Defeated in the first game of a doubleheader, 9-1, the Athletics lost ground in the West Division race, although coming back to win the second game, 13-3. As a result of the split, the A's dropped six lengths behind the Royals, who edged the White Sox, 6-5. Tom Grieve and Juan Beniquez each batted in three runs and Jim Umbarger pitched a four-hitter in the Rangers' victory. In the nightcap, the A's exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning on six hits, two walks and an error. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 9, Oakland Athletics 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, September 19, 1976 (Day game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Rangers      0  2  0    4  3  0    0  0  0  -   9 15  2
A's          0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   1  4  1


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Randle 2b             6   0   1   0     0   1   .218      North cf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .272
Harrah ss             4   0   0   0     1   0   .265      Campaneris ss         4   0   1   1     0   1   .267
Fregosi 1b            3   0   0   0     2   0   .244      Baylor dh             4   0   1   0     0   1   .249
Burroughs rf          4   2   3   0     1   0   .238      Rudi lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .283
Howell 3b             5   1   2   0     0   2   .258      Bando 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .229
Clines lf             3   3   2   1     1   0   .267      Tenace 1b,c           3   0   0   0     1   0   .251
  Lahoud lf           0   0   0   0     1   0   .204      Washington rf         4   0   0   0     0   2   .249
Grieve dh             5   2   4   3     0   0   .255      Garner 2b             2   1   1   0     1   0   .259
Beniquez cf           4   1   2   3     0   0   .260      Newman c              1   0   0   0     0   0   .197
  Moates cf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .246        Woods ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .500
Sundberg c            5   0   1   2     0   0   .227        Haney c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .226
Umbarger p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        McMullen ph,1b      1   0   1   0     0   0   .215
                                                          Torrez p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Todd p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Abbott p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Batton p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               40   9  15   9     6   3             Totals               32   1   4   1     2   6

Time of Game: 2:41
Left on Base: Rangers 10, A's 6
DP: Rangers 0, A's 2
Errors: Sundberg, Umbarger, Garner
Doubles: Garner (26), Campaneris (13)
Triples: Sundberg (2), Clines (3)
Home Runs: Grieve (17)
GIDP: Harrah (16), Howell (10)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Umbarger W(10-12)       9     4   1   1   2   6   0  34   3.20
Totals                  9     4   1   1   2   6   0  34

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Torrez L(14-11)         3.1   7   6   6   2   2   0  17   2.71
Todd                    0.2   3   2   2   2   1   0   7   4.07
Abbott                  3     5   1   1   1   0   1  16   5.40
Batton                  2     0   0   0   1   0   0   6   0.00
Totals                  9    15   9   9   6   3   1  46

Umpires: HP - Rich Garcia, 1B - Lou DiMuro, 2B - Bill Kunkel, 3B - Dave Phillips


RANGERS 1ST: Randle grounded out (third to first); Harrah flied
out to center; Fregosi lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: North grounded out (third to first); Campaneris
flied out to right; Baylor flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 0, Athletics 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Burroughs walked; Howell struck out; Clines walked
[Burroughs to second]; Grieve singled to shortstop [Burroughs to
third, Clines to second]; Beniquez singled to center [Burroughs
scored, Clines scored, Grieve to third, Beniquez out at second
(center to shortstop to second to first to shortstop)]; Sundberg
grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2,
Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Rudi popped to first in foul territory; Bando
flied out to left; Tenace grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Athletics 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Randle singled to shortstop; Harrah grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Randle out at
second]; Fregosi grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Washington struck out; Garner grounded out
(second to first); Newman grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Athletics 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Burroughs singled to center; Howell struck out;
Clines singled to left [Burroughs to second]; Grieve singled to
center [Burroughs scored, Clines to second]; Beniquez singled to
right [Clines scored, Grieve to second]; TODD REPLACED TORREZ
(PITCHING); Sundberg tripled to center [Grieve scored, Beniquez
scored]; Randle struck out; Harrah walked; Fregosi walked
[Harrah to second]; Burroughs forced Fregosi (shortstop to
second); 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Rangers 6, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: North grounded out (shortstop to first);
Campaneris grounded out (second to first); Baylor grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6,
Athletics 0.

RANGERS 5TH: Howell singled to shortstop; Clines tripled to
center [Howell scored]; ABBOTT REPLACED TODD (PITCHING); Grieve
homered [Clines scored]; Beniquez grounded out (third to first);
Sundberg grounded out (third to first); Randle flied out to
center; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 9, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Rudi flied out to right; Bando popped to first in
foul territory; Tenace walked; Washington struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 9, Athletics 0.

RANGERS 6TH: Harrah flied out to center; Fregosi grounded out
(pitcher to first); Burroughs singled to right; Howell singled
to center [Burroughs to second]; Clines popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 9, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Garner doubled; WOODS BATTED FOR NEWMAN; Woods
was called out on strikes; North grounded out (third to first);
Campaneris doubled [Garner scored]; Baylor singled to first
[Campaneris to third]; Rudi was called out on strikes; 1 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 9, Athletics 1.

RANGERS 7TH: HANEY REPLACED WOODS (PLAYING C ); Grieve singled
to center; Beniquez forced Grieve (shortstop to second);
Sundberg reached on a fielder's choice [Beniquez to second
(error by Garner; assist by Bando)]; Randle flied out to center;
Harrah grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Rangers 9, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 7TH: LAHOUD REPLACED CLINES (PLAYING LF); MOATES
REPLACED BENIQUEZ (PLAYING CF); Bando grounded out (second to
first); Tenace grounded out (third to first); Washington made an
out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 9, Athletics 1.

RANGERS 8TH: Fregosi walked; Burroughs singled to left [Fregosi
to second]; BATTON REPLACED ABBOTT (PITCHING); Howell grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Fregosi to
third, Burroughs out at second]; Debut game for Chris
Batton; Lahoud walked; Grieve popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 9, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Garner walked; MCMULLEN BATTED FOR HANEY;
McMullen singled to shortstop [Garner to second]; North forced
McMullen (third to second) [Garner to third]; North was picked
off first but was safe on an error by Umbarger [North to
second]; Campaneris struck out but advanced to first on an error
by Sundberg; Baylor struck out; Rudi flied out to center; 0 R, 1
H, 2 E, 3 LOB.  Rangers 9, Athletics 1.

RANGERS 9TH: MCMULLEN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); TENACE
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); Moates flied out to center;
Sundberg popped to first in foul territory; Randle grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 9, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 9TH: Bando made an out to second; Tenace flied out to
left; Washington grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 9, Athletics 1.