The Cardinals struck for three runs in the first, two coming on Keith Hernandez' inside-the-park home run, and held off the Braves, 4-2. Ted Simmons' two-out single in the opening frame scored Lou Brock, who had singled and stolen second. Hernandez followed with a shot off the center field wall which bounced away from Rowland Office.

St. Louis' final run in the fourth was the result of a walk to Hector Cruz and two-out double by Mike Phillips. Clay Carroll, in relief of winner Bob Forsch, who left the game with a muscle strain, surrendered single runs in the sixth and seventh, the latter on Willie Montanez' home run. Buddy Schultz took over in the seventh and picked up his first save. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 4, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Tuesday, July      26, 1977 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   2  9  0
Cardinals    3  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   4  5  2


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Office cf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .245      Brock lf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .264
  Bonnell ph,cf       2   0   1   0     0   0   .314      Templeton ss          4   0   1   0     0   1   .319
Gilbreath 2b          5   0   0   0     0   3   .232      Mumphrey cf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .306
Montanez 1b           4   1   2   1     0   0   .311      Simmons c             3   1   1   1     0   1   .330
Burroughs rf          4   0   1   0     0   1   .266      Hernandez 1b          3   1   1   2     0   0   .308
Matthews lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .288      Cruz rf               2   1   0   0     1   0   .264
Nolan c               3   0   1   0     0   0   .371      Phillips 3b           3   0   1   1     0   0   .202
  Correll ph,c        1   0   0   0     0   0   .230      Tyson 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Moore 3b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .255      Forsch p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .160
Chaney ss             3   0   1   0     0   0   .214        Anderson ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .218
  Paciorek ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .241        Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .100
Ruthven p             1   0   0   0     1   1   .200        Schultz p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  Asselstine ph       1   0   1   1     0   0   .197
  Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Collins p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gaston ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .228

Totals               37   2   9   2     1   7             Totals               29   4   5   4     1   4

Time of Game: 2:17   Attendance: 18,730
Left on Base: Braves 9, Cardinals 2
DP: Braves 0, Cardinals 1
Errors: Phillips, Tyson
Doubles: Matthews (12), Moore (6), Phillips (3)
Home Runs: Montanez (14), Hernandez (9)
Stolen Bases: Brock (18), Templeton (18)
GIDP: Bonnell (5)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven L(3-7)          6     4   4   4   1   4   1  23   3.74
Campbell                1.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   3.92
Collins                 0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   5.44
Totals                  8     5   4   4   1   4   1  30

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(13-4)          5     2   0   0   1   4   0  19   3.63
Carroll                 1.1   4   2   2   0   0   1   8   2.51
Schultz SV(1)           2.2   3   0   0   0   3   0  11   1.21
Totals                  9     9   2   2   1   7   1  38

Wild Pitches: Ruthven (1)

Umpires: HP - Satch Davidson, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


BRAVES 1ST: Office flied out to center; Gilbreath flied out to
center; Montanez flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock singled to center; Brock stole second;
Templeton struck out; Mumphrey grounded out (third to first);
Simmons singled to center [Brock scored]; Ruthven threw a wild
pitch [Simmons to second]; Hernandez hit an inside the park
homer to center [Simmons scored]; Cruz popped to second; 3 R, 3
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Cardinals 3.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs was called out on strikes; Matthews
grounded out (third to first); Nolan singled to right; Moore
reached on an error by Phillips [Nolan to second, Moore to
first]; Chaney forced Moore (first to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Braves 0, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 2ND: Phillips grounded out (second to first); Tyson
popped to second; Forsch grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Cardinals 3.

BRAVES 3RD: Ruthven struck out; Office was called out on
strikes; Gilbreath was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 3RD: Brock grounded out (first unassisted); Templeton
grounded out (shortstop to first); Mumphrey struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Cardinals 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Montanez grounded out (first unassisted); Burroughs
grounded out (third to first); Matthews doubled to left; Nolan
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0,
Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons was called out on strikes; Hernandez
lined to second; Cruz walked; Phillips doubled to left [Cruz
scored]; Tyson grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 0, Cardinals 4.

BRAVES 5TH: Moore grounded out (shortstop to first); Chaney
flied out to center; Ruthven walked; Office popped to third in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 5TH: ANDERSON BATTED FOR FORSCH; Anderson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Brock flied out to center; Templeton
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Cardinals 4.

BRAVES 6TH: CARROLL REPLACED ANDERSON (PITCHING); Gilbreath
grounded out (third to first); Montanez homered; Burroughs
grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews grounded out (second
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 6TH: Mumphrey was called out on strikes; Simmons flied
out to left; Hernandez grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Cardinals 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Nolan flied out to center; Moore doubled to left;
Chaney singled to center [Moore to third]; ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR
RUTHVEN; Asselstine singled to center [Moore scored, Chaney to
second]; SCHULTZ REPLACED CARROLL (PITCHING); BONNELL BATTED FOR
OFFICE; Bonnell grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Asselstine out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 7TH: BONNELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); CAMPBELL
REPLACED ASSELSTINE (PITCHING); Cruz popped to shortstop;
Phillips flied out to center; Tyson grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Gilbreath was called out on strikes; Montanez
singled to center; Burroughs singled to left [Montanez to
second]; Matthews reached on an error by Tyson [Montanez to
third, Burroughs to second, Matthews to first]; CORRELL BATTED
FOR NOLAN; Correll popped to second; Moore grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals
4.

CARDINALS 8TH: CORRELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Schultz
popped to first in foul territory; COLLINS REPLACED CAMPBELL
(PITCHING); Brock grounded out (pitcher to first); Templeton
singled to first; Templeton stole second; Mumphrey grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 4.

BRAVES 9TH: PACIOREK BATTED FOR CHANEY; Paciorek was called out
on strikes; GASTON BATTED FOR COLLINS; Gaston grounded out
(pitcher unassisted); Bonnell singled to left; Gilbreath struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 4.