In addition to pitching a seven-hitter, Phil Niekro batted in the Braves' last four runs with a homer and single to clinch a 7-2 victory over the Dodgers. The Braves broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning when Jerry Royster tripled and Jim Wynn hit a sacrifice fly. Niekro whacked his homer with two men on base in the sixth and added the final run with his single in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Game Played on Wednesday, July      28, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Dodgers      2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  0
Braves       0  0  0    2  1  3    0  1  x  -   7 13  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes cf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .251      Royster 3b            5   1   2   0     0   1   .257
Sizemore 2b           4   1   2   0     0   1   .278      Gilbreath 2b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .274
Smith rf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .234      Wynn cf               3   1   1   1     0   0   .223
Cey 3b                1   0   0   0     3   0   .294      Montanez 1b           4   1   1   0     0   0   .315
Garvey 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .313      Paciorek lf           4   1   2   1     0   0   .316
Russell ss            4   0   1   2     0   0   .306      Henderson rf          4   0   2   1     0   1   .279
Buckner lf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .285      Chaney ss             3   0   0   0     1   2   .265
Rodriguez c           3   0   1   0     0   1   .259      Correll c             3   2   2   0     1   0   .257
John p                2   0   0   0     0   2   .122      Niekro p              4   1   2   4     0   0   .217
  Hough p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .267
  Goodson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               31   2   7   2     3   6             Totals               34   7  13   7     2   4

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance:  7,021
Left on Base: Dodgers 5, Braves 6
DP: Dodgers 2, Braves 2
Doubles: Montanez (22), Henderson (15)
Triples: Royster (1), Gilbreath (6), Correll (1)
Home Runs: Niekro (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Wynn (7)
GIDP: Lopes (6), Garvey (11), Gilbreath (8), Chaney (5)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
John L(6-7)             5     9   4   4   1   1   0  24   3.10
Hough                   1     1   2   2   1   0   1   4   2.55
Sosa                    2     3   1   1   0   3   0   9   4.69
Totals                  8    13   7   7   2   4   1  37

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(11-6)          9     7   2   2   3   6   0  34   3.47
Totals                  9     7   2   2   3   6   0  34

Wild Pitches: Niekro (7)

Umpires: HP - Paul Runge, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Ed Montague, 3B - Lee Weyer


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes singled to center; Sizemore singled to right
[Lopes to second]; Smith made an out to third; Cey walked [Lopes
to third, Sizemore to second]; Garvey made an out to shortstop;
Russell singled to right [Lopes scored, Sizemore scored, Cey to
third]; Buckner popped to first; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers
2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster flied out to left; Gilbreath grounded out
(third to first); Wynn grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Rodriguez singled to center; John struck out; Lopes
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Rodriguez out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Montanez grounded out (second to first); Paciorek
singled to center; Henderson forced Paciorek (third to second);
Chaney struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Sizemore struck out; Smith was called out on
strikes; Cey walked; Garvey singled to right [Cey out at third
(right to third)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Correll singled to left; Niekro forced Correll
(pitcher to shortstop); Royster singled to right [Niekro to
second]; Gilbreath grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Royster out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Braves 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Russell made an out to second; Buckner flied out to
center; Rodriguez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Wynn singled to left; Montanez doubled to center
[Wynn to third]; Paciorek grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Wynn scored]; Henderson doubled to center [Montanez scored];
Chaney walked; Correll grounded out (third to first) [Henderson
to third, Chaney to second]; Niekro grounded out (second to
first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 2.

DODGERS 5TH: John struck out; Lopes grounded out (shortstop to
first); Sizemore singled to left; Smith grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Royster tripled to right; Gilbreath grounded out
(third to first); Wynn hit a sacrifice fly to right [Royster
scored]; Montanez grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 3.

DODGERS 6TH: Cey walked; Garvey grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Cey out at second]; Russell
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2,
Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Paciorek singled to second; Henderson singled to
left [Paciorek to second]; HOUGH REPLACED JOHN (PITCHING);
Chaney grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Paciorek to third, Henderson out at second]; Correll walked;
Niekro homered [Paciorek scored, Correll scored]; Royster made
an out to second; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 6.

DODGERS 7TH: Buckner flied out to center; Rodriguez grounded out
(third to first); GOODSON BATTED FOR HOUGH; Goodson flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 6.

BRAVES 7TH: SOSA REPLACED GOODSON (PITCHING); Gilbreath tripled
to center; Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez
reached on a fielder's choice [Gilbreath out at home (first to
catcher)]; Paciorek flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Braves 6.

DODGERS 8TH: Lopes made an out to third; Sizemore flied out to
left; Smith struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves
6.

BRAVES 8TH: Henderson struck out; Chaney struck out; Correll
tripled to right; Niekro singled to left [Correll scored];
Royster struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 7.

DODGERS 9TH: Cey grounded out (shortstop to first); Garvey
singled to center; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Garvey to second];
Russell grounded out (third to first); Buckner flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 7.