Taking advantage of shoddy defense, the Braves scored four unearned runs and defeated the Mets, 5-3. The Mets committed four errors. Dave Kingman and Wayne Garrett homered for the Mets. With the score tied, 3-3, Rowland Office was safe on a bobble by Felix Millan in the eighth inning.

After a forceout by Rod Gilbreath, Tom Paciorek singled. Willie Montanez and Ken Henderson then followed with singles, each driving in a run, to provide the Braves' winning margin. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, New York Mets 3
Game Played on Friday, July      9, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Mets         0  1  0    0  0  1    0  1  0  -   3  8  4
Braves       0  0  0    2  1  0    0  2  x  -   5  6  2


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
xPhillips ss          4   0   1   0     0   0   .000      Office cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .288
Millan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Gilbreath 2b          3   2   0   0     1   0   .306
Milner lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .279      Paciorek lf           4   2   2   0     0   0   .339
Kingman rf            4   1   1   1     0   2   .235      Montanez 1b           4   0   1   1     0   2   .314
Kranepool 1b          4   1   1   0     0   0   .284      Henderson rf          3   0   1   1     1   1   .268
Hodges c              4   0   1   1     0   0   .294      Chaney ss             4   0   0   0     0   1   .261
Garrett 3b            3   1   1   1     1   2   .230      Royster 3b            3   1   1   0     0   1   .233
Brown cf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .250      Pocoroba c            3   0   1   1     0   1   .235
Swan p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .107      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .160
  Myrick p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        May ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .193
  Vail ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .267        Marshall p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Espinosa p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Apodaca p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Torre ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .301

Totals               34   3   8   3     1   5             Totals               31   5   6   3     2   6

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance: 12,871
Left on Base: Mets 7, Braves 4
DP: Mets 0, Braves 1
Errors: Millan, Hodges 2, Garrett, Gilbreath, Pocoroba
Doubles: Kranepool (11)
Home Runs: Garrett (4), Kingman (28)
Stolen Bases: Paciorek (1)
Caught Stealing: Office (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Swan (5)
GIDP: Brown (1)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Swan                    5     2   3   1   2   5   0  19   3.42
Myrick                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.61
Espinosa L(0-1)         1.2   2   2   0   0   1   0   8   0.00
Apodaca                 0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.68
Totals                  8     6   5   1   2   6   0  33

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(9-4)           8     8   3   3   1   5   2  34   3.49
Marshall SV(13)         1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.02
Totals                  9     8   3   3   1   5   2  37

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Andy Olsen, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Dutch Rennert


METS 1ST: Phillips singled to right; Millan singled to left
[Phillips to second]; Milner popped to third; Kingman struck
out; Kranepool grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office grounded out (shortstop to first); Gilbreath
popped to second; Paciorek flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 0, Braves 0.

METS 2ND: Hodges grounded out (shortstop to first); Garrett
homered; Brown singled to left; Swan out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Brown to second]; Phillips reached on
catcher's interference by Pocoroba; Millan flied out to left; 1
R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Montanez struck out; Henderson struck out; Chaney
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Braves
0.

METS 3RD: Milner grounded out (second to first); Kingman struck
out; Kranepool popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Royster grounded out (second to first); Pocoroba was
called out on strikes; Niekro flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Mets 1, Braves 0.

METS 4TH: Hodges flied out to left; Garrett walked; Brown
singled to right [Garrett to second]; Swan forced Garrett (third
to shortstop) [Brown to second]; Phillips flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Office grounded out (second to first); Gilbreath
walked; Paciorek reached on an error by Garrett [Gilbreath to
third]; Paciorek stole second [Paciorek to third (error by
Hodges), Gilbreath scored (unearned)]; Montanez struck out;
Henderson walked; Henderson was picked off first but was safe on
an error by Hodges [Paciorek scored (unearned), Henderson to
third]; Chaney popped to first; 2 R (0 ER), 0 H, 3 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 1, Braves 2.

METS 5TH: Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); Milner flied
out to center; Kingman flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Royster singled to center; Pocoroba singled to left
[Royster scored]; Niekro popped to third in foul territory;
Office forced Pocoroba (shortstop to second); Office was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 1, Braves 3.

METS 6TH: Kranepool doubled to right; Hodges singled to center
[Kranepool scored]; Garrett struck out; Brown grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Hodges out at second]; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: MYRICK REPLACED SWAN (PITCHING); Gilbreath grounded
out (second to first); Paciorek singled to center; Montanez
forced Paciorek (shortstop to second); Henderson grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Braves 3.

METS 7TH: VAIL BATTED FOR MYRICK; Vail flied out to center;
Phillips reached on an error by Gilbreath; Millan forced
Phillips (first to shortstop); Milner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Mets 2, Braves 3.

BRAVES 7TH: ESPINOSA REPLACED VAIL (PITCHING); Chaney flied out
to center; Royster struck out; Pocoroba popped to first; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Braves 3.

METS 8TH: Kingman homered; Kranepool grounded out (second to
first); Hodges lined to first; Garrett struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: MAY BATTED FOR NIEKRO; May flied out to center;
Office reached on an error by Millan; Gilbreath forced Office
(shortstop to second); Paciorek singled to second [Gilbreath to
second]; Montanez singled to left [Gilbreath scored (unearned),
Paciorek to second]; APODACA REPLACED ESPINOSA (PITCHING);
Henderson singled to right [Paciorek scored (unearned), Montanez
to third]; Chaney grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R (0 ER), 3
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 3, Braves 5.

METS 9TH: MARSHALL REPLACED MAY (PITCHING); Brown grounded out
(third to first); TORRE BATTED FOR APODACA; Torre flied out to
right; Phillips grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 3, Braves 5.