RetroSimba

Entering the finale of a three-game series with the Cardinals on May 15, 1977, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, the Braves had a 9-24 record and had lost 19 of their last 20.

When the Cardinals built a 10-1 lead through four innings, it appeared the Braves were headed for another loss, but they made an improbable comeback and won, 15-12.

As the Cardinals prepared to leave for the airport after the game, Braves owner Ted Turner, giddy with joy, boarded their bus, waved a straw skimmer and said, “Thanks for that one today. We really needed it.”

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, some of the Cardinals laughed at Turner’s theatrics, but manager Vern Rapp did not.

“We’ve had a lot of team victories this year,” Rapp said. “Today it was a team loss.”

Rally time

Playing before a Jacket Day crowd of 36,693, the Braves’ largest since their home opener, the Cardinals broke a 1-1 tie with nine runs in the fourth against the trio of Phil Niekro, Frank LaCorte and Dave Campbell. The Cardinals collected seven hits and three walks in the inning and also were helped by a pair of Braves errors. Three runs scored on a double by Bake McBride and three more came in on a pair of singles by Dave Rader, who was 5-for-5 in the game.

“When it was 10-1, I was in the bullpen, crossing my legs and getting some sun,” Braves reliever Don Collins said to the Atlanta Constitution. “Then things began to happen.”

The Braves responded with three runs in the fifth (Jeff Burroughs had a two-run home run against starter John Denny) and five runs in the sixth (Gary Matthews hit a grand slam off Buddy Schultz), getting within a run, 10-9.

When McBride and Jerry Mumphrey hit solo home runs in the eighth, stretching the lead to 12-9, the Cardinals were poised to complete the series sweep, but the Braves scored three times against Al Hrabosky in the bottom of the eighth, tying the score at 12-12.

Before the eighth was completed, Rapp replaced Hrabosky with John D’Acquisto. With two outs and Pat Rockett on first, D’Acquisto unleashed a wild pitch, advancing Rockett to second, and walked Jerry Royster and Junior Moore, loading the bases for Barry Bonnell.

“I was nervous. Really, really nervous,” Bonnell said.

Lots of drama

With the count at 3-and-2, the runners took off on D’Acquisto’s next pitch. Bonnell swung at the inside delivery, broke his bat and lofted a single to center. All three runners scored, giving Atlanta a 15-12 lead.

“I just looked for the ball, dug my shoulder into it and swung the bat,” Bonnell said.

In the ninth, Braves manager Dave Bristol brought in Collins, a left-hander seeking his first major-league save, to protect the lead. With one out, Garry Templeton and McBride each singled.

Keith Hernandez, a left-handed batter, was lifted for switch-hitter Ted Simmons, batting right-handed. Simmons drilled a drive to center field. “I thought it was gone,” Bonnell said. Bonnell turned, raced to the 402-foot sign and caught the ball with his back against the fence.

“If Simmons’ ball had gone out, I’d of felt like bombing the place with 37,000 people in it,” said Bristol.

Collins got the next batter, Mumphrey, to hit into a forceout, ending the game. Boxscore

“You’re going to have those games once in a while,” Hrabosky said. “You’re a fool and an idiot if you worry more than two seconds about them.”

A wire service story in The Milwaukee Sentinel reported: “Later, more than a dozen players sat around the clubhouse and watched the six-run eighth again on owner Ted Turner’s television replay equipment.”