The Padres had lost 20 of their last 27 games and scored just 56 runs during that run when owner Ray Kroc sent club President Buzzie Bavasi to Atlanta for a closer look. Manager John McNamara had dressed down the players in a closed-door meeting.
The message was received, loud and clear.
The Padres scored seven unanswered runs for a comeback 7-3 win in the first game of a doubleheader against the Braves on this date — Aug. 2 — in 1976 and then completed the sweep with a 7-0 shutout.
Outfielder Johnny Grubb led the way with a franchise-record six hits, including the first two-homer game of his career in the nightcap.