Unleashing an 18-hit attack, the Braves thrashed the Astros, 14.0, behind the five-hit hurling of Phil Niekro. Atlanta took a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a homer by Chris Chambliss and run-scoring single by Bob Horner.

The Braves scored seven times in the third on two-run singles by Luis Gomez, Niekro and Chambliss and a run-scoring single by Gary Matthews. Horner drilled a three-run homer in the fifth and Jeff Burroughs blasted a solo round-tripper in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 14, Houston Astros 0
Game Played on Wednesday, July      2, 1980 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  2
Braves       2  1  7    0  3  0    0  1  x  -  14 18  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               3   0   1   0     0   0   .291      Hubbard 2b            3   1   3   1     1   0   .325
  Walling rf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .329        Royster 2b          1   0   0   0     0   1   .225
Morgan 2b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .239      Murphy cf             3   1   1   0     0   1   .298
  Landestoy 2b        1   0   0   0     0   0   .225        Asselstine cf       2   0   0   0     0   1   .264
Howe 1b               4   0   0   0     0   1   .271      Chambliss 1b          4   1   2   3     0   1   .302
Cruz lf               2   0   0   0     1   1   .315        Lum pr,1b           1   1   0   0     0   1   .152
  Bergman lf          0   0   0   0     1   0   .135      Matthews rf           4   3   4   1     0   0   .278
Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .307        Spikes rf           1   0   0   0     0   1   .429
  Leonard cf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .214      Horner 3b             5   2   2   4     0   0   .217
Cabell 3b             3   0   1   0     0   1   .259      Burroughs lf          5   1   1   1     0   0   .279
  Gonzalez 3b         1   0   0   0     0   0   .095      Benedict c            4   2   3   0     0   0   .255
Bochy c               4   0   0   0     0   3   .231      Gomez ss              2   1   1   2     0   0   .216
Reynolds ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .182        Blanks ss           2   0   0   0     0   1   .194
Ruhle p               1   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Niekro p              4   1   1   2     0   0   .109
  Niemann p           1   0   1   0     0   0   .500
  Pujols ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .207
  Smith p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200

Totals               33   0   5   0     2   7             Totals               41  14  18  14     1   7

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 21,908
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 6
DP: Astros 1, Braves 0
Errors: Cruz, Cabell, Horner
Home Runs: Chambliss (9), Horner (8), Burroughs (7)
Stolen Bases: Matthews (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Gomez (3)
GIDP: Murphy (6)
Hit by Pitch: Benedict (1,by Ruhle)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle L(5-2)            2.2  11  10   3   0   2   1  20   3.18
Niemann                 3.1   5   3   3   1   0   1  16   5.60
Smith                   1     0   0   0   0   3   0   3   2.21
LaCorte                 1     2   1   1   0   2   1   5   0.96
Totals                  8    18  14   7   1   7   3  44

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(6-10)          9     5   0   0   2   7   0  35   3.87
Totals                  9     5   0   0   2   7   0  35

Hit by Pitch: Ruhle (1)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (3)

Umpires: HP - Dave Pallone, 1B - Dutch Rennert, 2B - Ed Montague, 3B - Satch Davidson


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to right; Morgan singled to left [Puhl
to second]; Howe was called out on strikes; Cruz struck out;
Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Hubbard singled to left; Murphy grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Hubbard out at
second]; Chambliss homered; Matthews singled to left; Matthews
stole second; Horner singled to left [Matthews scored];
Burroughs flied out to left; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell struck out; Bochy struck out (catcher to
first); Reynolds flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Benedict singled to left; Gomez out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Benedict to second]; Niekro grounded
out (third to first); Hubbard singled to left [Benedict scored,
Hubbard to second (on throw to home)]; Murphy struck out; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Ruhle singled to left; Puhl made an out to third;
Morgan popped to first in foul territory; Howe forced Ruhle
(third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Chambliss struck out; Matthews singled to left;
Horner reached on an error by Cabell [Matthews to second];
Burroughs flied out to right; Benedict was hit by a pitch
[Matthews to third, Horner to second]; Gomez singled to left
[Matthews scored (unearned), Horner scored (unearned), Benedict
to third, Gomez to second (error by Cruz)]; Niekro singled to
center [Benedict scored (unearned), Gomez scored (unearned)];
Hubbard singled to left [Niekro to second]; Murphy singled to
third [Niekro to third, Hubbard to second]; NIEMANN REPLACED
RUHLE (PITCHING); Chambliss singled to left [Niekro scored
(unearned), Hubbard scored (unearned), Murphy to second];
Matthews singled to left [Murphy scored (unearned), Chambliss to
second]; Horner flied out to right; 7 R (0 ER), 7 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.
 Astros 0, Braves 10.

ASTROS 4TH: ASSELSTINE REPLACED MURPHY (PLAYING CF); Cruz
walked; Cedeno forced Cruz (shortstop to second); Cabell singled
to center [Cedeno to second]; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Cedeno
to third, Cabell to second]; Bochy struck out; Reynolds popped
to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 10.

BRAVES 4TH: Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to first);
Benedict singled to third; Gomez forced Benedict (second to
shortstop); Niekro grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 10.

ASTROS 5TH: Niemann singled to center; Puhl flied out to center;
Morgan forced Niemann (first to shortstop); Howe forced Morgan
(third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 10.

BRAVES 5TH: Hubbard walked; Asselstine forced Hubbard (first to
shortstop); Chambliss forced Asselstine (pitcher to shortstop);
LUM RAN FOR CHAMBLISS; Matthews singled to right [Lum to third];
Horner homered [Lum scored, Matthews scored]; Burroughs grounded
out (third to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 13.

ASTROS 6TH: ROYSTER REPLACED HUBBARD (PLAYING 2B); LUM STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 1B); SPIKES REPLACED MATTHEWS (PLAYING RF); BLANKS
REPLACED GOMEZ (PLAYING SS); Cruz made an out to first; Cedeno
popped to first; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 13.

BRAVES 6TH: WALLING REPLACED PUHL (PLAYING RF); LANDESTOY
REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); BERGMAN REPLACED CRUZ (PLAYING
LF); LEONARD REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING CF); GONZALEZ REPLACED
CABELL (PLAYING 3B); Benedict grounded out (third to first);
Blanks flied out to center; Niekro grounded out (pitcher
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 13.

ASTROS 7TH: Bochy reached on an error by Horner [Bochy to
first]; Reynolds struck out; PUJOLS BATTED FOR NIEMANN; Pujols
popped to catcher in foul territory; Walling grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 13.

BRAVES 7TH: SMITH REPLACED PUJOLS (PITCHING); Royster struck
out; Asselstine struck out; Lum struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 13.

ASTROS 8TH: Landestoy grounded out (first unassisted); Howe
flied out to left; Bergman walked; Leonard flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 13.

BRAVES 8TH: LACORTE REPLACED SMITH (PITCHING); Spikes struck
out; Horner popped to second; Burroughs homered; Benedict
singled to center; Blanks struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 14.

ASTROS 9TH: Gonzalez flied out to left; Bochy struck out;
Reynolds popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Braves 14.