A three-run homer by Phil Garner in the seventh inning and another three-run smash by Dale Berra in the ninth powered the Pirates to a 6-3 victory over the Braves and extended their winning streak to seven games. Willie Stargell singled for the 2,000th hit of his major league career and John Milner walked ahead of Garner's homer.

With the score tied, 3-3, Stargell was hit by a pitch in the ninth. Matt Alexander ran for Stargell and stole second as Ed Ott struck out. Gene Garber, the loser in relief for the Braves, walked Bill Robinson intentionally before Berra ended the game with his homer. The victory brought the Pirates within two games of the leading Phillies in the N. L. East. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Sunday, September 3, 1978 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    0  2  0    0  1  0  -   3  8  0
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  3  -   6  4  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Hubbard 2b            4   1   3   0     1   0   .311      Taveras ss            3   0   0   0     1   1   .273
Beall lf              3   0   1   0     0   0   .258      Moreno cf             2   0   0   0     2   0   .232
  Bonnell rf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .226      Parker rf             4   0   0   0     0   3   .317
Office cf             3   0   1   2     2   0   .250      Stargell 1b           3   1   1   0     0   1   .292
Horner 3b             4   0   0   0     1   2   .253        Alexander pr        0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Murphy 1b             5   0   0   0     0   3   .232      Ott c                 4   0   0   0     0   2   .263
Nolan c               4   1   1   0     1   1   .241      B. Robinson 3b,lf     3   1   0   0     1   0   .236
Gaston rf,lf          3   0   1   1     0   0   .221      Milner lf             2   1   0   0     1   0   .278
Chaney ss             4   0   1   0     0   2   .218        Berra 3b            1   1   1   3     0   0   .171
Solomon p             2   1   0   0     0   1   .160      Garner 2b             3   1   1   3     0   1   .267
  Skok p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .286      Blyleven p            3   0   1   0     0   2   .127
  Garber p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .083        Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .105

Totals               33   3   8   3     5  10             Totals               28   6   4   6     5  10

Time of Game: 3:00   Attendance:  8,594
Left on Base: Braves 12, Pirates 3
DP: Braves 0, Pirates 1
Errors: Moreno
Doubles: Chaney (8)
Triples: Nolan (3)
Home Runs: Garner (7), Berra (4)
Stolen Bases: Moreno (59), Alexander (1)
Caught Stealing: Taveras (24)
Sacrifice Hits: Beall (2), Bonnell (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Gaston (2)
GIDP: Office (6)
Hit by Pitch: Solomon (1,by Blyleven), Stargell (5,by Garber)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Solomon                 6     1   0   0   3   7   0  21   3.72
Skok                    0.2   1   2   2   1   0   0   4   4.33
Garber L(3-4)           1.2   2   4   4   1   3   2   9   2.36
Totals                  8.1   4   6   6   5  10   2  34

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven                7     7   3   3   3   8   0  33   3.08
Tekulve W(6-6)          2     1   0   0   2   2   0   9   1.74
Totals                  9     8   3   3   5  10   0  42

Hit by Pitch: Garber (4), Blyleven (6)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Hubbard singled to left; Beall singled to right
[Hubbard to second]; Office grounded into a double play (second
to shortstop to first) [Hubbard to third, Beall out at second];
Horner struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Taveras was called out on strikes; Moreno flied out
to center; Parker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Pirates 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy struck out; Nolan flied out to left; Gaston
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell struck out; Ott struck out; B. Robinson
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Pirates 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Chaney doubled to left; Solomon struck out; Hubbard
walked; Beall grounded out (second to first) [Chaney to third,
Hubbard to second]; Office walked; Horner struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Milner grounded out (first unassisted); Garner
grounded out (second to first); Blyleven singled to left;
Taveras popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Braves 0, Pirates 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Murphy popped to first in foul territory; Nolan
walked; Gaston flied out to center; Chaney struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Moreno walked; rain delay 1:54 sometime this
inning; Moreno stole second; Parker struck out; Stargell
grounded out (second to first) [Moreno to third]; Ott grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Pirates
0.

BRAVES 5TH: Solomon was hit by a pitch; Hubbard singled to right
[Solomon to second]; Beall reached on a fielder's choice on a
sacrifice bunt [Solomon to third, Hubbard to second]; Office
singled to center [Solomon scored, Hubbard scored, Beall to
third]; Horner popped to third; Murphy was called out on
strikes; Nolan was called out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 5TH: B. Robinson grounded out (third to first); Milner
grounded out (second to first); Garner was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Pirates 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Gaston singled to center; Chaney struck out; Solomon
reached on an error by Moreno [Gaston to second, Solomon to
first]; Hubbard flied out to center; Beall flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 6TH: BONNELL REPLACED BEALL (PLAYING RF); GASTON CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Blyleven struck out; Taveras walked;
Taveras was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Moreno
walked; Parker lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2,
Pirates 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Office flied out to center; Horner flied out to
left; Murphy flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 7TH: SKOK REPLACED SOLOMON (PITCHING); Stargell singled
to left; Ott flied out to center; B. Robinson flied out to
center; Milner walked [Stargell to second]; GARBER REPLACED SKOK
(PITCHING); Garner homered [Stargell scored, Milner scored];
Blyleven struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Pirates 3.

BRAVES 8TH: BERRA REPLACED MILNER (PLAYING 3B); B. ROBINSON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Nolan tripled to right; TEKULVE
REPLACED BLYLEVEN (PITCHING); Gaston hit a sacrifice fly to left
[Nolan scored]; Chaney grounded out (pitcher to second to
first); Garber struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3,
Pirates 3.

PIRATES 8TH: Taveras popped to second; Moreno popped to catcher
in foul territory; Parker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 3, Pirates 3.

BRAVES 9TH: Hubbard singled to left; Bonnell out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Hubbard to second]; Office was walked
intentionally; Horner walked [Hubbard to third, Office to
second]; Murphy struck out; Nolan flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 9TH: Stargell was hit by a pitch; ALEXANDER RAN FOR
STARGELL; Alexander stole second; Ott struck out; B. Robinson
was walked intentionally; Berra homered [Alexander scored, B.
Robinson scored]; 3 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Pirates 6.