The Braves and Pirates split a doubleheader, the Bucs winning the opener, 7-1, and the Braves stopping the Pirates' nine-game winning streak in the nightcap, 8-0, behind the two-hit pitching of Phil Niekro. In the first game, Tim Foli went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs to pace the Pirate attack. The Buc shortstop had an RBI single in the third inning, a run-scoring single in the fifth and two-run single in the sixth.

In the second game, Bob Horner singled home a run in the first frame, Bruce Benedict cracked a two-run double in the fourth, Pepe Frias delivered a two-run single in the eighth and Charlie Spikes drove in two runs with singles in the eighth and ninth. The Pirates turned a triple play in the second inning. With runners on first and second, Niekro hit a grounder to third baseman Bill Madlock, who stepped on third for a forceout, threw to second baseman Phil Garner for the second out and Garner's throw to first baseman Willie Stargell beat Niekro to complete the first triple play in the N. L. this season. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Atlanta Braves 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Monday, July      23, 1979 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Braves       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  4  2
Pirates      0  0  2    0  1  3    1  0  x  -   7 11  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 2b            4   1   1   0     0   0   .268      Moreno cf             3   2   1   0     2   0   .300
Matthews rf           4   0   1   1     0   0   .310      Foli ss               5   0   3   4     0   0   .287
Office cf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .263      Parker rf             3   0   1   0     1   1   .298
Horner 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .317      Milner 1b             4   1   1   1     0   1   .255
Burroughs lf          4   0   0   0     0   1   .221      B. Robinson lf        4   1   1   0     0   2   .273
Murphy 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .340      Garner 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .302
Nolan c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .263      Ott c                 4   1   2   1     0   0   .269
Chaney ss             3   0   0   0     0   1   .107      Stennett 2b           2   2   1   0     2   1   .240
Hanna p               2   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Blyleven p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .156
  B. McLaughlin p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Skok p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .229
  J. McLaughlin p     0   0   0   0     0   0   .667

Totals               31   1   4   1     1   6             Totals               31   7  11   6     5   6

Time of Game: 2:30
Left on Base: Braves 4, Pirates 7
DP: Braves 2, Pirates 1
Errors: Matthews, Horner, Milner
Doubles: Garner (19)
Home Runs: Milner (9)
Stolen Bases: Royster (16), Moreno (42)
Sacrifice Hits: Blyleven 2 (9)
GIDP: Burroughs (11), Garner (2)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hanna L(0-1)            4.2   5   3   3   4   4   0  21   4.76
B. McLaughlin           1     3   3   0   1   0   0   8   4.12
Skok                    1.1   2   1   1   0   2   1   6   3.91
J. McLaughlin           1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.78
Totals                  8    11   7   4   5   6   1  38

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(8-3)         9     4   1   1   1   6   0  32   3.72
Totals                  9     4   1   1   1   6   0  32

Wild Pitches: Hanna (1), Skok (2)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Royster grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews
flied out to right; Office struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Moreno grounded out (third to first); Foli lined to
left; Parker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Pirates 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Horner singled to shortstop; Burroughs flied out to
right; Murphy forced Horner (third to second); Nolan grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Pirates
0.

PIRATES 2ND: Milner struck out; B. Robinson singled to center;
Garner grounded into a double play (second to first) [B.
Robinson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Pirates 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Chaney flied out to left; Hanna struck out; Royster
singled to right; Royster stole second; Matthews singled to
right [Royster scored, Matthews to second (on throw to home)];
Office walked; Horner grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Ott lined to second; Stennett walked; Blyleven out
on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Stennett to second];
Moreno walked; Foli singled to right [Stennett scored, Moreno
scored (error by Matthews), Foli to second]; Hanna threw a wild
pitch [Foli to third]; Parker walked; Milner grounded out
(second to first); 2 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Pirates 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Burroughs flied out to right; Murphy flied out to
center; Nolan struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1,
Pirates 2.

PIRATES 4TH: B. Robinson struck out; Garner doubled to center
[Garner out at third (center to shortstop to third)]; Ott
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1,
Pirates 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Chaney struck out; Hanna struck out; Royster flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Stennett walked; Blyleven struck out; Moreno forced
Stennett (second to shortstop); Moreno stole second; Foli
singled to center [Moreno scored]; Parker singled to right [Foli
to third]; B. MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED HANNA (PITCHING); Milner
popped to third in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves
1, Pirates 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Matthews flied out to right; Office grounded out
(second to first); Horner grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 6TH: B. Robinson reached on an error by Horner [B.
Robinson to first]; Garner grounded out (shortstop to first) [B.
Robinson to second]; Ott singled to left [B. Robinson scored
(unearned)]; Stennett singled to right [Ott to third]; Blyleven
out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Ott stayed at third,
Stennett to second]; Moreno was walked intentionally; Foli
singled to center [Ott scored (unearned), Stennett scored
(unearned), Moreno to third]; SKOK REPLACED B. MCLAUGHLIN
(PITCHING); Parker lined to second; 3 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
 Braves 1, Pirates 6.

BRAVES 7TH: Burroughs struck out; Murphy popped to catcher in
foul territory; Nolan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Pirates 6.

PIRATES 7TH: Milner homered; B. Robinson struck out; Garner
grounded out (second to first); Ott singled to center; Skok
threw a wild pitch [Ott to second]; Stennett struck out; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Pirates 7.

BRAVES 8TH: Chaney flied out to center; LUM BATTED FOR SKOK; Lum
grounded out (second to first); Royster flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Pirates 7.

PIRATES 8TH: J. MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Blyleven
grounded out (shortstop to first); Moreno singled to right; Foli
hit into a double play (left to second to first) [Moreno out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Pirates 7.

BRAVES 9TH: Matthews reached on an error by Milner [Matthews to
first]; Office flied out to center; Horner singled to left
[Matthews to second]; Burroughs grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Horner out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Pirates 7.