Bruce Benedict, with only two home runs in his previous 652 at-bats, hit two off Vida Blue, and Phil Niekro scattered eight hits in leading the Braves to their sixth straight victory, a 4-0 whitewashing of the Giants. Benedict's first round-tripper came in the fourth inning after a walk to Chris Chambliss and a single by Rafael Ramirez. His second swat was a solo blast in the sixth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 4, San Francisco Giants 0
Game Played on Saturday, April     25, 1981 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Braves       0  0  0    3  0  1    0  0  0  -   4  6  0
Giants       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  8  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Miller lf             4   0   1   0     1   2   .222      Bergman lf            3   0   0   0     1   2   .133
Royster 2b            4   0   0   0     1   1   .231      Cabell 1b             4   0   1   0     0   2   .267
Harper rf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .267      Herndon rf            4   0   1   0     0   2   .339
Horner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .232      May c                 4   0   1   0     0   0   .340
  Gomez 3b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Martin cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .238
Murphy cf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .259      Evans 3b              4   0   1   0     0   2   .196
Chambliss 1b          3   1   0   0     1   0   .298      Stennett 2b           3   0   2   0     1   0   .200
Ramirez ss            4   1   2   0     0   0   .234      LeMaster ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .234
Benedict c            2   2   2   4     1   0   .282      Blue p                1   0   0   0     1   0   .250
Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   0   .111        Smith ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Breining p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   4   6   4     5   3             Totals               32   0   8   0     3   8

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance:  6,371
Left on Base: Braves 7, Giants 8
DP: Braves 2, Giants 1
Errors: LeMaster
Home Runs: Benedict 2 (2)
Stolen Bases: Herndon (5)
Caught Stealing: Ramirez (1)
GIDP: Cabell (1), Evans (2)
Hit by Pitch: Benedict (1,by Breining)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(1-0)           9     8   0   0   3   8   0  35   1.46
Totals                  9     8   0   0   3   8   0  35

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blue L(1-2)             7     4   4   4   5   3   2  30   2.51
Breining                2     2   0   0   0   0   0   8   1.74
Totals                  9     6   4   4   5   3   2  38

Passed Balls: May (1)
Hit by Pitch: Breining (2)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (1)

Umpires: HP - Charlie Williams, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - John McSherry, 3B - Fred Brocklander


BRAVES 1ST: Miller grounded out (pitcher to first); Royster
reached on an error by LeMaster [Royster to second]; May allowed
a passed ball [Royster to third]; Harper grounded out (shortstop
to first); Horner grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Bergman struck out; Cabell struck out; Herndon
singled to center; Herndon stole second; May grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Giants 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy walked; Chambliss popped to catcher in foul
territory; Ramirez grounded out (second to first) [Murphy to
second]; Benedict walked; Niekro forced Murphy (third
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Martin flied out to left; Evans singled to center;
Evans was picked off first (pitcher to first); Stennett singled
to left; LeMaster lined to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 0, Giants 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Miller struck out; Royster walked; Harper singled to
left [Royster to second]; Horner hit into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Royster out at home (first to catcher)]; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Blue walked; Bergman made an out to second; Cabell
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Blue
out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Giants 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Murphy grounded out (third to first); Chambliss
walked; Ramirez singled to right [Chambliss to second]; Benedict
homered [Chambliss scored, Ramirez scored]; Niekro made an out
to first; Miller walked; Royster struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 3, Giants 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Herndon struck out; May singled to center; Martin
singled to right [May to second]; Evans grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Martin out at second]; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Giants 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Harper flied out to left; Horner flied out to left;
Murphy lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3,
Giants 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Stennett singled to left; LeMaster singled to left
[Stennett to second]; Blue forced Stennett (pitcher to third)
[LeMaster to second]; Bergman walked [LeMaster to third, Blue to
second]; Cabell struck out; Herndon struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Braves 3, Giants 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Chambliss popped to third in foul territory; Ramirez
flied out to left; Benedict homered; Niekro grounded out
(pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Giants 0.

GIANTS 6TH: May flied out to center; Martin grounded out
(shortstop to first); Evans struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 4, Giants 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Miller struck out; Royster flied out to right;
Harper popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 4, Giants 0.

GIANTS 7TH: Stennett flied out to left; LeMaster flied out to
center; SMITH BATTED FOR BLUE; Smith popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Giants 0.

BRAVES 8TH: BREINING REPLACED SMITH (PITCHING); Horner grounded
out (third to first); Murphy grounded out (third to first);
Chambliss grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 4, Giants 0.

GIANTS 8TH: GOMEZ REPLACED HORNER (PLAYING 3B); Bergman struck
out; Cabell singled to shortstop; Herndon forced Cabell (third
to second); May grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 4, Giants 0.

BRAVES 9TH: Ramirez singled to center; Ramirez was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Benedict was hit by a
pitch; Niekro forced Benedict (catcher to shortstop); Miller
singled to left [Niekro to second]; Royster grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4, Giants 0.

GIANTS 9TH: Martin popped to third in foul territory; Evans
struck out; Stennett walked; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Stennett
to second]; LeMaster grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Giants 0.