A two-run homer by Bump Wills in the 10th inning clinched a 6-3 victory for the Rangers in the first game of a doubleheader, but the Blue Jays came back to win the second game, 5-3, on the strength of a two-run single by Steve Staggs in the eighth inning. In the opener, Otto Velez homered for the Blue Jays in the sixth and Willie Horton for the Rangers in the seventh. The Rangers tied the score at 3-3 in the ninth with a run on singles by Juan Beniquez and Wills and a double by John Ellis. In the 10th, Toby Harrah showed his speed by scoring the tie-breaking run from first base on a single by Beniquez. Wills then came up and rapped his round-tripper to ice the decision.

In the nightcap, homers by Claudell Washington and Dave May produced the Rangers' runs in the sixth inning. With the score tied, 3-3, Doug Ault walked in the Blue Jays' eighth, Hector Torres singled and Alan Ashby drew a pass to load the bases before Staggs stroked his decisive single. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 6, Toronto Blue Jays 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, July      3, 1977 (Day game) at Exhibition Stadium
Rangers      0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  1    3  -   6 10  2
Blue Jays    0  0  0    1  0  1    1  0  0    0  -   3 10  0


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Blue Jays            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Campaneris ss         4   0   0   0     1   3   .271      Bailor ss             5   0   1   0     0   0   .320
Washington lf         5   0   0   0     0   0   .295      Staggs 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .214
Hargrove 1b           4   0   1   0     1   0   .298      A. Woods lf           4   0   1   0     1   0   .306
Horton dh             5   1   2   1     0   0   .293      Fairly 1b             5   0   1   0     0   1   .324
  Alomar pr,dh        0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Ewing dh              4   1   1   0     0   1   .307
May rf                5   1   1   0     0   1   .260        Ault ph,dh          1   0   0   0     0   0   .257
Harrah 3b             4   1   1   0     1   0   .274      Velez rf              5   1   2   1     0   2   .277
Beniquez cf           3   2   2   1     2   0   .271      Rader 3b              4   0   2   0     0   1   .260
Wills 2b              5   1   2   2     0   1   .286      Scott cf              4   0   1   1     0   0   .238
Sundberg c            2   0   0   0     0   0   .223      Whitt c               4   1   1   0     0   0   .211
  Kirkpatrick ph      0   0   0   0     1   0   .146      Lemanczyk p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Fahey c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .189        Willis p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  J. Ellis ph,c       2   0   1   1     0   0   .221
D. Ellis p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               39   6  10   5     6   5             Totals               40   3  10   2     1   6

Time of Game: 2:53
Left on Base: Rangers 9, Blue Jays 9
DP: Rangers 0, Blue Jays 1
Errors: Campaneris, Harrah
Doubles: J. Ellis (2), Rader (4), Fairly (14)
Triples: Hargrove (2)
Home Runs: Horton (10), Wills (5), Velez (11)
Sacrifice Hits: Staggs (1)
GIDP: Horton (7)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
D. Ellis W(4-7)         9     9   3   3   1   5   1  38   4.44
Knowles SV(3)           1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.45
Totals                 10    10   3   3   1   6   1  42

Blue Jays              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemanczyk               8.1   6   3   3   5   5   1  35   3.96
Willis L(2-3)           1.2   4   3   3   1   0   1  10   2.87
Totals                 10    10   6   6   6   5   2  45

Wild Pitches: D. Ellis (4), Lemanczyk (4)

Umpires: HP - Art Frantz, 1B - Al Clark, 2B - Ted Hendry, 3B - Jerry Neudecker


RANGERS 1ST: Campaneris was called out on strikes; Washington
grounded out (shortstop to first); Hargrove tripled to center;
Horton grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 0, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 1ST: Bailor flied out to left; Staggs struck out
(catcher to first); A. Woods singled to third; Fairly struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Blue Jays 0.

