Gunning for their first Opening Day victory since 1971 and only their third home-opening triumph since the club moved to Atlanta in 1966, the Braves used a four-run explosion in the eighth inning to post a 5-3 win over the Reds. Chris Chambliss ripped an opposite field double into the left field corner to erase a 2-1 Cincinnati lead. After Tom Hume replaced Joe Price on the mound for the Reds, Dale Murphy then slammed a two-run homer. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, Cincinnati Reds 3
Game Played on Friday, April     10, 1981 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Reds         1  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  1  -   3  7  0
Braves       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  4  x  -   5  9  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Collins rf            4   1   2   1     0   1   .556      Washington rf         4   1   1   0     0   1   .250
Griffey cf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .333      Hubbard 2b            2   0   0   0     2   1   .000
Concepcion ss         4   1   1   0     0   0   .444        Miller pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Foster lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Gomez 3b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Driessen 1b           4   0   1   1     0   2   .286      Horner 3b             3   0   2   0     1   0   .667
Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Royster pr,2b       0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Knight 3b             3   1   1   1     0   0   .500      Chambliss 1b          2   1   2   2     2   0  1.000
Oester 2b             2   0   1   0     1   0   .167      Murphy cf             4   1   2   3     0   1   .500
Soto p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Linares lf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Price p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Benedict c            4   0   1   0     0   1   .250
  Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Ramirez ss            3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
                                                          Boggs p               2   0   1   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Garber p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Camp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   3   7   3     1   6             Totals               30   5   9   5     6   5

Time of Game: 2:43   Attendance: 34,929
Left on Base: Reds 3, Braves 7
DP: Reds 1, Braves 1
Errors: Horner
Doubles: Concepcion (3), Driessen (2), Washington (1), Chambliss 2 (2)
Home Runs: Collins (1), Knight (1), Murphy (1)
Caught Stealing: Oester (1), Horner (1), Benedict (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Soto (1)
GIDP: Concepcion (1), Linares (1)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Soto L(0-1)             7     6   3   3   5   5   0  30   3.86
Price                   0     1   1   1   0   0   0   1   0.00
Hume                    1     2   1   1   1   0   1   5   4.50
Totals                  8     9   5   5   6   5   1  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Boggs                   7     5   2   2   1   3   2  25   2.57
Garber W(1-0)           1.2   2   1   1   0   2   0   7   5.40
Camp SV(1)              0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   0.00
Totals                  9     7   3   3   1   6   2  33

Passed Balls: Bench (1)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Eric Gregg


REDS 1ST: Collins homered; Griffey flied out to center;
Concepcion grounded out (second to first); Foster grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Washington doubled to right; Hubbard walked; Horner
grounded out (third to first) [Washington to third, Hubbard to
second]; Chambliss walked; Murphy singled to left [Washington
scored, Hubbard to third, Chambliss to second]; Linares grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Murphy out at
second]; Debut game for Rufino Linares; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 2ND: Driessen struck out; Bench made an out to third;
Knight flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves
1.

BRAVES 2ND: Benedict grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Ramirez
flied out to left; Boggs singled to right; Washington flied out
to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 3RD: Oester walked; Soto out on a sacrifice bunt (first to
second) [Oester to second]; Collins grounded out (first
unassisted) [Oester to third]; Griffey grounded out (second to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Hubbard was called out on strikes; Horner singled to
center; Horner was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Chambliss walked; Murphy made an out to first; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 4TH: Concepcion flied out to center; Foster flied out to
center; Driessen grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Linares made an out to shortstop; Benedict was
called out on strikes; Ramirez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 5TH: Bench made an out to shortstop; Knight homered; Oester
singled to center; Soto struck out; Oester was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Boggs grounded out (first unassisted); Washington
grounded out (first unassisted); Hubbard flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 1.

REDS 6TH: Collins singled to shortstop; Horner dropped a foul
fly hit by Griffey for an error; Griffey singled to right
[Collins to third]; Concepcion grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Collins stayed at third, Griffey
out at second]; Foster grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Horner walked; Chambliss doubled to right [Horner to
third]; Murphy struck out; Linares flied out to right; Benedict
made an out to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 1.

REDS 7TH: Driessen struck out; Bench flied out to left; Knight
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Ramirez grounded out (shortstop to first); LUM
BATTED FOR BOGGS; Lum struck out; Washington was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 1.

REDS 8TH: GARBER REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Oester grounded out
(second to first); Soto grounded out (second to first); Collins
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Hubbard walked; MILLER RAN FOR HUBBARD; Bench
allowed a passed ball [Miller to second]; Horner singled to left
[Miller to third]; ROYSTER RAN FOR HORNER; PRICE REPLACED SOTO
(PITCHING); Chambliss doubled to left [Miller scored, Royster
scored]; HUME REPLACED PRICE (PITCHING); Murphy homered
[Chambliss scored]; Linares grounded out (third to first);
Benedict singled to center; Benedict was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Ramirez walked; Garber forced Ramirez
(shortstop unassisted); 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 5.

REDS 9TH: GOMEZ REPLACED MILLER (PLAYING 3B); ROYSTER STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 2B); Griffey struck out; Concepcion doubled to
center; Foster grounded out (second to first) [Concepcion to
third]; Driessen doubled to right [Concepcion scored]; CAMP
REPLACED GARBER (PITCHING); Bench struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 5.