Andy Messersmith allowed five hits and helped himself at bat with a double while pitching the Braves to a 3-2 victory over the Astros. Messersmith fanned seven and reached the 1,500 mark for his career strikeouts.

After the Astros picked up a run in the first inning, Vic Correll and Messersmith hit back-to-back doubles to tie the score in the fifth. With two outs, Jim Wynn singled to drive in Messersmith. Rod Gilbreath then hit his first homer of the season for the Braves' deciding run in the eighth, offsetting an Astros' tally in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 3, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Friday, July      30, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  0  0    0  2  0    0  1  0  -   3  7  1
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   2  5  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 3b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .255      Gross rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .295
Gilbreath 2b          3   1   1   1     1   0   .275      Cabell 3b             4   1   1   0     0   2   .283
Wynn lf               4   0   2   1     0   1   .227      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .300
Montanez 1b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .315      Watson 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .296
Henderson rf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .279        DaVanon pr          0   1   0   0     0   0   .333
Office cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .286      Cruz lf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .295
Chaney ss             3   0   0   0     1   1   .263      Herrmann c            4   0   0   0     0   1   .211
Correll c             4   1   1   0     0   2   .257        Howard pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .212
Messersmith p         3   1   1   1     0   0   .214      Andrews 2b            2   0   0   0     1   0   .273
                                                            Roberts ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .308
                                                          Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     1   0   .223
                                                          Larson p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Sambito p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .265
                                                            Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .100

Totals               32   3   7   3     3   5             Totals               32   2   5   1     2   7

Time of Game: 2:08   Attendance: 10,869
Left on Base: Braves 5, Astros 5
DP: Braves 0, Astros 1
Errors: Chaney
Doubles: Correll (4), Messersmith (1), Watson (16)
Home Runs: Gilbreath (1)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (22)
Caught Stealing: Chaney (4)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith W(10-9)     9     5   2   1   2   7   0  34   2.80
Totals                  9     5   2   1   2   7   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Larson L(1-2)           4.2   6   2   2   2   0   0  21   2.18
Sambito                 3.1   1   1   1   0   4   1  11   3.55
Forsch                  1     0   0   0   1   1   0   3   2.30
Totals                  9     7   3   3   3   5   1  35

Passed Balls: Herrmann (4)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Royster made an out to second; Gilbreath grounded
out (second to first); Wynn flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (second to first); Cabell
singled; Cabell stole second; Cedeno singled [Cabell scored];
Watson forced Cedeno (shortstop to second); Cruz forced Watson
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Montanez grounded out (third to first); Henderson
singled; Office grounded out (first unassisted) [Henderson to
second]; Chaney flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Herrmann struck out; Andrews grounded out (first to
pitcher); Metzger walked; Larson forced Metzger (first to
shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Correll flied out to center; Messersmith grounded
out (second to first); Royster walked; Gilbreath grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross grounded out (second to first); Cabell struck
out; Cedeno popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Wynn singled; Montanez singled [Wynn to second];
Henderson forced Montanez (shortstop to second) [Wynn to third];
Office lined into a double play (shortstop to first) [Henderson
out at first]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson doubled; Cruz flied out to center; Herrmann
grounded out (third to first); Andrews flied out to right; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Chaney grounded out (second to first); Correll
doubled; Messersmith doubled [Correll scored]; Royster grounded
out (shortstop to first); Gilbreath walked; Wynn singled
[Messersmith scored, Gilbreath to second]; SAMBITO REPLACED
LARSON (PITCHING); Herrmann allowed a passed ball [Gilbreath to
third, Wynn to second]; Montanez grounded out (third to first);
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Sambito
grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Gross struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Henderson made an out to third; Office struck out;
Chaney struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
grounded out (second to first); Watson grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Correll struck out; Messersmith grounded out (first
to pitcher); Royster grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz struck out; Herrmann grounded out (second to
first); Andrews walked; Metzger made an out to catcher; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Gilbreath homered; Wynn struck out; Montanez
grounded out (third to first); Henderson grounded out (shortstop
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: BOSWELL BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Boswell struck out;
Gross flied out to left; Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 1.

BRAVES 9TH: FORSCH REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Office grounded
out (second to first); Chaney walked; Chaney was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Correll struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno grounded out (second to first); Watson
singled; DAVANON RAN FOR WATSON; Cruz singled [DaVanon to
second]; Herrmann forced Cruz (second to shortstop) [DaVanon
scored (error by Chaney) (unearned)]; HOWARD RAN FOR HERRMANN;
ROBERTS BATTED FOR ANDREWS; Roberts struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 2.