MLB standings through games of September 18, 1976

MLB standings at the end of September 18, 1976

	GP	W	L	T	PCT	GB	RF	RA	HOME	ROAD	LAST 10	STRK
A.L. East
New York Yankees	146	91	55	0	.623		673	520	43-31	48-24	7-3	Won 4
Baltimore Orioles	147	81	66	0	.551	10.5	564	545	39-36	42-30	8-2	Won 1
Cleveland Indians	147	74	73	0	.503	17.5	575	580	38-33	36-40	4-6	Lost 1
Boston Red Sox	148	72	76	0	.486	20.0	641	617	39-33	33-43	6-4	Won 4
Detroit Tigers	147	67	80	0	.456	24.5	561	651	34-39	33-41	4-6	Lost 4
Milwaukee Brewers	147	63	84	0	.429	28.5	537	591	35-41	28-43	1-9	Lost 4

	GP	W	L	T	PCT	GB	RF	RA	HOME	ROAD	LAST 10	STRK
A.L. West
Kansas City Royals	149	86	63	0	.577		684	560	47-27	39-36	6-4	Won 3
Oakland A's	148	80	68	0	.541	5.5	625	555	47-26	33-42	6-4	Won 1
Minnesota Twins	151	76	75	0	.503	11.0	686	670	42-35	34-40	5-5	Lost 1
California Angels	150	69	81	0	.460	17.5	511	596	34-40	35-41	6-4	Won 1
Texas Rangers	148	67	81	0	.453	18.5	563	605	34-41	33-40	4-6	Lost 1
Chicago White Sox	150	63	87	0	.420	23.5	549	679	34-41	29-46	4-6	Lost 5

	GP	W	L	T	PCT	GB	RF	RA	HOME	ROAD	LAST 10	STRK
N.L. East
Philadelphia Phillies	147	89	58	0	.605		697	518	47-28	42-30	5-5	Won 1
Pittsburgh Pirates	147	85	62	0	.578	4.0	651	584	43-33	42-29	6-4	Lost 1
New York Mets	148	78	70	0	.527	11.5	563	487	38-35	40-35	6-4	Won 1
Chicago Cubs	149	68	81	0	.456	22.0	575	695	36-37	32-44	5-5	Lost 1
St. Louis Cardinals	147	67	80	0	.456	22.0	582	595	33-41	34-39	6-4	Won 2
Montreal Expos	146	50	96	0	.342	38.5	482	665	24-47	26-49	3-7	Lost 2

	GP	W	L	T	PCT	GB	RF	RA	HOME	ROAD	LAST 10	STRK
N.L. West
Cincinnati Reds	150	95	55	0	.633		803	594	44-31	51-24	6-4	Lost 2
Los Angeles Dodgers	149	83	66	0	.557	11.5	564	518	44-28	39-38	4-6	Lost 1
Houston Astros	150	73	77	0	.487	22.0	581	617	41-35	32-42	4-6	Lost 2
San Francisco Giants	151	70	81	0	.464	25.5	551	640	38-37	32-44	7-3	Won 5
San Diego Padres	149	68	81	0	.456	26.5	521	598	40-37	28-44	4-6	Won 1
Atlanta Braves	151	66	85	0	.437	29.5	579	638	32-43	34-42	5-5	Won 1

Today's scores and summaries:

Angels 6, Twins 0 at California (night game):
Gary Ross lowered his earned run average to 2.91, while showing a record of only 8-15, after the Angels' righthander shut out the Twins, 6-0. The Angels took advantage of three walks, two errors and a passed ball to score three runs off Dave Goltz in the second inning. Dave Collins, who drove in a run with a single, accounted for another RBI with a grounder in the fourth.

[DH] Indians 5, Orioles 1 (day game) / Orioles 3, Indians 2 at Cleveland (day game):
The Indians beat 21-game winner Jim Palmer in the opener of a doubleheader, 5-1, but then had less success in the nightcap and lost to the Orioles, 3-2. Boog Powell smashed a homer off Palmer in the second inning and the Indians then added three runs in the third with the aid of sacrifice flies by Rico Carty and George Hendrick. Jim Kern saved the game for Stan Thomas, coming in to strike out Ken Singleton and Tony Muser after the Orioles had scored on three singles with one out in the eighth inning. The defeat snapped the Orioles' seven-game winning streak. In the nightcap, after Mark Belanger batted in a run in the fourth inning, the Orioles claimed their victory with two counters in the seventh on a single by Brooks Robinson, pass to Tom Shopay, single by Al Bumbry and sacrifice fly by Rich Dauer. The Indians came back with a run in their half of the seventh on a triple by Buddy Bell and sacrifice fly by Carty. After manager Frank Robinson knocked in a run with a pinch-single in the eighth, Tippy Martinez replaced Rudy May on the mound for the Orioles and induced Rick Manning to ground into a double play.

