Davey Lopes and Rick Monday drove in four runs apiece to power the Dodgers to a 13-4 victory and spoil the debut of Bobby Cox as manager of the Braves. With an opening-night crowd of 42,866 on hand, the Braves took a 3-0 lead with homers by Rowland Office and Dale Murphy before Lopes hit for the circuit with two men on base in the third inning to tie the score.

The Braves regained the lead with a homer by Jerry Royster in their half of the third, but the Dodgers went ahead to stay when Reggie Smith batted in two runs with a single in the fifth. Monday capped the Dodgers' scoring with a three-run homer in the ninth. [The Sporting News]

Los Angeles Dodgers 13, Atlanta Braves 4

Game Played on Friday, April 7, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Dodgers 0 0 3 0 2 3 0 2 3 - 13 14 0 Braves 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 9 2 Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Braves AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Lopes 2b 3 2 1 4 2 1 .333 Royster 2b 4 1 2 1 0 0 .500 Lacy 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Office cf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .250 Russell ss 5 0 2 0 0 1 .400 Matthews rf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .000 Smith rf 3 0 1 2 0 1 .333 Burroughs lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Burke cf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Pocoroba c 2 1 1 0 2 0 .500 Cey 3b 5 1 1 0 0 1 .200 Murphy 1b 4 1 2 2 0 0 .500 Martinez pr,2b 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 Bonnell 3b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .500 Garvey 1b 4 2 1 1 1 1 .250 Rockett ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Baker lf 3 2 1 0 1 0 .333 Niekro p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Forster p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Mahler p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Monday cf,rf 5 3 4 4 0 0 .800 Camp p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Yeager c 4 2 3 1 1 0 .750 Beall ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Sutton p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Campbell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Davalillo ph,lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Gaston ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 38 13 14 12 5 5 Totals 33 4 9 4 3 3 Time of Game: 2:33 Attendance: 42,866 Left on Base: Dodgers 5, Braves 5 DP: Dodgers 1, Braves 0 Errors: Burroughs, Rockett Doubles: Monday (1), Cey (1) Home Runs: Lopes (1), Monday (1), Office (1), Murphy (1), Royster (1) Stolen Bases: Lopes 3 (3), Burke (1) Caught Stealing: Monday (1), Bonnell (1), Pocoroba (1) Sacrifice Hits: Sutton 2 (2) GIDP: Pocoroba (1) Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Sutton W(1-0) 7 7 4 4 2 3 3 28 5.14 Forster 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 8 0.00 Totals 9 9 4 4 3 3 3 36 Braves IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Niekro L(0-1) 5 8 8 6 1 4 1 24 10.80 Mahler 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.00 Camp 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 6 0.00 Campbell 2 4 5 3 3 0 1 14 13.50 Totals 9 14 13 9 5 5 2 45 Passed Balls: Pocoroba (1) Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Eric Gregg DODGERS 1ST: Lopes was called out on strikes; Russell singled to left [Russell out at second (left to second)]; Smith grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Braves 0. BRAVES 1ST: Royster grounded out (third to first); Office homered; Matthews struck out; Burroughs flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Braves 1. DODGERS 2ND: Cey struck out; Garvey popped to shortstop; Baker grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Braves 1. BRAVES 2ND: Pocoroba walked; Murphy homered [Pocoroba scored]; Bonnell singled to second; Bonnell was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Rockett grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro was called out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Braves 3. DODGERS 3RD: Monday singled to shortstop; Yeager reached on a fielder's choice [Monday to second]; Sutton out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Monday to third, Yeager to second]; Lopes homered [Monday scored, Yeager scored]; Russell singled to left; Smith struck out; Cey flied out to center; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 3, Braves 3. BRAVES 3RD: Royster homered; Office grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews flied out to center; Burroughs flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 3, Braves 4. DODGERS 4TH: Garvey struck out; Baker flied out to center; Monday flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 3, Braves 4. BRAVES 4TH: Pocoroba walked; Pocoroba was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Murphy flied out to right; Bonnell popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 3, Braves 4. DODGERS 5TH: Yeager singled to left; Sutton out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Yeager to second]; Pocoroba allowed a passed ball [Yeager to third]; Lopes walked; Lopes stole second; Russell flied out to center; Smith singled to right [Yeager scored, Lopes scored (unearned), Smith out at second (right to first)]; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 5, Braves 4. BRAVES 5TH: Rockett was called out on strikes; Niekro flied out to center; Royster singled to right; Office grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 5, Braves 4. DODGERS 6TH: Cey reached on an error by Burroughs [Cey to second]; Garvey singled to left [Cey scored (unearned)]; Baker singled to center [Garvey to third]; MAHLER REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Monday singled to right [Garvey scored, Baker to second]; CAMP REPLACED MAHLER (PITCHING); Yeager singled to right [Baker scored, Monday to third, Yeager out at second (right to shortstop)]; Monday was caught stealing home (catcher to third); Sutton grounded out (third to first); 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 8, Braves 4. BRAVES 6TH: BURKE REPLACED SMITH (PLAYING CF); MONDAY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Matthews grounded out (third to first); Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to first); Pocoroba singled to right; Murphy forced Pocoroba (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 8, Braves 4. DODGERS 7TH: Lopes walked; Lopes stole second; Lopes stole third; Russell struck out; Burke reached on a fielder's choice [Lopes out at home (second to catcher)]; Burke stole second; Cey flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 8, Braves 4. BRAVES 7TH: Bonnell singled to left; Rockett flied out to center; BEALL BATTED FOR CAMP; Beall grounded out (first unassisted) [Bonnell to second]; Royster grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 8, Braves 4. DODGERS 8TH: CAMPBELL REPLACED BEALL (PITCHING); Garvey flied out to center; Baker walked; Monday doubled to left [Baker to third]; Yeager was walked intentionally; DAVALILLO BATTED FOR SUTTON; Davalillo reached on an error by Rockett [Baker scored (unearned) (no RBI), Monday to third, Yeager to second, Davalillo to first]; Lopes grounded out (third to first) [Monday scored (unearned), Yeager to third, Davalillo to second]; Russell flied out to right; 2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 10, Braves 4. BRAVES 8TH: DAVALILLO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); FORSTER REPLACED BAKER (PITCHING); Office grounded out (third to first); Matthews walked; Burroughs singled to right [Matthews to second]; Pocoroba grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Burroughs out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 10, Braves 4. DODGERS 9TH: Burke flied out to right; Cey doubled to left; MARTINEZ RAN FOR CEY; Garvey was walked intentionally; Forster popped to third; Monday homered [Martinez scored, Garvey scored]; Yeager singled to center; Davalillo grounded out (first unassisted); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 13, Braves 4. BRAVES 9TH: MARTINEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); LACY REPLACED LOPES (PLAYING 3B); Murphy singled to center; Bonnell grounded out (second to first) [Murphy to second]; Rockett flied out to center; GASTON BATTED FOR CAMPBELL; Gaston grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 13, Braves 4.

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