The Rangers swept a doubleheader for the first time this season, beating the Indians in twi-night games, 8-3 and 8-1. The Rangers sent Bert Blyleven on the way to victory in the opener with three runs in the first inning. With two out, Dave May doubled and scored on a single by Willie Horton. Toby Harrah walked and Juan Beniquez followed with a double, driving in Horton and Harrah. Pinch-hitter Jim Sundberg also batted in two runs for the Rangers with a single in the sixth. Jim Norris homered with a man on base for the Indians.

Len Barker gained his first victory of the season, with help from Nelson Briles, who recorded his first save, in the nightcap. Harrah provided the Rangers' punch with a pair of two-run homers. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 8, Cleveland Indians 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Friday, July      15, 1977 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
Indians      0  0  0    0  1  0    2  0  0  -   3  6  2
Rangers      3  0  0    0  2  3    0  0  x  -   8 10  0


Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Norris cf             4   1   2   2     0   1   .271      Hargrove 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .297
Kuiper 2b             3   0   0   1     0   1   .277      Washington lf         4   1   2   1     0   1   .286
Bell 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .295      May rf                4   1   2   1     0   0   .265
Carty dh              4   0   2   0     0   1   .276      Horton dh             4   2   2   1     0   0   .284
Spikes rf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .308      Harrah 3b             2   2   0   0     2   1   .269
Blanks ss             4   0   0   0     0   0   .246        Alomar 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Thornton 1b           0   2   0   0     4   0   .213      Beniquez cf           4   0   2   2     0   0   .292
Bochte lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .273      Wills 2b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .285
Fosse c               2   0   1   0     0   0   .264      Fahey c               2   1   1   0     0   0   .178
  Pruitt c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Sundberg ph,c       2   1   1   2     0   1   .248
Bibby p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Mason ss              3   0   0   0     0   1   .192
  Hood p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Blyleven p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Buskey p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               29   3   6   3     4   5             Totals               32   8  10   7     3   5

Time of Game: 2:21
Left on Base: Indians 5, Rangers 4
DP: Indians 1, Rangers 3
Errors: Kuiper, Bochte
Doubles: May (9), Beniquez 2 (15)
Home Runs: Norris (2)
Stolen Bases: Harrah (9), Washington (13), Beniquez (20)
Caught Stealing: May (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Mason (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Kuiper (1)
GIDP: Blanks (3), Bochte (6), Horton (9)
Hit by Pitch: Fosse (1,by Blyleven)


Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bibby L(8-7)            5     8   7   7   2   2   0  23   3.81
Hood                    1     1   1   0   1   1   0   6   3.35
Buskey                  2     1   0   0   0   2   0   7   4.40
Totals                  8    10   8   7   3   5   0  36

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(8-9)         9     6   3   3   4   5   1  35   2.61
Totals                  9     6   3   3   4   5   1  35

Hit by Pitch: Blyleven (4)
Wild Pitches: Bibby (6)

Umpires: HP - Nick Bremigan, 1B - Durwood Merrill, 2B - Dave Phillips, 3B - Larry McCoy


INDIANS 1ST: Norris grounded out (second to first); Kuiper flied
out to left; Bell flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Indians 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Hargrove grounded out (second to first); Washington
grounded out (second to first); May doubled to right; Horton
singled to left [May scored, Horton to second (error by
Bochte)]; Bibby threw a wild pitch [Horton to third]; Harrah
walked; Harrah stole second; Beniquez doubled to left [Horton
scored, Harrah scored]; Wills grounded out (third to first); 3
R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Indians 0, Rangers 3.

INDIANS 2ND: Carty flied out to center; Spikes was called out on
strikes; Blanks grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Indians 0, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 2ND: Fahey lined to shortstop; Mason struck out;
Hargrove flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 0,
Rangers 3.

INDIANS 3RD: Thornton walked; Bochte flied out to right; Fosse
singled to left [Thornton to second]; Norris was called out on
strikes; Kuiper flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Indians 0, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 3RD: On a bunt Washington singled to first; May flied
out to right; Horton grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Washington out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Indians 0, Rangers 3.

INDIANS 4TH: Bell grounded out (shortstop to first); Carty
singled to left; Spikes singled to left [Carty to second];
Blanks grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Spikes out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Indians 0,
Rangers 3.

RANGERS 4TH: Harrah grounded out (shortstop to first); Beniquez
made an out to second; Wills flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Indians 0, Rangers 3.

INDIANS 5TH: Thornton walked; Bochte struck out; Fosse was hit
by a pitch [Thornton to second]; Norris singled to right
[Thornton to third, Fosse to second]; Kuiper hit a sacrifice fly
to center [Thornton scored, Fosse to third]; Bell flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Indians 1, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 5TH: Fahey singled to center; Mason out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Fahey to second]; Hargrove was called
out on strikes; Washington singled to center [Fahey scored];
Washington stole second; May singled to left [Washington
scored]; May was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 2
R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 1, Rangers 5.

INDIANS 6TH: Carty singled to shortstop; Spikes forced Carty
(second to shortstop); Blanks lined into a double play (second
to first) [Spikes out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians
1, Rangers 5.

RANGERS 6TH: Horton singled to shortstop; Harrah walked [Horton
to second]; HOOD REPLACED BIBBY (PITCHING); Beniquez flied out
to right; Wills walked [Horton to third, Harrah to second];
SUNDBERG BATTED FOR FAHEY; Sundberg singled to left [Horton
scored, Harrah scored, Wills to third, Sundberg to second (on
throw)]; Mason reached on a fielder's choice [Wills out at home
(shortstop to catcher), Sundberg to third]; Hargrove reached on
an error by Kuiper [Sundberg scored (unearned) (no RBI), Mason
to second]; Washington struck out; 3 R (2 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Indians 1, Rangers 8.

INDIANS 7TH: SUNDBERG STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Thornton
walked; Bochte flied out to left; Fosse flied out to left;
Norris homered [Thornton scored]; Kuiper struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Indians 3, Rangers 8.

RANGERS 7TH: PRUITT REPLACED FOSSE (PLAYING C ); BUSKEY REPLACED
HOOD (PITCHING); May grounded out (second to first); Horton
grounded out (second to first); Harrah struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Indians 3, Rangers 8.

INDIANS 8TH: ALOMAR REPLACED HARRAH (PLAYING 3B); Bell flied out
to right; Carty was called out on strikes; Spikes grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 3, Rangers 8.

RANGERS 8TH: Beniquez doubled to left; Wills made an out to
third; Beniquez stole third; Sundberg struck out; Mason grounded
out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Indians 3,
Rangers 8.

INDIANS 9TH: Blanks grounded out (shortstop to first); Thornton
walked; Bochte grounded into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Thornton out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 3,
Rangers 8.