Spikes Homer Wins Division for Idle Astros

National League
Philadelphia 9 at New York 3
-Sixto Lezcano hit his 19^th home run and drove in three as the Phils down the hapless Mets
Cincinnati 4 at Atlanta 5 (10)
-Charlie Spikes 21^st home run of the season was the game winner in the bottom of the 10^th off Rawly Eastwick (4-6, 2.24) and clinches the NL West for the idle Houston Astros. Chris Chambliss  (.278 15HR) hit two home runs for the second time in three days

NL East: The Pirates have won the division for the second straight season
NL West: The Astros have clinched the NL West

American League:
Boston 5 at Cleveland 3 (11)
-Jim Rice’s 45^th home run of the season gives the Red Sox the lead in the 11^th. That along with four shutout relief innings from Dick Drago (2.56) and Skip Lockwood (7-7, 2.47) earn  the Red Sox a huge, hard fought victory
New York 6 at Detroit 9
-Bill Freehan (11HR) went 4-for-4 with a home run and Dave Collins swiped his 50^th base as the Tigers hang seven on Yankees starter Tom Underwood (13-12, 3.94) in building a 9-1 lead
Texas 3 at Chicago 4 (11)
-Ralph Garr’s single in the 10^th wins the game for the White Sox. Bobby Bonds hit his 35^th home run in the game for Chicago
California 2 at Oakland 3
- Mike Norris (7-11, 3.49) walks seven but still earns the win for the A’s. Elias Sosa earned his 20^th save

AL East: The Red Sox take a half game lead on the idle Orioles – who may have been in the stands watching as they play in Cleveland tomorrow
AL West:  The Royals have clinched the division crown

Atlanta 5, Cincinnati 4

9/27/1976, CIN76-ATL76, Fulton County Stadium
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10     R  H  E   LOB DP
1976 Cincinnati        1  2  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0     4  8  0     8  1
1976 Atlanta           1  0  2  0  0  0  0  1  0  1     5 13  1     8  1
 
Cincinnati           AB  R  H BI   AVG    Atlanta              AB  R  H BI   AVG
Morgan            2b  4  1  1  0  .297    Gilbreath         2b  3  0  1  0  .299
Rose              3b  3  0  0  0  .333     Chaney           ph  1  0  0  0  .234
Biittner          rf  5  0  0  0  .351     Leon             p   0  0  0  0  .000
Bench             c   5  0  2  0  .260     Jorgensen        rf  1  0  1  0  .234
Foster            lf  5  1  1  0  .284    Perez             ss  5  1  1  1  .341
Concepcion        ss  2  2  1  0  .279    Chambliss         1b  5  2  2  3  .278
 Bell             ph  1  0  0  0  .267    Spikes            lf  5  1  1  1  .269
 Auerbach         ss  1  0  0  0  .208    Evans             3b  4  0  2  0  .260
Driessen          1b  4  0  1  1  .285    Henderson         rf  3  0  2  0  .266
Geronimo          cf  4  0  1  0  .261     Sadecki          p   0  0  0  0  .458
Billingham        p   2  0  0  2  .131    Office            cf  4  0  0  0  .211
 McEnaney         p   0  0  0  0  .000    Pocoroba          c   4  0  1  0  .232
 Plummer          ph  1  0  1  0  .190    Ruthven           p   2  1  1  0  .342
 Eastwick         p   0  0  0  0  .000     Burroughs        ph  1  0  0  0  .241
                     37  4  8  3           Belloir          ss  1  0  1  0  .176
                                                               39  5 13  5
 
Cincinnati                       INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Billingham                       7.2 10  4  4  1  2 115  76  4.17
McEnaney                         0.1  0  0  0  0  0   3   3  2.88
Eastwick         L 4-6           1.0  3  1  1  0  1  23  16  2.24
                                 9.0 13  5  5  1  3 141  95 
 
Atlanta                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Ruthven                          7.0  6  4  3  3  1 109  65  3.90
Leon                             1.1  2  0  0  0  0  22  15  2.62
Sadecki          W 8-13          1.2  0  0  0  1  1  22  12  5.21
                                10.0  8  4  3  4  2 153  92 
 
CIN: Bell batted for Concepcion in the 8th
     Auerbach inserted at ss in the 8th
     Plummer batted for McEnaney in the 9th
ATL: Burroughs batted for Ruthven in the 7th
     Chaney batted for Gilbreath in the 7th
     Belloir inserted at ss in the 8th
     Perez moved to 2b in the 8th
     Jorgensen inserted at rf in the 9th
 
E-Gilbreath. 2B-Plummer, Gilbreath. HR-Perez(11), Chambliss 2(15), 
Spikes(21). SB-Morgan(73), Bench(5), Concepcion(27). K-Morgan, Bench, 
Chambliss, Pocoroba, Burroughs. BB-Morgan, Rose 2, Concepcion, Henderson. 
SH-Billingham. PB-Bench. WP-Sadecki. 
GWRBI: Spikes