Atlanta and Houston divided a doubleheader, the Braves winning the opener, 3-2, and the Astros taking the nightcap by the same score. Andy Messersmith, after four straight losses, outduelled J.R. Richard to post his first victory in the opener.

The Astros salvaged a split when Cesar Cedeno scored the winning run on Darrel Chaney's throwing error with two out in the ninth. Cedeno had walked, took second on a sacrifice by Bob Watson, advanced to third on a fly out and came home when Chaney fielded Ken Boswell's grounder and threw wide to first. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 3, Houston Astros 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Monday, May       17, 1976 (Day game) at Astrodome
Braves       2  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   3  7  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  1  -   2  7  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Office cf             3   0   1   0     2   2   .208      Gross rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .300
Perez ss              4   1   0   0     1   1   .298      Andrews 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Wynn lf               4   2   2   0     0   2   .238      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .306
Evans 1b              4   0   2   2     0   1   .184      Johnson c             3   0   0   0     1   0   .224
Henderson rf          1   0   1   1     2   0   .315      Cruz lf               4   1   1   0     0   1   .220
Lacy 2b               4   0   0   0     0   2   .224      Watson 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .272
Pocoroba c            4   0   0   0     0   1   .278      Boswell 3b            4   1   2   1     0   0   .250
Royster 3b            3   0   1   0     1   0   .188        Howard pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .198
Messersmith p         3   0   0   0     1   2   .143      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     0   1   .252
                                                            Roberts ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .288
                                                          Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .042
                                                            Milbourne ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   3   7   3     7  11             Totals               34   2   7   1     1   4

Time of Game: 2:23
Left on Base: Braves 8, Astros 6
DP: Braves 1, Astros 1
Errors: Evans
Doubles: Wynn (4), Royster (4)
Triples: Watson (1)
Stolen Bases: Evans (3)
Caught Stealing: Office (3), Howard (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Henderson (2)
GIDP: Lacy (5)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith W(1-4)      9     7   2   1   1   4   0  35   4.30
Totals                  9     7   2   1   1   4   0  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(5-3)          7     5   3   3   7   9   0  31   2.93
Forsch                  2     2   0   0   0   2   0   7   1.88
Totals                  9     7   3   3   7  11   0  38

Passed Balls: Johnson (7)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Jim Quick, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


BRAVES 1ST: Office singled; Perez forced Office (shortstop to
second); Wynn singled [Perez to second]; Evans singled [Perez
scored, Wynn to third]; Evans stole second; Henderson hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Wynn scored]; Lacy struck out; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (second to first); Andrews
singled; Cedeno popped to catcher in foul territory; Johnson
lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Pocoroba grounded out (second to first); Royster
flied out to right; Messersmith struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz struck out; Watson tripled; Boswell reached on
a fielder's choice [Watson out at home (pitcher to catcher)];
Metzger struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Office walked; Office was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Perez popped to second; Wynn struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard popped to catcher in foul territory; Gross
popped to shortstop; Andrews grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Evans grounded out (second to first); Henderson
walked; Lacy struck out; Henderson was picked off first (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); Johnson
walked; Cruz forced Johnson (pitcher to second); Watson grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros
0.

BRAVES 5TH: Pocoroba flied out to center; Royster lined to
right; Messersmith walked; Office walked [Messersmith to
second]; Perez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves
2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Boswell singled; Metzger singled [Boswell to
second]; Richard popped to pitcher; Gross grounded out (second
to first) [Metzger to second, Boswell to third]; Andrews reached
on an error by Evans [Boswell scored (unearned) (no RBI),
Metzger to third]; Cedeno popped to second; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1
E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Wynn doubled; Evans singled [Wynn scored]; Henderson
walked [Evans to second]; Johnson allowed a passed ball [Evans
to third]; Lacy flied out to center; Pocoroba struck out;
Royster walked [Henderson to second]; Messersmith was called out
on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Johnson grounded out (third to first); Cruz grounded
out (second to first); Watson singled; Boswell grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Office struck out; Perez walked; Wynn struck out;
Evans struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger grounded out (catcher to first); MILBOURNE
BATTED FOR RICHARD; Milbourne grounded out (first to pitcher);
Gross struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 1.

BRAVES 8TH: FORSCH REPLACED MILBOURNE (PITCHING); Henderson
singled; Lacy grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Henderson out at second]; Pocoroba grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Andrews popped to second; Cedeno flied out to
center; Johnson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 3, Astros 1.

BRAVES 9TH: Royster doubled; Messersmith reached on a fielder's
choice [Royster out at third (pitcher to third)]; Office struck
out; Perez struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz singled; Watson grounded out (third to first)
[Cruz to second]; Boswell singled [Cruz scored]; HOWARD RAN FOR
BOSWELL; ROBERTS BATTED FOR METZGER; Roberts struck out while
Howard was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 2.