnson to second]; Scott grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cubs 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Royster walked; Office flied out to left; Royster
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Matthews
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Blackwell grounded out (second to first); Krukow
struck out; De Jesus grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cubs 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Burroughs flied out to center; Horner grounded out
(third to first); Nolan singled to right; Murphy struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: White walked; Buckner flied out to left; Murcer struck
out; Kingman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cubs 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Ruiz flied out to center; Niekro flied out to right;
Royster grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 5TH: Johnson flied out to right; Scott grounded out
(pitcher to first); Blackwell singled to left; Krukow popped to
catcher; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cubs 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Office grounded out (first to pitcher); Matthews
walked; Burroughs homered [Matthews scored]; Horner flied out to
center; Nolan homered; Murphy struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 5, Cubs 0.

CUBS 6TH: De Jesus grounded out (third to first); White grounded
out (first unassisted); Buckner grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Cubs 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Ruiz singled to center; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to second) [Ruiz to second]; Royster grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Ruiz to third]; Office singled to right
[Ruiz scored]; Matthews forced Office (third to second); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6, Cubs 0.

CUBS 7TH: Murcer grounded out (first unassisted); Kingman
grounded out (shortstop to first); Johnson flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 6, Cubs 0.

BRAVES 8TH: Burroughs singled to center; BONNELL RAN FOR
BURROUGHS; Horner homered [Bonnell scored]; BURRIS REPLACED
JOHNSON (PITCHING); KELLEHER REPLACED KRUKOW (PLAYING 3B); Nolan
grounded out (second to pitcher); Murphy homered; Ruiz popped to
third; Niekro struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 9, Cubs
0.

CUBS 8TH: BONNELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Scott grounded
out (second to first); Blackwell singled to left; Kelleher flied
out to left; De Jesus struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
9, Cubs 0.

BRAVES 9TH: HERNANDEZ REPLACED BURRIS (PITCHING); Royster
walked; Office grounded out (second to first) [Royster to
second]; Matthews was called out on strikes; Bonnell walked;
Horner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 9, Cubs 0.

CUBS 9TH: White popped to catcher in foul territory; Buckner
grounded out (shortstop to first); Murcer flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 9, Cubs 0.