The Rangers hit a club record-tying five homers, including three by Al Oliver, in a 7-2 thumping of the Twins. Oliver and Pat Putnam both homered with a man on base in the first inning to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead. Mike Jorgensen clouted a solo swat in the fourth.

Oliver followed with round-trippers in the fifth and eighth to become the first Ranger slugger to hit three homers in one game at Arlington Stadium. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 7, Minnesota Twins 2
Game Played on Wednesday, May       23, 1979 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
Twins        0  0  0    1  0  0    1  0  0  -   2  6  0
Rangers      4  0  0    1  1  0    0  1  x  -   7  9  0


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cubbage dh            3   0   0   0     1   0   .247      Grubb lf              3   0   2   0     0   0   .267
Smalley ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .386        Zisk ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .226
Landreaux cf          4   1   2   0     0   0   .319        Sample lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .258
Adams lf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .289      Bell 3b               3   1   0   0     1   0   .258
R. Jackson 1b         4   0   1   0     0   1   .287      Oliver cf             4   3   3   4     0   0   .304
Powell rf             3   1   1   1     1   0   .526      J. Ellis dh           4   1   1   0     0   1   .317
Wynegar c             3   0   1   0     1   0   .295      Putnam 1b             4   1   2   2     0   0   .321
Wilfong 2b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .317      Jorgensen rf          4   1   1   1     0   0   .301
Castino 3b            3   0   0   1     0   1   .300      Sundberg c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .200
Goltz p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Wills 2b              2   0   0   0     1   0   .215
  Brett p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Blanks ss             2   0   0   0     0   1   .276
  Bacsik p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Norman ss           0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
                                                          Jenkins p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   2   6   2     3   3             Totals               30   7   9   7     2   4

Time of Game: 2:01   Attendance: 17,909
Left on Base: Twins 6, Rangers 2
DP: Twins 1, Rangers 1
Doubles: Powell (3)
Home Runs: Oliver 3 (7), Putnam (3), Jorgensen (5)
Stolen Bases: Wills (15)
Caught Stealing: Grubb (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Norman (9)
GIDP: Adams (2), Jorgensen (2)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Goltz L(4-5)            5     7   6   6   1   3   4  22   4.71
Brett                   1.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   5   3.48
Bacsik                  1.2   2   1   1   0   1   1   6   4.15
Totals                  8     9   7   7   2   4   5  33

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Jenkins W(5-2)          9     6   2   2   3   3   0  35   3.52
Totals                  9     6   2   2   3   3   0  35

Umpires: HP - Bill Haller, 1B - Russ Goetz, 2B - Ron Luciano, 3B - Ken Kaiser


TWINS 1ST: Cubbage grounded out (pitcher to first); Smalley
flied out to right; Landreaux grounded out (second to pitcher);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Grubb singled to center; Grubb was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Bell walked; Oliver homered [Bell
scored]; J. Ellis singled to left; Putnam homered [J. Ellis
scored]; Jorgensen grounded out (second to first); Sundberg was
called out on strikes; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 4.

TWINS 2ND: Adams flied out to center; R. Jackson singled to
left; Powell made an out to first; Wynegar grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 2ND: Wills flied out to left; Blanks grounded out
(second to first); Grubb singled to center; Bell forced Grubb
(third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 4.

TWINS 3RD: Wilfong was called out on strikes; Castino grounded
out (pitcher to first); Cubbage grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 3RD: Oliver made an out to shortstop; J. Ellis was
called out on strikes; Putnam grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 4.

TWINS 4TH: Smalley grounded out (shortstop to first); Landreaux
singled to center; Adams singled to center [Landreaux to
second]; R. Jackson forced Adams (shortstop to second)
[Landreaux to third]; Powell doubled to right [Landreaux scored,
R. Jackson to third]; Wynegar grounded out (shortstop to first);
1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 1, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 4TH: Jorgensen homered; Sundberg grounded out (shortstop
to first); Wills grounded out (second to first); Blanks was
called out on strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Rangers 5.

TWINS 5TH: Wilfong grounded out (pitcher to first); Castino
struck out; Cubbage walked; Smalley grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1, Rangers 5.

RANGERS 5TH: Grubb flied out to left; Bell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Oliver homered; J. Ellis grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Rangers 6.

TWINS 6TH: Landreaux grounded out (second to first); Adams
grounded out (second to first); R. Jackson flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Rangers 6.

RANGERS 6TH: BRETT REPLACED GOLTZ (PITCHING); Putnam grounded
out (second to first); Jorgensen flied out to center; Sundberg
made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Rangers 6.

TWINS 7TH: NORMAN REPLACED BLANKS (PLAYING SS); Powell walked;
Wynegar walked [Powell to second]; Wilfong forced Wynegar (first
to shortstop) [Powell to third]; Castino grounded out (second to
first) [Powell scored, Wilfong to second]; Cubbage grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Rangers 6.

RANGERS 7TH: Wills walked; Norman out on a sacrifice bunt (first
to second) [Wills to second]; ZISK BATTED FOR GRUBB; BACSIK
REPLACED BRETT (PITCHING); Zisk struck out; Wills stole third;
Bell lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Rangers 6.

TWINS 8TH: SAMPLE REPLACED ZISK (PLAYING LF); Smalley grounded
out (second to first); Landreaux singled to right; Adams
grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Landreaux out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2,
Rangers 6.

RANGERS 8TH: Oliver homered; J. Ellis flied out to left; Putnam
singled to center; Jorgensen grounded into a double play (second
to shortstop to first) [Putnam out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Twins 2, Rangers 7.

TWINS 9TH: R. Jackson struck out (catcher to first); Powell
flied out to center; Wynegar singled to right; Wilfong flied out
to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Rangers 7.