A single by Bump Wills in the 10th inning for the rookie second baseman's first major league hit carried the Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Orioles in a duel between Bert Blyleven and Jim Palmer. Wills' single before a Baltimore opening-day crowd of 31,307 drove in Juan Beniquez, who had doubled and advanced to third on an infield out by Bert Campaneris. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 2, Baltimore Orioles 1
Game Played on Thursday, April     7, 1977 (Day game) at Memorial Stadium
Rangers      0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0    1  -   2  9  1
Orioles      0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0    0  -   1  6  0


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Campaneris ss         5   0   1   0     0   1   .200      Bumbry cf,lf          5   0   1   0     0   3   .200
Wills 2b              4   0   1   1     1   0   .250      Dauer 2b              5   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Washington lf         5   0   2   0     0   0   .400      Singleton rf          3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
May rf                4   0   2   0     0   0   .500        Harlow pr,cf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hargrove 1b           3   1   1   0     0   0   .333      L. May 1b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .250
Harrah 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Murray dh             4   0   1   0     0   1   .250
Grieve dh             4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Kelly lf,rf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .000
Sundberg c            3   0   0   1     0   2   .000      DeCinces 3b           3   0   1   0     1   0   .333
Beniquez cf           2   1   1   0     2   0   .500      Dempsey c             3   0   0   1     0   1   .000
Blyleven p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Belanger ss           3   0   2   0     1   0   .667
                                                          Palmer p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   2   9   2     3   4             Totals               34   1   6   1     3   8

Time of Game: 2:34   Attendance: 31,307
Left on Base: Rangers 7, Orioles 7
DP: Rangers 0, Orioles 0
Errors: Campaneris
Doubles: Beniquez (1), Washington (1)
Caught Stealing: Campaneris (1), Washington (1), Belanger (1), DeCinces (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Hargrove (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Sundberg (1), Dempsey (1)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(1-0)        10     6   1   1   3   8   0  38   0.90
Totals                 10     6   1   1   3   8   0  38

Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Palmer L(0-1)          10     9   2   2   3   4   0  39   1.80
Totals                 10     9   2   2   3   4   0  39

Wild Pitches: Palmer (1)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Neudecker, 1B - Art Frantz, 2B - Nick Bremigan, 3B - Al Clark


RANGERS 1ST: Campaneris singled to left; Campaneris was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Debut game for Bump
Wills; Wills walked; Washington forced Wills (shortstop to
second); Washington was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 1ST: Bumbry was called out on strikes; Dauer grounded
out (catcher to first); Singleton grounded out (catcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 2ND: May flied out to center; Hargrove grounded out
(second to first); Harrah grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: L. May struck out; Murray struck out; Debut game
for Eddie Murray; Kelly struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Grieve flied out to right; Sundberg struck out;
Beniquez walked; Campaneris struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 3RD: DeCinces grounded out (third to first); Dempsey was
called out on strikes; Belanger singled to center; Belanger was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Wills lined to left; Washington grounded out
(shortstop to first); May made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 4TH: Bumbry flied out to center; Dauer reached on an
error by Campaneris; Singleton flied out to center; L. May flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 5TH: Hargrove singled to center; Harrah singled to third
[Hargrove to second]; Palmer threw a wild pitch [Hargrove to
third]; Grieve struck out; Sundberg hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Hargrove scored]; Beniquez walked [Harrah to second];
Campaneris forced Beniquez (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Rangers 1, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 5TH: Murray grounded out (pitcher to first); Kelly
grounded out (catcher to first); DeCinces singled to left;
DeCinces was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 6TH: Wills made an out to shortstop; Washington singled
to shortstop; May singled to center [Washington to third];
Hargrove reached on a fielder's choice [Washington out at home
(first to catcher), May to second]; Harrah grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 1, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 6TH: Dempsey grounded out (third to first); Belanger
singled; Bumbry singled to left [Belanger to second]; Dauer
flied out to left; Singleton grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 1, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 7TH: Grieve popped to catcher in foul territory;
Sundberg grounded out (third to first); Beniquez grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 7TH: L. May singled to left; Murray singled to shortstop
[L. May to second]; Kelly struck out; DeCinces walked [L. May to
third, Murray to second]; Dempsey hit a sacrifice fly to center
[L. May scored, Murray to third]; Belanger walked [DeCinces to
second]; Bumbry struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Rangers 1,
Orioles 1.

RANGERS 8TH: Campaneris grounded out (shortstop to first); Wills
grounded out (second to first); Washington grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Orioles 1.

ORIOLES 8TH: Dauer grounded out (third to first); Singleton
walked; HARLOW RAN FOR SINGLETON; L. May lined to right; Murray
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 1, Orioles 1.

RANGERS 9TH: HARLOW STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); KELLY CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); BUMBRY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF);
May singled to right; Hargrove out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to second) [May to second]; Harrah grounded out (third to
first); Grieve grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Orioles 1.

ORIOLES 9TH: Kelly grounded out (shortstop to first); DeCinces
grounded out (third to first); Dempsey flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Orioles 1.

RANGERS 10TH: Sundberg was called out on strikes; Beniquez
doubled to center; Campaneris grounded out (second to first)
[Beniquez to third]; Wills singled to center [Beniquez scored];
Washington doubled to left [Wills out at home (left to second to
third to catcher)]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Orioles 1.

ORIOLES 10TH: Belanger flied out to center; Bumbry struck out;
Dauer grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 2, Orioles 1.