Tony Brizzolara, with relief help from Gene Garber, gained credit for his first major league victory when the Braves edged the Astros, 6-5. The Braves trailed, 4-1, going into the bottom of the eighth inning but then scored five runs. The rally began when Darrel Chaney walked and Pepe Frias singled to kayo Astro starter J.R. Richard. Reliever Joaquin Andujar walked Charlie Spikes to load the bases and yielded a two-run single to Jerry Royster.

After a sacrifice by Mike Lum, an intentional walk to Gary Matthews filled the bases. Andujar then uncorked a wild pitch to let Spikes score the tying run. When catcher Alan Ashby, after retrieving the ball, threw wildly back to the plate in an attempt to nail Spikes, Royster also scored. Rowland Office then doubled Matthews home with the fifth run of the frame. [The Sporting News]

Atlanta Braves 6, Houston Astros 5

Game Played on Wednesday, May 23, 1979 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Astros       4  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   5  9  1
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  5  x  -   6  6  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               5   0   1   1     0   1   .263      Royster 3b            4   1   1   2     0   2   .313
Reynolds ss           5   1   1   0     0   0   .283      Lum 1b                3   0   1   1     0   0   .250
Cedeno 1b             3   1   1   0     1   1   .281      Matthews rf           3   1   0   0     1   2   .287
Cruz lf               3   1   2   2     1   1   .321      Burroughs lf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Cabell 3b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .296        Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
Leonard rf            4   0   0   0     0   3   .302      Office cf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .256
Ashby c               4   0   1   1     0   0   .225      Nolan c               4   0   1   0     0   2   .267
Gonzalez 2b           3   0   1   0     0   0   .243      Chaney 2b             2   1   0   0     1   1   .071
  Walling ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .154      Frias ss              3   2   2   0     0   0   .261
Richard p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .125      Brizzolara p          2   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Spikes ph           0   1   0   0     1   0   .353
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Bonnell lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .273
  Watson ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250

Totals               36   5   9   5     2   7             Totals               29   6   6   4     3   9

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance:  1,623
Left on Base: Astros 6, Braves 3
DP: Astros 0, Braves 1
Errors: Ashby, Royster
Doubles: Cedeno (11), Cruz (10), Nolan (3), Lum (6), Office (2)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (14), Gonzalez (1), Cruz (12)
Sacrifice Hits: Lum (1)
GIDP: Cabell (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                 7     4   3   3   1   8   0  26   3.73
Andujar L(4-2)          0.2   2   3   3   2   0   0   6   3.23
Sambito                 0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   1.86
Totals                  8     6   6   6   3   9   0  33

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Brizzolara W(1-0)       8     7   4   4   2   7   0  33   3.86
Garber SV(9)            1     2   1   1   0   0   0   5   5.00
Totals                  9     9   5   5   2   7   0  38

Wild Pitches: Andujar (2)
Balks: Richard (1)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Joe West, 3B - Bill Williams


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl struck out; Reynolds singled; Cedeno doubled
[Reynolds to third]; Cruz doubled [Reynolds scored, Cedeno
scored]; Cabell singled [Cruz scored]; Cabell stole second;
Leonard struck out; Ashby singled [Cabell scored]; Gonzalez
flied out to right; 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster flied out to center; Lum flied out to
center; Matthews struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4,
Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Richard grounded out (third to first); Puhl made an
out to third; Reynolds lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs flied out to left; Office made an out to
second; Nolan doubled; Chaney was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno reached on an error by Royster [Cedeno to
first]; Cruz struck out; Cabell grounded into a double play
(pitcher to second to shortstop to first) [Cedeno out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Frias flied out to left; Brizzolara struck out;
Royster struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Leonard flied out to left; Ashby grounded out
(second to first); Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Lum grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews
struck out; Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Richard grounded out (second to first); Puhl flied
out to right; Reynolds grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Office flied out to right; Nolan grounded out
(pitcher unassisted); Chaney flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno walked; Cruz walked [Cedeno to second];
Cabell popped to second; Leonard struck out; Ashby grounded out
(pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Frias singled; Richard balked [Frias to second];
Brizzolara struck out; Royster struck out; Lum doubled [Frias
scored]; Matthews flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Gonzalez singled; Gonzalez stole second; Richard
struck out; Puhl flied out to center; Reynolds popped to third
in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Burroughs grounded out (third to first); Office
grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Nolan struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno struck out; Cruz singled; Cruz stole second;
Cabell popped to shortstop; Leonard struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Chaney walked; Frias singled [Chaney to second];
SPIKES BATTED FOR BRIZZOLARA; ANDUJAR REPLACED RICHARD
(PITCHING); Spikes walked [Chaney to third, Frias to second];
Royster singled [Chaney scored, Frias scored, Spikes to second];
Lum out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Spikes to
third, Royster to second]; Matthews was walked intentionally;
Burroughs made an out to first; Andujar threw a wild pitch
[Spikes scored, Royster scored (error by Ashby), Matthews to
third]; Office doubled [Matthews scored]; SAMBITO REPLACED
ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Nolan struck out; 5 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 6.

ASTROS 9TH: BONNELL REPLACED SPIKES (PLAYING LF); GARBER
REPLACED BURROUGHS (PITCHING); Ashby grounded out (first to
pitcher); WALLING BATTED FOR GONZALEZ; Walling singled; WATSON
BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Watson grounded out (second to first)
[Walling to second]; Puhl singled [Walling scored]; Reynolds
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
5, Braves 6.

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