The Reds turned back Phil Niekro's bid for his 20th victory by defeating the Braves, 4-0. Fred Norman, who ended the season without a complete game in 31 starts, pitched seven innings and gained credit for the decision. Doug Bair finished. The Reds scoring included a homer by Ken Henderson. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 4, Atlanta Braves 0
Game Played on Saturday, September 30, 1978 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  2
Reds         2  0  1    0  0  1    0  0  x  -   4  6  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster ss            4   0   1   0     0   1   .257      xRose 3b              3   1   0   0     1   0   .000
Hubbard 2b            4   0   0   0     0   3   .263        Knight 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Matthews rf           3   0   0   0     1   2   .285      Driessen 1b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Burroughs lf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .302      Griffey cf            1   1   0   1     0   0   .288
Murphy 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .227        Henderson cf        3   1   1   1     1   0   .173
Bonnell cf            3   0   2   0     0   0   .228      Foster lf             4   0   0   0     0   3   .279
  Office ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .251      Bench c               4   0   1   1     0   1   .258
Gilbreath 3b          3   0   0   0     0   1   .245      Lum rf                3   0   0   0     1   0   .268
Nolan c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .230      Kennedy 2b            3   1   1   0     1   1   .255
Niekro p              3   0   2   0     0   0   .225      Oester ss             4   0   2   1     0   1   .500
                                                          Norman p              1   0   0   0     1   0   .140
                                                            Bair p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               32   0   6   0     1   9             Totals               31   4   6   4     5   6

Time of Game: 2:06   Attendance: 21,054
Left on Base: Braves 6, Reds 11
DP: Braves 0, Reds 0
Errors: Matthews, Nolan
Doubles: Bonnell (10), Niekro (4), Bench (17)
Triples: Kennedy (2)
Home Runs: Henderson (4)
Stolen Bases: Rose (13)
Sacrifice Hits: Norman (8)
Hit by Pitch: Driessen (4,by Niekro)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(19-18)         8     6   4   4   5   6   1  39   2.88
Totals                  8     6   4   4   5   6   1  39

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman W(11-9)          7     5   0   0   1   7   0  26   3.70
Bair                    2     1   0   0   0   2   0   7   1.97
Totals                  9     6   0   0   1   9   0  33

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (13)

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


BRAVES 1ST: 3:38 rain delay before start of game; Royster
struck out; Hubbard struck out; Matthews struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose walked; Rose stole second; Driessen flied out to
center [Rose to third]; Griffey reached on a fielder's choice
[Rose scored]; Foster struck out; Bench doubled to right
[Griffey scored]; Lum walked; Kennedy walked [Bench to third,
Lum to second]; Oester struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves
0, Reds 2.

BRAVES 2ND: HENDERSON REPLACED GRIFFEY (PLAYING CF); Burroughs
grounded out (shortstop to first); Murphy grounded out (third to
first); Bonnell doubled; Gilbreath grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 2.

REDS 2ND: Norman flied out to right; Rose grounded out (second
to first); Driessen grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Nolan flied out to right; Niekro singled to left;
Royster singled to right [Niekro to second]; Royster was picked
off first (catcher to first); Hubbard struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 2.

REDS 3RD: Henderson homered; Foster struck out; Bench reached on
an error by Matthews [Bench to second]; Lum grounded out (first
to pitcher) [Bench to third]; Kennedy struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews walked; Burroughs singled to right
[Matthews to second]; Murphy struck out; Bonnell singled to
center [Matthews to third, Burroughs to second]; Gilbreath
struck out; Nolan struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 0,
Reds 3.

REDS 4TH: Oester grounded out (pitcher to first); Norman walked;
Rose reached on catcher's interference by Nolan [Norman to
second]; Driessen popped to second; Henderson grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Niekro grounded out (second to first); Royster
grounded out (second to first); Hubbard flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 3.

REDS 5TH: Foster popped to second; Bench struck out; Lum
grounded out (pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Reds 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Matthews flied out to right; Burroughs grounded out
(shortstop to first); Murphy grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 3.

REDS 6TH: Kennedy tripled; Oester singled to right [Kennedy
scored]; Norman out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second)
[Oester to second]; Rose flied out to center; Driessen was hit
by a pitch; Henderson walked [Oester to third, Driessen to
second]; Foster struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 0,
Reds 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Bonnell flied out to left; Gilbreath grounded out
(pitcher to shortstop to first); Nolan lined to first; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 4.

REDS 7TH: Bench grounded out (shortstop to first); Lum grounded
out (first to pitcher); Kennedy grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 4.

BRAVES 8TH: BAIR REPLACED NORMAN (PITCHING); Niekro doubled;
Royster grounded out (shortstop to first) [Niekro to third];
Hubbard struck out; Matthews struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 0, Reds 4.

REDS 8TH: Oester singled to center; On a bunt Bair forced Oester
(pitcher to shortstop); Rose forced Bair (shortstop to second);
Driessen singled to right [Rose to third]; Henderson grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 4.

BRAVES 9TH: KNIGHT REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); Burroughs
grounded out (pitcher to first); Murphy grounded out (second to
first); OFFICE BATTED FOR BONNELL; Office grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 4.