Willie Horton not only hit a three-run homer but also singled to set up the run that gave the Tigers a 7-6 victory over the Rangers. Horton homered in the second when the Tigers counted five times.

After the Rangers battled back to tie the score, Alex Johnson drew a walk in the seventh. Horton followed with a single, sending Johnson to third, and Rusty Staub then hit a sacrifice fly to produce the deciding marker. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 7, Texas Rangers 6
Game Played on Friday, April     23, 1976 (Day game) at Tiger Stadium
Rangers      1  0  3    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   6 11  0
Tigers       0  5  0    0  0  1    1  0  x  -   7 12  3


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Randle lf,2b          3   2   1   0     2   0   .205      LeFlore cf            4   1   3   1     0   0   .333
Beniquez cf           5   1   3   0     0   0   .310      Johnson lf            2   1   0   1     1   0   .143
  Moates pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Horton dh             4   1   3   3     0   0   .429
Hargrove 1b           4   2   2   2     0   1   .324      Staub rf              3   0   0   1     0   0   .323
Grieve dh             5   0   1   1     0   1   .270      Thompson 1b           4   0   1   0     0   2   .250
Burroughs rf          4   1   1   0     0   1   .233      Freehan c             4   1   2   0     0   0   .400
Howell 3b             3   0   1   2     0   1   .189      Rodriguez 3b          4   2   2   1     0   0   .222
  Fregosi ph,3b       1   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Veryzer ss            4   1   1   0     0   0   .182
Cubbage 2b            2   0   0   0     1   0   .222      Manuel 2b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .182
  Clines ph,lf        1   0   0   0     0   1   .200      Bare p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Smalley ss            4   0   2   0     0   1   .265        Hiller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Sundberg c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .080
  Ellis ph,c          1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
Umbarger p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Barr p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Foucault p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hoerner p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   6  11   5     3   8             Totals               32   7  12   7     1   3

Time of Game: 2:48   Attendance: 10,754
Left on Base: Rangers 7, Tigers 4
DP: Rangers 0, Tigers 1
Errors: Freehan, Veryzer, Manuel
Doubles: Howell (1)
Home Runs: Horton (4), Rodriguez (2)
Stolen Bases: LeFlore (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Hargrove (1), Johnson (1), Staub (1)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Umbarger                1.2   7   5   5   0   2   1  12   3.32
Barr L(1-1)             4.1   4   2   2   1   0   1  17   2.03
Foucault                0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Hoerner                 1.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   5   9.00
Totals                  8    12   7   7   1   3   2  35

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bare                    6.2  10   6   5   3   5   0  32   2.91
Hiller W(1-2)           2.1   1   0   0   0   3   0   8   2.13
Totals                  9    11   6   5   3   8   0  40

Umpires: HP - Dale Ford, 1B - Marty Springstead, 3B - Larry Barnett


RANGERS 1ST: Randle walked; Beniquez singled to center [Randle
to third]; Hargrove sacrifice flied into a double play (right to
first) [Randle scored, Beniquez out at second]; Grieve reached
on an error by Veryzer; Burroughs grounded out (pitcher to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: LeFlore singled to right; Johnson flied out to
center; Horton singled to center [LeFlore to second]; Staub
flied out to center [LeFlore to third]; Thompson struck out;
Debut game for Jason Thompson; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Rangers 1, Tigers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Howell grounded out (third to first); Cubbage
grounded out (pitcher to first); Smalley singled to center;
Sundberg grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Freehan singled; Rodriguez singled to center
[Freehan to second]; Veryzer singled to left [Freehan to third,
Rodriguez to second]; Manuel struck out; LeFlore singled to
center [Freehan scored, Rodriguez to third, Veryzer to second];
Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to center [Rodriguez scored, Veryzer
to third]; Horton homered [Veryzer scored, LeFlore scored]; BARR
REPLACED UMBARGER (PITCHING); Staub flied out to center; 5 R, 5
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 5.

RANGERS 3RD: On a bunt Randle singled [Randle to third (error by
Freehan)]; Beniquez grounded out (third to first); Hargrove
singled to right [Randle scored]; Grieve struck out; Burroughs
singled [Hargrove to second]; Howell doubled to left [Hargrove
scored, Burroughs scored, Howell out at third (left to third)];
3 R, 4 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Tigers 5.

TIGERS 3RD: Thompson grounded out (catcher to first); Freehan
singled to left; Freehan was picked off first (pitcher to
first); Rodriguez grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Tigers 5.

RANGERS 4TH: Cubbage grounded out (second to first); Smalley was
called out on strikes; Sundberg grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Tigers 5.

TIGERS 4TH: Veryzer flied out to right; Manuel grounded out
(third to first); LeFlore singled to left; LeFlore stole second;
Johnson flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 4,
Tigers 5.

RANGERS 5TH: Randle walked; Beniquez flied out to right;
Hargrove forced Randle (first to shortstop); Grieve lined to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 4, Tigers 5.

TIGERS 5TH: Horton grounded out (first unassisted); Staub
grounded out (second to first); Thompson singled to right;
Freehan forced Thompson (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Rangers 4, Tigers 5.

RANGERS 6TH: Burroughs struck out; Howell struck out; Cubbage
walked; Smalley singled to center [Cubbage to third, Smalley out
at second (center to third to second)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 4, Tigers 5.

TIGERS 6TH: Rodriguez homered; Veryzer grounded out (shortstop
to first); Manuel grounded out (third to first); LeFlore
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4,
Tigers 6.

RANGERS 7TH: Sundberg struck out; Randle flied out to right;
Beniquez singled to left; Hargrove singled to left [Beniquez to
second]; Grieve singled to center [Beniquez scored, Hargrove to
second]; Burroughs reached on an error by Manuel [Hargrove
scored (unearned), Grieve to third, Burroughs to second]; HILLER
REPLACED BARE (PITCHING); FREGOSI BATTED FOR HOWELL; Fregosi
grounded out (third to first); 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Rangers 6, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 7TH: FREGOSI STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Johnson walked;
FOUCAULT REPLACED BARR (PITCHING); Horton singled to left
[Johnson to third, Horton out at second (left to pitcher to
first)]; HOERNER REPLACED FOUCAULT (PITCHING); Staub hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Johnson scored]; Thompson struck out; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Tigers 7.

RANGERS 8TH: CLINES BATTED FOR CUBBAGE; Clines struck out;
Smalley flied out to left; ELLIS BATTED FOR SUNDBERG; Ellis
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Tigers 7.

TIGERS 8TH: RANDLE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); CLINES STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); ELLIS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Freehan
flied out to center; Rodriguez flied out to right; Veryzer flied
to right in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6,
Tigers 7.

RANGERS 9TH: Randle popped to catcher in foul territory;
Beniquez singled; MOATES RAN FOR BENIQUEZ; Hargrove struck out;
Grieve forced Moates (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 6, Tigers 7.