The Braves and Mets split a pair of games, Atlanta winning the first, 2-1, and Mets taking the second, 3-1. In the lidlifter, Jerry Royster's single with two out in the 10th inning drove across the winning run as Phil Niekro went all the way on a four-hitter. Biff Pocoroba led off the 10th with a single and two outs later, Niekro advanced him to second with a base hit to left. Royster then greeted reliever Skip Lockwood with a line single down the left field line that delivered Pocoroba with the winning run.

In the nightcap, Nino Espinosa's six-hit pitching stopped the Braves. The Mets got two runs in the second inning on a single by Steve Henderson, walk to Ron Hodges and singles by Doug Flynn and Lenny Randle. A single by Willie Montanez and Henderson's double added an insurance tally in the third. [The Sporting News]

Atlanta Braves 2, New York Mets 1 (Game 1)

Game Played on Wednesday, May 17, 1978 (Night game) at Shea Stadium

Braves 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 2 7 1 Mets 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 4 2 Braves AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Mets AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Royster 2b 5 0 2 1 0 1 .305 Randle 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .176 Bonnell cf,lf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .234 Valentine 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .296 Murphy 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .193 Ferrer ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Burroughs lf 2 1 1 0 2 1 .392 Mazzilli cf 3 1 0 0 1 0 .299 Office pr,cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .267 Montanez 1b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .205 Gaston rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .180 S. Henderson lf 3 0 0 1 0 0 .227 Asselstine rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .270 Boisclair rf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .215 Pocoroba c 4 1 1 0 0 2 .245 Stearns c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .243 Gilbreath 3b 4 0 0 1 0 1 .197 Flynn ss,2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .246 Rockett ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 .134 Koosman p 3 0 0 0 0 2 .053 Niekro p 4 0 1 0 0 0 .217 Lockwood p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 36 2 7 2 2 9 Totals 30 1 4 1 2 4 Time of Game: 2:11 Left on Base: Braves 6, Mets 2 DP: Braves 1, Mets 1 Errors: Murphy, Montanez, S. Henderson Doubles: Burroughs (10), Bonnell (4) Caught Stealing: Gilbreath (2), Boisclair 2 (3) Sacrifice Flies: S. Henderson (1) GIDP: S. Henderson (7) Braves IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Niekro W(3-6) 10 4 1 1 2 4 0 33 2.93 Totals 10 4 1 1 2 4 0 33 Mets IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Koosman L(2-4) 9.2 6 2 2 2 9 0 36 2.89 Lockwood 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3.52 Totals 10 7 2 2 2 9 0 38 Balks: Niekro (2) Umpires: HP - Dutch Rennert, 1B - Ed Montague, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt BRAVES 1ST: Royster lined to second; Bonnell was called out on strikes; Murphy grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 0, Mets 0. METS 1ST: Randle grounded out (pitcher to first); Valentine grounded out (first unassisted); Mazzilli grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 0, Mets 0. BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs walked; Gaston singled to right [Burroughs to third]; Pocoroba struck out; Gilbreath forced Gaston (second to shortstop) [Burroughs scored]; Gilbreath was picked off and caught stealing second but was safe at third (error by Montanez); Rockett grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 0. METS 2ND: Montanez grounded out (second to first); S. Henderson flied out to center; Boisclair grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 0. BRAVES 3RD: Niekro grounded out (second to first); Royster singled to right; Bonnell lined into a double play (first unassisted) [Royster out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 0. METS 3RD: Stearns singled to left; Flynn singled to third [Stearns to third (error by Murphy)]; Koosman struck out; Randle flied out to right; Valentine grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 0. BRAVES 4TH: Murphy grounded out (shortstop to first); Burroughs doubled to center; Gaston flied out to right [Burroughs to third]; Pocoroba struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 0. METS 4TH: Mazzilli walked; Niekro balked [Mazzilli to second]; Braves manager Bobby Cox ran onto the field to argue the balk with 1B umpire Ed Montague; Mets manager Joe Torre protested the game when Cox was not ejected for arguing the balk; Montanez flied out to right [Mazzilli to third]; S. Henderson hit a sacrifice fly to right [Mazzilli scored]; Boisclair singled to center; Boisclair was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. BRAVES 5TH: Gilbreath struck out; Rockett grounded out (first unassisted); Niekro grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. METS 5TH: Stearns grounded out (pitcher to first); Flynn grounded out (pitcher to first); Koosman grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. BRAVES 6TH: Royster flied out to center; Bonnell struck out; Murphy flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. METS 6TH: Randle grounded out (first unassisted); Valentine grounded out (shortstop to first); Mazzilli flied to right in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. BRAVES 7TH: Burroughs was called out on strikes; Gaston flied out to right; Pocoroba flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. METS 7TH: Montanez struck out; S. Henderson grounded out (third to first); Boisclair singled to right; Boisclair was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. BRAVES 8TH: Gilbreath flied out to right; Rockett made an out to second; Niekro flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. METS 8TH: Stearns lined to first; Flynn flied out to right; Koosman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. BRAVES 9TH: Royster was called out on strikes; Bonnell doubled to right; Murphy struck out; Burroughs was walked intentionally; OFFICE RAN FOR BURROUGHS; Gaston struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. METS 9TH: OFFICE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); BONNELL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); ASSELSTINE REPLACED GASTON (PLAYING RF); Randle struck out; Valentine made an out to shortstop; Mazzilli grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 1, Mets 1. BRAVES 10TH: FERRER REPLACED VALENTINE (PLAYING SS); FLYNN CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); Pocoroba singled to left; Gilbreath popped to catcher in foul territory; Rockett flied out to right; Niekro singled to left [Pocoroba to second]; LOCKWOOD REPLACED KOOSMAN (PITCHING); Royster singled to left [Pocoroba scored, Niekro to third (error by S. Henderson), Royster to second]; Bonnell lined to center; 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Braves 2, Mets 1. METS 10TH: Montanez walked; S. Henderson grounded into a double play (pitcher to second to first) [Montanez out at second]; Boisclair popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 2, Mets 1.

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