The Braves lost their home opener and suffered a fourth straight setback in the process as Tom Seaver clouted his 10th career homer and permitted only seven hits while striking out 10 in eight innings for the Reds' 9-4 triumph. George Foster's two-run triple and a sacrifice fly by Johnny Bench started the Reds on their way in the first inning. Bench also slugged a homer. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Atlanta Braves 4
Game Played on Monday, April     9, 1979 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Reds         3  1  1    1  2  1    0  0  0  -   9 11  0
Braves       0  0  3    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   4  7  2


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Griffey rf            4   1   3   2     0   0   .364      Royster 3b            4   1   3   0     0   1   .385
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   0   .238      Hubbard 2b            2   1   0   0     2   1   .143
Morgan 2b             3   2   0   0     2   2   .429      Matthews rf           4   1   2   3     0   1   .267
Foster lf             4   1   3   2     1   0   .421      Burroughs lf          4   0   1   0     0   2   .091
Bench c               4   1   2   2     0   0   .294      Lum 1b                4   0   0   0     0   0   .071
Driessen 1b           2   1   0   1     2   0   .278      Murphy c              4   0   0   0     0   2   .154
Knight 3b             5   2   1   0     0   0   .273      Bonnell cf            4   1   1   1     0   0   .154
Geronimo cf           4   0   0   0     1   1   .167      Frias ss              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Seaver p              3   1   1   2     0   0   .333        Beall ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Pastore p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Chaney ss           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                          M. Mahler p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            LaCorte p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Skok p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Office ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Devine p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   9  11   9     6   3             Totals               33   4   7   4     2  12

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance: 30,433
Left on Base: Reds 8, Braves 4
DP: Reds 1, Braves 2
Errors: Frias, M. Mahler
Doubles: Griffey (5)
Triples: Foster (1)
Home Runs: Seaver (1), Bench (1), Matthews (1), Bonnell (1)
Stolen Bases: Driessen (1)
Caught Stealing: Hubbard (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Concepcion (1), Seaver (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Bench (1), Driessen (1), Griffey (1)
GIDP: Morgan (2), Knight (1)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver W(1-1)           8     7   4   4   2  10   2  32   7.45
Pastore                 1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   3.18
Totals                  9     7   4   4   2  12   2  35

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
M. Mahler L(0-1)        2.1   5   5   4   2   0   0  15  15.43
LaCorte                 1.2   3   3   3   2   2   1  10  16.20
Skok                    3     1   1   1   1   1   1  12   2.25
Devine                  2     2   0   0   1   0   0   7   0.00
Totals                  9    11   9   8   6   3   2  44

Umpires: HP - Dick Tremblay, 1B - Hank Rountree, 2B - Ed Norris, 3B - Andy Anderson


REDS 1ST: Griffey doubled to left; Concepcion out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher unassisted) [Griffey to third]; Morgan walked;
Foster tripled to right [Griffey scored, Morgan scored]; Bench
hit a sacrifice fly to right [Foster scored]; Driessen popped to
first; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster was called out on strikes; Hubbard walked;
Matthews singled to left [Hubbard to second]; Burroughs struck
out while Hubbard was caught stealing third (catcher to third);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 0.

REDS 2ND: Knight reached on an error by M. Mahler; Geronimo
popped to shortstop; Seaver out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Knight to second]; Griffey singled to center [Knight
scored (unearned)]; Concepcion grounded out (second to first); 1
R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Lum popped to catcher in foul territory; Murphy was
called out on strikes; Bonnell popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Braves 0.

REDS 3RD: Morgan walked; Foster singled to left [Morgan to
second]; Bench singled to third [Morgan to third, Foster to
second]; Driessen hit a sacrifice fly to center [Morgan scored];
LACORTE REPLACED M. MAHLER (PITCHING); Knight flied out to
center; Geronimo struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 5,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Frias flied out to center; LaCorte grounded out
(shortstop to first); Royster singled to right; Hubbard walked
[Royster to second]; Matthews homered [Royster scored, Hubbard
scored]; Burroughs grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 5, Braves 3.

REDS 4TH: Seaver homered; Griffey singled to first; Concepcion
grounded out (first unassisted) [Griffey to second]; Morgan
struck out; Foster walked; Bench popped to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 6, Braves 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Lum popped to third in foul territory; Murphy flied
out to right; Bonnell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 6, Braves 3.

REDS 5TH: Driessen walked; Driessen stole second; Knight singled
to center [Driessen to third, Knight to second (on throw to
home)]; SKOK REPLACED LACORTE (PITCHING); Geronimo walked;
Seaver reached on an error by Frias [Driessen scored, Knight to
third, Geronimo to second]; Griffey hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Knight scored]; Concepcion popped to shortstop; Morgan
was called out on strikes; 2 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 8, Braves
3.

BRAVES 5TH: Frias struck out; Skok was called out on strikes;
Royster singled to right; Hubbard was called out on strikes; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 8, Braves 3.

REDS 6TH: Foster grounded out (pitcher to first); Bench homered;
Driessen popped to second; Knight grounded out (third to first);
1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Matthews struck out; Burroughs struck out; Lum flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 3.

REDS 7TH: Geronimo grounded out (shortstop to first); Seaver
grounded out (second to first); Griffey flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Murphy grounded out (shortstop to first); Bonnell
homered; BEALL BATTED FOR FRIAS; Beall struck out; OFFICE BATTED
FOR SKOK; Office was called out on strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 4.

REDS 8TH: CHANEY REPLACED BEALL (PLAYING SS); DEVINE REPLACED
OFFICE (PITCHING); Concepcion singled; Morgan grounded into a
double play (first to shortstop to first to second) [Concepcion
out at second]; Foster singled; Bench forced Foster (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Royster singled to center; Hubbard flied out to
right; Matthews flied out to center; Burroughs singled to center
[Royster to second]; Lum flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 4.

REDS 9TH: Driessen walked; Knight grounded into a double play
(pitcher to second to first) [Driessen out at second]; Geronimo
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9,
Braves 4.

BRAVES 9TH: PASTORE REPLACED SEAVER (PITCHING); Murphy struck
out; Bonnell grounded out (third to first); Chaney struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 4.