Although Andy Messersmith yielded 10 hits and Phil Niekro allowed 12, each had slugging support and was able to come up with a victory when the Braves defeated the Cubs in a twi-night doubleheader, 9-3 and 12-5. Messersmith, in winning his fourth straight game in the opener, had the backing of a three-run homer by Jerry Royster and a pair of solo swats by Willie Montanez.

Jim Wynn hit for the circuit twice and drove in five runs to support Niekro in the nightcap. Rowland Office hit safely in each half of the twinbill to extend his batting streak to 24 straight games. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 9, Chicago Cubs 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Saturday, June      19, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Cubs         2  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   3 10  1
Braves       1  0  1    2  1  0    4  0  x  -   9 11  0


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wallis cf             5   1   2   0     0   0   .270      Office cf             4   2   2   1     1   0   .298
Cardenal lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .316      Lacy 2b               5   0   2   1     0   1   .263
  Zamora p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Wynn lf               4   1   1   1     0   1   .231
  Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Montanez 1b           3   2   2   2     2   0   .317
  Summers ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .228      Paciorek rf           4   1   2   0     1   1   .306
Madlock 3b            3   1   2   0     2   0   .316      Chaney ss             4   1   0   1     0   0   .255
Morales rf            5   0   1   0     0   2   .249      Royster 3b            3   1   1   3     1   1   .237
LaCock 1b             3   1   2   2     1   0   .234      Correll c             3   0   1   0     1   1   .286
Trillo 2b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .263      Messersmith p         1   1   0   0     1   0   .114
Mitterwald c          4   0   1   1     0   0   .250
Rosello ss            3   0   1   0     1   0   .250
Burris p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .138
  Biittner ph,lf      2   0   0   0     0   0   .195

Totals               35   3  10   3     5   5             Totals               31   9  11   9     7   5

Time of Game: 2:41
Left on Base: Cubs 10, Braves 8
DP: Cubs 0, Braves 0
Errors: Burris
Doubles: Madlock (19), Mitterwald (2), Office 2 (8)
Home Runs: Montanez 2 (4), Royster (3)
Stolen Bases: Lacy (2)
Caught Stealing: Cardenal (7), LaCock (1), Paciorek (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Messersmith 2 (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Wynn (3)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Burris L(3-9)           6     8   5   5   4   4   2  29   4.52
Zamora                  0     1   3   3   2   0   0   3   4.02
Garman                  2     2   1   1   1   1   1   9   6.63
Totals                  8    11   9   9   7   5   3  41

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith W(6-5)      9    10   3   3   5   5   0  40   2.63
Totals                  9    10   3   3   5   5   0  40

Wild Pitches: Messersmith (4)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Frank Pulli


CUBS 1ST: Wallis singled to right; Cardenal popped to third in
foul territory; Madlock doubled to left [Wallis to third];
Morales popped to shortstop; LaCock singled to right [Wallis
scored, Madlock scored]; Trillo struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office doubled to left; Lacy grounded out (pitcher
to shortstop to first) [Office to third]; Wynn hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Office scored]; Montanez walked; Paciorek singled
to center [Montanez to second]; Chaney flied out to left; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 1.

CUBS 2ND: Mitterwald grounded out (third to first); Rosello
flied out to center; Burris popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Royster walked; Correll was called out on strikes;
Messersmith out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Royster
to second]; Office walked; Lacy flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 1.

CUBS 3RD: Wallis flied to right in foul territory; Cardenal
singled to right; Madlock walked [Cardenal to second]; Cardenal
was caught stealing third (catcher to third); Morales struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Wynn lined to left; Montanez homered; Paciorek
struck out; Chaney grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 2.

CUBS 4TH: LaCock singled to first; LaCock was caught stealing
second (catcher to second to first); Trillo walked; Mitterwald
lined to center; Rosello popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Royster was called out on strikes; Correll singled
to shortstop; On a bunt Messersmith forced Correll (pitcher to
shortstop); Office doubled to center [Messersmith scored]; Lacy
singled to right [Office scored, Lacy to third (error by
Burris)]; Wynn popped to first in foul territory; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 4.

CUBS 5TH: Burris struck out; Wallis popped to third; Cardenal
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs
2, Braves 4.

BRAVES 5TH: Montanez homered; Paciorek singled to right; Chaney
grounded out (second to first) [Paciorek to second]; Paciorek
was caught stealing third (catcher to third); Royster popped to
first in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 5.

CUBS 6TH: Madlock singled to right; Morales singled to left
[Madlock to second]; LaCock flied out to left; Trillo popped to
third in foul territory; Messersmith threw a wild pitch [Madlock
to third, Morales to second]; Mitterwald grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 5.

BRAVES 6TH: Correll walked; Messersmith out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Correll to second]; Office lined to center;
Lacy struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 5.

CUBS 7TH: Rosello singled to right; BIITTNER BATTED FOR BURRIS;
Biittner forced Rosello (first to shortstop); Wallis singled to
right [Biittner to second]; Cardenal popped to first in foul
territory; Madlock flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cubs 2, Braves 5.

BRAVES 7TH: ZAMORA REPLACED CARDENAL (PITCHING); BIITTNER STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Wynn singled to left; Montanez walked
[Wynn to second]; Paciorek walked [Wynn to third, Montanez to
second]; GARMAN REPLACED ZAMORA (PITCHING); Chaney forced
Montanez (center to third) [Wynn scored, Paciorek to second];
Royster homered [Paciorek scored, Chaney scored]; Correll flied
to right in foul territory; Messersmith walked; Office flied to
left in foul territory; 4 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 2, Braves 9.

CUBS 8TH: Morales grounded out (shortstop to first); LaCock
walked; Trillo popped to second; Mitterwald doubled to left
[LaCock scored]; Rosello walked; Biittner grounded out (first to
pitcher); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 3, Braves 9.

BRAVES 8TH: Lacy singled to left; Lacy stole second; Wynn was
called out on strikes; Montanez popped to shortstop; Paciorek
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs
3, Braves 9.

CUBS 9TH: Wallis popped to shortstop; SUMMERS BATTED FOR GARMAN;
Summers struck out; Madlock walked; Morales struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 3, Braves 9.