As catcher for Pete Falcone and Neil Allen, who combined to pitch a four-hitter, John Stearns drove in three runs to help the Mets defeat the Braves, 5-3. Stearns got one RBI with a bunt single in the first inning and added two others with a double in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 5, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Friday, May       16, 1980 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Mets         1  0  0    0  1  0    3  0  0  -   5 11  1
Braves       1  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   3  4  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            4   0   1   0     1   1   .231      Royster 2b            3   0   0   0     1   3   .232
Maddox 3b             3   2   2   0     2   0   .300      Blanks 3b,ss          4   1   1   1     0   2   .177
Mazzilli 1b           4   1   1   1     1   0   .263      Matthews rf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .254
Stearns c             5   1   2   3     0   0   .321      Chambliss 1b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .304
Jorgensen rf          4   0   2   1     0   0   .296      Burroughs lf          2   1   0   0     2   2   .303
  Morales pr,cf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .184      Murphy cf             4   1   1   0     0   2   .265
Youngblood cf,rf      4   0   1   0     1   0   .283      Benedict c            3   0   1   1     0   0   .245
Henderson lf          5   0   0   0     0   1   .289      Gomez ss              2   0   0   0     0   1   .188
Flynn 2b              4   1   2   0     0   0   .209        Nahorodny ph        0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
Falcone p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .111        Asselstine ph       0   0   0   1     0   0   .259
  Allen p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Ruiz 3b             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                          Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .118
                                                            Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .118
                                                            Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   5  11   5     5   4             Totals               28   3   4   3     4  11

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance:  6,135
Left on Base: Mets 11, Braves 3
DP: Mets 3, Braves 0
Errors: Flynn, Royster
Doubles: Youngblood (8), Stearns (14), Murphy (5)
Home Runs: Blanks (2)
Stolen Bases: Royster (7)
Caught Stealing: Mazzilli (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Falcone (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Asselstine (2)
GIDP: Lum (2)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Falcone W(2-2)          6     4   3   3   4   7   1  25   4.97
Allen SV(6)             3     0   0   0   0   4   0   8   5.47
Totals                  9     4   3   3   4  11   1  33

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(2-5)           6.2   9   5   5   5   3   0  33   4.58
Garber                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   7.07
Hrabosky                2     2   0   0   0   1   0   9   4.40
Totals                  9    11   5   5   5   4   0  43

Passed Balls: Benedict 2 (3)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (2)

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Dutch Rennert, 2B - Steve Fields, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


METS 1ST: Taveras flied out to right; Maddox walked; Mazzilli
singled to right [Maddox to third]; Mazzilli was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); On a bunt Stearns singled to third
[Maddox scored]; Jorgensen singled to right [Stearns to third];
Youngblood grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster was called out on strikes; Blanks homered;
Matthews walked; Chambliss hit into a double play (center to
second to first) [Matthews out at second]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Mets 1, Braves 1.

METS 2ND: Henderson flied out to center; Flynn singled to
center; On a bunt Falcone struck out; Taveras struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs struck out; Murphy grounded out (third to
first); Benedict flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 1, Braves 1.

METS 3RD: Maddox grounded out (second to first); Mazzilli
grounded out (first unassisted); Stearns grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Gomez flied out to center; Niekro grounded out
(third to first); Royster walked; Royster stole second; Blanks
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Braves 1.

METS 4TH: Jorgensen lined to shortstop; Youngblood grounded out
(third to first); Henderson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews flied out to center; Chambliss struck out;
Burroughs walked; Murphy was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Braves 1.

METS 5TH: Flynn singled to left; Falcone out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to second) [Flynn to second]; Taveras walked; Maddox
singled to right [Flynn to third, Taveras to second]; Mazzilli
grounded out (second to pitcher) [Flynn scored, Taveras to
third, Maddox to second]; Stearns grounded out (third to first);
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Benedict grounded out (third to first); Gomez struck
out; Niekro grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Mets 2, Braves 1.

METS 6TH: Jorgensen flied out to right; Youngblood doubled to
left; Henderson flied out to right [Youngblood to third]; Flynn
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Royster struck out; Blanks reached on an error by
Flynn; Matthews singled to center [Blanks to second]; Chambliss
lined into a double play (shortstop unassisted) [Blanks out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Braves 1.

METS 7TH: Falcone grounded out (second to first); Taveras made
an out to shortstop; Maddox walked; Benedict allowed a passed
ball [Maddox to second]; Mazzilli walked; Benedict allowed a
passed ball [Maddox to third, Mazzilli to second]; Stearns
doubled to left [Maddox scored, Mazzilli scored]; Niekro threw a
wild pitch [Stearns to third]; Jorgensen singled to right
[Stearns scored]; MORALES RAN FOR JORGENSEN; Youngblood walked
[Morales to second]; GARBER REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING);
Henderson grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 5, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: MORALES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); YOUNGBLOOD
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Burroughs walked; Murphy doubled
to left [Burroughs to third]; Benedict singled to right
[Burroughs scored, Murphy to third]; NAHORODNY BATTED FOR GOMEZ;
ALLEN REPLACED FALCONE (PITCHING); ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR
NAHORODNY; Asselstine hit a sacrifice fly to left [Murphy
scored]; LUM BATTED FOR GARBER; Lum grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Benedict out at second]; 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Braves 3.

METS 8TH: BLANKS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); RUIZ REPLACED
ASSELSTINE (PLAYING 3B); HRABOSKY REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Flynn
popped to third in foul territory; Allen struck out; Taveras
singled to left; Maddox singled to right [Taveras to second];
Mazzilli reached on an error by Royster [Taveras to third,
Maddox to second]; Stearns popped to third in foul territory; 0
R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Mets 5, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Royster struck out; Blanks struck out; Matthews
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Braves 3.

METS 9TH: Morales popped to first; Youngblood grounded out
(third to first); Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Braves 3.

BRAVES 9TH: Chambliss grounded out (shortstop to first);
Burroughs was called out on strikes; Murphy was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Braves 3.