After a one-day delay because of rain, the Rangers opened their season by losing to the White Sox, 3-1, before a crowd of 22,114 at Arlington Stadium. Wilbur Wood pitched for the White Sox and gave up only four hits. The Rangers, who scored an unearned run in the sixth inning, raised a threat in the ninth when Rico Carty and Alex Johnson both singled with two out, but Wood struck out Jeff Burroughs to end the game.

The White Sox scored on a walk to Ken Henderson, double by Mike Andrews and sacrifice fly by Eddie Leon in the fifth. Dick Allen homered in the sixth and an unearned run wrapped up the scoring in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Chicago White Sox 3, Texas Rangers 1
Game Played on Saturday, April     7, 1973 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
White Sox    0  0  0    0  1  1    1  0  0  -   3  7  1
Rangers      0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   1  4  1


White Sox            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Kelly rf              4   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Nelson 2b             3   1   0   0     1   2   .000
May lf                4   0   3   1     0   0   .750        Mason 2b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
D. Allen 1b           4   1   2   1     0   1   .500      Harrah ss             3   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Melton 3b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Epstein 1b            4   0   0   1     0   1   .000
Henderson cf          3   1   0   0     1   0   .000      Carty dh              4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Andrews dh            3   0   1   0     1   0   .333        Harris pr,dh        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Herrmann c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Johnson lf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Orta 2b               3   1   0   0     1   0   .000      Burroughs rf          3   0   0   0     1   2   .000
Leon ss               2   0   1   1     1   0   .500      Billings c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Wood p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Lovitto 3b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .333
                                                          Maddox cf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                          Bosman p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Foucault p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Merritt p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   3   7   3     6   1             Totals               30   1   4   1     2   6

Time of Game: 2:10   Attendance: 22,114
Left on Base: White Sox 7, Rangers 5
DP: White Sox 0, Rangers 2
Errors: Melton, Nelson
Doubles: Andrews (1)
Home Runs: D. Allen (1)
Stolen Bases: Orta (1)
Caught Stealing: May (1), Henderson (1), Kelly (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Harrah (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Leon (1)
GIDP: Melton (1)


White Sox              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wood W(1-0)             9     4   1   0   2   6   0  33   0.00
Totals                  9     4   1   0   2   6   0  33

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bosman L(0-1)           6.2   6   3   2   4   1   1  29   2.70
Foucault                1.1   0   0   0   2   0   0   5   0.00
Merritt                 1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9     7   3   2   6   1   1  37

Umpires: HP - Nestor Chylak, 1B - Jerry Neudecker, 2B - Larry McCoy, 3B - Hank Morgenweck


WHITE SOX 1ST: Kelly flied out to left; May singled to center;
D. Allen was called out on strikes while May was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 0,
Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Nelson flied out to center; Harrah singled to left;
Epstein popped to second; Carty flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 0, Rangers 0.

WHITE SOX 2ND: Melton popped to second; Henderson grounded out
(pitcher to first); Andrews popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  White Sox 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Johnson grounded out (second to first); Burroughs
struck out (catcher to first); Billings flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 0, Rangers 0.

WHITE SOX 3RD: Herrmann flied out to center; Orta flied out to
center; Leon grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  White Sox 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Lovitto popped to third; Maddox was called out on
strikes; Nelson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 0,
Rangers 0.

WHITE SOX 4TH: On a bunt Kelly grounded out (catcher to first);
May singled to right; D. Allen singled to center [May to third];
Melton grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [D. Allen out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White
Sox 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Harrah grounded out (shortstop to first); Epstein
struck out; Carty flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
White Sox 0, Rangers 0.

WHITE SOX 5TH: Henderson walked; Andrews doubled to left
[Henderson to third]; Herrmann lined to third; Orta was walked
intentionally; Leon hit a sacrifice fly to center [Henderson
scored]; Kelly walked [Andrews to third, Orta to second]; May
lined to first; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  White Sox 1, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 5TH: Johnson grounded out (first unassisted); Burroughs
walked; Billings popped to shortstop; Lovitto singled to right
[Burroughs out at third (right to third)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 White Sox 1, Rangers 0.

WHITE SOX 6TH: D. Allen homered; Melton grounded out (pitcher to
first); Henderson grounded out (second to first); Andrews flied
out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 2, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 6TH: Maddox flied out to center; Nelson walked; Harrah
reached on an error by Melton on a sacrifice bunt [Nelson to
third, Harrah to second]; Epstein grounded out (second to first)
[Nelson scored (unearned), Harrah to third]; Carty grounded out
(pitcher to first); 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 2,
Rangers 1.

WHITE SOX 7TH: Herrmann popped to second; Orta reached on an
error by Nelson; Orta stole second; Leon walked; Kelly flied out
to left; May singled to second [Orta scored (unearned), Leon to
second]; FOUCAULT REPLACED BOSMAN (PITCHING); D. Allen flied out
to right; Debut game for Steve Foucault; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H,
1 E, 2 LOB.  White Sox 3, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 7TH: Johnson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Burroughs flied out to center; Billings grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 3, Rangers 1.

WHITE SOX 8TH: Melton walked; Henderson forced Melton (third to
shortstop); Henderson was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Andrews walked; Herrmann forced Andrews (second to
shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 3, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 8TH: Lovitto grounded out (third to first); Maddox
grounded out (third to first); Nelson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  White Sox 3, Rangers 1.

WHITE SOX 9TH: MASON REPLACED NELSON (PLAYING 2B); MERRITT
REPLACED FOUCAULT (PITCHING); Orta flied out to center; Leon
singled to left; Kelly forced Leon (first to shortstop); Kelly
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 3, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 9TH: Harrah popped to shortstop; Epstein popped to
shortstop; Carty singled to center; HARRIS RAN FOR CARTY;
Johnson singled to right [Harris to third]; Burroughs was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  White Sox 3, Rangers 1.