Gary Matthews' two-run homer in the fourth was the big blow as the Giants topped the Dodgers, 4-2. John Montefusco, last season's N.L. Rookie of the Year, went 7 2/3 innings to gain credit for the victory. The crowd of 37,261 was the Giants' largest for a home opener in 10 years. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Game Played on Friday, April     9, 1976 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Dodgers      1  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   2  6  0
Giants       1  0  0    2  0  1    0  0  x  -   4  5  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Buckner lf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Thomas 2b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Sizemore 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Joshua cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Baker cf              4   1   1   1     0   0   .250      Murcer rf             3   3   2   1     1   0   .667
Garvey 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Matthews lf           4   1   2   2     0   1   .500
Cey 3b                3   1   2   0     1   0   .667      Montanez 1b           2   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Ferguson rf           4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Speier ss             2   0   0   1     1   1   .000
Yeager c              3   0   0   1     0   0   .000      Reitz 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Russell ss            2   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Rader c               3   0   1   0     0   0   .333
  Goodson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Montefusco p          3   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  De Jesus ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lavelle p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Rodriguez ph        0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Auerbach pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Sutton p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Hale ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Marshall p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Burke ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   2   6   2     2   6             Totals               27   4   5   4     4   5

Time of Game: 2:07   Attendance: 37,261
Left on Base: Dodgers 7, Giants 3
DP: Dodgers 1, Giants 0
Doubles: Cey (1), Ferguson (1)
Home Runs: Baker (1), Murcer (1), Matthews (1)
GIDP: Reitz (1)
Hit by Pitch: Yeager (1,by Montefusco)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton L(0-1)           6     5   4   4   4   3   2  25   6.00
Marshall                2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   0.00
Totals                  8     5   4   4   4   5   2  31

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Montefusco W(1-0)       7.1   5   2   2   1   6   1  29   2.45
Lavelle SV(1)           1.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   7   0.00
Totals                  9     6   2   2   2   6   1  36

Hit by Pitch: Montefusco (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Jerry Dale


DODGERS 1ST: Buckner flied out to right; Sizemore flied out to
left; Baker homered; Garvey struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Thomas popped to third in foul territory; Joshua
grounded out (second to first); Murcer homered; Matthews flied
out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Giants 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Cey doubled to left; Ferguson flied out to right
[Cey to third]; Yeager grounded out (pitcher to first); Russell
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 2ND: Montanez struck out; Speier walked; Reitz grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Speier out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Giants 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Sutton was called out on strikes; Buckner popped to
shortstop; Sizemore flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 3RD: Rader flied out to right; Montefusco struck out
[Montefusco out at first (catcher to first)]; Thomas walked;
Joshua flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1,
Giants 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Baker grounded out (first unassisted); Garvey
popped to second; Cey popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Murcer singled to third; Matthews homered [Murcer
scored]; Montanez grounded out (second to first); Speier struck
out; Reitz popped to second; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1,
Giants 3.

DODGERS 5TH: Ferguson struck out; Yeager was hit by a pitch;
Russell was called out on strikes; Sutton grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Giants 3.

GIANTS 5TH: Rader singled to center; Rader was picked off first
(catcher to first); Montefusco popped to first in foul
territory; Thomas grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Giants 3.

DODGERS 6TH: Buckner singled to right; Sizemore flied out to
center; Baker popped to third; Garvey forced Buckner (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Giants 3.

GIANTS 6TH: Joshua grounded out (shortstop to first); Murcer
walked; Matthews singled to center [Murcer to third, Matthews to
second (on throw to 3b)]; Montanez was walked intentionally;
Speier forced Montanez (third to second) [Murcer scored,
Matthews to third, Speier to first]; Reitz flied out to right; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Giants 4.

DODGERS 7TH: Cey walked; Ferguson doubled to left [Cey to
third]; Yeager grounded out (shortstop to first) [Cey scored,
Ferguson to third]; GOODSON BATTED FOR RUSSELL; Goodson popped
to third in foul territory; HALE BATTED FOR SUTTON; Hale struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Giants 4.

GIANTS 7TH: DE JESUS REPLACED GOODSON (PLAYING SS); MARSHALL
REPLACED HALE (PITCHING); Rader grounded out (second to first);
Montefusco was called out on strikes; Thomas flied out to left;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Giants 4.

DODGERS 8TH: Buckner flied out to right; Sizemore singled to
center; LAVELLE REPLACED MONTEFUSCO (PITCHING); Baker forced
Sizemore (third to second); Garvey forced Baker (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Giants 4.

GIANTS 8TH: Joshua popped to third; Murcer flied out to right;
Matthews struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Giants 4.

DODGERS 9TH: Cey singled to left; Ferguson flied out to right;
Yeager forced Cey (shortstop to second); RODRIGUEZ BATTED FOR DE
JESUS; Rodriguez walked [Yeager to second]; AUERBACH RAN FOR
RODRIGUEZ; BURKE BATTED FOR MARSHALL; Burke forced Auerbach
(shortstop to second); Debut game for Glenn Burke; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Giants 4.