Four Atlanta pitchers combined on a four-hitter as the Braves shaded the Astros, 2-1. It was Atlanta's 10th straight triumph, tying the N. L. record for most victories to start a season. The record was set by the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers and equalled in 1962 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Oakland A's, who opened last year with 11 straight victories, own the major league record.

Atlanta scored both its runs in their first turn at bat when Glenn Hubbard stroked a one-out single, Dale Murphy walked and Bob Horner doubled down the left field line to plate both runners. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Saturday, April     17, 1982 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  4  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Butler cf             3   0   1   0     2   0   .256      Puhl rf               4   1   0   0     1   1   .178
Hubbard 2b            5   1   1   0     0   1   .222      Garner 2b             4   0   1   1     1   2   .167
Murphy rf             3   1   0   0     1   1   .250      Cruz lf               3   0   1   0     1   0   .282
Horner 3b             2   0   1   2     2   0   .250      Ashby c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .364
Chambliss 1b          3   0   2   0     1   0   .314      Knight 3b             1   0   0   0     3   0   .270
Linares lf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .471      Scott cf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .182
Benedict c            3   0   0   0     1   0   .257        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Ramirez ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .368      Howe 1b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .278
Walk p                1   0   0   0     0   1   .333      Thon ss               3   0   0   0     1   1   .292
  McWilliams p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Hanna p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Smith p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Whisenton ph        1   0   1   0     0   0   .667        Walling cf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Garber p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   2   8   2     7   3             Totals               31   1   4   1     7   7

Time of Game: 2:52   Attendance: 33,688
Left on Base: Braves 9, Astros 10
DP: Braves 1, Astros 2
Errors: Ramirez, Niekro
Doubles: Horner (4), Garner (1)
Stolen Bases: Garner (3)
Caught Stealing: Whisenton (1), Horner (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Walk (2)
GIDP: Linares (1), Ashby (2)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Walk                    4     3   1   1   5   1   0  20   0.96
McWilliams              0.2   1   0   0   1   1   0   4   4.76
Hanna W(1-0)            1.1   0   0   0   1   3   0   5   6.75
Garber SV(2)            3     0   0   0   0   2   0   9   0.00
Totals                  9     4   1   1   7   7   0  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(1-1)           6.1   6   2   2   6   3   0  28   1.99
Smith                   1.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   6   1.29
Sambito                 1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   0.00
Totals                  9     8   2   2   7   3   0  38

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Joe West


BRAVES 1ST: Butler grounded out (first unassisted); Hubbard
singled to right; Murphy walked [Hubbard to second]; Hubbard was
picked off second but was safe on an error by Niekro [Hubbard to
third]; Horner doubled to left [Hubbard scored, Murphy scored];
Chambliss grounded out (first to pitcher) [Horner to third];
Linares grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Garner walked;
Cruz singled to right [Garner to second]; Ashby grounded out
(first to pitcher) [Garner to third, Cruz to second]; Knight
walked; Scott forced Knight (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Benedict grounded out (third to first); Ramirez
singled to third; Walk out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Ramirez to second]; Butler walked; Hubbard made an out to
second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe grounded out (third to first); Thon grounded
out (third to first); Niekro grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Murphy flied out to center; Horner walked; Chambliss
walked [Horner to second]; Linares grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Chambliss out at second]; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Garner reached
on an error by Ramirez; Garner stole second; Cruz walked; Ashby
grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Cruz out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Benedict grounded out (pitcher to first); Ramirez
made an out to first; Walk was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Knight walked; Scott forced Knight (pitcher to
shortstop); Howe singled to left [Scott to second]; Thon was
called out on strikes; Niekro forced Howe (shortstop to second);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Butler popped to third in foul territory; Hubbard
struck out; Murphy was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl walked; Garner doubled to left [Puhl scored];
MCWILLIAMS REPLACED WALK (PITCHING); Cruz lined to first; Ashby
struck out; Knight walked; Scott singled to third [Garner to
third, Knight to second]; HANNA REPLACED MCWILLIAMS (PITCHING);
Howe flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros
1.

BRAVES 6TH: Horner grounded out (third to first); Chambliss
singled to center; Linares singled to left [Chambliss to third];
Benedict walked [Linares to second]; Ramirez lined into a double
play (third unassisted) [Chambliss out at third]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Thon walked; Niekro struck out; Puhl struck out;
Garner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 7TH: WHISENTON BATTED FOR HANNA; Whisenton singled to
shortstop; Whisenton was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Butler walked; SMITH REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING);
Hubbard made an out to first; Murphy grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: GARBER REPLACED WHISENTON (PITCHING); Cruz grounded
out (second to first); Ashby grounded out (second to first);
Knight lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Horner walked; Horner was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Chambliss singled to right; Linares forced
Chambliss (third to second); Benedict grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Scott struck out; Howe grounded out (third to
first); Thon grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 9TH: SAMBITO REPLACED SCOTT (PITCHING); WALLING REPLACED
SMITH (PLAYING CF); Ramirez lined to third; Garber grounded out
(second to first); Butler singled to center; Hubbard flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Walling grounded out (first unassisted); Puhl
grounded out (pitcher to first); Garner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.