With help from Max Leon, who relieved in the ninth inning, Jamie Easterly gained his first victory since returning from Richmond (International) when the Braves defeated the Dodgers, 5-2. Easterly left the mound with a man on base and one out. Leon gave up a run-scoring single by Manny Mota but ended the game when Ed Goodson lined into a double play.

The Braves scored twice in the second inning on one hit, a single by Jim Wynn, plus a wild throw by Bill Russell on a grounder by Tom Paciorek and a wild pitch by Dennis Lewallyn. Paciorek homered in the fourth. The Braves then clinched the decision in the seventh with run-scoring hits by Jerry Royster and Willie Montanez. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Game Played on Saturday, September 18, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   2  6  2
Braves       0  2  0    1  0  0    2  0  x  -   5 10  2


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Buckner lf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .298      Royster 3b            4   1   2   1     0   0   .240
Lopes 2b,cf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .235      Gilbreath 2b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .254
Russell ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .280      Montanez 1b           4   0   1   1     0   0   .317
Garvey 1b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .313      May lf                3   0   0   0     0   1   .218
Lacy rf               3   1   0   0     1   0   .271        Gaston ph,lf        1   0   0   0     0   1   .292
De Jesus 3b           4   0   2   1     0   0   .212      Wynn cf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .209
Burke cf              2   0   0   0     1   1   .348      Paciorek rf           4   2   2   1     0   1   .290
  Wall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Murphy c              4   1   2   0     0   0   .280
  Mota ph             1   0   1   1     0   0   .313      Chaney ss             3   0   0   0     0   0   .254
Pasley c              3   0   1   0     0   0   .267      Easterly p            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Goodson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .208        Leon p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Lewallyn p            2   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Sizemore 2b         1   0   0   0     0   0   .241

Totals               31   2   6   2     4   4             Totals               34   5  10   3     1   3

Time of Game: 2:01   Attendance:  5,165
Left on Base: Dodgers 6, Braves 7
DP: Dodgers 0, Braves 3
Errors: Russell 2, Murphy, Chaney
Doubles: Buckner (24), Wynn (19)
Triples: De Jesus (1)
Home Runs: Paciorek (3)
Stolen Bases: Burke (2), Royster (22)
Caught Stealing: Royster (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Chaney (8)
GIDP: Garvey (19), De Jesus (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lewallyn L(0-1)         6.2   7   5   4   1   2   1  29   3.72
Wall                    1.1   3   0   0   0   1   0   7   3.91
Totals                  8    10   5   4   1   3   1  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Easterly W(1-0)         8.1   5   2   2   4   4   0  33   2.70
Leon SV(3)              0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.75
Totals                  9     6   2   2   4   4   0  35

Wild Pitches: Lewallyn (1)

Umpires: HP - Art Williams, 1B - Joe West, 2B - Tom Gorman, 3B - John McSherry


DODGERS 1ST: Buckner doubled to left; Lopes singled to center
[Buckner to third]; Russell reached on a fielder's choice
[Buckner out at home (third to catcher), Lopes to second];
Garvey grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Russell out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers
0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster flied out to center; Gilbreath popped to
first in foul territory; Montanez popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Lacy reached on an error by Chaney [Lacy to first];
De Jesus grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Lacy out at second]; Burke walked; Burke stole second [Burke to
third (error by Murphy)]; Pasley grounded out (third to first);
0 R, 0 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: May was called out on strikes; Wynn singled to
center; Paciorek reached on an error by Russell [Wynn scored (no
RBI), Paciorek to third]; Lewallyn threw a wild pitch [Paciorek
scored (unearned)]; Murphy singled to left; Chaney flied out to
right; Easterly popped to shortstop; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 2.

DODGERS 3RD: Lewallyn struck out; Buckner lined to shortstop;
Lopes grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Royster grounded out (shortstop to first); Gilbreath
reached on an error by Russell [Gilbreath to first]; Montanez
popped to shortstop; May forced Gilbreath (second to shortstop);
0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 2.

DODGERS 4TH: Russell struck out; Garvey grounded out (second to
first); Lacy flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers
0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Wynn grounded out (shortstop to first); Paciorek
homered; Murphy grounded out (third to first); Chaney grounded
out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves
3.

DODGERS 5TH: De Jesus grounded out (third to first); Burke
struck out; Pasley singled to shortstop; Lewallyn struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Easterly flied out to center; Royster singled to
center; Royster was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Gilbreath walked; Montanez grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 3.

DODGERS 6TH: Buckner grounded out (first to pitcher); Lopes
popped to second; Russell grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: May grounded out (second to first); Wynn popped to
second; Paciorek struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0,
Braves 3.

DODGERS 7TH: Garvey grounded out (second to first); Lacy walked;
De Jesus tripled to right [Lacy scored]; Burke reached on a
fielder's choice [De Jesus out at home (third unassisted)];
Pasley grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 1, Braves 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Murphy singled to center; Chaney out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Murphy to second]; Easterly grounded out
(pitcher to first); Royster singled to center [Murphy scored];
Royster stole second; Gilbreath singled to shortstop [Royster to
third]; WALL REPLACED BURKE (PITCHING); SIZEMORE REPLACED
LEWALLYN (PLAYING 2B); LOPES CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF);
Montanez singled to center [Royster scored, Gilbreath to
second]; GASTON BATTED FOR MAY; Gaston struck out; 2 R, 4 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 5.

DODGERS 8TH: GASTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Sizemore lined
to shortstop; Buckner grounded out (pitcher to first); Lopes
walked; Russell forced Lopes (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 5.

BRAVES 8TH: Wynn doubled to left; Paciorek singled to left [Wynn
to third]; Murphy grounded out (third to first) [Paciorek to
second, Wynn stayed at third]; Chaney flied out to left;
Easterly popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Dodgers 1, Braves 5.

DODGERS 9TH: Garvey walked; Lacy flied out to right; De Jesus
singled to right [Garvey to second]; MOTA BATTED FOR WALL; LEON
REPLACED EASTERLY (PITCHING); Mota singled to left [Garvey
scored, De Jesus to third]; GOODSON BATTED FOR PASLEY; Goodson
lined into a double play (first unassisted) [Mota out at first];
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Braves 5.