After pitching eight straight complete games and winning seven, Andy Messersmith needed help from Mike Marshall, but gained credit for the Braves' 4-2 victory over the Pirates. Jim Wynn and Rod Gilbreath each batted in one run and scored one for the Braves. Messersmith, who gave up only five hits, was lifted with two out in the seventh inning after Ed Kirkpatrick doubled to drive in his second run of the game for the Pirates. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 2
Game Played on Tuesday, July      6, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Pirates      0  0  1    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  7  1
Braves       2  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  x  -   4 14  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            3   0   0   0     0   2   .246      Office cf             3   1   1   0     0   0   .301
  Zisk ph             1   1   0   0     0   0   .290      Gilbreath 2b          5   1   2   1     0   1   .309
  Mendoza ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .196      Wynn lf               3   1   2   1     2   1   .237
Kirkpatrick lf        4   0   2   2     0   1   .292      Montanez 1b           5   0   1   0     0   1   .320
Oliver cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .366      Paciorek rf           3   1   2   1     0   0   .310
Stargell 1b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .255      Williams c            4   0   1   0     0   0   .213
Parker rf             2   0   0   0     2   0   .274      Royster 3b            4   0   1   1     0   0   .229
Robinson 3b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .328      Chaney ss             4   0   2   0     0   0   .272
Stennett 2b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .237      Messersmith p         3   0   1   0     0   0   .208
Dyer c                3   0   0   0     0   2   .194        Marshall p          1   0   1   0     0   0   .143
Rooker p              2   1   1   0     0   1   .226
  Ott ph              1   0   1   0     0   0   .308
  Langford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .500

Totals               32   2   7   2     2   8             Totals               35   4  14   4     2   3

Time of Game: 2:22   Attendance: 12,448
Left on Base: Pirates 5, Braves 12
DP: Pirates 0, Braves 2
Errors: Parker
Doubles: Rooker (2), Oliver (17), Kirkpatrick (3), Wynn (11), Chaney (11)
Stolen Bases: Office (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Office 2 (3)
GIDP: Robinson (10), Parker (7)
Hit by Pitch: Paciorek (1,by Rooker)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rooker L(7-4)           7    12   4   4   1   3   0  34   3.66
Langford                1     2   0   0   1   0   0   6   4.15
Totals                  8    14   4   4   2   3   0  40

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith W(9-6)      7.2   5   2   2   2   8   0  29   2.37
Marshall SV(12)         1.1   2   0   0   0   0   0   5   4.13
Totals                  9     7   2   2   2   8   0  34

Passed Balls: Dyer (3)
Hit by Pitch: Rooker (2)
Wild Pitches: Rooker (6)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Frank Pulli


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras grounded out (pitcher to first);
Kirkpatrick grounded out (pitcher to first); Oliver grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office flied out to left; Gilbreath singled to left;
Wynn doubled to right [Gilbreath scored]; Montanez singled to
left [Wynn to third]; Paciorek singled to right [Wynn scored,
Montanez to second]; Williams flied out to left; Royster popped
to catcher in foul territory; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Braves 2.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell grounded out (shortstop to first); Parker
walked; Robinson struck out; Stennett forced Parker (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Chaney doubled to left; Messersmith popped to first
in foul territory; Office grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Chaney to third]; Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Braves 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Dyer struck out; Rooker doubled to center; Taveras
struck out; Kirkpatrick singled to center [Rooker scored];
Oliver flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Wynn struck out; Montanez grounded out (shortstop to
first); Paciorek singled to left; Williams singled to right
[Paciorek to third, Williams to second (error by Parker)];
Royster grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 1, Braves 2.

PIRATES 4TH: Stargell lined to center; Parker walked; Robinson
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Parker
out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Chaney flied out to center; Messersmith grounded out
(pitcher to second to first); Office singled to left; Office
stole second; Gilbreath singled to right [Office scored]; Wynn
singled to left [Gilbreath to second]; Montanez struck out; 1 R,
3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 3.

PIRATES 5TH: Stennett flied out to center; Dyer grounded out
(third to first); Rooker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Paciorek was hit by a pitch; Dyer allowed a passed
ball [Paciorek to second]; Williams flied out to center
[Paciorek to third]; Royster singled to left [Paciorek scored,
Royster out at second (left to shortstop)]; Chaney grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 4.

PIRATES 6TH: Taveras was called out on strikes; Kirkpatrick
struck out; Oliver doubled to left; Stargell struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Messersmith singled to left; Office out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Messersmith to second];
Rooker threw a wild pitch [Messersmith to third]; Gilbreath was
called out on strikes; Wynn walked; Montanez flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 4.

PIRATES 7TH: Parker flied out to center; Robinson flied out to
right; Stennett grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Paciorek grounded out (pitcher to first); Williams
grounded out (shortstop to first); Royster grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Braves 4.

PIRATES 8TH: Dyer struck out; OTT BATTED FOR ROOKER; Ott singled
to right; ZISK BATTED FOR TAVERAS; Zisk forced Ott (shortstop to
second); Kirkpatrick doubled to center [Zisk scored]; MARSHALL
REPLACED MESSERSMITH (PITCHING); Oliver grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 8TH: LANGFORD REPLACED OTT (PITCHING); MENDOZA REPLACED
ZISK (PLAYING SS); Chaney singled to second; Marshall singled to
shortstop [Chaney to second]; Office out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Chaney to third, Marshall to second];
Gilbreath reached on a fielder's choice [Chaney out at home
(third to catcher), Marshall to third]; Wynn walked [Gilbreath
to second]; Montanez grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves 4.

PIRATES 9TH: Stargell singled to right; Parker grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Stargell out at
second]; Robinson singled to right; Stennett forced Robinson
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Braves
4.