Dick Ruthven won his own game with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning as the Braves defeated the Cardinals, 5-4. Willie Montanez, making his first plate appearance after being acquired from the Giants, drove in the Braves' first run with a single in the opening frame. Earl Williams homered in the second and Ken Henderson doubled home two runs in the fifth before a double by Darrel Chaney and single by Ruthven provided the Braves' deciding marker in the sixth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 5, St. Louis Cardinals 4
Game Played on Tuesday, June      15, 1976 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Braves       1  1  0    0  2  1    0  0  0  -   5 10  1
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  1  -   4  9  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Office cf             5   1   1   0     0   0   .297      Mumphrey lf           5   1   1   1     0   0   .271
Lacy 2b               4   1   1   0     0   0   .241      Kessinger ss          3   1   0   0     1   0   .239
May lf                3   1   1   0     1   1   .162        Anderson ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .300
Montanez 1b           4   0   1   1     0   0   .308      McBride cf            3   1   3   0     2   0   .357
Henderson rf          4   0   1   2     0   0   .282      Simmons c             5   0   0   1     0   0   .261
Williams c            4   1   1   1     0   1   .216      Crawford rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .322
Chaney ss             4   1   2   0     0   1   .261      Hernandez 1b          4   0   3   2     0   0   .194
Royster 3b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .227      Cruz 3b               4   0   0   0     0   1   .198
Ruthven p             3   0   1   1     0   1   .214      Tyson 2b              3   1   0   0     1   0   .277
  Devine p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Rasmussen p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Leon p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Harris ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .261
  Beard p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Solomon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Fairly ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .280
                                                            Wallace p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Smith ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .218

Totals               36   5  10   5     1   4             Totals               36   4   9   4     4   3

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 18,422
Left on Base: Braves 5, Cardinals 9
DP: Braves 0, Cardinals 0
Errors: May, Mumphrey
Doubles: Henderson (8), Chaney (5), Mumphrey (4)
Home Runs: Williams (7)
Stolen Bases: Chaney (1), McBride 2 (5)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven W(7-6)          7.2   8   3   3   2   3   0  33   3.23
Devine                  0.1   0   1   1   1   0   0   2   3.86
Leon                    0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   1.45
Beard SV(1)             1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   0.00
Totals                  9     9   4   4   4   3   0  40

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rasmussen L(3-6)        5     8   4   4   1   2   1  23   4.53
Solomon                 2     2   1   1   0   0   0   8   1.50
Wallace                 2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   2.55
Totals                  9    10   5   5   1   4   1  37

Wild Pitches: Rasmussen (1)

Umpires: HP - Nick Colosi, 1B - Ed Montague, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Paul Runge


BRAVES 1ST: Office singled to left; Rasmussen threw a wild pitch
[Office to second]; Lacy flied to left in foul territory [Office
to third]; May struck out; Montanez singled to right [Office
scored]; Henderson forced Montanez (first to shortstop); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Mumphrey grounded out (shortstop to first);
Kessinger grounded out (second to first); McBride singled to
pitcher; McBride stole second; Simmons grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Williams homered; Chaney singled to right; Chaney
stole second; Royster flied out to left; Ruthven struck out;
Office grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Crawford grounded out (second to first);
Hernandez grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Lacy grounded out (pitcher to first); May walked;
Montanez forced May (third to second); Henderson flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Tyson grounded out (second to first); Rasmussen
was called out on strikes; Mumphrey grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Williams popped to shortstop; Chaney flied out to
right; Royster singled to left [Royster to second (error by
Mumphrey)]; Ruthven grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Kessinger grounded out (shortstop to first);
McBride singled to left [McBride to second (error by May)];
Simmons lined to right; Crawford struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 2, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Office flied out to left; Lacy singled to left; May
singled to center [Lacy to second]; Montanez popped to third in
foul territory; Henderson doubled to right [Lacy scored, May
scored, Henderson out at third (right to second to third)]; 2 R,
3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 4, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Hernandez singled to right; Cruz struck out;
Tyson flied out to left; HARRIS BATTED FOR RASMUSSEN; Harris
singled to center [Hernandez to third]; Mumphrey grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 4, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 6TH: SOLOMON REPLACED HARRIS (PITCHING); Williams flied
out to center; Chaney doubled to left; Royster flied out to
left; Ruthven singled to center [Chaney scored, Ruthven to
second (on throw to home)]; Office grounded out (pitcher to
second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: Kessinger flied out to left; McBride singled to
shortstop; McBride stole second; Simmons grounded out (pitcher
unassisted) [McBride to third]; Crawford flied out to left; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Lacy flied out to right; May grounded out (second to
first); Montanez popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 7TH: Hernandez singled to left; Cruz forced Hernandez
(shortstop to second); Tyson forced Cruz (shortstop to second);
FAIRLY BATTED FOR SOLOMON; Fairly forced Tyson (shortstop
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Cardinals 0.

BRAVES 8TH: WALLACE REPLACED FAIRLY (PITCHING); Henderson
grounded out (second to first); Williams struck out; Chaney was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 8TH: Mumphrey doubled to left; Kessinger walked;
McBride walked [Mumphrey to third, Kessinger to second]; Simmons
grounded out (first unassisted) [Mumphrey scored, Kessinger to
third, McBride to second]; Crawford flied out to center;
Hernandez singled to center [Kessinger scored, McBride scored];
DEVINE REPLACED RUTHVEN (PITCHING); Cruz popped to second; 3 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 5, Cardinals 3.

BRAVES 9TH: Royster grounded out (pitcher to first); Devine
grounded out (first to pitcher); Office grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 5, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 9TH: Tyson walked; SMITH BATTED FOR WALLACE; LEON
REPLACED DEVINE (PITCHING); Smith singled to right [Tyson to
third]; BEARD REPLACED LEON (PITCHING); Mumphrey forced Smith
(shortstop to second) [Tyson scored]; ANDERSON BATTED FOR
KESSINGER; Anderson flied out to left; McBride walked [Mumphrey
to second]; Simmons forced McBride (third to second); 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5, Cardinals 4.