Phil Niekro scattered nine hits and pitched the Braves to a 6-2 victory over the Astros. The Braves, who also collected nine hits, scored twice in the first inning on a single by Willie Montanez, pass to Dave May and singles by Jim Wynn and Tom Paciorek. Niekro was assured of the decision when the Braves added a pair in the third. Wynn singled for his second RBI of the game and the other run counted when Wynn's hit bounced past Jose Cruz in left field for an error. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 6, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Tuesday, September 21, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       2  0  2    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   6  9  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  9  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 3b            3   2   0   0     2   0   .237      Taveras ss            4   1   1   0     1   0   .231
Gilbreath 2b          5   0   2   1     0   0   .254      Cabell 3b             5   0   0   1     0   1   .276
Montanez 1b           4   2   1   0     1   1   .317      Cedeno cf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .295
May lf                3   2   1   1     1   0   .220      Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .307
Wynn cf               3   0   2   2     2   0   .211      Cruz lf               4   0   2   0     0   1   .298
Paciorek rf           4   0   2   1     0   0   .290      Johnson c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .221
Murphy c              3   0   0   0     1   1   .250      Gross rf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .287
Chaney ss             4   0   1   0     0   0   .255      Metzger 2b            4   1   1   0     0   1   .214
Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   0   .195      Larson p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .276
                                                            Howe ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .133
                                                            Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .185
                                                            Milbourne ph        1   0   1   0     0   0   .241
                                                            Rondon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
                                                            Roberts ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .289
                                                            Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Boswell ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .269

Totals               33   6   9   5     7   2             Totals               36   2   9   2     2   5

Time of Game: 2:04   Attendance:  3,637
Left on Base: Braves 8, Astros 9
DP: Braves 1, Astros 0
Errors: Gilbreath, Cruz
Triples: Gilbreath (8)
Stolen Bases: Royster (23), Wynn (16)
Sacrifice Flies: May (2)
GIDP: Gross (6)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(16-11)         9     9   2   2   2   5   0  38   3.39
Totals                  9     9   2   2   2   5   0  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Larson L(5-7)           3     6   4   3   2   0   0  16   3.16
Niekro                  2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   3.37
Rondon                  2     2   1   1   3   2   0  10   5.43
Sosa                    2     1   1   1   2   0   0   9   6.52
Totals                  9     9   6   5   7   2   0  41

Passed Balls: Murphy 4 (5)
Wild Pitches: Larson (1)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Art Williams, 2B - Jim Quick, 3B - Ed Montague


BRAVES 1ST: Royster grounded out (pitcher to first); Gilbreath
grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez singled to right;
Larson threw a wild pitch [Montanez to second]; May walked; Wynn
singled to center [Montanez scored, May to second]; Paciorek
singled to right [May scored, Wynn out at third (right to
third)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Taveras grounded out (third to first); Cabell made
an out to second; Cedeno singled to second; Murphy allowed a
passed ball [Cedeno to second]; Watson grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy walked; Chaney made an out to first; Niekro
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Murphy to second]; Royster
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to left; Johnson flied out to center;
Cruz was picked off first (pitcher to first); Gross walked;
Murphy allowed a passed ball [Gross to second]; Metzger popped
to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Gilbreath singled to pitcher; Montanez forced
Gilbreath (second to shortstop); May singled to right [Montanez
to second]; Wynn singled to left [Montanez scored, May scored
(error by Cruz) (unearned) (no RBI)]; Paciorek flied out to
left; Murphy grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R (1 ER), 3 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: HOWE BATTED FOR LARSON; Howe struck out; Taveras
walked; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first) [Taveras to
second]; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 0.

BRAVES 4TH: NIEKRO REPLACED HOWE (PITCHING); Chaney grounded out
(second to first); Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first);
Royster grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Braves 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (third to first); Cruz struck
out but advanced to first on a passed ball; Johnson forced Cruz
(shortstop to second); Gross reached on an error by Gilbreath
[Johnson to third, Gross to first]; Metzger struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Gilbreath flied out to center; Montanez grounded out
(second to first); May popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: MILBOURNE BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Milbourne singled to
left; Taveras forced Milbourne; Cabell lined to third; Cedeno
forced Taveras (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 4, Astros 0.

BRAVES 6TH: RONDON REPLACED MILBOURNE (PITCHING); Wynn walked;
Paciorek singled to third [Wynn to second]; Murphy struck out;
Chaney popped to third in foul territory; Niekro flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson singled to third; Cruz singled to center
[Watson to second]; Johnson flied out to center; Gross grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Cruz out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 4, Astros 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Royster walked; Royster stole second; Gilbreath
tripled [Royster scored]; Montanez struck out; May flied out to
center; Wynn walked; Wynn stole second; Gilbreath was out trying
to advance to home (pitcher to catcher); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 5, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger singled to center; ROBERTS BATTED FOR
RONDON; Murphy allowed a passed ball [Metzger to second];
Roberts grounded out (pitcher to first); Taveras singled
[Metzger to third]; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Metzger scored, Taveras to second]; Cedeno singled [Taveras
scored]; Watson grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 2.

BRAVES 8TH: SOSA REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); Paciorek flied out
to left; Murphy grounded out (third to first); Chaney singled to
left; Niekro grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Johnson
struck out; Gross flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 5, Astros 2.

BRAVES 9TH: Royster walked; Gilbreath grounded out (third to
first) [Royster to third]; Montanez was walked intentionally;
May hit a sacrifice fly to center [Royster scored]; Wynn forced
Montanez (shortstop to second); 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Metzger flied out to center; BOSWELL BATTED FOR
SOSA; Boswell singled to right; Taveras flied out to right;
Cabell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 2.