Becoming the league's first 17-game winner, Phil Niekro hurled an 8-1 victory over the Padres, snapping the Braves' five-game losing streak. The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a homer by Jeff Burroughs and went ahead, 3-1, in the fourth on a round-tripper by Dale Murphy. Rod Gilbreath hit his second career grand-slam homer in the sixth inning off loser Eric Rasmussen. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 8, San Diego Padres 1
Game Played on Tuesday, September 5, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Padres       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  3  0
Braves       2  0  0    1  0  4    0  1  x  -   8 10  0


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Smith ss              4   1   1   0     0   0   .263      Hubbard 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .288
Evans 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .300      Office cf             4   0   3   0     0   0   .252
Perkins 1b            4   0   0   1     0   0   .233      Matthews rf           3   2   0   0     1   0   .280
Winfield rf           3   0   0   0     1   1   .297      Burroughs lf          4   2   3   2     0   0   .316
Turner lf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .278        Bonnell lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .226
Gonzalez 2b           3   0   0   0     0   2   .245      Nolan c               3   1   0   0     1   0   .238
Beswick cf            2   0   0   0     1   2   .000      Murphy 1b             3   2   1   1     1   2   .235
Sweet c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .225      Gilbreath 3b          3   1   2   4     1   0   .250
  Shirley p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .135      Chaney ss             4   0   1   1     0   0   .217
  Mura p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   1   .198
Rasmussen p           2   0   0   0     0   0   .125
  Roberts c           1   0   0   0     0   0   .232

Totals               30   1   3   1     2   6             Totals               32   8  10   8     4   3

Time of Game: 2:11   Attendance:  1,192
Left on Base: Padres 4, Braves 4
DP: Padres 1, Braves 0
Doubles: Turner (9)
Home Runs: Burroughs (21), Murphy (22), Gilbreath (3)
Stolen Bases: Smith (34), Turner (2)
Caught Stealing: Gilbreath (6)
GIDP: Nolan (3)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rasmussen L(14-11)      6     8   7   7   2   2   3  26   4.00
Shirley                 1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   3.99
Mura                    1     1   1   1   2   1   0   6   9.00
Totals                  8    10   8   8   4   3   3  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(17-15)         9     3   1   1   2   6   0  32   3.04
Totals                  9     3   1   1   2   6   0  32

Umpires: HP - Charlie Williams, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Satch Davidson


PADRES 1ST: Smith flied out to center; Evans struck out; Perkins
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Hubbard grounded out (shortstop to first); Office
grounded out (second to first); Matthews walked; Burroughs
homered [Matthews scored]; Nolan made an out to first; 2 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 2.

PADRES 2ND: Winfield walked; Turner doubled [Winfield to third];
Gonzalez struck out; Beswick walked; Sweet flied out to right;
Rasmussen grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy struck out; Gilbreath singled; Gilbreath was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Chaney flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 2.

PADRES 3RD: Smith singled; Smith stole second; Evans grounded
out (third to first) [Smith to third]; Perkins grounded out
(second to first) [Smith scored]; Winfield grounded out (third
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Niekro struck out; Hubbard grounded out (second to
first); Office singled; Matthews flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 2.

PADRES 4TH: Turner made an out to second; Gonzalez grounded out
(shortstop to first); Beswick struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Burroughs singled; Nolan grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Burroughs out at second]; Murphy
homered; Gilbreath made an out to third; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 1, Braves 3.

PADRES 5TH: Sweet grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first);
Rasmussen grounded out (shortstop to first); Smith grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Chaney flied out to center; Niekro grounded out
(second to first); Hubbard made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 3.

PADRES 6TH: Evans grounded out (third to first); Perkins flied
out to right; Winfield struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
1, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Office singled; Matthews forced Office (second to
shortstop); Burroughs singled [Matthews to third]; Nolan made an
out to shortstop; Murphy was walked intentionally [Burroughs to
second]; Gilbreath homered [Matthews scored, Burroughs scored,
Murphy scored]; Chaney flied out to right; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Padres 1, Braves 7.

PADRES 7TH: Turner singled; Turner stole second; Gonzalez struck
out; Beswick struck out; Sweet grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 7.

BRAVES 7TH: SHIRLEY REPLACED SWEET (PITCHING); ROBERTS REPLACED
RASMUSSEN (PLAYING C ); Niekro grounded out (second to first);
Hubbard made an out to third; Office singled; Matthews made an
out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 7.

PADRES 8TH: Roberts flied out to center; Smith grounded out
(pitcher to first); Evans grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Braves 7.

BRAVES 8TH: MURA REPLACED SHIRLEY (PITCHING); Burroughs flied
out to right; Debut game for Steve Mura; Nolan walked;
Murphy was called out on strikes; Gilbreath walked [Nolan to
second]; Chaney singled [Nolan scored, Gilbreath to third];
Niekro forced Chaney (third to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Padres 1, Braves 8.

PADRES 9TH: BONNELL REPLACED BURROUGHS (PLAYING LF); Perkins
made an out to third; Winfield grounded out (third to first);
Turner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1,
Braves 8.