The Royals' West Division lead over the Athletics was cut to five games with seven left to play after a 1-0 loss to the Rangers while the A's were defeating the White Sox. Bert Blyleven pitched the shutout, allowing only four hits and striking out 11. A spell of wildness proved costly to Andy Hassler, who walked three batters in the fourth inning and gave up a run-scoring single by Tom Grieve. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 1, Kansas City Royals 0
Game Played on Saturday, September 25, 1976 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1
Rangers      0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   1  6  0


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Poquette lf           3   0   1   0     0   0   .309      Clines lf             4   0   3   0     0   0   .276
  Wilson pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Harrah ss             3   0   0   0     1   0   .258
Cowens rf             4   0   1   0     0   2   .263      Hargrove 1b           3   1   1   0     1   0   .286
Brett 3b              4   0   1   0     0   2   .333      Burroughs rf          3   0   0   0     1   1   .236
McRae dh              3   0   1   0     1   0   .337        Moates rf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .241
Mayberry 1b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .236      Grieve dh             3   0   1   1     1   0   .256
Otis cf               3   0   0   0     0   3   .281      Randle 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .219
Rojas 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Beniquez cf           3   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Stinson c             3   0   0   0     0   2   .272      Thompson 3b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Patek ss              2   0   0   0     0   1   .244      Sundberg c            3   0   1   0     0   1   .226
  Davis ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .263      Blyleven p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  White ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .234
Hassler p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               29   0   4   0     2  11             Totals               28   1   6   1     4   2

Time of Game: 2:12   Attendance:  9,001
Left on Base: Royals 5, Rangers 7
DP: Royals 2, Rangers 2
Errors: Patek
Doubles: Cowens (23)
Caught Stealing: Harrah (5)
GIDP: Brett (8), Mayberry (12), Beniquez (11)
Hit by Pitch: Poquette (4,by Blyleven)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hassler L(5-11)         8     6   1   1   4   2   0  32   3.48
Totals                  8     6   1   1   4   2   0  32

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(13-16)       9     4   0   0   2  11   0  32   2.89
Totals                  9     4   0   0   2  11   0  32

Passed Balls: Stinson (3)
Hit by Pitch: Blyleven (12)
Wild Pitches: Hassler (4)

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


ROYALS 1ST: Poquette grounded out (second to first); Cowens
doubled to center; Brett struck out; McRae singled to pitcher
[Cowens to third]; Mayberry walked [McRae to second]; Otis
struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Clines singled to right; Harrah forced Clines
(first to shortstop); Hargrove flied out to right; Stinson
allowed a passed ball [Harrah to second]; Burroughs struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Rojas grounded out (shortstop to first); Stinson
flied out to right; Patek grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Grieve flied out to right; Randle reached on an
error by Patek; Beniquez grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Randle out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Poquette was hit by a pitch; Cowens was called out
on strikes; Brett grounded into a double play (second to first)
[Poquette out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0,
Rangers 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Thompson flied out to right; Sundberg was called
out on strikes; Clines grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 0.

ROYALS 4TH: McRae grounded out (third to first); Mayberry was
called out on strikes; Otis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Harrah walked; Harrah was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Hargrove walked; Burroughs walked
[Hargrove to second]; Grieve singled to center [Hargrove scored,
Burroughs to second]; Randle lined into a double play (shortstop
to second) [Burroughs out at second]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 0, Rangers 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Rojas grounded out (third to first); Stinson struck
out; Patek struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers
1.

RANGERS 5TH: Beniquez grounded out (shortstop to first);
Thompson grounded out (shortstop to first); Sundberg singled to
center; Clines singled to center [Sundberg to second]; Harrah
flied to right in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals
0, Rangers 1.

ROYALS 6TH: Poquette grounded out (second to first); Cowens
grounded out (third to first); Brett struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 6TH: Hargrove singled to left; Burroughs flied out to
right; Grieve walked [Hargrove to second]; Randle flied out to
center; Hassler threw a wild pitch [Hargrove to third, Grieve to
second]; Beniquez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 1.

ROYALS 7TH: McRae flied out to center; Mayberry grounded out
(pitcher to first); Otis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 7TH: Thompson popped to first; Sundberg flied out to
center; Clines singled to center; Harrah popped to shortstop; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 1.

ROYALS 8TH: Rojas grounded out (shortstop to first); Stinson
struck out; DAVIS BATTED FOR PATEK; Davis grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 8TH: WHITE REPLACED DAVIS (PLAYING SS); Hargrove
grounded out (first unassisted); Burroughs grounded out
(shortstop to first); Grieve flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 1.

ROYALS 9TH: MOATES REPLACED BURROUGHS (PLAYING RF); Poquette
singled to right; WILSON RAN FOR POQUETTE; Cowens was called out
on strikes; Brett singled to center [Wilson to third, Brett to
second (on throw to 3b)]; McRae was walked intentionally;
Mayberry grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [McRae out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0,
Rangers 1.