Rowland Office hit a three-run homer to give the Braves a 3-0 victory over the Padres. Umpire John McSherry first ruled it a triple but then reversed his decision and called it a homer after the Braves disputed the original ruling.

The ball landed on top of the right field wall and the blow came with Darrel Chaney, who had walked, and Phil Niekro, who had reached first on a fielder's choice, on base. During the game, Braves' expensive acquisition Andy Messersmith warmed up in the bullpen for 10 minutes. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 3, San Diego Padres 0
Game Played on Saturday, April     10, 1976 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  0  -   3  4  0
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  2


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Office cf             4   1   1   3     0   0   .143      Grubb lf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .556
Royster 3b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Fuentes 2b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .143
Wynn lf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .375      W. Davis cf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .125
  Paciorek lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Winfield rf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .286
Evans 1b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .167      Ivie 1b               3   0   0   0     1   0   .125
May rf                4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Rader 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .333
Lacy 2b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .143      Torres ss             4   0   2   0     0   1   .375
Pocoroba c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      B. Davis c            2   0   1   0     0   0   .200
Chaney ss             3   1   0   0     1   1   .000        Locklear ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Niekro p              3   1   0   0     0   0   .000        Kendall c           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Torrealba p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Spillner p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Turner ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
                                                            Metzger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   4   3     3   3             Totals               32   0   6   0     3   7

Time of Game: 2:09   Attendance: 17,445
Left on Base: Braves 6, Padres 8
DP: Braves 0, Padres 0
Errors: Fuentes, Rader
Doubles: Lacy (1)
Home Runs: Office (1)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(1-0)           7.1   5   0   0   2   6   0  28   0.00
Torrealba SV(1)         1.2   1   0   0   1   1   0   7   0.00
Totals                  9     6   0   0   3   7   0  35

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Spillner L(0-1)         8     4   3   0   3   3   1  33   0.00
Metzger                 1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9     4   3   0   3   3   1  36

Wild Pitches: Niekro (1)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Art Williams, 3B - Tom Gorman


BRAVES 1ST: Office grounded out (pitcher to first); Royster
walked; Wynn reached on an error by Rader [Royster to second];
Evans walked [Royster to third, Wynn to second]; May struck out;
Lacy forced Evans (second unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Braves 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Grubb struck out; Fuentes grounded out (first
unassisted); W. Davis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Padres 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Pocoroba lined to second; Chaney struck out; Niekro
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Winfield flied out to left; Ivie grounded out
(shortstop to first); Rader flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Padres 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Office lined to right; Royster flied out to right;
Wynn singled to left; Evans made an out to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Torres singled to left [Torres out at second (left
to second)]; B. Davis singled to left; Spillner struck out;
Grubb flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0,
Padres 0.

BRAVES 4TH: May lined to first; Lacy doubled; Pocoroba flied out
to left; Chaney flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 4TH: Fuentes grounded out (first to pitcher); W. Davis
grounded out (second to pitcher); Winfield singled to center;
Niekro threw a wild pitch [Winfield to second]; Ivie walked;
Rader lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0,
Padres 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Niekro grounded out (third to first); Office
grounded out (second to pitcher); Royster flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 5TH: Torres singled to left; B. Davis forced Torres
(third to second); On a bunt Spillner forced B. Davis (first to
shortstop); Grubb made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 0, Padres 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Wynn made an out to third; Evans flied out to
center; May made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 6TH: Fuentes struck out; W. Davis grounded out (second to
first); Winfield grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Padres 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Lacy grounded out (shortstop to first); Pocoroba
reached on an error by Fuentes; Chaney walked [Pocoroba to
second]; On a bunt Niekro forced Pocoroba (pitcher to third)
[Chaney to second, Niekro to first]; Office homered (unearned)
[Chaney scored (unearned), Niekro scored (unearned)]; Royster
made an out to second; 3 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3,
Padres 0.

PADRES 7TH: Ivie grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader struck
out; Torres grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Braves 3, Padres 0.

BRAVES 8TH: Wynn struck out; Evans singled to right; May forced
Evans (first to shortstop); Lacy flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Padres 0.

PADRES 8TH: PACIOREK REPLACED WYNN (PLAYING LF); LOCKLEAR BATTED
FOR B. DAVIS; Locklear struck out; TURNER BATTED FOR SPILLNER;
Turner walked; Grubb singled to center [Turner to second];
TORREALBA REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Fuentes grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Turner to third, Grubb to second]; W.
Davis lined to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 3, Padres 0.

BRAVES 9TH: METZGER REPLACED TURNER (PITCHING); KENDALL REPLACED
LOCKLEAR (PLAYING C ); Pocoroba grounded out (second to first);
Chaney made an out to third; Torrealba grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Padres 0.

PADRES 9TH: Winfield walked; Ivie flied out to right; Rader
singled to left [Winfield to second]; Torres struck out; Kendall
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 3, Padres 0.