The Rangers got five-hit pitching from Jon Matlack and defeated the Twins, 6-3. Bobby Bonds scored the first three Ranger runs after walking in the first and third innings and hitting a single in the fifth. Al Oliver hit a sacrifice fly and a single to plate Bonds twice. Bonds counted his other run on two wild throws. The Rangers scored their deciding trio in the eighth, two runs crossing the plate on a double by pinch-hitter Johnny Grubb. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 6, Minnesota Twins 3
Game Played on Thursday, September 21, 1978 (Night game) at Metropolitan Stadium
Rangers      1  0  1    0  1  0    0  3  0  -   6 10  1
Twins        0  0  0    1  0  1    0  0  1  -   3  5  2


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bonds rf              3   3   1   0     2   0   .269      Edwards lf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .250
  Norman 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .133      Rivera rf             3   0   0   0     1   2   .265
Wills 2b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .242      Carew 1b              3   2   1   0     1   0   .340
Oliver lf             4   0   1   2     0   1   .316      Ford cf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .279
Zisk dh               3   0   1   0     1   0   .260      Norwood dh            4   0   2   2     0   0   .257
  Campaneris pr,dh    0   1   0   0     0   0   .186      Smalley ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .280
  Putnam ph,dh        1   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Randall 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .275
Sundberg c            3   0   1   0     0   0   .285      Wolfe 3b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .239
Beniquez cf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .258      Borgmann c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .216
Jorgensen 1b          4   1   1   1     0   1   .212      Serum p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Harrah ss             4   0   1   0     0   1   .222        Perzanowski p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Mason 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Grubb ph,rf         1   0   1   2     0   0   .268
Matlack p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   6  10   5     3   4             Totals               32   3   5   2     2   5

Time of Game: 2:25   Attendance:  3,312
Left on Base: Rangers 7, Twins 4
DP: Rangers 0, Twins 1
Errors: Wills, Ford, Borgmann
Doubles: Sundberg (20), Grubb (17), Norwood (21)
Triples: Norwood (3), Ford (9)
Stolen Bases: Bonds (36)
Sacrifice Hits: Wills 2 (6), Sundberg (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Oliver (9)
GIDP: Jorgensen (2)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Matlack W(14-13)        9     5   3   2   2   5   0  34   2.38
Totals                  9     5   3   2   2   5   0  34

Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Serum L(9-9)            7.2  10   6   6   3   2   0  36   4.25
Perzanowski             1.1   0   0   0   0   2   0   4   4.79
Totals                  9    10   6   6   3   4   0  40

Wild Pitches: Matlack (8), Serum (5)
Balks: Serum (3)

Umpires: HP - Don Denkinger, 1B - Dave Phillips, 2B - Larry McCoy, 3B - Steve Palermo


RANGERS 1ST: Bonds walked; Wills out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Bonds to second]; Serum threw a wild pitch
[Bonds to third]; Oliver hit a sacrifice fly to left [Bonds
scored]; Zisk grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Twins 0.

TWINS 1ST: Edwards struck out; Rivera walked; Carew grounded out
(second to first) [Rivera to second]; Ford flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Twins 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Sundberg doubled to left; Beniquez flied out to
center [Sundberg to third]; Jorgensen was called out on strikes;
Harrah struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Twins 0.

TWINS 2ND: Norwood flied out to right; Smalley made an out to
second; Randall singled to right; Wolfe grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Twins 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Mason made an out to shortstop; Bonds walked; Bonds
stole second [Bonds scored (error by Borgmann) (error by Ford)];
Wills singled to right; Oliver flied out to right; Zisk walked
[Wills to second]; Sundberg lined to third; 1 R, 1 H, 2 E, 2
LOB.  Rangers 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 3RD: Borgmann grounded out (shortstop to first); Edwards
grounded out (first unassisted); Rivera grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Twins 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Beniquez flied out to left; Jorgensen singled to
right; Harrah grounded out (second to first) [Jorgensen to
second]; Mason grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Rangers 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 4TH: Carew walked; Ford flied out to left; Norwood doubled
to left [Carew scored]; Smalley flied out to right; Randall
popped to catcher in foul territory; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 2, Twins 1.

RANGERS 5TH: Bonds singled to left; Wills out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to first) [Bonds to second]; Oliver singled to
center [Bonds scored]; Serum balked [Oliver to second]; Zisk
grounded out (third to first); Sundberg grounded out (shortstop
to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 3, Twins 1.

TWINS 5TH: Wolfe struck out; Borgmann was called out on strikes;
Edwards flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 3,
Twins 1.

RANGERS 6TH: Beniquez singled to center; Jorgensen grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Beniquez out at
second]; Harrah singled to center; Mason flied out to left; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 3, Twins 1.

TWINS 6TH: Rivera was called out on strikes; Carew singled to
center; Matlack threw a wild pitch [Carew to second]; Ford made
an out to second; Norwood tripled to right [Carew scored];
Smalley made an out to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers
3, Twins 2.

RANGERS 7TH: Bonds grounded out (third to first); Wills flied
out to center; Oliver lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 3, Twins 2.

TWINS 7TH: Randall flied out to left; Wolfe grounded out (third
to first); Borgmann grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 3, Twins 2.

RANGERS 8TH: Zisk singled to center; CAMPANERIS RAN FOR ZISK;
Sundberg out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Campaneris
to second]; Beniquez singled to left [Campaneris to third];
Jorgensen reached on a fielder's choice [Campaneris scored,
Beniquez to second]; Harrah flied out to left; GRUBB BATTED FOR
MASON; Grubb doubled to center [Beniquez scored, Jorgensen
scored]; PERZANOWSKI REPLACED SERUM (PITCHING); Bonds flied out
to center; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 6, Twins 2.

TWINS 8TH: CAMPANERIS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); GRUBB STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING RF); NORMAN REPLACED BONDS (PLAYING 3B);
Edwards grounded out (third to first); Rivera was called out on
strikes; Carew grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 6, Twins 2.

RANGERS 9TH: Wills struck out; Oliver was called out on strikes;
PUTNAM BATTED FOR CAMPANERIS; Putnam grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Twins 2.

TWINS 9TH: PUTNAM STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Ford tripled to
center [Ford scored (error by Wills) (unearned)]; Norwood popped
to first; Smalley made an out to second; Randall flied out to
right; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Twins 3.