Bert Blyleven, who pitched five innings before reinjuring a groin muscle, received credit for the victory when the Rangers defeated the Red Sox, 6-4. With the score tied, 1-1, Fergie Jenkins, pitching for the Red Sox, helped beat himself with an error in the fifth. After Mike Hargrove and Bump Wills singled, Jenkins fielded a bunt by Claudell Washington and threw the ball into left field trying for a forceout at third, allowing Hargrove to score.

Wills reached third and counted on a sacrifice fly by Jim Sundberg. Hargrove, who had three hits, drove in another run with a single in the sixth. After Butch Hobson homered for the Red Sox in the seventh, Sundberg laid down a safe bunt in the Rangers' half to score Washington with what proved to be the deciding run. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 6, Boston Red Sox 4
Game Played on Friday, September 2, 1977 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
Red Sox      0  0  1    0  0  0    1  0  2  -   4  8  1
Rangers      0  0  0    1  2  1    1  1  x  -   6 13  0


Red Sox              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Burleson ss           5   0   1   1     0   0   .291      Hargrove 1b           4   2   3   1     1   0   .312
Carbo rf              3   1   0   0     1   2   .280      Wills 2b              4   1   2   1     0   0   .285
  Helms ph            1   0   1   1     0   0   .238      Washington lf         5   1   1   0     0   1   .297
  Dillard pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .256      Putnam dh             4   1   2   0     0   0   .500
Lynn cf               5   0   1   0     0   0   .256      Sundberg c            3   0   2   2     0   0   .302
Yastrzemski lf        4   0   2   1     0   0   .299      Harrah 3b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .271
Rice dh               3   0   0   0     1   0   .317      Henderson rf          3   0   1   1     1   0   .247
Scott 1b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .267      Beniquez cf           3   1   1   0     1   0   .276
Fisk c                2   1   0   0     2   1   .298      Campaneris ss         3   0   0   0     0   1   .253
Hobson 3b             3   1   1   1     1   2   .266      Blyleven p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Doyle 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .247        Briles p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Montgomery ph       1   1   1   0     0   0   .273        Moret p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Jenkins p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Stanley p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Willoughby p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   4   8   4     5   6             Totals               32   6  13   5     4   2

Time of Game: 2:59   Attendance: 18,883
Left on Base: Red Sox 8, Rangers 9
DP: Red Sox 1, Rangers 0
Errors: Jenkins
Doubles: Hargrove (20)
Home Runs: Hobson (27)
Sacrifice Hits: Wills (5), Campaneris (28)
Sacrifice Flies: Sundberg (5)
GIDP: Washington (9)


Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Jenkins L(10-9)         5.2   7   4   2   4   2   0  28   3.70
Stanley                 1.2   6   2   2   0   0   0  10   4.19
Willoughby              0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4.07
Totals                  8    13   6   4   4   2   0  39

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(13-11)       5     2   1   1   4   2   0  20   2.68
Briles                  2     3   1   1   0   2   1   9   4.15
Moret SV(2)             2     3   2   2   1   2   0  10   4.39
Totals                  9     8   4   4   5   6   1  39

Wild Pitches: Jenkins (2), Blyleven (8)

Umpires: HP - Greg Kosc, 1B - Russ Goetz, 2B - George Maloney, 3B - Ken Kaiser


RED SOX 1ST: Burleson grounded out (shortstop to first); Carbo
grounded out (second to first); Lynn grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Hargrove walked; Wills out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Hargrove to second]; Washington struck out;
Putnam flied out to center; Debut game for Pat Putnam; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Rangers 0.

RED SOX 2ND: Yastrzemski grounded out (second to first); Rice
walked; Scott forced Rice (third to second); Fisk walked [Scott
to second]; Blyleven threw a wild pitch [Scott to third, Fisk to
second]; Hobson walked; Doyle flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
3 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Sundberg grounded out (third to first); Harrah
grounded out (second to first); Henderson walked; Beniquez lined
to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Rangers 0.

RED SOX 3RD: Burleson flied out to center; Carbo walked; Lynn
singled to left [Carbo to second]; Yastrzemski singled to right
[Carbo scored, Lynn out at home (pitcher to catcher),
Yastrzemski to third (on throw to home)]; Fred Lynn tried to
score when Ken Henderson's throw to 3B got away from Toby
Harrah; Rice flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red
Sox 1, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Campaneris struck out; Hargrove flied out to right;
Wills made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 1,
Rangers 0.

RED SOX 4TH: Scott grounded out (shortstop to first); Fisk
grounded out (pitcher to first); Hobson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Washington grounded out (second to first); Putnam
singled to center; Sundberg singled to left [Putnam to second];
Harrah walked [Putnam to third, Sundberg to second]; Henderson
forced Harrah (second to shortstop) [Putnam scored, Sundberg to
third]; Jenkins threw a wild pitch [Henderson to second];
Beniquez walked; Campaneris grounded out (shortstop to first); 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Rangers 1.

RED SOX 5TH: Doyle grounded out (second to first); Burleson
grounded out (second to first); Carbo struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 5TH: Hargrove singled to center; Wills singled to right
[Hargrove to second]; On a bunt Washington reached on a
fielder's choice [Hargrove scored (error by Jenkins) (unearned),
Wills to third, Washington to second]; Putnam made an out to
shortstop; Sundberg hit a sacrifice fly to right [Wills scored
(unearned), Washington to third]; Harrah flied out to center; 2
R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Rangers 3.

RED SOX 6TH: BRILES REPLACED BLYLEVEN (PITCHING); Lynn flied out
to left; On a bunt Yastrzemski singled to third; Rice made an
out to shortstop; Scott singled to left [Yastrzemski to second];
Fisk was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox
1, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 6TH: Henderson singled to left; Beniquez singled to left
[Henderson out at third (left to third)]; Campaneris out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Beniquez to second]; Hargrove
singled to right [Beniquez scored]; STANLEY REPLACED JENKINS
(PITCHING); Wills grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Rangers 4.

RED SOX 7TH: Hobson homered; Doyle grounded out (pitcher to
first); Burleson lined to right; Carbo struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 7TH: Washington singled to center; Putnam singled to
right [Washington to third, Putnam out at second (right to
shortstop)]; On a bunt Sundberg singled to pitcher [Washington
scored]; Harrah singled to center [Sundberg to second];
Henderson grounded out (second to first) [Sundberg to third,
Harrah to second]; Beniquez grounded out (second to first); 1 R,
4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Rangers 5.

RED SOX 8TH: MORET REPLACED BRILES (PITCHING); Lynn popped to
third in foul territory; Yastrzemski flied out to right; Rice
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red
Sox 2, Rangers 5.

RANGERS 8TH: Campaneris grounded out (shortstop to first);
Hargrove doubled to right; Wills singled to left [Hargrove
scored]; WILLOUGHBY REPLACED STANLEY (PITCHING); Washington
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Wills out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Rangers
6.

RED SOX 9TH: Scott struck out; Fisk walked; Hobson struck out;
MONTGOMERY BATTED FOR DOYLE; Montgomery singled to left [Fisk to
second]; Burleson singled to center [Fisk scored, Montgomery to
second]; HELMS BATTED FOR CARBO; Helms singled to center
[Montgomery scored, Burleson to second]; DILLARD RAN FOR HELMS;
Lynn popped to third in foul territory; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Red Sox 4, Rangers 6.