The first Rangers' player to hit three homers in one game, Willie Horton accomplished the feat in a 7-3 victory over the Royals. Jim Fregosi, appearing at bat for the first time this season, opened the scoring with a homer in the first inning and Horton followed with his initial blast. Horton hit a sacrifice fly in the third, smashed a two-run homer in the fifth and capped his slugging spree with a solo shot in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 7, Kansas City Royals 3
Game Played on Sunday, May       15, 1977 (Day game) at Royals Stadium
Rangers      2  0  2    0  2  0    0  1  0  -   7 14  2
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  3    0  0  0  -   3  7  0


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Campaneris ss         3   1   1   0     2   0   .303      Nelson dh             4   1   1   0     0   2   .263
Wills 2b              5   2   3   0     0   0   .282      Poquette rf           3   1   1   0     0   0   .313
Fregosi 1b            5   1   2   2     0   1   .400        Zdeb ph,rf          1   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Horton lf             3   3   3   5     0   0   .315      McRae lf              3   0   0   1     0   1   .303
  Washington lf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .323      Cowens cf             4   1   1   2     0   0   .285
Grieve rf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .184      LaCock 1b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .283
Harrah 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .282        Heise ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
J. Ellis dh           4   0   0   0     0   1   .152      Porter c              2   0   0   0     1   0   .284
Sundberg c            4   0   1   0     0   1   .220        Wathan ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .400
Beniquez cf           4   0   3   0     0   1   .220      Rojas 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .233
Devine p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Patek ss              4   0   0   0     0   1   .274
  Lindblad p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      White 2b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .188
                                                          Splittorff p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bird p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Pattin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   7  14   7     3   4             Totals               33   3   7   3     1   5

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 19,983
Left on Base: Rangers 5, Royals 5
DP: Rangers 1, Royals 3
Errors: Harrah, Beniquez
Doubles: Beniquez (4), Sundberg (3), White (4)
Triples: Wills (2)
Home Runs: Fregosi (1), Horton 3 (8), Cowens (6)
Stolen Bases: Cowens (4)
Caught Stealing: Beniquez 2 (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Horton (1), McRae (2)
GIDP: Sundberg (3), Harrah (4), Cowens (2)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Devine W(3-1)           5.2   3   3   3   1   3   1  22   2.50
Lindblad SV(2)          3.1   4   0   0   0   2   0  13   3.28
Totals                  9     7   3   3   1   5   1  35

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Splittorff L(1-4)       2.1   5   4   4   1   0   2  12   4.72
Bird                    4.2   5   2   2   1   3   1  18   3.86
Pattin                  2     4   1   1   1   1   1   9   4.32
Totals                  9    14   7   7   3   4   4  39

Umpires: HP - Jim McKean, 1B - Dale Ford, 2B - Lou DiMuro, 3B - Bill Deegan


RANGERS 1ST: Campaneris grounded out (second to first); Wills
popped to first in foul territory; Fregosi homered; Horton
homered; Grieve grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Nelson was called out on strikes; Poquette grounded
out (second to first); McRae struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 2, Royals 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Harrah flied out to left; J. Ellis flied out to
right; Sundberg grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Cowens reached on an error by Harrah; LaCock flied
out to left; Cowens stole second; Porter walked; Rojas flied out
to center [Cowens to third]; Patek grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Beniquez doubled to center; Campaneris walked;
Beniquez was picked off second (catcher to shortstop); Wills
singled to left [Campaneris to second]; Fregosi singled to left
[Campaneris scored, Wills to third]; BIRD REPLACED SPLITTORFF
(PITCHING); Horton hit a sacrifice fly to right [Wills scored,
Fregosi to second]; Grieve flied out to right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: White was called out on strikes; Nelson grounded out
(third to first); Poquette grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Harrah flied out to center; J. Ellis grounded out
(second to first); Sundberg doubled to center; Beniquez was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals
0.

ROYALS 4TH: McRae flied out to center; Cowens grounded out
(shortstop to first); LaCock grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals 0.

RANGERS 5TH: Campaneris flied out to left; Wills tripled to
right; Fregosi grounded out (shortstop to first); Horton homered
[Wills scored]; Grieve popped to catcher; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 6, Royals 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Porter flied out to left; Rojas grounded out (third
to first); Patek grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Royals 0.

RANGERS 6TH: Harrah singled to left; J. Ellis struck out;
Sundberg grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Harrah out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Royals
0.

ROYALS 6TH: White grounded out (third to first); Nelson singled
to center; Poquette singled to right [Nelson to third]; McRae
hit a sacrifice fly to right [Nelson scored]; Cowens homered
[Poquette scored]; LINDBLAD REPLACED DEVINE (PITCHING); LaCock
singled to center [LaCock to second (error by Beniquez)]; Porter
flied out to center; 3 R, 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 6, Royals 3.

RANGERS 7TH: Beniquez singled to third; Campaneris walked
[Beniquez to second]; Wills forced Campaneris (third to
shortstop) [Beniquez to third]; Fregosi struck out while
Beniquez was caught stealing home (catcher to second to catcher
to third); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 6, Royals 3.

ROYALS 7TH: Rojas grounded out (shortstop to first); Patek
popped to first; White doubled to left; Nelson struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 6, Royals 3.

RANGERS 8TH: PATTIN REPLACED BIRD (PITCHING); Horton homered;
Grieve walked; Harrah grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Grieve out at second]; J. Ellis flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 7, Royals 3.

ROYALS 8TH: WASHINGTON REPLACED HORTON (PLAYING LF); ZDEB BATTED
FOR POQUETTE; Zdeb singled to left; McRae flied out to center;
Cowens grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Zdeb
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 7, Royals 3.

RANGERS 9TH: ZDEB STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Sundberg struck
out; Beniquez singled to left; Beniquez was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Campaneris singled to shortstop;
Wills singled to center [Campaneris to third, Wills to second
(on throw to 3b)]; Fregosi grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 7, Royals 3.

ROYALS 9TH: HEISE BATTED FOR LACOCK; Heise grounded out (first
unassisted); WATHAN BATTED FOR PORTER; Wathan singled to left;
Rojas flied out to left; Patek struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Rangers 7, Royals 3.