Before going to Oakland for a three-game series, the Royals lost to the Rangers, 3-1, cutting their West Division lead over the Athletics to 4½ games. The A's, who were rained out in Chicago, had seven games left to play while six remained on the Royals' chart. Lenny Randle drove in two of the Rangers' runs with a sacrifice fly and single, scoring Jeff Burroughs both times.

The Rangers had to call on three relievers in the ninth inning before nailing down their victory. Nelson Briles was lifted after giving up a single by John Mayberry. Mike Bacsik yielded a single by Al Cowens and walked Jamie Quirk with one out to fill the bases. Bob Stinson grounded out, scoring Mayberry. Craig Skok took over and passed Jim Wohlford to load the bases again, but Steve Hargan then saved the game by getting Amos Otis on a fly to right field. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 3, Kansas City Royals 1
Game Played on Sunday, September 26, 1976 (Day game) at Arlington Stadium
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  5  1
Rangers      0  1  1    0  0  1    0  0  x  -   3 11  2


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Poquette lf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .306      Clines lf             5   0   1   0     0   1   .275
  Wohlford ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .243      Harrah ss             4   0   1   0     0   0   .258
Otis cf               5   0   0   0     0   2   .279      Hargrove 1b           3   0   0   0     1   0   .284
Brett 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .331      Burroughs rf          3   2   2   0     1   0   .238
McRae dh              4   0   0   0     0   0   .335        Moates pr,rf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .241
Mayberry 1b           4   1   2   0     0   1   .237      Howell 3b             4   0   2   0     0   2   .258
Cowens rf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .265      Grieve dh             4   0   2   0     0   1   .258
White 2b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .233      Randle 2b             2   0   1   2     0   0   .220
  Rojas ph,2b         2   0   0   0     0   0   .224      Beniquez cf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .253
Patek ss              2   0   0   0     0   1   .243      Sundberg c            3   1   2   0     1   0   .229
  Quirk ph,ss         1   0   1   0     1   0   .245      Briles p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Wilson pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Bacsik p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Martinez c            2   0   0   0     0   0   .231        Skok p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Davis ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .263        Hargan p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Stinson c           1   0   0   1     0   0   .271
Bird p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Littell p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Cram p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   1   5   1     4   4             Totals               32   3  11   2     3   6

Time of Game: 2:53   Attendance:  4,650
Left on Base: Royals 10, Rangers 10
DP: Royals 2, Rangers 0
Errors: Brett, Harrah, Hargrove
Doubles: Grieve (23), Sundberg (23), Howell (28)
Sacrifice Hits: Randle (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Randle (4)
GIDP: Harrah (17), Grieve (18)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bird L(12-10)           6     9   3   2   0   3   0  26   3.35
Littell                 1     0   0   0   3   2   0   6   2.02
Cram                    1     2   0   0   0   1   0   5   4.15
Totals                  8    11   3   2   3   6   0  37

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Briles W(11-9)          8     4   1   1   2   4   0  32   3.27
Bacsik                  0.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   4   4.03
Skok                    0     0   0   0   1   0   0   1  12.60
Hargan SV(1)            0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.50
Totals                  9     5   1   1   4   4   0  38

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


ROYALS 1ST: Poquette grounded out (second to first); Otis struck
out; Brett reached on an error by Hargrove; McRae grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Clines flied to right in foul territory; Harrah
grounded out (second to first); Hargrove grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Mayberry grounded out (second to first); Cowens
reached on an error by Harrah; White grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Cowens to second]; Patek grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Burroughs singled to left; Howell struck out;
Grieve doubled to left [Burroughs to third]; Randle hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Burroughs scored, Grieve to third];
Beniquez grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 0, Rangers 1.

ROYALS 3RD: Martinez popped to first; Poquette flied out to
right; Otis grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Royals 0, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 3RD: Sundberg doubled to left; Clines reached on an
error by Brett [Sundberg to third]; Harrah grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Sundberg scored
(unearned), Clines out at second]; Hargrove flied out to right;
1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 2.

ROYALS 4TH: Brett grounded out (second to first); McRae popped
to catcher in foul territory; Mayberry singled to center; Cowens
singled to pitcher [Mayberry to second]; White forced Cowens
(third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 4TH: Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to first); Howell
doubled; Grieve struck out; Randle grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 2.

ROYALS 5TH: Patek struck out; Martinez flied out to center;
Poquette walked; Otis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
0, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 5TH: Beniquez struck out; Sundberg flied out to center;
Clines singled to right; Harrah singled to center [Clines to
third]; Hargrove grounded out (first to pitcher to first); 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 2.

ROYALS 6TH: Brett flied out to center; McRae lined to shortstop;
Mayberry struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 6TH: Burroughs singled to left; Howell singled to right
[Burroughs to second]; Grieve grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Burroughs to third, Howell out
at second]; Randle singled to right [Burroughs scored]; Beniquez
flied out to center; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 3.

ROYALS 7TH: Cowens grounded out (shortstop to first); ROJAS
BATTED FOR WHITE; Rojas grounded out (third to first); QUIRK
BATTED FOR PATEK; Quirk singled to right; DAVIS BATTED FOR
MARTINEZ; Davis walked [Quirk to second]; Poquette flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 7TH: ROJAS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); QUIRK STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING SS); STINSON REPLACED DAVIS (PLAYING C ); LITTELL
REPLACED BIRD (PITCHING); Sundberg walked; Clines struck out;
Harrah grounded out (first unassisted) [Sundberg to second];
Hargrove was walked intentionally; Burroughs walked [Sundberg to
third, Hargrove to second]; MOATES RAN FOR BURROUGHS; Howell
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 3.

ROYALS 8TH: MOATES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Otis grounded
out (third to first); 55 minute rain delay; Brett flied
out to right; McRae grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 8TH: CRAM REPLACED LITTELL (PITCHING); Grieve singled to
left; Randle out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher unassisted)
[Grieve to second]; Beniquez struck out; Sundberg singled to
shortstop [Grieve to third]; Clines forced Sundberg (third to
second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 3.

ROYALS 9TH: Mayberry singled to center; BACSIK REPLACED BRILES
(PITCHING); Cowens singled to left [Mayberry to second]; Rojas
flied out to left; Quirk walked [Mayberry to third, Cowens to
second]; WILSON RAN FOR QUIRK; Stinson grounded out (second to
first) [Mayberry scored, Cowens to third, Wilson to second];
SKOK REPLACED BACSIK (PITCHING); WOHLFORD BATTED FOR POQUETTE;
Wohlford walked; HARGAN REPLACED SKOK (PITCHING); Otis flied to
right in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 1,
Rangers 3.