Andy Messersmith turned in his fifth straight complete-game victory and Phil Niekro followed with a shutout as the Braves beat the Expos in a twi-night doubleheader, 5-2 and 3-0. Jerry Royster batted in the Braves' first two runs in the lidlifter with a pair of singles and Messersmith helped himself by driving in two more with a bases-loaded single in the sixth.

Niekro allowed only four hits in the nightcap while posting his first shutout of the season. Rowland Office hit safely in both ends of the twin-bill, extending his batting streak to 29 games. [The Sporting News]

Atlanta Braves 5, Montreal Expos 2 (Game 1)

Game Played on Wednesday, June 23, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Expos 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 - 2 5 2 Braves 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 x - 5 11 1 Expos AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Braves AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Mangual cf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .297 Office cf 5 0 3 1 0 0 .312 Lyttle lf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .325 Gilbreath 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .313 Roenicke rf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .273 May lf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .190 Scanlon 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .143 Montanez 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .325 Jorgensen 1b 2 0 0 1 0 1 .248 Henderson rf 2 3 2 0 2 0 .271 Foli ss 3 0 1 0 0 0 .268 Chaney ss 2 1 1 0 0 1 .275 Lang p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Royster 3b 4 0 2 2 0 1 .244 Foote c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .246 Correll c 4 1 0 0 0 0 .259 Mackanin 2b,ss 3 0 0 0 0 2 .237 Messersmith p 4 0 1 2 0 1 .128 Dunning p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Granger p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Frias ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .207 Dwyer ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .222 Cox 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .185 Totals 30 2 5 2 0 7 Totals 31 5 11 5 3 4 Time of Game: 2:12 Left on Base: Expos 2, Braves 9 DP: Expos 2, Braves 0 Errors: Mackanin 2, May Doubles: Office (13), Montanez (17) Home Runs: Mangual (3) Sacrifice Hits: Gilbreath 2 (6), Chaney 2 (6) Sacrifice Flies: Jorgensen (1) GIDP: Montanez (13), Correll (2) Expos IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Dunning L(0-2) 5.2 9 5 2 2 3 0 28 4.66 Granger 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3.77 Lang 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 9 4.61 Totals 8 11 5 2 3 4 0 38 Braves IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Messersmith W(7-5) 9 5 2 2 0 7 1 31 2.58 Totals 9 5 2 2 0 7 1 31 Wild Pitches: Lang (3), Messersmith (5) Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Art Williams, 2B - Tom Gorman, 3B - Paul Pryor EXPOS 1ST: Mangual popped to second; Lyttle struck out; Roenicke flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Expos 0, Braves 0. BRAVES 1ST: Office singled; Gilbreath out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Office to second]; May walked; Montanez grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [May out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Expos 0, Braves 0. EXPOS 2ND: Scanlon flied out to center; Jorgensen struck out; Foli grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Expos 0, Braves 0. BRAVES 2ND: Henderson walked; Chaney singled [Henderson to second]; Royster singled [Henderson scored, Chaney to second]; Correll grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Chaney to third, Royster out at second]; Messersmith struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Expos 0, Braves 1. EXPOS 3RD: Foote grounded out (third to first); Mackanin struck out; Dunning grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Expos 0, Braves 1. BRAVES 3RD: Office reached on an error by Mackanin; Gilbreath out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Office to second]; May grounded out (second to first) [Office to third]; Montanez popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Expos 0, Braves 1. EXPOS 4TH: Mangual homered; Lyttle grounded out (first to pitcher); Roenicke grounded out (third to first); Scanlon struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Expos 1, Braves 1. BRAVES 4TH: Henderson singled; Chaney out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Henderson to second]; Royster singled [Henderson scored]; Correll forced Royster (second to shortstop); Messersmith flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Expos 1, Braves 2. EXPOS 5TH: Jorgensen grounded out (second to first); Foli singled; Foote singled [Foli to third (error by May), Foote out at second (left to shortstop to second)]; Mackanin grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Expos 1, Braves 2. BRAVES 5TH: Office grounded out (second to first); Gilbreath grounded out (pitcher to first); May was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Expos 1, Braves 2. EXPOS 6TH: Dunning grounded out (pitcher to first); Mangual popped to first; Lyttle struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Expos 1, Braves 2. BRAVES 6TH: Montanez singled; Henderson singled [Montanez to second]; Chaney reached on an error by Mackanin on a sacrifice bunt [Montanez to third, Henderson to second]; Royster struck out; Correll forced Montanez (pitcher to catcher) [Henderson to third, Chaney to second]; Messersmith singled [Henderson scored (unearned), Chaney scored (unearned), Correll to second]; Office doubled [Correll scored (unearned), Messersmith to third]; GRANGER REPLACED DUNNING (PITCHING); Gilbreath grounded out (third to first); 3 R (0 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Expos 1, Braves 5. EXPOS 7TH: Roenicke singled; Messersmith threw a wild pitch [Roenicke to second]; Scanlon grounded out (second to first) [Roenicke to third]; Jorgensen hit a sacrifice fly to left [Roenicke scored]; Foli flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Expos 2, Braves 5. BRAVES 7TH: LANG REPLACED FOLI (PITCHING); FRIAS REPLACED GRANGER (PLAYING SS); May grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez doubled; Henderson walked; Lang threw a wild pitch [Montanez to third, Henderson to second]; Chaney struck out; Royster flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Expos 2, Braves 5. EXPOS 8TH: Foote grounded out (third to first); Mackanin struck out; DWYER BATTED FOR FRIAS; Dwyer singled; Mangual flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Expos 2, Braves 5. BRAVES 8TH: COX REPLACED DWYER (PLAYING 2B); MACKANIN CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Correll flied out to left; Messersmith grounded out (third to first); Office singled; Gilbreath flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Expos 2, Braves 5. EXPOS 9TH: Lyttle struck out; Roenicke popped to first; Scanlon grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Expos 2, Braves 5.

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