The Rangers treated the fans to fisticuffs and the first triple play in club history while winning a twi-night doubleheader from the Athletics, 5-2 and 3-0. A three-run first inning propelled the Rangers to victory in the opener, with Bump Wills' two-run single the key blow. A free-for-all developed in the fifth inning when Toby Harrah, hit by a Jim Umbarger pitch for the second time, landed a right cross on the pitcher's temple.

Roger Moret, who had a no-hitter going for 6 2/3 innings, combined with Adrian Devine on a two-hitter in the afterpiece. Harrah, ejected for his role in the first-game brawl, fielded Manny Sanguillen's grounder and started a 5-4-3 triple play in the fifth inning. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 5, Oakland Athletics 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Monday, August    8, 1977 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
A's          1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   2  5  0
Rangers      3  0  1    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   5 10  2


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Scott 2b,ss           4   1   2   0     0   0   .274      Hargrove 1b           5   0   2   0     0   0   .311
Murray lf             3   0   0   0     0   2   .194      Campaneris ss         4   0   1   0     0   1   .246
Tabb 1b               4   1   1   1     0   1   .179      Smith lf              2   2   1   0     0   0   .222
Page dh               4   0   0   0     0   1   .301      Horton dh             3   1   2   2     1   0   .296
Sanguillen c          4   0   0   0     0   1   .261        Alomar pr,dh        0   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Gross 3b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .225      Harrah 3b             0   1   0   0     0   0   .272
Crawford rf           3   0   0   0     0   1   .223        Bevacqua pr,3b      2   0   1   0     0   0   .389
Mallory cf            3   0   1   0     0   1   .247      Grieve rf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .221
Picciolo ss           2   0   0   0     0   2   .168        May rf              0   0   0   0     0   0   .237
  Perez ph,2b         1   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Wills 2b              4   0   1   2     0   1   .278
Umbarger p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Sundberg c            3   1   0   0     1   0   .281
                                                          Washington cf         3   0   1   1     1   1   .284
                                                          Blyleven p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   2   5   1     1  10             Totals               30   5  10   5     3   4

Time of Game: 2:15
Left on Base: A's 4, Rangers 8
DP: A's 2, Rangers 1
Errors: Hargrove 2
Doubles: Horton (16), Smith (1)
Triples: Washington (1)
Home Runs: Tabb (1)
Stolen Bases: Scott (16)
Sacrifice Hits: Murray (2), Smith (3)
GIDP: Crawford (5), Wills (9), Bevacqua (2)
Hit by Pitch: Smith (1,by Umbarger), Harrah 2 (7,by Umbarger 2)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Umbarger L(1-3)         8    10   5   5   3   4   0  37   5.60
Totals                  8    10   5   5   3   4   0  37

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(11-10)       9     5   2   1   1  10   1  33   2.42
Totals                  9     5   2   1   1  10   1  33

Hit by Pitch: Umbarger 3 (4)
Wild Pitches: Umbarger (3)

Umpires: HP - Nestor Chylak, 1B - Steve Palermo, 2B - Joe Brinkman, 3B - Rich Garcia


ATHLETICS 1ST: On a bunt Scott singled to shortstop; Scott stole
second; Murray reached on an error by Hargrove on a sacrifice
bunt [Scott scored (error by Hargrove) (unearned) (no RBI),
Murray to second]; Tabb made an out to shortstop; Page struck
out; Sanguillen was called out on strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E,
1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Hargrove grounded out (pitcher to first);
Campaneris lined to first; Smith was hit by a pitch; Horton
doubled to left [Smith scored]; Harrah was hit by a pitch;
Grieve singled to pitcher [Horton to third, Harrah to second];
Wills singled to left [Horton scored, Harrah scored, Grieve to
second]; Sundberg popped to first in foul territory; 3 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 3.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Gross walked; Crawford grounded into a double
play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Gross out at second];
Mallory grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 1, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 2ND: Washington grounded out (second to first); Hargrove
grounded out (pitcher to first); Campaneris grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 1,
Rangers 3.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Picciolo struck out; Scott singled to center;
Murray forced Scott (second to shortstop); Tabb grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 3RD: Smith doubled to left; Horton singled to center
[Smith scored]; Harrah was hit by a pitch [Horton to second];
Toby Harrah ejected by HP umpire Nestor Chylak for charging the
mound and punching Jim Umbarger; BEVACQUA RAN FOR HARRAH;
Grieve flied out to right; Wills grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Bevacqua out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 4.

ATHLETICS 4TH: BEVACQUA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Page flied
to left in foul territory; Sanguillen grounded out (shortstop to
first); Gross struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 1,
Rangers 4.

RANGERS 4TH: Sundberg flied out to center; Washington struck
out; Hargrove singled to left; Umbarger threw a wild pitch
[Hargrove to second]; Campaneris struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 4.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Crawford struck out; Mallory singled to center;
Picciolo was called out on strikes; Scott grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 5TH: Smith grounded out (second to first); Horton
grounded out (third to first); Bevacqua singled to third; Grieve
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers
4.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Murray struck out; Tabb homered; Page flied out
to left; Sanguillen grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 6TH: Wills struck out; Sundberg flied out to left;
Washington walked; Hargrove singled to left [Washington to
second]; Washington was picked off second (pitcher to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 4.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Gross flied out to center; Crawford flied out to
center; Mallory struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2,
Rangers 4.

RANGERS 7TH: Campaneris singled to left; Smith out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Campaneris to second];
Horton was walked intentionally; ALOMAR RAN FOR HORTON; Bevacqua
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Alomar
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 4.

ATHLETICS 8TH: ALOMAR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); PEREZ BATTED
FOR PICCIOLO; Perez singled to center; Scott flied out to left;
Murray struck out; Tabb struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 2, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 8TH: PEREZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); SCOTT CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Grieve struck out (catcher to first); On
a bunt Wills made an out to first; Sundberg walked; Washington
tripled to right [Sundberg scored]; On a bunt Hargrove made an
out to catcher; Mike Hargrove called for interference for
running into his own batted ball; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 2, Rangers 5.

ATHLETICS 9TH: MAY REPLACED GRIEVE (PLAYING RF); Page grounded
out (pitcher to first); Sanguillen grounded out (shortstop to
first); Gross grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 5.