Bob Watson had a perfect night at the plate with four hits and drove in three runs to lead the Astros to a 4-3 victory over the Braves. Watson batted in the Astros' initial run with a single in the first inning. The Braves tied the score in their half and went ahead in the fourth when Brian Asselstine's sacrifice fly and Dale Murphy's double helped account for two runs. The Astros rallied to win with three runs in the sixth. Watson knocked in the first two with a single and later crossed the plate with the deciding run on an error by Rob Belloir. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Wednesday, September 15, 1976 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  3    0  0  0  -   4 10  1
Braves       1  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  6  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras 2b            4   1   2   0     1   0   .273      Royster 3b            4   1   1   0     0   0   .233
Cabell 3b             4   2   2   0     0   0   .280      Eden 2b               4   0   0   1     0   0   .000
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .293      Montanez 1b           4   1   3   0     0   0   .314
Watson 1b             4   1   4   3     0   0   .311      May lf                3   0   0   0     1   0   .217
Cruz lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .299      Wynn cf               3   1   0   0     1   1   .205
Javier rf             3   0   1   0     1   2   .167      Asselstine rf         3   0   0   1     0   0   .143
Herrmann c            4   0   0   1     0   2   .201      Murphy c              4   0   1   1     0   0   .308
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .212      Belloir ss            2   0   0   0     0   0   .211
Larson p              4   0   0   0     0   1   .276        Chaney ph,ss        1   0   1   0     0   0   .256
                                                          Camp p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Torrealba p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Paciorek ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .289
                                                            Leon p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   4  10   4     2   5             Totals               31   3   6   3     2   3

Time of Game: 2:12   Attendance:  1,145
Left on Base: Astros 6, Braves 4
DP: Astros 1, Braves 1
Errors: Herrmann, Montanez, Belloir
Doubles: Watson (30), Montanez (27), Murphy (1)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (32), Royster (18), May (4)
Caught Stealing: Taveras 2 (2), Chaney (7)
Sacrifice Flies: Asselstine (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Larson W(5-6)           9     6   3   2   2   3   0  34   2.95
Totals                  9     6   3   2   2   3   0  34

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Camp L(0-1)             5.1   8   4   4   1   3   0  22   6.75
Torrealba               1.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   8   3.33
Leon                    2     1   0   0   0   2   0   7   2.80
Totals                  9    10   4   4   2   5   0  37

Umpires: HP - Art Williams, 1B - Joe West, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Tom Gorman


ASTROS 1ST: Taveras singled; Debut game for Rick Camp;
Taveras was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Cabell singled; Cabell stole second; Cedeno grounded out (third
to first); Watson singled [Cabell scored]; Cruz grounded out
(first unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster singled; Royster stole second [Royster to
third (error by Herrmann)]; Eden grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Royster scored (unearned)]; Montanez made an out to
second; May walked; Wynn struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Javier singled [Javier to second (error by
Montanez)]; Herrmann grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger
hit into a double play to second [Javier out at third (second to
third)]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Asselstine flied out to center; Murphy grounded out
(second to first); Belloir grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Larson struck out; Taveras walked; Taveras was
picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to first to
shortstop to first); Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Camp grounded out (pitcher to first); Royster
grounded out (shortstop to first); Eden grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (second to first); Watson
doubled; Cruz flied out to center; Javier was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Montanez doubled; May grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Montanez to third]; Wynn walked; Asselstine hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Montanez scored]; Murphy doubled [Wynn
scored]; Belloir grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Herrmann struck out; Metzger grounded out (second to
first); Larson grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Camp struck out; Royster grounded out (second to
first); Eden grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Taveras singled; Cabell singled [Taveras to second];
Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first) [Taveras to third, Cabell
to second]; Watson singled [Taveras scored, Cabell scored];
TORREALBA REPLACED CAMP (PITCHING); Cruz singled [Watson to
third, Cruz to second (on throw to 3b)]; Javier was walked
intentionally; Herrmann reached on an error by Belloir [Watson
scored (RBI), Cruz to third, Javier to second, Herrmann to
first]; Metzger forced Cruz (pitcher to catcher) [Javier to
third, Herrmann to second]; Larson grounded out (third to
first); 3 R, 4 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Montanez singled; May forced Montanez (second to
shortstop); May stole second; Wynn made an out to first;
Asselstine made an out to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
4, Braves 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Taveras flied out to center; Cabell grounded out
(second to first); Cedeno grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Murphy made an out to catcher; CHANEY BATTED FOR
BELLOIR; Chaney singled; PACIOREK BATTED FOR TORREALBA; Paciorek
struck out while Chaney was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.

ASTROS 8TH: LEON REPLACED PACIOREK (PITCHING); CHANEY STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING SS); Watson singled; Cruz made an out to second;
Javier struck out; Herrmann struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Royster flied out to center; Eden grounded out
(second to first); Montanez singled; May grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Larson
grounded out (third to first); Taveras flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 9TH: Wynn made an out to shortstop; Asselstine grounded
out (pitcher to first); Murphy grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.