Led by Bob Horner, who had a perfect night at bat with a single, two doubles and a homer, the Braves defeated the Dodgers, 7-4. Phil Niekro, who pitched 6 2/3 innings, became the N.L.'s first 18-game winner with the help of Gene Garber, who finished and gained his 23rd save. Horner scored three runs, including one on his homer with a man on base. Two of the Dodgers' runs came on a round-tripper by Reggie Smith. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 4
Game Played on Saturday, September 9, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Dodgers      2  0  0    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   4  8  2
Braves       0  1  3    0  1  1    0  1  x  -   7 11  2


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              5   1   1   0     0   1   .277      Royster ss            4   1   1   1     1   0   .269
Russell ss            5   1   3   0     0   0   .275      Bonnell cf,lf         4   0   0   0     0   0   .221
Smith rf              5   1   2   2     0   2   .302      Matthews rf           4   2   1   0     0   1   .279
Garvey 1b             3   0   1   1     1   1   .295      Burroughs lf          3   0   0   1     0   0   .310
Cey 3b                3   0   0   0     1   0   .270        Office cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .252
Baker lf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .274      Horner 3b             4   3   4   2     0   0   .268
  Hough p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Murphy 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .236
Monday cf             2   0   0   0     2   1   .253      Gilbreath 2b          4   0   2   1     0   0   .248
Ferguson c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Nolan c               3   1   2   1     1   0   .257
John p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .127      Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .192
  Rhoden p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .114        Garber p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .077
  Davalillo ph,lf     2   1   1   0     0   0   .310

Totals               34   4   8   3     5   5             Totals               34   7  11   6     2   2

Time of Game: 2:28   Attendance: 26,777
Left on Base: Dodgers 8, Braves 6
DP: Dodgers 0, Braves 1
Errors: Lopes 2, Horner, Gilbreath
Doubles: Horner 2 (16), Gilbreath (13)
Triples: Matthews (5)
Home Runs: Smith (29), Horner (19)
Stolen Bases: Russell (8)
Sacrifice Flies: Burroughs (5)
GIDP: Ferguson (13)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
John                    1.2   3   1   1   0   0   0   8   3.42
Rhoden L(8-7)           4.1   6   5   2   1   1   1  20   3.73
Hough                   2     2   1   1   1   1   0   9   3.00
Totals                  8    11   7   4   2   2   1  37

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(18-15)         6.2   8   4   3   5   3   1  32   3.06
Garber SV(23)           2.1   0   0   0   0   2   0   7   2.41
Totals                  9     8   4   3   5   5   1  39

Passed Balls: Nolan 2 (9)
Wild Pitches: Rhoden (5)

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Eric Gregg, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Nick Colosi


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes lined to shortstop; Russell singled to
center; Smith homered [Russell scored]; Garvey flied out to
right; Cey flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster grounded out (second to first); Bonnell
flied out to right; Matthews flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Baker walked; Nolan allowed a passed ball [Baker to
second]; Monday walked; Ferguson grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Baker to third, Monday out at
second]; John grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs grounded out (third to first); Horner
doubled to center; Murphy made an out to first; Gilbreath
singled to shortstop [Horner to third]; Nolan singled to first
[Horner scored, Gilbreath to second]; RHODEN REPLACED JOHN
(PITCHING); Rhoden threw a wild pitch [Gilbreath to third, Nolan
to second]; Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Lopes lined to left; Russell singled to center;
Russell stole second; Smith was called out on strikes; Garvey
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Royster walked; Bonnell reached on an error by Lopes
[Royster to second, Bonnell to first]; Matthews forced Bonnell
(third to second) [Royster scored (error by Lopes) (unearned)
(no RBI), Matthews to second]; Burroughs flied out to center;
Horner homered (unearned) [Matthews scored (unearned)]; Murphy
singled to left; Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop to first); 3
R (0 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 4.

DODGERS 4TH: Cey grounded out (third to first); Baker made an
out to first; Monday struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 4TH: Nolan flied out to right; Niekro flied out to right;
Royster grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Braves 4.

DODGERS 5TH: Ferguson grounded out (second to first); Rhoden
flied out to left; Lopes singled to second; Russell singled to
third [Lopes scored (error by Horner) (unearned) (no RBI),
Russell to second]; Smith grounded out (catcher to first); 1 R
(0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Braves 4.

BRAVES 5TH: Bonnell flied out to center; Matthews tripled to
center; Burroughs hit a sacrifice fly to center [Matthews
scored]; Horner doubled to left; Murphy struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Braves 5.

DODGERS 6TH: Garvey walked; Cey made an out to second; Baker
forced Garvey (shortstop to second) [Baker to second (error by
Gilbreath)]; Monday walked; Ferguson grounded out (catcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Braves 5.

BRAVES 6TH: Gilbreath grounded out (third to first); Nolan
singled to right; Niekro grounded out (second to first) [Nolan
to second]; Royster singled to first [Nolan scored, Royster out
at second (first to second)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3,
Braves 6.

DODGERS 7TH: DAVALILLO BATTED FOR RHODEN; Davalillo singled to
shortstop; Lopes flied out to left; Russell made an out to
second; Smith singled to center [Davalillo to third]; Garvey
singled to center [Davalillo scored, Smith to second]; Nolan
allowed a passed ball [Smith to third, Garvey to second]; Cey
was walked intentionally; GARBER REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING);
Baker flied out to center; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Dodgers 4,
Braves 6.

BRAVES 7TH: DAVALILLO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); HOUGH
REPLACED BAKER (PITCHING); Bonnell grounded out (third to
first); Matthews struck out; Burroughs flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4, Braves 6.

DODGERS 8TH: OFFICE REPLACED BURROUGHS (PLAYING CF); BONNELL
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Monday grounded out (second to
first); Ferguson grounded out (pitcher to first); Davalillo
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
4, Braves 6.

BRAVES 8TH: Horner singled to left; Murphy grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Horner to second]; Gilbreath doubled to
left [Horner scored]; Nolan walked; Garber forced Nolan
(shortstop to second) [Gilbreath to third]; Royster forced
Garber (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 4,
Braves 7.

DODGERS 9TH: Lopes struck out; Russell grounded out (third to
first); Smith struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 4,
Braves 7.