Thurman Munson hit a run-scoring single in each of the first two innings as the Yankees built up a 4-0 lead en route to a 5-3 victory over the Rangers. The Yankees' pair in the first counted on a pass to Mickey Rivers and consecutive singles by Willie Randolph, Munson and Reggie Jackson. Bucky Dent singled, Rivers doubled and Munson singled for two more runs in the second.

Ed Figueroa held the Rangers to four hits before Dick Tidrow took over with two men on base in the ninth and retired the side. Al Oliver, who doubled for the Rangers in the sixth, hit safely in his 10th straight game. [The Sporting News]



New York Yankees 5, Texas Rangers 3
Game Played on Friday, April     20, 1979 (Night game) at Yankee Stadium I
Rangers      0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  1  -   3  4  0
Yankees      2  2  0    0  1  0    0  0  x  -   5  9  1


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wills 2b              3   0   0   1     2   0   .222      Rivers cf             3   2   2   1     1   0   .255
Sample lf             3   1   0   0     1   0   .348        Beniquez pr,cf      0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Norman ss           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Randolph 2b           2   2   1   0     2   0   .227
  Putnam ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .385      Munson c              4   0   2   2     0   0   .250
Oliver cf             4   1   1   1     0   0   .447      Jackson rf            4   0   2   1     0   1   .286
Bell 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .216      Nettles 3b            4   0   1   1     0   0   .267
Zisk rf               3   0   0   1     1   0   .286      Chambliss 1b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .217
Gamble dh             3   0   1   0     1   0   .300      White lf              3   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Sundberg c            3   1   0   0     1   0   .167      Spencer dh            2   0   0   0     0   0   .235
Jorgensen 1b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .208        Johnson ph,dh       1   0   0   0     0   1   .235
Campaneris ss         2   0   0   0     0   1   .143      Dent ss               3   1   1   0     0   0   .243
  Grubb ph,lf         2   0   1   0     0   0   .143      Figueroa p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Comer p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Tidrow p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Rajsich p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   3   4   3     6   2             Totals               30   5   9   5     3   3

Time of Game: 2:08   Attendance: 26,651
Left on Base: Rangers 8, Yankees 4
DP: Rangers 2, Yankees 0
Errors: Dent
Doubles: Oliver (3), Grubb (1), Rivers (2)
Caught Stealing: Beniquez (1)
GIDP: Nettles (2)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Comer L(1-1)            4.1   6   5   5   3   1   0  21   4.00
Rajsich                 3.2   3   0   0   0   2   0  12   0.00
Totals                  8     9   5   5   3   3   0  33

Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Figueroa W(2-1)         8     4   3   3   6   1   0  35   5.46
Tidrow SV(2)            1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.52
Totals                  9     4   3   3   6   2   0  38

Umpires: HP - Dick Nelson, 1B - Harold Siroka, 2B - Merrill Hadry, 3B - John Mackin


RANGERS 1ST: Debut for umpire John Mackin; Wills grounded
out (third to first); Sample flied out to center; Oliver
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers
0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Rivers walked; Randolph singled to left [Rivers to
second]; Munson singled to left [Rivers scored, Randolph to
second]; Jackson singled to center [Randolph scored, Munson to
second]; Nettles grounded into a double play (first to shortstop
to first) [Munson to third, Jackson out at second]; Chambliss
struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Yankees 2.

RANGERS 2ND: Bell flied out to right; Zisk grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gamble grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Yankees 2.

YANKEES 2ND: White grounded out (pitcher to first); Spencer
grounded out (first unassisted); Dent singled to center; Rivers
doubled to center [Dent scored]; Randolph walked; Munson singled
to left [Rivers scored, Randolph to second]; Jackson lined to
shortstop; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Yankees 4.

RANGERS 3RD: Sundberg grounded out (third to first); Jorgensen
reached on an error by Dent; Campaneris forced Jorgensen (third
to second); Wills walked [Campaneris to second]; Sample popped
to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0,
Yankees 4.

YANKEES 3RD: Nettles flied out to left; Chambliss popped to
second; White grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 0, Yankees 4.

RANGERS 4TH: Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); Bell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Zisk walked; Gamble walked
[Zisk to second]; Sundberg forced Gamble (shortstop unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Yankees 4.

YANKEES 4TH: Spencer grounded out (first unassisted); Dent
grounded out (second to first); Rivers grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Yankees 4.

RANGERS 5TH: Jorgensen flied out to left; Campaneris was called
out on strikes; Wills flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Rangers 0, Yankees 4.

YANKEES 5TH: Randolph walked; Munson grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Randolph to second]; RAJSICH REPLACED COMER (PITCHING);
Jackson struck out; Nettles singled to right [Randolph scored,
Nettles to second (on throw to home)]; Chambliss grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Yankees 5.

RANGERS 6TH: Sample walked; Oliver doubled to center [Sample
scored]; Bell grounded out (shortstop to first) [Oliver to
third]; Zisk grounded out (shortstop to first) [Oliver scored];
Gamble singled to right; Sundberg flied out to right; 2 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 6TH: White grounded out (second to first); JOHNSON
BATTED FOR SPENCER; Johnson was called out on strikes; Dent
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 2, Yankees 5.

RANGERS 7TH: JOHNSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Jorgensen
flied out to left; GRUBB BATTED FOR CAMPANERIS; Grubb doubled to
left; Wills walked; Sample forced Wills (shortstop to second)
[Grubb to third]; Oliver flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Rangers 2, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 7TH: NORMAN REPLACED SAMPLE (PLAYING SS); GRUBB STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Rivers singled to center; BENIQUEZ RAN FOR
RIVERS; Beniquez was picked off and caught stealing second
(pitcher to first to shortstop); Randolph grounded out
(shortstop to first); Munson flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Yankees 5.

RANGERS 8TH: BENIQUEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Bell grounded
out (shortstop to first); Zisk flied out to center; Gamble
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers
2, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 8TH: Jackson singled to center; Nettles flied out to
right; Chambliss hit into a double play (center to second)
[Jackson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2,
Yankees 5.

RANGERS 9TH: Sundberg walked; Jorgensen singled to right
[Sundberg to second]; TIDROW REPLACED FIGUEROA (PITCHING); Grubb
grounded out (first to pitcher) [Sundberg to third, Jorgensen to
second]; Wills grounded out (first to pitcher) [Sundberg scored,
Jorgensen to third]; PUTNAM BATTED FOR NORMAN; Putnam struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 3, Yankees 5.