The Braves won the first game of a doubleheader, 9-2, behind the five-hit pitching of Dick Ruthven and Elias Sosa, but John Montefusco fired a three-hitter as the Giants took the nightcap, 1-0. Willie Montanez hit a homer in the fifth inning of the opener, the first for the Giants in 133 innings. Chris Speier's infield single with the bases loaded produced the only run of the nightcap. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 9, San Francisco Giants 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, May       23, 1976 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Braves       1  1  0    5  2  0    0  0  0  -   9 13  0
Giants       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  1  0  -   2  5  3


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Office cf             3   2   2   0     3   1   .218      Joshua cf,lf          4   1   2   0     0   1   .258
Lacy 2b               6   1   2   1     0   1   .250      Thomas 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Wynn lf               2   2   0   0     3   0   .227        Herndon cf          1   0   0   1     0   0   .370
Evans 1b              4   1   1   0     1   0   .185      Murcer rf             2   0   0   0     1   1   .265
May rf                1   0   0   0     1   1   .140        Hill 1b             1   0   0   0     0   1   .238
  Gaston ph,rf        2   1   2   2     1   0   .350      Matthews lf           3   0   0   0     0   1   .231
Pocoroba c            5   1   2   1     0   0   .268        Arnold 2b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .160
Chaney ss             5   0   3   1     0   0   .247      Montanez 1b           3   1   1   1     0   1   .312
Royster 3b            4   0   1   1     1   1   .186        D'Acquisto p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
Ruthven p             4   1   0   0     0   1   .182        Adams ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Sosa p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Speier ss             3   0   0   0     1   0   .252
                                                          Reitz 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .267
                                                          Rader c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .234
                                                          Halicki p             1   0   1   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Caldwell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
                                                            Heaverlo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Ontiveros ph,1b,rf  2   0   1   0     0   0   .147

Totals               37   9  13   6    10   5             Totals               31   2   5   2     2   5

Time of Game: 2:32
Left on Base: Braves 11, Giants 4
DP: Braves 1, Giants 2
Errors: Joshua, Murcer, Montanez
Doubles: Ontiveros (1), Joshua (4)
Home Runs: Montanez (1)
Stolen Bases: May (1)
Caught Stealing: Office (4)
GIDP: Pocoroba (4), Reitz (10)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven W(5-5)          5     2   1   1   1   3   1  17   2.89
Sosa SV(3)              4     3   1   0   1   2   0  16   4.97
Totals                  9     5   2   1   2   5   1  33

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Halicki L(2-7)          3.1   8   5   4   6   1   0  22   6.31
Caldwell                0     2   2   2   0   0   0   2   4.95
Heaverlo                2.2   3   2   1   1   3   0  12   4.13
D'Acquisto              3     0   0   0   3   1   0  11   9.00
Totals                  9    13   9   7  10   5   0  47

Passed Balls: Pocoroba (7)
Wild Pitches: Halicki (3)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Office walked; Lacy popped to third in foul
territory; Office was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Wynn walked; Evans singled to center [Evans to second,
Wynn scored (error by Joshua) (unearned)]; Halicki threw a wild
pitch [Evans to third]; May walked; May stole second; Pocoroba
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Joshua struck out (catcher to first); Thomas popped
to third; Murcer struck out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 1, Giants 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Chaney singled to center; Royster flied out to
center; Ruthven forced Chaney (third to second); Office singled
to right [Ruthven to second]; Lacy singled to center [Ruthven
scored, Office to third]; Wynn walked [Lacy to second]; Evans
flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 2, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Matthews flied out to left; Montanez struck out;
Speier grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Giants 0.

BRAVES 3RD: May was called out on strikes; Pocoroba singled to
second; Chaney was credited with a single when a runner was hit
by the batted ball [Pocoroba out at second (second unassisted)];
Royster singled to left [Chaney to second]; Ruthven forced
Royster (shortstop to second); 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2,
Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Reitz grounded out (pitcher to first); Rader popped
to third in foul territory; Halicki singled to center; Joshua
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Giants 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Office walked; Lacy singled to left [Office to
second]; Wynn flied out to right; Evans walked [Office to third,
Lacy to second]; CALDWELL REPLACED HALICKI (PITCHING); GASTON
BATTED FOR MAY; Gaston singled to left [Office scored, Lacy
scored, Evans to second]; Pocoroba singled to center [Evans
scored, Gaston to second]; HEAVERLO REPLACED CALDWELL
(PITCHING); Chaney singled to right [Gaston scored, Pocoroba to
third]; Royster grounded out (third to first) [Pocoroba scored,
Chaney to second]; Ruthven flied out to right; 5 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 7, Giants 0.

GIANTS 4TH: GASTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Thomas popped to
second; Murcer flied out to right; Matthews grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 7, Giants 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Office singled to center; Lacy struck out; Wynn
walked [Office to second]; Evans reached on an error by Montanez
[Office scored, Wynn scored (unearned), Evans to second (error
by Murcer)]; Gaston singled to third [Evans stayed at second];
Pocoroba grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Gaston out at second]; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 9, Giants 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Montanez homered; Speier walked; Reitz grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Speier out at
second]; Rader grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 9, Giants 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Chaney flied out to left; Royster was called out on
strikes; Ruthven struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 9,
Giants 1.

GIANTS 6TH: SOSA REPLACED RUTHVEN (PITCHING); ONTIVEROS BATTED
FOR HEAVERLO; Ontiveros doubled to left; Joshua singled to
center [Ontiveros to third]; Thomas popped to third in foul
territory; Murcer walked [Joshua to second]; Matthews struck
out; Montanez flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves
9, Giants 1.

BRAVES 7TH: D'ACQUISTO REPLACED MONTANEZ (PITCHING); ONTIVEROS
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Office was called out on strikes;
Lacy popped to shortstop; Wynn popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 9, Giants 1.

GIANTS 7TH: Speier grounded out (third to first); Reitz grounded
out (shortstop to first); Rader flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 9, Giants 1.

BRAVES 8TH: JOSHUA CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); HERNDON
REPLACED THOMAS (PLAYING CF); HILL REPLACED MURCER (PLAYING 1B);
ARNOLD REPLACED MATTHEWS (PLAYING 2B); ONTIVEROS CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Evans grounded out (shortstop to first);
Gaston walked; Pocoroba flied out to center; Chaney flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 9, Giants 1.

GIANTS 8TH: Ontiveros flied out to left; Joshua doubled to
center; Pocoroba allowed a passed ball [Joshua to third];
Herndon grounded out (shortstop to first) [Joshua scored
(unearned)]; Hill struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 9, Giants 2.

BRAVES 9TH: Royster walked; Sosa forced Royster (third to
shortstop); Office walked [Sosa to second]; Lacy hit into a
double play (center to shortstop) [Sosa out at third]; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 9, Giants 2.

GIANTS 9TH: Arnold flied out to left; ADAMS BATTED FOR
D'ACQUISTO; Adams grounded out (third to first); Speier grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 9, Giants 2.