After being held to three hits in the first seven innings, the Reds put together three more hits for two runs in the eighth and defeated the Braves, 3-1. Santo Alcala, who was the winner, doubled in the sixth and scored the Reds' first run when Phil Niekro hit a spell of wildness and walked Pete Rose, Joe Morgan and Dan Driessen.

The Braves' tally had counted previously in the fourth on a walk to Ken Henderson, a wild pitch and single by Biff Pocoroba. The Reds' tie-breaking pair in the eighth came when Ken Griffey and Morgan singled and both scored on a single by George Foster. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 3, Atlanta Braves 1
Game Played on Friday, July      23, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  1    0  2  0  -   3  6  1
Braves       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               2   0   0   0     3   0   .332      Royster 3b            5   0   2   0     0   0   .255
Griffey rf            4   1   1   0     1   0   .331      Belloir 2b            2   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Morgan 2b             4   1   1   0     1   1   .319        May ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .202
Foster lf             3   0   1   2     1   1   .321      Wynn cf               3   0   0   0     1   2   .223
Driessen 1b           3   0   0   1     1   1   .275      Montanez 1b           3   0   0   0     1   0   .313
Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .227      Henderson rf          3   1   1   0     1   0   .279
Geronimo cf           4   0   1   0     0   1   .312      Paciorek lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .314
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   1   .267      Chaney ss             3   0   0   0     1   1   .262
Alcala p              3   1   1   0     0   1   .138      Pocoroba c            3   0   1   1     1   0   .233
                                                          Niekro p              3   0   1   0     0   0   .196
                                                            Dal Canton p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Beard p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Office ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .290
                                                            Robinson pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .214

Totals               31   3   6   3     7   7             Totals               31   1   7   1     5   4

Time of Game: 2:28   Attendance: 27,423
Left on Base: Reds 9, Braves 10
DP: Reds 2, Braves 1
Errors: Concepcion
Doubles: Alcala (1)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (29), Foster (9), Rose (5), Wynn (8), Henderson (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Alcala (5), Belloir 2 (2)
GIDP: Driessen (8), Montanez (18), Niekro (2)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Alcala W(9-2)           9     7   1   1   5   4   0  38   4.04
Totals                  9     7   1   1   5   4   0  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(10-6)          7     6   3   3   5   6   0  31   3.55
Dal Canton              1.2   0   0   0   2   0   0   7   2.08
Beard                   0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   1.98
Totals                  9     6   3   3   7   7   0  39

Wild Pitches: Alcala (1)

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


REDS 1ST: Rose walked; Griffey forced Rose (shortstop to second)
[Griffey to first]; Morgan popped to shortstop; Foster popped to
first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster singled to shortstop; Belloir out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Royster to second]; Wynn
struck out; Montanez was walked intentionally; Henderson
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0,
Braves 0.

REDS 2ND: Driessen struck out (catcher to first); Bench grounded
out (third to first); Geronimo singled to second; Concepcion
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Paciorek was called out on strikes; Chaney grounded
out (second to first); Pocoroba grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 0.

REDS 3RD: Alcala was called out on strikes; Rose flied out to
center; Griffey flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Niekro singled to shortstop; Royster singled to
right [Niekro to third]; Belloir grounded out (second to first)
[Royster to second]; Wynn walked; Montanez grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Wynn out at second];
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 0.

REDS 4TH: Morgan grounded out (first unassisted); Foster walked;
Driessen grounded into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Foster out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Henderson walked; Alcala threw a wild pitch
[Henderson to second]; Paciorek grounded out (shortstop to
first); Chaney walked; Pocoroba singled to right [Henderson
scored, Chaney to third]; Niekro grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Pocoroba out at second]; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 1.

REDS 5TH: Bench was called out on strikes; Geronimo struck out;
Concepcion grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Royster flied out to center; Belloir singled to
left; Wynn forced Belloir (third to second) [Wynn to first];
Wynn stole second; Montanez flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Reds 0, Braves 1.

REDS 6TH: Alcala doubled; Rose walked; Griffey popped to third
in foul territory; Morgan walked [Alcala to third, Rose to
second]; Foster struck out; Driessen walked [Alcala scored, Rose
to third, Morgan to second]; Bench grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Henderson singled to center; Henderson stole second;
Paciorek popped to second; Chaney struck out; Pocoroba was
walked intentionally; Niekro forced Pocoroba (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 7TH: Geronimo flied out to left; Concepcion singled to
right; Alcala out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Concepcion to second]; Rose flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Royster reached on an error by Concepcion [Royster
to first]; Belloir out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Royster to second]; Wynn struck out; Montanez grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Braves 1.

REDS 8TH: Griffey singled to right; Morgan singled to center
[Griffey to third]; Morgan stole second; Foster singled to right
[Griffey scored, Morgan scored]; DAL CANTON REPLACED NIEKRO
(PITCHING); Foster stole second; Driessen grounded out (first
unassisted) [Foster to third]; Bench grounded out (third to
first); Geronimo lined to third; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Henderson flied out to left; Paciorek grounded out
(third to first); Chaney grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 1.

REDS 9TH: Concepcion popped to first in foul territory; Alcala
popped to third; Rose walked; Rose stole second; Griffey walked;
BEARD REPLACED DAL CANTON (PITCHING); Morgan struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: Pocoroba flied out to center; OFFICE BATTED FOR
BEARD; Office singled to right; ROBINSON RAN FOR OFFICE; Royster
flied out to center; MAY BATTED FOR BELLOIR; May popped to
second in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves
1.