Two rookies -- Mark Lemongello of Astros and Al Autry of the Braves -- made their major league debuts with victories as the clubs split a twi-night doubleheader. Lernongello pitched seven innings in the opener and came out with credit for a 4-3 victory. Enos Cabell homered in the seventh to provide the Astros' winning run.

Autry worked five innings for the Braves in the nightcap and was the winner when Willie Montanez broke a tie by smashing a three-run homer in the third to beat the Astros by the same 4-3 score. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Atlanta Braves 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Tuesday, September 14, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       2  0  0    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   4  6  1
Braves       0  0  1    0  1  0    0  1  0  -   3  9  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   1   1   0     1   0   .288      Royster 3b            5   0   1   0     0   1   .232
Cabell 3b             5   2   2   1     0   2   .280      Gilbreath 2b          5   0   1   2     0   0   .258
Cedeno cf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .293      Montanez 1b           3   1   2   0     1   0   .312
Watson 1b             3   0   1   1     1   2   .306      Henderson cf          4   0   1   1     0   1   .262
Cruz lf               4   0   0   1     0   0   .297      May lf                4   0   1   0     0   0   .214
DaVanon 2b            2   0   0   0     2   0   .283      Paciorek rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .291
Herrmann c            2   0   0   0     1   1   .204      Chaney ss             4   0   0   0     0   0   .252
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   2   .214      Correll c             2   1   1   0     0   0   .230
Lemongello p          3   0   0   0     0   2   .000        Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .091        Murphy c            1   0   1   0     0   0   .600
                                                          Ruthven p             1   1   1   0     0   0   .186
                                                            Wynn ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .207
                                                            Torrealba p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Belloir ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .231

Totals               32   4   6   3     5  10             Totals               34   3   9   3     2   3

Time of Game: 2:16
Left on Base: Astros 7, Braves 8
DP: Astros 0, Braves 1
Errors: Cedeno, Chaney, Correll
Doubles: Watson (28), Ruthven (1)
Home Runs: Cabell (2)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno 2 (50), Cruz (25)
Caught Stealing: Gross (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Ruthven (8), Belloir (4)
Hit by Pitch: Herrmann (4,by Ruthven)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello W(1-0)       7     8   3   2   2   3   0  31   2.57
Forsch SV(19)           2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   2.18
Totals                  9     9   3   2   2   3   0  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven L(13-15)        7     6   4   4   5   7   1  32   3.79
Torrealba               2     0   0   0   0   3   0   6   3.45
Totals                  9     6   4   4   5  10   1  38

Hit by Pitch: Ruthven (8)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Art Williams, 3B - Joe West


ASTROS 1ST: Debut for umpire Joe West; Gross reached on
an error by Chaney [Gross to first]; Debut game for Mark
Lemongello; Gross was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Cabell singled; Cedeno singled [Cabell to third];
Cedeno stole second; Watson was walked intentionally; Cruz
forced Watson (shortstop to second) [Cabell scored, Cedeno to
third]; Cruz stole second [Cedeno scored (error by Correll)];
DaVanon walked; Herrmann walked [Cruz to third, DaVanon to
second]; Metzger struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 2 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster made an out to pitcher; Gilbreath flied out
to left; Montanez singled; Henderson was called out on strikes;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Lemongello struck out; Gross singled; Cabell flied
out to center; Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: May flied out to right; Paciorek struck out; Chaney
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson was called out on strikes; Cruz grounded out
(shortstop to first); DaVanon grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Correll singled; Ruthven out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Correll to second]; Royster struck out;
Gilbreath singled [Correll scored]; Montanez walked [Gilbreath
to second]; Henderson grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Herrmann was hit by a pitch; Metzger flied out to
center; Lemongello hit into a double play (pitcher to second)
[Herrmann out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: May singled; Paciorek flied out to right; Chaney
grounded out (first unassisted) [May to second]; Correll
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Gross walked; Cabell struck out; Cedeno flied out to
center; Watson doubled [Gross scored]; Cruz grounded out (second
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Ruthven doubled; Royster singled [Ruthven to third];
Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop to first) [Ruthven scored,
Royster to second]; Montanez flied out to left; Henderson flied
out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 2.

ASTROS 6TH: DaVanon walked; Herrmann grounded out (second to
first) [DaVanon to second]; Metzger struck out; Lemongello was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 2.

BRAVES 6TH: May grounded out (first unassisted); Paciorek
grounded out (third to first); Chaney flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
homered; Cedeno singled; Cedeno stole second; Watson was called
out on strikes; Cruz grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR CORRELL; Asselstine flied out
to right; Debut game for Brian Asselstine; WYNN BATTED
FOR RUTHVEN; Wynn walked; Royster grounded out (first
unassisted) [Wynn to second]; Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 2.

ASTROS 8TH: MURPHY REPLACED ASSELSTINE (PLAYING C ); TORREALBA
REPLACED WYNN (PITCHING); DaVanon grounded out (second to
first); Herrmann struck out; Metzger flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 2.

BRAVES 8TH: Montanez singled to center [Montanez to second
(error by Cedeno)]; Henderson singled [Montanez scored
(unearned)]; FORSCH REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); May grounded
out (second to first) [Henderson to second]; Paciorek made an
out to third; Chaney made an out to third; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Forsch struck out; Gross flied out to left; Cabell
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 9TH: Murphy singled; BELLOIR BATTED FOR TORREALBA;
Belloir out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Murphy to
second]; Royster made an out to catcher; Gilbreath grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.