Although Tom Paciorek hit a grand slam for the Braves, the Astros came from behind to gain a 9-7 victory. The Astros tied the score at 5-5 in the fourth inning, but the Braves went ahead again with two more runs in the sixth, including an RBI double by Rowland Office, who hit safely in his 27th straight game.

However in the eighth, the Astros exploded for four runs, with a double by Bob Watson accounting for a pair. Watson had three hits in the game, batted in three runs and scored three. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, Atlanta Braves 7
Game Played on Tuesday, June      22, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       2  0  1    2  0  0    0  4  0  -   9 15  0
Braves       0  1  4    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   7 13  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              5   2   1   0     1   0   .291      Office cf             4   0   1   1     1   0   .306
Andrews 2b            6   2   2   0     0   1   .312      Gilbreath 3b          4   1   3   1     1   0   .328
Cedeno cf             5   1   2   1     0   1   .294      Wynn lf               5   1   2   0     0   1   .245
Watson 1b             4   3   3   3     1   0   .272        Robinson ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .308
Herrmann c            4   0   2   2     1   1   .231      Montanez 1b           5   1   1   0     0   1   .322
Johnson lf            4   0   2   2     0   1   .226      Paciorek rf           5   1   2   4     0   2   .309
  Howard pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .211      Lacy 2b               5   1   1   0     0   1   .275
Cabell 3b             5   0   3   1     0   0   .312      Chaney ss             3   1   2   0     1   0   .272
Metzger ss            5   0   0   0     0   1   .225        Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
Cosgrove p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .063        Henderson ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .263
  Milbourne ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .241      Williams c            3   1   1   1     0   1   .198
  Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .211      Morton p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Beard p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Boswell ph          0   1   0   0     1   0   .303        LaCorte p           2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .250        Belloir ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            May ph,lf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .197

Totals               41   9  15   9     4   6             Totals               38   7  13   7     3   7

Time of Game: 3:09   Attendance:  5,563
Left on Base: Astros 11, Braves 9
DP: Astros 0, Braves 1
Errors: Lacy, Chaney
Doubles: Johnson (9), Watson 2 (8), Lacy (4), Office (12)
Home Runs: Paciorek (2)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (2), Morton (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Williams (1)
Hit by Pitch: Johnson (4,by LaCorte)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cosgrove                3     6   5   5   2   2   1  17   5.11
Niekro                  2.1   3   2   2   1   1   0  11   3.77
Pentz W(1-1)            1.2   2   0   0   0   2   0   7   3.91
Forsch SV(13)           2     2   0   0   0   2   0   8   1.83
Totals                  9    13   7   7   3   7   1  43

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Morton                  3.2  10   5   3   1   0   0  22   5.14
Beard                   0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.35
LaCorte L(0-1)          3.2   3   4   4   2   4   0  17   9.82
Sosa                    1.2   1   0   0   1   2   0   7   5.35
Totals                  9    15   9   7   4   6   0  47

Hit by Pitch: LaCorte (1)

Umpires: HP - Dutch Rennert, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Satch Davidson


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews
reached on an error by Chaney; Cedeno singled [Andrews to
third]; Cedeno was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Watson singled [Andrews scored (unearned)]; Herrmann singled
[Watson to second]; Johnson doubled [Watson scored (unearned),
Herrmann to third]; Cabell grounded out (second to first); 2 R
(0 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office walked; Gilbreath flied out to center; Wynn
singled [Office to second]; Montanez made an out to shortstop;
Paciorek struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Metzger flied out to center; Cosgrove grounded out
(second to first); Gross reached on an error by Lacy; Andrews
singled [Gross to second]; Cedeno grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Lacy doubled; Chaney singled [Lacy to third];
Williams hit a sacrifice fly to left [Lacy scored]; Morton out
on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Chaney to second];
Office grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson doubled; Herrmann grounded out (second to
first); Johnson singled [Watson scored]; Cabell singled [Johnson
to second]; Metzger hit into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Cabell out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Gilbreath walked; Wynn singled [Gilbreath to
second]; Montanez singled [Gilbreath to third, Wynn to second];
Paciorek homered [Gilbreath scored, Wynn scored, Montanez
scored]; Lacy grounded out (shortstop to first); Chaney flied
out to right; Williams struck out; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Braves 5.

ASTROS 4TH: MILBOURNE BATTED FOR COSGROVE; Milbourne grounded
out (first unassisted); Gross singled; Andrews singled [Gross to
third]; Cedeno made an out to third; Watson walked [Andrews to
second]; BEARD REPLACED MORTON (PITCHING); Herrmann singled
[Gross scored, Andrews scored, Watson to third]; LACORTE
REPLACED BEARD (PITCHING); Johnson struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 5.

BRAVES 4TH: NIEKRO REPLACED MILBOURNE (PITCHING); LaCorte made
an out to second; Office grounded out (second to first);
Gilbreath singled; Wynn made an out to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell singled; Metzger flied out to right; Niekro
out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Cabell to second];
Gross grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 5, Braves 5.

BRAVES 5TH: Montanez grounded out (second to first); Paciorek
flied out to center; Lacy struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 5, Braves 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Andrews struck out; Cedeno was called out on
strikes; Watson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 5, Braves 5.

BRAVES 6TH: Chaney walked; Williams singled [Chaney to second];
LaCorte made an out to catcher; Office doubled [Chaney scored,
Williams to third]; PENTZ REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Gilbreath
singled [Williams scored, Office to third]; Wynn struck out;
Montanez made an out to third; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5,
Braves 7.

ASTROS 7TH: Herrmann struck out; Johnson was hit by a pitch;
Cabell forced Johnson (shortstop to second); Metzger flied out
to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 7.

BRAVES 7TH: Paciorek struck out; Lacy grounded out (third to
first); Chaney singled; Williams forced Chaney (third to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 7.

ASTROS 8TH: BOSWELL BATTED FOR PENTZ; Boswell walked; Gross
walked [Boswell to second]; Andrews popped to pitcher; Cedeno
singled [Boswell scored, Gross to third]; Watson doubled [Gross
scored, Cedeno scored]; SOSA REPLACED CHANEY (PITCHING); BELLOIR
REPLACED LACORTE (PLAYING SS); Herrmann was walked
intentionally; Johnson forced Herrmann (second to shortstop)
[Watson to third]; HOWARD RAN FOR JOHNSON; Cabell singled
[Watson scored, Howard to third]; Metzger struck out; 4 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 9, Braves 7.

BRAVES 8TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); FORSCH REPLACED
BOSWELL (PITCHING); MAY BATTED FOR BELLOIR; May made an out to
third; Office flied out to left; Gilbreath singled; Wynn flied
out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9, Braves 7.

ASTROS 9TH: MAY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); ROBINSON REPLACED
WYNN (PLAYING SS); Forsch was called out on strikes; Gross
grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 9, Braves 7.

BRAVES 9TH: Montanez struck out; Paciorek singled; Lacy made an
out to first; HENDERSON BATTED FOR SOSA; Henderson struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9, Braves 7.