The Braves, who had lost to the Cardinals five straight times in games at home, averted being the victims of a season sweep when Phil Niekro pitched a six-hitter and posted a 3-2 victory. The Braves' veteran knuckleballer also batted in his seventh run in his last seven games with a sacrifice fly.

In the second inning, singles by Dave May and Rob Belloir, a pass to Vic Correll, Niekro's sacrifice fly and a safe bunt by Darrel Chaney produced the Braves' first two runs. The deciding tally followed in the eighth when Rod Gilbreath tripled and Tom Paciorek hit a sacrifice fly. Joe Ferguson homered for the Cardinals in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 3, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Game Played on Sunday, August    15, 1976 (Day game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Cardinals    0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  1  -   2  6  2
Braves       0  2  0    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   3  9  1


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mumphrey cf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .247      Chaney ss             3   0   2   1     1   0   .279
Templeton ss          3   0   0   0     1   1   .160      Gilbreath 2b          4   1   1   0     0   0   .267
Brock lf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .279      Paciorek rf           3   0   1   1     0   1   .302
Crawford rf           4   0   1   0     0   2   .326      Montanez 1b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .304
Hernandez 1b          4   0   0   0     0   2   .261      Henderson cf          4   0   1   0     0   1   .262
Ferguson c            2   2   1   1     1   1   .234      May lf                2   1   1   0     1   0   .212
Kessinger 2b          4   0   3   0     0   0   .246      Belloir 3b            3   1   1   0     0   0   .250
Cruz 3b               2   0   0   1     0   1   .203      Correll c             2   0   1   0     1   1   .219
Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .146      Niekro p              2   0   0   1     0   0   .203
  Fairly ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .263
  Curtis p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .207
  Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   2   6   2     2   8             Totals               27   3   9   3     3   3

Time of Game: 2:01   Attendance:  7,564
Left on Base: Cardinals 6, Braves 5
DP: Cardinals 1, Braves 1
Errors: Cruz, Forsch, Paciorek
Doubles: Henderson (17)
Triples: Gilbreath (7)
Home Runs: Ferguson (9)
Stolen Bases: Brock (36)
Caught Stealing: Correll (1), Montanez (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Cruz (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (3), Niekro (1), Paciorek (2)
GIDP: Chaney (8)
Hit by Pitch: Ferguson (2,by Niekro)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(5-8)           6     6   2   2   3   2   0  25   3.75
Curtis                  1.1   3   1   1   0   0   0   6   4.53
Hrabosky                0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   2.76
Totals                  8     9   3   3   3   3   0  32

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(13-8)          9     6   2   2   2   8   1  35   3.36
Totals                  9     6   2   2   2   8   1  35

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (8)

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


CARDINALS 1ST: Mumphrey grounded out (first unassisted);
Templeton walked; Brock flied out to right; Crawford singled to
right [Templeton to third]; Hernandez struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Chaney singled to right; Gilbreath popped to first
in foul territory; Paciorek singled to left [Chaney to second];
Montanez flied out to center; Henderson flied out to center; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Ferguson walked; Kessinger singled to right
[Ferguson to third (error by Paciorek)]; Cruz hit into a double
play (left to shortstop) [Ferguson out at home]; Forsch flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: May singled to first; Belloir singled to right [May
to third, Belloir to second (error by Cruz)]; Correll walked;
Niekro hit a sacrifice fly to center [May scored, Belloir to
third]; Chaney singled to pitcher [Belloir scored, Correll to
second]; Correll was picked off second but was safe on an error
by Forsch [Correll to third, Chaney to second]; Correll was
caught stealing home (catcher to third to first); Gilbreath
flied out to right; 2 R, 3 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 2.

CARDINALS 3RD: Mumphrey struck out; Templeton struck out; Brock
singled to center; Brock stole second; Crawford grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Paciorek was called out on strikes; Montanez
grounded out (pitcher to first); Henderson grounded out (first
to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Braves 2.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hernandez struck out; Ferguson was hit by a
pitch; Kessinger singled to right [Ferguson to third]; Cruz hit
a sacrifice fly to left [Ferguson scored]; Forsch grounded out
(pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: May grounded out (first unassisted); Belloir
grounded out (third to first); Correll struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 2.

CARDINALS 5TH: Mumphrey flied out to center; Templeton grounded
out (first unassisted); Brock flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); Chaney
walked; Gilbreath forced Chaney (second to shortstop); Gilbreath
was picked off first (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Braves 2.

CARDINALS 6TH: Crawford struck out; Hernandez grounded out
(first unassisted); Ferguson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Paciorek grounded out (third to first); Montanez
grounded out (first unassisted); Henderson doubled to right; May
was walked intentionally; Belloir flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 2.

CARDINALS 7TH: Kessinger singled to right; Cruz out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Kessinger to second]; FAIRLY
BATTED FOR FORSCH; Fairly flied out to left; Mumphrey popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 7TH: CURTIS REPLACED FAIRLY (PITCHING); Correll singled
to center; Niekro forced Correll (first to shortstop); Chaney
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Niekro out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1,
Braves 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: Templeton grounded out (second to first); Brock
popped to third in foul territory; Crawford struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 2.

BRAVES 8TH: Gilbreath tripled to right; Paciorek hit a sacrifice
fly to right [Gilbreath scored]; Montanez singled to left;
HRABOSKY REPLACED CURTIS (PITCHING); Montanez was caught
stealing second (catcher to second to first); Henderson struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Braves 3.

CARDINALS 9TH: Hernandez flied out to left; Ferguson homered;
Kessinger flied out to left; Cruz struck out (catcher to first);
1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Braves 3.