Red Sox 5, Tigers 4 at Detroit (day game):
Although playing only three innings before leaving the game with a groin injury, Carl Yastrzemski knocked in four runs with a homer and single to start the Red Sox off to a 5-4 victory over the Tigers. The veteran star homered with Rick Miller and Fred Lynn on base in the first inning and knocked in Steve Dillard with a single in the third. The Red Sox added what proved to be their deciding marker in the eighth when Lynn walked, Jim Rice singled and Cecil Cooper grounded into a fielder's choice.

Royals 6, White Sox 5 at Kansas City (night game):
The Royals were forced to call on five pitchers but pulled out a 6-5 victory over the White Sox with a run in the ninth inning to maintain their 5½-game lead over the Athletics in the West Division. The White Sox kayoed Al Fitzmorris in the second while taking a 3-0 lead. The Royals tied the score in the fourth but fell behind again in the fifth when Kevin Bell tripled and Bucky Dent singled. Rallying once more, the Royals came back with two runs on a bases-loaded single by Amos Otis in their half. The White Sox pulled even in the eighth when Sam Ewing singled and Lamar Johnson doubled. However in the ninth, Fred Patek singled, Buck Martinez sacrificed and Jim Wohiford singled to drive in the Royals' winning marker.

Yankees 5, Brewers 3 at Milwaukee (day game):
Graig Nettles, who leads the league in homers, smashed his 28th of the season following a single by Chris Chambliss in the fourth inning to provide the Yankees with their winning margin in a 5-3 victory over the Brewers. The Yankees scored three times in the first with the aid of a triple by Lou Piniella, but the Brewers rallied for a matching trio in the third, two of their tallies counting on a double by Mike Hegan.

A's 3, Rangers 2 at Oakland (day game):
The Athletics were held to only five hits by Tommy Boggs but made them do for a 3-2 victory over the Rangers. In fact, the A's winning run in the seventh inning counted without the benefit of a safety on two walks, an error and sacrifice fly by Bert Campaneris. The Rangers rallied in the eighth, starting with a homer by Mike Hargrove. Singles by Jeff Burroughs and Tom Grieve around a passed ball added another tally and chased Vida Blue. Juan Beniquez singled off Jim Todd, but Paul Lindblad came in and retired Doug Ault to end the inning.

Braves 5, Dodgers 2 at Atlanta (night game):
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.

Phillies 4, Cubs 1 at Chicago (day game):
The Phillies gained a bit of breathing room in the East Division race by defeating the Cubs, 4-1, to pull four games ahead of the Pirates. The victory was only the Phillies' sixth in their last 22 contests. Steve Carlton, who struck out 11, scattered nine hits and gave up the Cubs' run in the seventh inning when loser Rick Reuschel doubled and Mick Kelleher singled. The Phillies began their scoring in the first with a double by Garry Maddox and single by Mike Schmidt. Jay Johnstone, who had a 4-for-4 day, tripled in the fourth and came home on a sacrifice fly by Tim McCarver. The Phillies clinched the decision with a final pair in the ninth on a double by Johnstone, infield hit by Bobby Tolan, single by Larry Bowa scoring pinch-runner Ollie Brown, and a balk by Reuschel.

Giants 5, Reds 0 at Cincinnati (night game):
Ed Halicki and Gary Lavelle yielded only one hit apiece while pitching the Giants to a 5-0 victory over the Reds. Halicki was forced from the game after suffering a bruised back in a home-plate collision with Bill Plummer in the fourth inning. The Giants' attack on loser Fred Norman included homers by Gary Thomasson and Chris Speier. Pete Rose doubled off Halicki in the first and Cesar Geronimo singled off Lavelle in the fifth for the Reds' safeties.

Padres 4, Astros 1 at Houston (day game):
Erupting for all their runs in the first inning, the Padres defeated the Astros, 4-1, behind the six-hit hurling of Dave Freisleben. Johnny Grubb led off by drawing a pass and scored on singles by Willie Davis and Jerry Turner. After Doug Rader walked to load the bases, Fred Kendall cleared the sacks with a double.

[DH] Cardinals 4, Expos 1 (day game) / Cardinals 7, Expos 4 at Montreal (day game):
Four-run bursts in each game of a doubleheader led the Cardinals to 4-1 and 7-4 victories over the Expos, who were locked into the cellar of the East Division for the rest of the season. In the opener, the Cardinals counted all their runs in the second inning. Ted Simmons singled and scored on a double by Willie Crawford, who was out trying to stretch his hit. Hector Cruz walked, Luis Alvarado singled and when both Ellis Valentine and Wayne Garrett committed errors on the play, Cruz scored. Bob Forsch singled to drive in Alvarado, moved up an extra base on the throw and scored on a single by Jerry Mumphrey. In the nightcap, the Cards picked up four runs in the first inning with the aid of five walks, three coming with the bases loaded. Tom Walker, who once belonged to the Expos, was credited with Cardinal saves in both games.

Mets 6, Pirates 2 at New York (day game):
Held to five hits by Tom Seaver, the Pirates lost to the Mets, 6-2, and fell four games behind the Phillies in the East Division race. Dave Kingman and Ed Kranepool whacked homers for the Mets and Jerry Grote drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single. Kingman's blow was his 35th of the season.