The Pirates moved to within a half-game of the first-place Expos in the N. L. East by sweeping a doubleheader from the Braves, 5-4 and 3-2. In the first game, which was delayed twice by rain for almost four hours, the Bucs came from behind with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when pinch-hitter Mike Easler singled with the bases loaded.

In the nightcap, winning pitcher Jim Bibby delivered a two-run homer in the fourth inning to produce the deciding margin. The round-tripper followed a double by Steve Nicosia. Kent Tekulve hurled the final three innings of the first game to register his 15th save and recorded the final three outs in the second game for his 16th. [The Sporting News]

Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Atlanta Braves 4 (Game 1)

Game Played on Sunday, July 22, 1979 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium

Braves       0  2  0    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   4 12  1
Pirates      0  3  0    0  0  2    0  0  x  -   5  8  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 2b            4   1   2   0     0   0   .269      Moreno cf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .300
Matthews rf           4   0   2   2     0   0   .310      Foli ss               4   0   1   0     0   0   .279
Office cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .269      Parker rf             3   0   0   0     1   2   .297
Horner 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .306      Stargell 1b           3   1   0   0     1   1   .305
Burroughs lf          3   1   1   0     1   0   .226      Milner lf             1   0   0   0     0   0   .255
  Bonnell pr,lf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        B. Robinson lf,3b   3   1   1   0     0   2   .276
Murphy 1b             4   1   2   2     0   0   .348      Garner 3b,2b          4   2   3   0     0   0   .303
Nolan c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .262      Ott c                 3   1   1   1     1   0   .265
Frias ss              4   0   1   0     0   1   .285      Stennett 2b           2   0   0   0     0   1   .237
Solomon p             2   1   1   0     0   1   .152        Easler ph           1   0   1   2     0   0   .296
  Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .375        Tekulve p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .333
  Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .236      D. Robinson p         2   0   1   2     0   1   .212
  J. McLaughlin p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .667        Lacy ph,lf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .287
  Spikes ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .305

Totals               35   4  12   4     1   2             Totals               32   5   8   5     3  10

Time of Game: 2:24
Left on Base: Braves 5, Pirates 6
DP: Braves 0, Pirates 2
Errors: Horner
Doubles: Matthews (28), Ott (14), Foli (19)
Home Runs: Murphy (14)
Stolen Bases: Royster (15)
GIDP: Murphy (4), Frias (10)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Solomon L(4-7)          5.1   7   5   4   2   8   0  25   4.87
Garber                  0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.12
J. McLaughlin           2     0   0   0   1   2   0   7   1.84
Totals                  8     8   5   4   3  10   0  35

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
D. Robinson W(6-5)      6     8   4   4   1   1   1  25   3.95
Tekulve SV(15)          3     4   0   0   0   1   0  11   3.42
Totals                  9    12   4   4   1   2   1  36

Umpires: HP - Dave Pallone, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - Bob Engel


BRAVES 1ST: Royster grounded out (third to first); Matthews
singled to right; Matthews was picked off first (pitcher to
first); Office flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Moreno made an out to shortstop; Foli flied out to
right; Parker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Pirates 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Horner lined to shortstop; Burroughs walked; Murphy
homered [Burroughs scored]; Nolan flied out to left; Frias
singled to center; Solomon struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell walked; Milner made an out to second;
Garner singled to right [Stargell to second]; Ott doubled to
right [Stargell scored, Garner to third]; Stennett struck out;
D. Robinson singled to center [Garner scored, Ott scored];
Moreno struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Pirates 3.

BRAVES 3RD: B. ROBINSON REPLACED MILNER (PLAYING LF); Royster
grounded out (shortstop to first); John Milner left with
stomach virus; Matthews flied out to center; Office grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Pirates
3.

PIRATES 3RD: Foli flied out to center; Parker flied out to
center; Stargell flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Pirates 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Horner popped to catcher in foul territory;
Burroughs flied out to right; Murphy singled to center; Nolan
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 4TH: B. Robinson struck out; Garner singled to center;
Ott made an out to shortstop; Stennett flied out to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Pirates 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Frias grounded out (shortstop to first); Solomon
singled to right; Royster singled to right [Solomon to second];
Matthews doubled to right [Solomon scored, Royster scored,
Matthews out at third (right to second to shortstop)]; Office
grounded out (first to pitcher); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
4, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 5TH: D. Robinson struck out; Moreno struck out; Foli
doubled to left; Parker struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 4, Pirates 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Horner singled to left; Burroughs flied out to
right; Murphy lined to left; Nolan grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 6TH: Stargell struck out; B. Robinson singled to second;
Garner singled to left [B. Robinson to third (error by Horner),
Garner to second]; Ott was walked intentionally; GARBER REPLACED
SOLOMON (PITCHING); EASLER BATTED FOR STENNETT; Easler singled
to left [B. Robinson scored (unearned), Garner scored, Ott to
second]; LACY BATTED FOR D. ROBINSON; Lacy forced Ott (shortstop
to third) [Easler to second]; Moreno grounded out (first
unassisted); 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4, Pirates 5.

BRAVES 7TH: TEKULVE REPLACED EASLER (PITCHING); LACY STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING LF); GARNER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); B.
ROBINSON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Frias struck out; LUM
BATTED FOR GARBER; Lum grounded out (second to first); Royster
singled to left; Royster stole second; Matthews grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 7TH: J. MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Foli flied
out to center; Parker walked; Stargell made an out to shortstop;
B. Robinson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Pirates
5.

BRAVES 8TH: Office grounded out (shortstop to first); Horner
singled to right; Burroughs singled to center [Horner to
second]; BONNELL RAN FOR BURROUGHS; Murphy grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Bonnell out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 8TH: BONNELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Garner
grounded out (shortstop to first); Ott flied out to right;
Tekulve struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Pirates 5.

BRAVES 9TH: Nolan singled to right; Frias grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Nolan out at second];
SPIKES BATTED FOR J. MCLAUGHLIN; Spikes lined to shortstop; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Pirates 5.

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