jerry Royster drove in a run with a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning to enable the Braves to win the first game of a doubleheader, 2-1, before the Giants came back to take the second game, 4-1, on the strength of three RBIs by Ken Reitz. Ed Halicki, who started the opener for Giants, made only one pitch before leaving the game with a bicep injury. The Giants used three relievers with the loss going to Gary Lavelle on Royster's single after the Braves had loaded the bases with a single by Darrel Chaney and two walks.

In the nightcap, Reitz batted in two runs with a single in the fourth inning and added an RBI with another single in the sixth to back up the pitching of John Montefusco. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 2, San Francisco Giants 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, August    8, 1976 (Day game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Giants       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  5  0
Braves       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  1  -   2  6  0


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Herndon cf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .298      Royster 3b            5   0   3   1     0   0   .252
Perez 2b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .257      Gilbreath 2b          1   0   0   0     2   0   .268
Matthews lf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .275      Wynn cf               3   0   0   0     1   1   .218
Murcer rf             4   1   2   0     0   1   .253      Montanez 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .307
Thomasson 1b          3   0   1   1     1   0   .256      Henderson rf          2   0   1   0     2   1   .265
Reitz 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .276      Chaney ss             4   1   1   0     0   1   .282
Rader c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .254      Gaston lf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .377
LeMaster ss           2   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Correll c             3   0   0   0     1   0   .223
  Evans ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .202      Ruthven p             3   0   0   0     0   2   .175
  Moffitt p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .222        Paciorek ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .310
  Lavelle p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .125        Eden pr             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Halicki p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Williams p          2   0   1   0     0   1   .167
  Speier ph,ss        0   0   0   0     1   0   .225

Totals               30   1   5   1     4   6             Totals               29   2   6   2     7   6

Time of Game: 2:19
Left on Base: Giants 7, Braves 10
DP: Giants 0, Braves 0
Doubles: Thomasson (12)
Home Runs: Gaston (4)
Stolen Bases: Matthews (8), Thomasson (6), Wynn (10), Chaney (3)
Caught Stealing: Matthews (5), Gilbreath (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Reitz (2), Gilbreath (13)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Halicki                 0     0   0   0   0   0   0   0   4.08
Williams                6     3   1   1   4   3   1  24   1.94
Moffitt                 1.1   1   0   0   1   2   0   6   2.51
Lavelle L(4-5)          1     2   1   1   2   1   0   7   2.99
Totals                  8.1   6   2   2   7   6   1  37

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven W(13-9)         9     5   1   1   4   6   0  35   3.12
Totals                  9     5   1   1   4   6   0  35

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


GIANTS 1ST: Herndon was called out on strikes; Perez struck out;
Matthews walked; Matthews stole second; Murcer struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: WILLIAMS REPLACED HALICKI (PITCHING); Royster made
an out to second; Ed Halicki left after first pitch with
bicep injury; Gilbreath walked; Wynn flied out to left;
Montanez flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0,
Braves 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Thomasson made an out to first; Reitz flied out to
center; Rader made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Henderson singled to center; Chaney grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Henderson to second]; Gaston flied out to
right [Henderson to third]; Correll flied out to right; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Braves 0.

GIANTS 3RD: LeMaster grounded out (first unassisted); Williams
struck out; Herndon grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Ruthven struck out; Royster grounded out (shortstop
to first); Gilbreath walked; Gilbreath was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0,
Braves 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Perez flied out to right; Matthews grounded out
(third to first); Murcer singled to second; Thomasson doubled to
left [Murcer scored]; Reitz flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez
grounded out (second to first); Henderson walked; Chaney made an
out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Rader flied out to left; LeMaster grounded out
(third to first); Williams singled to center; Herndon forced
Williams (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Gaston homered; Correll grounded out (shortstop to
first); Ruthven grounded out (third to first); Royster singled
to third; Gilbreath grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 1.

GIANTS 6TH: Perez grounded out (third to first); Matthews
grounded out (pitcher to first); Murcer flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Wynn struck out; Montanez flied out to center;
Henderson walked; Chaney struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 1, Braves 1.

GIANTS 7TH: Thomasson walked; Reitz out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Thomasson to second]; Rader was walked
intentionally; EVANS BATTED FOR LEMASTER; Thomasson stole third;
Evans struck out; SPEIER BATTED FOR WILLIAMS; Speier walked
[Rader to second]; Herndon forced Speier (shortstop to second);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: SPEIER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); MOFFITT REPLACED
EVANS (PITCHING); Gaston was called out on strikes; Correll
popped to third in foul territory; Ruthven was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 1.

GIANTS 8TH: Perez grounded out (second to first); Matthews
singled to left; Matthews was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Murcer singled to right; Thomasson flied out to
center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Royster singled to left; Gilbreath out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Royster to second]; Wynn
walked; LAVELLE REPLACED MOFFITT (PITCHING); Montanez forced
Royster (shortstop to third) [Wynn to second]; Wynn stole third;
Henderson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 1.

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

BRAVES 9TH: Chaney singled to center; On a bunt Gaston made an
out to pitcher; Chaney stole second; Correll walked; PACIOREK
BATTED FOR RUTHVEN; Paciorek walked [Chaney to third, Correll to
second]; EDEN RAN FOR PACIOREK; Royster singled to center
[Chaney scored, Correll to third, Eden to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Giants 1, Braves 2.