Bert Blyleven survived a ninth-inning threat and posted his second straight complete-game victory, pitching the Rangers past the Royals, 4-2. Gene Clines, Joe Lahoud and Juan Beniquez each batted in one run and scored one for the Rangers.

Blyleven gave up three hits and walked two in the ninth before emerging with his decision. Dave Nelson drove in one of the Royals' runs with a single and the other was forced home when Tom Poquette drew a pass with the bases loaded. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 4, Kansas City Royals 2
Game Played on Saturday, July      31, 1976 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Rangers      0  0  2    1  1  0    0  0  0  -   4  8  0
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   2 10  1


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Clines lf             4   1   1   1     1   0   .268      Poquette lf           4   0   1   1     1   0   .340
Harrah ss             3   0   0   0     0   0   .263      Otis cf               4   0   3   0     1   0   .288
Lahoud dh             3   1   2   1     0   0   .204      Brett 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .349
  Fregosi ph,dh       0   0   0   0     1   0   .233      Mayberry 1b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .247
Hargrove 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .294      Quirk dh              4   1   0   0     0   1   .259
Burroughs rf          4   0   1   1     0   0   .231      Cowens rf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .260
Howell 3b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .262      Stinson c             4   1   1   0     0   1   .263
  Thompson ph,3b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .230      Patek ss              3   0   1   0     0   1   .256
Randle 2b             4   1   0   0     0   0   .230        McRae ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .349
Beniquez cf           3   1   2   1     1   0   .251        Wohlford pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .223
Sundberg c            4   0   1   0     0   0   .221      White 2b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Blyleven p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        D. Nelson ph,2b     2   0   1   1     0   0   .234
                                                          Fitzmorris p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gura p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   4   8   4     3   0             Totals               35   2  10   2     3   4

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance: 35,786
Left on Base: Rangers 6, Royals 9
DP: Rangers 2, Royals 1
Errors: Brett
Doubles: Burroughs (16), Beniquez (7), Poquette (14)
Triples: Cowens (5)
Stolen Bases: Randle (21)
GIDP: Hargrove (3), Brett (5), Poquette (6)
Hit by Pitch: Harrah (2,by Fitzmorris)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(8-12)        9    10   2   2   3   4   0  38   2.94
Totals                  9    10   2   2   3   4   0  38

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fitzmorris L(12-7)      5     6   4   3   1   0   0  23   2.95
Gura                    3     1   0   0   2   0   0  11   4.67
Hall                    1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.21
Totals                  9     8   4   3   3   0   0  37

Hit by Pitch: Fitzmorris (2)

Umpires: HP - Don Denkinger, 1B - Larry Barnett, 2B - Dale Ford, 3B - Marty Springstead


RANGERS 1ST: Clines grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrah
was hit by a pitch; Lahoud forced Harrah (second to shortstop);
Hargrove flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Poquette flied out to left; Otis singled to
shortstop; Brett flied out to right; Mayberry grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Royals 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Burroughs flied out to center; Howell grounded out
(pitcher to first); Randle grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Quirk struck out; Cowens tripled to center; Stinson
struck out; Patek flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 0, Royals 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Beniquez walked; Sundberg grounded out (second to
first) [Beniquez to second]; Clines singled to center [Beniquez
scored]; Harrah reached on a fielder's choice [Clines to third
(error by Brett)]; Lahoud singled to center [Clines scored
(unearned), Harrah to second]; Hargrove grounded out (second to
first) [Harrah to third, Lahoud to second]; Burroughs grounded
out (third to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 2,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: White grounded out (shortstop to first); Poquette
doubled to right; Otis walked; Brett grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Otis out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Rangers 2, Royals 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Howell singled to second; Randle forced Howell
(second to shortstop); Randle stole second; Beniquez singled to
right [Randle scored]; Sundberg flied out to center; Clines
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers
3, Royals 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Mayberry grounded out (pitcher to first); Quirk
grounded out (second to first); Cowens singled to second;
Stinson grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 3, Royals 0.

RANGERS 5TH: Harrah grounded out (third to first); Lahoud
singled to right; Hargrove flied out to center; Burroughs
doubled to right [Lahoud scored, Burroughs out at third (right
to second to catcher to third)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers
4, Royals 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Patek singled to center; White flied out to right;
Poquette grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Patek out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4,
Royals 0.

RANGERS 6TH: GURA REPLACED FITZMORRIS (PITCHING); Howell popped
to second; Randle grounded out (second to first); Beniquez
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 4, Royals 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Otis singled to left; Brett forced Otis (first to
shortstop); Mayberry popped to second; Quirk grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals 0.

RANGERS 7TH: Sundberg singled to center; Clines walked [Sundberg
to second]; Harrah flied out to right [Sundberg to third];
FREGOSI BATTED FOR LAHOUD; Fregosi walked [Clines to second];
Hargrove grounded into a double play (pitcher to catcher to
first) [Sundberg out at home]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 4,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 7TH: FREGOSI STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Cowens grounded
out (shortstop to first); Stinson grounded out (pitcher to
first); Patek struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4,
Royals 0.

RANGERS 8TH: Burroughs grounded out (first unassisted); THOMPSON
BATTED FOR HOWELL; Thompson flied out to right; Randle grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 8TH: THOMPSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); D. NELSON
BATTED FOR WHITE; D. Nelson popped to second; Poquette grounded
out (shortstop to first); Otis singled to right; Brett struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals 0.

RANGERS 9TH: D. NELSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); HALL
REPLACED GURA (PITCHING); Beniquez doubled to right; Beniquez
was out trying to advance to third (catcher to third); Sundberg
grounded out (pitcher to first); Clines flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals 0.

ROYALS 9TH: Mayberry singled to first; Quirk forced Mayberry
(second to shortstop); Cowens grounded out (third to first)
[Quirk to second]; Stinson singled to right [Quirk to third];
MCRAE BATTED FOR PATEK; McRae walked [Stinson to second];
WOHLFORD RAN FOR MCRAE; D. Nelson singled to center [Quirk
scored, Stinson to third, Wohlford to second]; Poquette walked
[Stinson scored, Wohlford to third, D. Nelson to second]; Otis
flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals 2.