With Phil Niekro pitching a two-hitter, the Braves breezed to a 10-2 victory over the Giants. Bob Horner started the Braves' scoring with a three-run homer off Vida Blue in the first inning and added a fourth RBI with a single in the eighth.

Gary Matthews also homered in the Braves' 13-hit attack. The victory was Niekro's 19th on the same night that his brother Joe won his 20th for the Astros. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 10, San Francisco Giants 2
Game Played on Saturday, September 22, 1979 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Giants       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  1  0  -   2  2  0
Braves       3  0  0    0  2  2    0  3  x  -  10 13  1


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
North cf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .262      Miller cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .304
  Plank p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Royster 2b            4   2   1   0     1   0   .269
Andrews 2b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .261      Matthews rf           3   4   2   1     2   0   .308
Ivie lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .292      Horner 3b             5   3   3   4     0   2   .316
McCovey 1b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .257      Murphy 1b             3   1   2   1     2   0   .289
Evans 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .260      Bonnell lf            4   0   2   2     1   0   .254
Herndon rf,cf         2   1   0   0     1   1   .256      Chaney ss             3   0   1   0     2   0   .139
LeMaster ss           3   1   1   0     0   0   .257      Benedict c            4   0   1   2     0   1   .225
Littlejohn c          2   0   0   0     0   0   .191      Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   1   .191
  Venable ph,rf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .174
Blue p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .127
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .077
  Johnston ph         1   0   1   1     0   0   .206
  Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Whitfield ph        0   0   0   1     0   0   .290
  Sadek c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .232

Totals               29   2   2   2     2   5             Totals               34  10  13  10     8   4

Time of Game: 2:11   Attendance:  7,767
Left on Base: Giants 3, Braves 9
DP: Giants 1, Braves 0
Errors: Horner
Doubles: Matthews (34), Horner (15)
Home Runs: Horner (30), Matthews (26)
Stolen Bases: Royster (34), Murphy (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Whitfield (4)
GIDP: Benedict (4)
Hit by Pitch: Miller (1,by Blue)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blue L(13-14)           4.2   6   5   5   5   3   1  26   5.08
Griffin                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.53
Borbon                  2     3   2   2   2   1   1   9   4.20
Plank                   1     4   3   3   1   0   0   7   7.36
Totals                  8    13  10  10   8   4   2  43

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(19-20)         9     2   2   1   2   5   0  32   3.44
Totals                  9     2   2   1   2   5   0  32

Hit by Pitch: Blue (1)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Fred Brocklander, 2B - Steve Fields, 3B - Bob Engel


GIANTS 1ST: North flied out to center; Andrews grounded out
(second to first); Ivie grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Miller grounded out (third to first); Royster
walked; Royster stole second; Matthews walked; Horner homered
[Royster scored, Matthews scored]; Murphy singled to shortstop;
Bonnell flied out to left; Murphy stole second; Chaney flied out
to center; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Braves 3.

GIANTS 2ND: McCovey flied out to center; Evans made an out to
shortstop; Herndon struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0,
Braves 3.

BRAVES 2ND: Benedict made an out to shortstop; Niekro flied out
to center; Miller was hit by a pitch; Royster forced Miller
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Braves 3.

GIANTS 3RD: LeMaster flied out to center; Littlejohn popped to
catcher in foul territory; Blue flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Braves 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Matthews popped to catcher in foul territory; Horner
struck out; Murphy flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Braves 3.

GIANTS 4TH: North struck out; Andrews was called out on strikes;
Ivie flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Braves
3.

BRAVES 4TH: Bonnell walked; Chaney singled to center [Bonnell to
second]; Benedict was called out on strikes; Niekro made an out
to second; Miller singled to shortstop [Bonnell to third, Chaney
to second]; Royster popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 0, Braves 3.

GIANTS 5TH: McCovey flied out to center; Evans made an out to
second; Herndon flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Matthews doubled to left; Horner was called out on
strikes; Murphy was walked intentionally; Bonnell flied out to
right; Chaney walked [Matthews to third, Murphy to second];
Benedict singled to left [Matthews scored, Murphy scored, Chaney
to second]; GRIFFIN REPLACED BLUE (PITCHING); Niekro grounded
out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0,
Braves 5.

GIANTS 6TH: LeMaster reached on an error by Horner [LeMaster to
first]; Littlejohn grounded out (third to first) [LeMaster to
second]; JOHNSTON BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Johnston singled to center
[LeMaster scored (unearned)]; North forced Johnston (first to
shortstop); Andrews flied out to right; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 5.

BRAVES 6TH: BORBON REPLACED JOHNSTON (PITCHING); Miller flied
out to left; Royster grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews
homered; Horner doubled to left; Murphy was walked
intentionally; Bonnell singled to left [Horner scored, Murphy
out at third (left to third)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1,
Braves 7.

GIANTS 7TH: Ivie popped to catcher in foul territory; McCovey
flied out to center; Evans grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 7.

BRAVES 7TH: Chaney walked; Benedict grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Chaney out at second]; Niekro struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 7.

GIANTS 8TH: Herndon walked; LeMaster singled to left [Herndon to
second]; VENABLE BATTED FOR LITTLEJOHN; Venable forced LeMaster
(second to shortstop) [Herndon to third]; WHITFIELD BATTED FOR
BORBON; Whitfield hit a sacrifice fly to right [Herndon scored];
North struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 2, Braves 7.

BRAVES 8TH: SADEK REPLACED WHITFIELD (PLAYING C ); HERNDON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); VENABLE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
RF); PLANK REPLACED NORTH (PITCHING); Miller flied out to
center; Royster singled to center; Matthews walked [Royster to
second]; Horner singled to left [Royster scored, Matthews to
second]; Murphy singled to right [Matthews scored, Horner to
third, Murphy out at second (center to third to second)];
Bonnell singled to left [Horner scored]; Chaney flied out to
left; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 2, Braves 10.

GIANTS 9TH: Andrews grounded out (first to pitcher); Ivie struck
out; McCovey walked; Evans grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 2, Braves 10.