Atlanta Continues Winning Ways

April 28, 1978
Burris vs Easterly
Atlanta 8 Chicago 7

Chicago ruffed up Eddie Solomon for 7 runs in the 4th inning who had come on in relief of Jamie Easterly who was pitching on short rest.  Staked to a 7-1 lead, Cubby starter, Ray Burris failed to hold the lead as he coughed up 5 more runs over the next 3.2 innings and left with a 7-6 lead in the 7th.  In the bottom of the 8th Dale Murphy lead off with his 4th HR of the year to tie the game and with 2 outs, CF'er Rowland Office got the game winning hit on a single to left center.  Jeff Burroughs, who has been red hot of late went, 3-3 with a double and a triple (5th on the year) and plated 4 runs on the day.  Shortstop Ivan DeJesus lead Chicago with 3 hits and 3B Steve Ontiveros had 2 RBI on the day.

April 29, 1978
Fryman vs Niekro
Atlanta 9 Chicago 3

To the delight of the hometown fans, the Braves jumped all over Chicago's Woody Fryman for 6 consecutive singles to lead off the 2nd inning and managed to turn them into 4 runs to take an early 4-0 lead.  The Cubs fought back in the 3rd to close the gap to 1 as they managed 4 hits and a walk of their own to plate 3.  Atlanta added single runs in the 3rd and 4th innings for a 6-3 lead but with 5 innings left to play the Cubs were still in the game.  That all changed in the 6th inning when young Dale Murphy stepped to the plate with 2 on and one out. Chicago reliever, Willie Hernandez, left a 3-1 fastball over the plate and Murphy turned on the pitch for a 3 run homer (5) into the left field bleachers effectively killing any realistic chance of Chicago coming back in the game.  Atlanta wins game two 9-3.

April 30, 1978
Lamp vs Boggs
Chicago 8 Atlanta 3

After dropping a heart breaker in the opening game of the series and getting thumped in game 2 Chicago was looking for a good game from their starting pitching, Dennis Lamp.  He didn't let them down.  With all 9 players in the Chicago opening lineup getting at least one hit, Lamp scattered 8 hits and 3 runs in route to a complete game victory.  The Cub bats finally got hot as 4 players had 2 or more hits and the team totaled 15 for the game.  Bill Buckner had the lone homerun of the game when he unloaded into the right field bleachers with a man on to give the Cubs an early 3-1 lead in the second inning.  With the score 4-2 in favor of Chicago after 7, they broke the game open with 2 runs in the top of the 8th when CF'er Joe Wallis connected on one of his 3 hits to double in Dave Rader and then scored on a single by Ivan DeJesus.  They then added 2 more in the 9th to salt the game and leave town with at least one victory.