RUTHVEN K'S 12 IN BRAVES 'W' OVER 'SPOS
Sets New NL Strikeout High

ATLANTA, June 24 (AP) - Dick Ruthven struck out 12 batters en route to a complete game six-hitter and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Montreal Expos, 8-1, at Fulton County Stadium.  The 12 strikeouts represent a new season high for a National League pitcher.  Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana, both of the California Angels, hold the American League and Major League highs for the season to date with 15 strikeouts in a single game.

The Braves seized control of the contest in the bottom of the first inning with three runs off Expos starter Don Stanhouse who walked four batters in the frame.  The runs scored on Darrel Chaney's sacrifice fly and Jerry Royster's bases loaded free pass.  Willie Montanez had the only hit of the inning and drove in the third run of the frame.

Montreal nicked Ruthven for the only tally the Atlanta right-hander yielded in the third when Larry Parrish led off with a double and scored on Pepe Frias' single.

The Braves added single runs in the fourth and sixth on a bases loaded walk to Rod Gilbreath and a Rowland Office single respectively and then effectively put the game away once and for all with two more runs in the seventh on Royster's second sacrifice fly of the contest and Earl Williams' RBI double.  Atlanta capped the scoring in the eighth when Royster drew his team's third bases loaded walk of the contest.

Ruthven fanned two batters in the first, third and fifth innings, single batters in the fourth and sixth and then struck out the side in the eighth.  Expos first baseman Jose Morales was a victim three times.

6/24/1976, Mon76-Atl76, Fulton County Stadium
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
1976 Expos             0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0     1  6  0     7  0
1976 Braves            3  0  0  1  0  1  2  1  x     8  9  0    11  0
 
Expos                AB  R  H BI   AVG    Braves               AB  R  H BI   AVG
Mangual,P         cf  3  0  0  0  .290    Office            cf  2  1  1  1  .349
Lyttle            lf  4  0  0  0  .196    Gilbreath         2b  3  1  1  1  .247
Roenicke          rf  3  0  1  0  .277    Wynn              lf  4  1  0  0  .198
Morales,Jo        1b  4  0  0  0  .352    Montanez          1b  4  2  2  1  .297
Mackanin          2b  3  0  0  0  .227    Henderson,K       rf  4  1  1  0  .246
 Murray,D         p   0  0  0  0  .000    Chaney            ss  2  0  0  2  .281
 Dwyer            ph  1  0  0  0  .194    Royster           3b  3  0  0  2  .278
 Scherman         p   0  0  0  0  .000    Williams,E        c   4  2  3  1  .220
Foote             c   4  0  0  0  .221    Ruthven           p   4  0  1  0  .242
Parrish           3b  4  1  2  0  .195                         30  8  9  8
Frias             ss  3  0  2  1  .341
 Jorgensen        ph  1  0  0  0  .275
Stanhouse         p   1  0  0  0  .278
 Granger          p   1  0  0  0  .000
 Foli             ss  1  0  1  0  .236
                     33  1  6  1
 
Expos                            INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Stanhouse        L 3-1           3.2  3  4  4  6  4  78  42  3.88
Granger                          2.0  3  1  1  0  0  20  14  3.58
Murray,D                         1.1  3  2  2  0  1  31  21  6.00
Scherman                         1.0  0  1  1  2  1  29  11  5.46
                                 8.0  9  8  8  8  6 158  88
 
Braves                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Ruthven          W 5-6           9.0  6  1  1  2 12 141  90  3.60
                                 9.0  6  1  1  2 12 141  90
 
Mon: Frias moved to 2b in the 6th
     Foli inserted at ss in the 6th
     Dwyer batted for Murray,D in the 8th
     Jorgensen batted for Frias in the 9th
 
2B-Parrish(12), Gilbreath(3), Williams,E 2(4). RBI-Frias(4), Office(20),
Gilbreath(7), Montanez(32), Chaney 2(25), Royster 2(22), Williams,E(21).
K-Mangual,P 2, Lyttle 2, Roenicke 2, Morales,Jo 3, Mackanin, Stanhouse,
Dwyer, Gilbreath, Henderson,K, Royster, Williams,E, Ruthven 2. BB-Mangual,P,
Roenicke, Office 2, Gilbreath 2, Wynn, Henderson,K, Chaney 2. SH-Chaney.
SF-Royster 2. HBP-Office, Montanez. HB-Scherman 2.
GWRBI: Montanez
Temperature: 91, Sky: clear, Wind: out to right at 9 MPH.
Attendance: 8,236
Game Time: 2:34