Cito Gaston, who had batted just 40 times previously for the Braves this season, homered on each of his first two trips to the plate and drove in five runs to escort Andy Messersmith to a 7-3 victory over the Padres. Gaston homered in the first inning after a single by Rod Gilbreath and connected for the circuit again in the third following hits by Darrel Chaney and Gilbreath. Later in the third inning, Dave May batted in two more runs with a single. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 7, San Diego Padres 3
Game Played on Tuesday, August    3, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Padres       0  0  2    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   3  9  1
Braves       2  0  5    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   7  8  1


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Grubb rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .290      Chaney ss             4   1   2   0     0   0   .280
Hernandez ss          4   1   1   0     0   0   .265      Gilbreath 2b          4   2   2   0     0   0   .265
Winfield cf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .282      Wynn cf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .220
Turner lf             4   1   2   1     0   0   .221      Gaston 1b             3   2   3   5     1   0   .395
Ivie 1b               4   0   1   1     0   0   .280      Henderson rf          2   1   0   0     2   2   .270
Fuentes 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .286      Correll c             3   1   0   0     1   0   .226
Rader 3b              4   0   2   0     0   1   .254      May lf                4   0   1   2     0   0   .198
Kendall c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Belloir 3b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .211
Folkers p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Messersmith p         4   0   0   0     0   1   .200
  Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Rettenmund ph       0   0   0   0     1   0   .210
  Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kubiak ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .273
  Foster p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .056

Totals               34   3   9   2     1   1             Totals               32   7   8   7     4   3

Time of Game: 2:04   Attendance:  3,819
Left on Base: Padres 5, Braves 5
DP: Padres 1, Braves 2
Errors: Rader, Gilbreath
Doubles: Winfield (23), Chaney (15)
Home Runs: Turner (3), Gaston 2 (3)
GIDP: Kendall (12), Hernandez (5), May (2)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Folkers L(2-3)          2.2   5   7   5   2   2   2  15   5.29
Tomlin                  1.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   5   3.83
Johnson                 2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   6.75
Foster                  2     1   0   0   2   0   0   9   3.23
Totals                  8     8   7   5   4   3   2  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith W(11-9)     9     9   3   1   1   1   1  35   2.71
Totals                  9     9   3   1   1   1   1  35

Wild Pitches: Messersmith (8)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Jim Quick, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


PADRES 1ST: Grubb flied out to center; Hernandez flied out to
right; Winfield doubled to left; Messersmith threw a wild pitch
[Winfield to third]; Turner grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Chaney flied out to right; Gilbreath singled to
center; Wynn grounded out (shortstop to second to first)
[Gilbreath to second]; Gaston homered [Gilbreath scored];
Henderson struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves 2.

PADRES 2ND: Ivie flied out to center; Fuentes grounded out
(first unassisted); Rader singled to left; Kendall popped to
first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Braves
2.

BRAVES 2ND: Correll walked; May grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Correll out at second]; Belloir
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0,
Braves 2.

PADRES 3RD: Folkers flied out to left; Grubb grounded out (first
unassisted); Hernandez singled to right; Winfield singled to
right [Hernandez to second]; Turner reached on an error by
Gilbreath [Hernandez scored (unearned) (no RBI), Winfield to
third, Turner to first]; Ivie singled to left [Winfield scored
(unearned), Turner out at third (left to third)]; 2 R (0 ER), 3
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Messersmith struck out; Chaney doubled to left;
Gilbreath singled [Chaney stayed at second]; Wynn flied out to
left; Gaston homered [Chaney scored, Gilbreath scored];
Henderson walked; Correll reached on an error by Rader
[Henderson to third, Correll to second]; TOMLIN REPLACED FOLKERS
(PITCHING); May singled to right [Henderson scored (unearned),
Correll scored (unearned)]; Belloir forced May (shortstop to
second); 5 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Braves 7.

PADRES 4TH: Fuentes singled to right; Rader made an out to
second; Kendall grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Fuentes out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
2, Braves 7.

BRAVES 4TH: Messersmith grounded out (first unassisted); Chaney
lined to second; Gilbreath grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Braves 7.

PADRES 5TH: RETTENMUND BATTED FOR TOMLIN; Rettenmund walked;
Grubb forced Rettenmund (third to second); Hernandez grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Grubb out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Braves 7.

BRAVES 5TH: JOHNSON REPLACED RETTENMUND (PITCHING); Wynn
grounded out (shortstop to first); Gaston singled to right;
Henderson was called out on strikes; Correll forced Gaston
(second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Braves 7.

PADRES 6TH: Winfield flied out to right; Turner homered; Ivie
popped to first in foul territory; Fuentes flied out to center;
1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Braves 7.

BRAVES 6TH: May grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Belloir flied
out to center; Messersmith flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 3, Braves 7.

PADRES 7TH: Rader singled to center; Kendall flied out to
center; KUBIAK BATTED FOR JOHNSON; Kubiak grounded out (second
to first) [Rader to second]; Grubb grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3, Braves 7.

BRAVES 7TH: FOSTER REPLACED KUBIAK (PITCHING); Chaney singled to
center; Gilbreath made an out to shortstop; Wynn flied out to
left; Gaston walked [Chaney to second]; Henderson walked [Chaney
to third, Gaston to second]; Correll popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Padres 3, Braves 7.

PADRES 8TH: Hernandez made an out to second; Winfield made an
out to second; Turner singled; Ivie forced Turner (third to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3, Braves 7.

BRAVES 8TH: May grounded out (shortstop to first); Belloir
grounded out (shortstop to first); Messersmith flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Braves 7.

PADRES 9TH: Fuentes grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader
struck out; Kendall grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Braves 7.