Phil Niekro picked up his 220th career victory in outdueling his brother Joe as the Braves posted a 7-4 triumph over the Astros. The score was tied, 2-2, when the Braves took the lead in the fifth inning.

Bob Horner reached second on an error by Enos Cabell and scored on a single by Gary Matthews. The Braves upped the margin to 7-2 in the sixth. Luis Gomez drilled a two-run double to knock out Joe Niekro and, one out later, Jerry Royster smacked a two-run triple off reliever Vern Ruhle. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 7, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Sunday, May       11, 1980 (Day game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  2  0    0  2  0  -   4  7  2
Braves       2  0  0    0  1  4    0  0  x  -   7 12  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   0   0   0     1   0   .286      Royster 2b            4   0   1   2     1   1   .235
Reynolds ss           2   0   0   1     1   0   .211      Horner 3b             4   2   0   0     0   0   .053
  Smith p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Blanks 3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .176
  Bergman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .118      Matthews rf           4   0   3   1     0   0   .229
Leonard rf            3   1   0   0     2   1   .262      Chambliss 1b          4   1   2   0     0   0   .320
Morgan 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .226      Burroughs lf          3   1   2   2     0   0   .322
Cruz lf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .317      Asselstine cf         4   1   1   0     0   1   .259
Cabell 3b             4   1   3   1     0   0   .343      Benedict c            4   1   2   0     0   0   .273
Walling 1b            2   0   1   0     2   0   .267      Gomez ss              4   1   1   2     0   0   .211
Pujols c              3   1   1   1     0   0   .180      Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .133
Niekro p              1   0   1   1     0   0   .176
  Ruhle p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .400
  Landestoy ph,ss     2   0   0   0     0   1   .207

Totals               30   4   7   4     6   3             Totals               35   7  12   7     1   2

Time of Game: 2:25   Attendance: 10,871
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 7
DP: Astros 1, Braves 3
Errors: Cabell, Pujols, Royster, Gomez
Doubles: Niekro (1), Burroughs (5)
Triples: Royster (2)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (5), Niekro (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Reynolds (1), Pujols (1)
GIDP: Leonard (2), Cruz (3), Pujols (2), Asselstine (3)
Hit by Pitch: Burroughs (1,by Smith)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(4-2)           5     9   7   6   1   2   0  26   2.91
Ruhle                   1     2   0   0   0   0   0   5   4.76
Smith                   2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   1.80
Totals                  8    12   7   6   1   2   0  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(2-4)           9     7   4   4   6   3   0  39   4.29
Totals                  9     7   4   4   6   3   0  39

Hit by Pitch: Smith (1)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Fred Brocklander, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - Joe West


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Reynolds
walked; Leonard grounded into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Reynolds out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster walked; Horner forced Royster (second to
shortstop); Matthews flied out to right; Chambliss singled to
right [Horner to third]; Burroughs doubled to left [Horner
scored, Chambliss scored]; Asselstine struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Morgan struck out; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to
first); Cabell flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Benedict flied out to left; Gomez flied out to
center; Niekro popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Walling singled to left; Pujols reached on an error
by Gomez [Walling to second]; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to first) [Walling to third, Pujols to second]; Puhl
popped to second; Reynolds flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Royster struck out; Horner grounded out (shortstop
to first); Matthews singled to left; Chambliss singled to right
[Matthews to second]; Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Leonard flied out to right; Morgan reached on an
error by Royster; Cruz grounded into a double play (first to
shortstop) [Morgan out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Asselstine flied out to left; Benedict grounded out
(third to first); Gomez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell singled to pitcher; Walling flied out to
left; Pujols singled to left [Cabell to second]; Niekro doubled
to left [Cabell scored, Pujols to third]; Puhl walked; Reynolds
hit a sacrifice fly to shortstop [Pujols scored]; Leonard walked
[Niekro to third, Puhl to second]; Morgan popped to second; 2 R,
3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Niekro grounded out (second to first); Royster
grounded out (shortstop to first); Horner reached on an error by
Cabell [Horner to second]; Matthews singled to right [Horner
scored (unearned), Matthews to second (error by Pujols)];
Chambliss flied out to center; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Cabell singled
to left; Cabell stole second; Walling walked; Pujols grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Walling out
at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Burroughs singled to left; Asselstine singled to
second [Burroughs to second]; Benedict singled to pitcher
[Burroughs to third, Asselstine to second]; Gomez singled to
center [Burroughs scored, Asselstine scored, Benedict to
second]; RUHLE REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Niekro out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Benedict to third, Gomez to
second]; Royster tripled to center [Benedict scored, Gomez
scored]; Horner reached on a fielder's choice [Royster out at
home (third to catcher to third)]; Matthews singled to center
[Horner to second]; Chambliss flied out to left; 4 R, 6 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 7.

ASTROS 7TH: BLANKS REPLACED HORNER (PLAYING 3B); LANDESTOY
BATTED FOR RUHLE; Landestoy struck out; Puhl flied out to right;
Reynolds grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 7.

BRAVES 7TH: SMITH REPLACED REYNOLDS (PITCHING); LANDESTOY STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Burroughs was hit by a pitch; Asselstine
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Burroughs out at second]; Benedict singled to pitcher; Gomez
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Leonard walked; Morgan grounded out (first
unassisted) [Leonard to second]; Cruz singled to left [Leonard
to third]; Cabell singled to left [Leonard scored, Cruz to
second]; Walling walked [Cruz to third, Cabell to second];
Pujols hit a sacrifice fly to left [Cruz scored]; Landestoy
grounded out (first to pitcher); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
4, Braves 7.

BRAVES 8TH: Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); Royster
flied out to center; Blanks grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 7.

ASTROS 9TH: Puhl flied out to right; BERGMAN BATTED FOR SMITH;
Bergman flied out to right; Leonard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 7.