Twice delayed by inclement weather, the season-opening game in Detroit finally got underway, but the Tigers disappointed the crowd of 43,708 by losing to the Rangers, 8-2. Center fielder Ron LeFlore drew the brunt of the crowd's disapproval.

With the score tied, 2-2, Bump Wills was hit by a pitch to open the Rangers' fifth inning. Johnny Grubb lined to center and when LeFlore missed the catch, Wills scored and Grubb reached third. Al Oliver followed with a sacrifice fly. [The Sporting News]
Texas Rangers 8, Detroit Tigers 2

Game Played on Saturday, April 7, 1979 (Day game) at Tiger Stadium

Rangers      2  0  0    0  2  1    3  0  0  -   8  8  4
Tigers       0  1  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  2


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wills 2b              4   3   2   0     0   1   .500      LeFlore cf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Grubb lf,rf           5   2   1   2     0   1   .200      Whitaker 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Oliver cf             4   1   1   2     0   0   .250      Thompson 1b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Zisk rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Kemp lf               4   1   2   1     0   0   .500
  Sample lf           1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000      Morales rf            4   1   1   0     0   1   .250
Bell 3b               4   2   0   0     1   0   .000      Parrish c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Gamble dh             2   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Mankowski 3b          4   0   2   1     0   0   .500
  J. Ellis ph,dh      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Corcoran dh           4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Putnam ph,dh        2   0   1   2     0   0   .500      Trammell ss           2   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Sundberg c            4   0   1   1     0   0   .250        Gonzales ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Jorgensen 1b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Rozema p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Norman ss             2   0   0   0     1   0   .000        Burnside p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Jenkins p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lopez p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   8   8   7     4   3             Totals               34   2   7   2     2   5

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance: 43,708
Left on Base: Rangers 7, Tigers 7
DP: Rangers 2, Tigers 0
Errors: Zisk, Jorgensen, Norman 2, LeFlore, Trammell
Doubles: Wills (1), Putnam (1), Morales (1), Mankowski (1)
Triples: Whitaker (1)
Home Runs: Grubb (1), Kemp (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Norman (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Oliver (1)
GIDP: LeFlore (1), Whitaker (1)
Hit by Pitch: Wills (1,by Rozema)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Jenkins W(1-0)          9     7   2   2   2   5   1  36   2.00
Totals                  9     7   2   2   2   5   1  36

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rozema L(0-1)           5.1   4   5   2   2   1   1  25   3.38
Burnside                1.1   2   3   3   1   0   0   7  20.25
Lopez                   2.1   2   0   0   1   2   0  10   0.00
Totals                  9     8   8   5   4   3   1  42

Passed Balls: Parrish (1)
Hit by Pitch: Rozema (1)
Wild Pitches: Lopez (1)

Umpires: HP - Mike Fitzpatrick, 1B - Tom Ravashiere, 2B - Doug Cossey, 3B - Bob Moyer


RANGERS 1ST: Debut for umpires Mike Fitzpatrick, Bob Moyer
and Tom Ravashiere; Wills singled to second; Grubb homered
[Wills scored]; Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); Zisk
singled to left; Bell grounded out (shortstop to first) [Zisk to
second]; Gamble was walked intentionally; Sundberg forced Gamble
(shortstop to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 2, Tigers
0.

TIGERS 1ST: LeFlore was called out on strikes; Whitaker grounded
out (shortstop to first); Thompson popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Tigers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Jorgensen grounded out (second to first); Norman
walked; Wills flied to left; Grubb grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Kemp singled to right; Morales forced Kemp (third to
second); Parrish singled to right [Morales to third]; Mankowski
singled to right [Morales scored, Parrish out at home (right to
pitcher to catcher to third), Mankowski to third (error by
Zisk)]; Corcoran flied to center; 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers
2, Tigers 1.

RANGERS 3RD: Oliver grounded out (pitcher to first); Zisk
grounded out (second to first); Bell grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 3RD: Trammell walked; LeFlore grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Trammell out at second];
Whitaker tripled to left; Thompson flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Tigers 1.

RANGERS 4TH: Gamble lined to second; Sundberg grounded out
(pitcher to first); Jorgensen grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Kemp homered; Morales doubled to left; Parrish
grounded out (third to first); Mankowski grounded out (second to
first) [Morales to third]; Corcoran struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Rangers 2, Tigers 2.

RANGERS 5TH: Norman flied to right; Wills was hit by a pitch;
Grubb reached on an error by LeFlore [Wills scored (unearned)
(no RBI), Grubb to third]; Oliver hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Grubb scored (unearned)]; Zisk grounded out (pitcher to first);
2 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 5TH: Trammell struck out; LeFlore grounded out (pitcher
to first); Whitaker popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 4, Tigers 2.

RANGERS 6TH: Bell reached on an error by Trammell; Gamble was
called out on strikes; Parrish allowed a passed ball [Bell to
second]; Sundberg singled to left [Bell scored (unearned)];
BURNSIDE REPLACED ROZEMA (PITCHING); Jorgensen flied to right;
Norman flied to right; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 5,
Tigers 2.

TIGERS 6TH: Thompson struck out; Kemp flied to left; Morales
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 5,
Tigers 2.

RANGERS 7TH: Wills doubled to right; Grubb popped to second;
Oliver singled to left [Wills scored]; Zisk popped to second;
Bell walked [Oliver to second]; J. ELLIS BATTED FOR GAMBLE;
LOPEZ REPLACED BURNSIDE (PITCHING); PUTNAM BATTED FOR J. ELLIS;
Putnam doubled to center [Oliver scored, Bell scored]; Sundberg
grounded out (shortstop to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 8, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 7TH: PUTNAM STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); GRUBB CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); SAMPLE REPLACED ZISK (PLAYING LF);
Parrish grounded out (pitcher to first); Mankowski doubled to
right; Corcoran grounded out (first to pitcher) [Mankowski to
third]; Trammell flied to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers
8, Tigers 2.

RANGERS 8TH: Jorgensen walked; Norman out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Jorgensen to second]; Wills was called out on
strikes; Grubb was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 8, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 8TH: LeFlore reached on an error by Norman; Whitaker
grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[LeFlore out at second]; Thompson walked; Kemp flied to center;
0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 8, Tigers 2.

RANGERS 9TH: Oliver grounded out (first to pitcher); Sample
singled to right; Lopez threw a wild pitch [Sample to second];
Bell flied to center; Putnam popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Rangers 8, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 9TH: Morales struck out; Parrish reached on an error by
Norman; Mankowski grounded out (first to pitcher) [Parrish to
second]; Corcoran reached on an error by Jorgensen [Parrish to
third]; GONZALES BATTED FOR TRAMMELL; Gonzales flied to
right; Debut game for Dan Gonzales; 0 R, 0 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.
 Rangers 8, Tigers 2.
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