Pressed into service when scheduled starter Tom Seaver was sidelined by the flu, Frank Pastore unfurled a three-hitter as the Reds blasted the Braves, 9-0, in the major league season's opener. The righthander retired the last 16 batters in registering the first opening-day shutout by a Cincinnati pitcher since 1943.

The Reds pounced on Braves starter Phil Niekro for four runs in the first inning on one-out singles by Ken Griffey and Dave Concepcion, two-run double by George Foster, pass to Dan Driessen, run-scoring double by Johnny Bench, intentional pass to Ray Knight and forceout by Junior Kennedy. Despite drizzly skies, the game attracted 51,774 fans. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Atlanta Braves 0
Game Played on Wednesday, April     9, 1980 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  3  2
Reds         4  2  2    0  0  0    1  0  x  -   9  9  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Miller cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Collins cf            5   1   0   0     0   1   .000
Royster 2b            4   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Griffey rf            4   1   1   0     0   1   .250
Matthews rf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Concepcion ss         5   1   1   0     0   0   .200
Horner 3b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Foster lf             5   2   3   4     0   1   .600
Chambliss 1b          3   0   2   0     0   0   .667      Driessen 1b           2   1   0   0     2   1   .000
Murphy lf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Bench c               3   1   1   1     1   1   .333
Pocoroba c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Knight 3b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .000
Gomez ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Kennedy 2b            3   1   2   3     0   0   .667
Niekro p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Pastore p             3   0   1   1     1   1   .333
  Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bradford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hanna p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Burroughs ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Boggs p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   0   3   0     0   5             Totals               33   9   9   9     5   6

Time of Game: 2:07   Attendance: 51,774
Left on Base: Braves 3, Reds 7
DP: Braves 1, Reds 0
Errors: Matthews, Horner
Doubles: Foster (1), Bench (1), Kennedy (1)
Triples: Kennedy (1)
Home Runs: Foster (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Griffey (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Kennedy (1)
GIDP: Concepcion (1)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(0-1)           2     5   6   4   3   2   1  15  18.00
Camp                    2     2   2   1   0   0   0   9   4.50
Bradford                2     2   0   0   0   3   0   8   0.00
Hanna                   1     0   1   1   2   0   0   5   9.00
Boggs                   1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.00
Totals                  8     9   9   6   5   6   1  40

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pastore W(1-0)          9     3   0   0   0   5   0  30   0.00
Totals                  9     3   0   0   0   5   0  30

Passed Balls: Pocoroba (1)
Wild Pitches: Hanna (1)

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Frank Pulli, 2B - Ed Montague, 3B - Lanny Harris


BRAVES 1ST: Miller struck out; Royster flied out to left;
Matthews grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Collins grounded out (pitcher to first); Griffey
singled to second; Concepcion singled to left [Griffey to
second]; Foster doubled to left [Griffey scored, Concepcion
scored]; Driessen walked; Bench doubled to left [Foster scored,
Driessen to third]; Knight was walked intentionally; Kennedy
forced Bench (third unassisted) [Driessen scored, Knight to
second]; Pastore grounded out (second to first); 4 R, 4 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 4.

BRAVES 2ND: Horner singled to right; Chambliss singled to right
[Horner to second]; Murphy was called out on strikes; Pocoroba
popped to shortstop; Gomez forced Chambliss (pitcher to second);
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 4.

REDS 2ND: Collins struck out but advanced to first on a passed
ball; Griffey out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to first)
[Collins to second]; Concepcion grounded out (first to pitcher)
[Collins to third]; Foster homered (unearned) [Collins scored
(unearned)]; Driessen walked; Bench was called out on strikes; 2
R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 6.

BRAVES 3RD: ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Asselstine grounded
out (second to first); Miller grounded out (pitcher to first);
Royster struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 6.

REDS 3RD: CAMP REPLACED ASSELSTINE (PITCHING); Knight reached on
an error by Horner; Kennedy tripled to right [Knight scored
(unearned)]; Pastore singled to center [Kennedy scored]; Collins
flied out to left; Griffey reached on an error by Matthews
[Pastore to second]; Concepcion grounded into a double play
(second to first) [Griffey out at second]; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 2 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 8.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews flied out to right; Horner grounded out
(third to first); Chambliss singled to right; Murphy forced
Chambliss (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0,
Reds 8.

REDS 4TH: Foster grounded out (first unassisted); Driessen flied
out to center; Bench popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 8.

BRAVES 5TH: Pocoroba popped to shortstop; Gomez flied out to
left; LUM BATTED FOR CAMP; Lum flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 8.

REDS 5TH: BRADFORD REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Knight grounded out
(shortstop to first); Kennedy doubled to right; Pastore struck
out; Collins lined to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0,
Reds 8.

BRAVES 6TH: Miller grounded out (first to pitcher); Royster
flied out to left; Matthews flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 8.

REDS 6TH: Griffey was called out on strikes; Concepcion flied
out to right; Foster singled to right; Driessen was called out
on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 8.

BRAVES 7TH: Horner grounded out (second to first); Chambliss
grounded out (pitcher to first); Murphy popped to first; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 8.

REDS 7TH: HANNA REPLACED BRADFORD (PITCHING); Bench walked;
Hanna threw a wild pitch [Bench to second]; Knight flied out to
right [Bench to third]; Kennedy hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Bench scored]; Pastore walked; Collins grounded out (pitcher to
first); 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 9.

BRAVES 8TH: Pocoroba struck out; Gomez flied out to right;
BURROUGHS BATTED FOR HANNA; Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 9.

REDS 8TH: BOGGS REPLACED BURROUGHS (PITCHING); Griffey grounded
out (second to first); Concepcion grounded out (third to first);
Foster was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Reds 9.

BRAVES 9TH: Miller grounded out (second to first); Royster was
called out on strikes; Matthews flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Reds 9.