RANGERS 2ND: May grounded out (second to first); Harrah grounded
out (third to first); Beniquez grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 2ND: Ewing flied out to center; Velez singled to left;
Rader struck out; Scott reached on an error by Harrah [Velez to
third (error by Campaneris), Scott to second]; Whitt grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Blue
Jays 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Wills grounded out (shortstop to first); Sundberg
grounded out (second to first); Campaneris was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 3RD: Bailor flied out to center; Staggs grounded out
(shortstop to first); A. Woods grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Blue Jays 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Washington grounded out (second to first); Hargrove
walked; Horton grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Hargrove out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 0, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 4TH: Fairly grounded out (second to first); Ewing
singled to right; Velez made an out to shortstop; Rader singled
to left [Ewing to second]; Scott singled to center [Ewing
scored, Rader to second]; Whitt grounded out (first unassisted);
1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Blue Jays 1.

RANGERS 5TH: May struck out; Harrah walked; Beniquez walked
[Harrah to second]; Wills struck out; Sundberg grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Blue Jays 1.

BLUE JAYS 5TH: Bailor flied out to center; Staggs flied out to
left; A. Woods grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 0, Blue Jays 1.

RANGERS 6TH: Campaneris grounded out (shortstop to first);
Washington grounded out (shortstop to first); Hargrove grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Blue
Jays 1.

BLUE JAYS 6TH: Fairly popped to catcher in foul territory; Ewing
grounded out (first to pitcher); Velez homered; Rader doubled;
Scott grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 0, Blue Jays 2.

RANGERS 7TH: Horton homered; May singled to center; Harrah
singled to left [May to second]; Beniquez singled to right [May
to third, Harrah to second]; Lemanczyk threw a wild pitch [May
scored, Harrah to third, Beniquez to second]; Wills grounded out
(second to first); KIRKPATRICK BATTED FOR SUNDBERG; Kirkpatrick
was walked intentionally; Campaneris struck out; Washington
forced Kirkpatrick (shortstop to second); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Rangers 2, Blue Jays 2.

BLUE JAYS 7TH: FAHEY REPLACED KIRKPATRICK (PLAYING C ); Whitt
singled to center; Bailor singled to third [Whitt to second];
Staggs out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Whitt to
third, Bailor to second]; A. Woods was walked intentionally; D.
Ellis threw a wild pitch [Whitt scored, Bailor to third, A.
Woods to second]; Fairly made an out to shortstop; Ewing struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 2, Blue Jays 3.

RANGERS 8TH: Hargrove flied out to right; Horton grounded out
(second to first); May grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Blue Jays 3.

BLUE JAYS 8TH: Velez was called out on strikes; Rader grounded
out (third to first); Scott made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Blue Jays 3.

RANGERS 9TH: Harrah made an out to third; Beniquez walked; Wills
singled to center [Beniquez to third]; WILLIS REPLACED LEMANCZYK
(PITCHING); J. ELLIS BATTED FOR FAHEY; J. Ellis doubled
[Beniquez scored, Wills to third]; Campaneris was walked
intentionally; Washington popped to third in foul territory;
Hargrove grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Rangers 3, Blue Jays 3.

BLUE JAYS 9TH: J. ELLIS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Whitt
grounded out (first unassisted); Bailor flied out to left;
Staggs flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 3, Blue
Jays 3.

RANGERS 10TH: Horton singled to left; ALOMAR RAN FOR HORTON; May
made an out to third; Harrah forced Alomar (second unassisted);
Beniquez singled to center [Harrah scored]; Wills homered
[Beniquez scored]; J. Ellis grounded out (shortstop to first); 3
R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Blue Jays 3.

BLUE JAYS 10TH: ALOMAR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); KNOWLES
REPLACED D. ELLIS (PITCHING); A. Woods grounded out (second to
first); Fairly doubled to left; AULT BATTED FOR EWING; Ault
grounded out (second to first) [Fairly to third]; Velez was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 6, Blue
Jays 3.