Al Oliver singled with the bases loaded in the ninth inning to score Jim Sundberg and give the Rangers a 4-3 decision over the A's. Jim Kern, who pitched the last 2 2/3 innings, gained his 10th victory against one defeat. Bump Wills knocked in two runs with a bases-loaded double for the Rangers in the fourth, but the A's forged ahead, 3-2, before the Rangers tied score in the eighth on a pass to Oscar Gamble and singles by Johnny Grubb and Pat Putnam.

With one out in the ninth, Sundberg doubled and, after an intentional pass to Gamble, both runners advanced on a wild pitch by Jim Todd. The A's then walked Richie Zisk to load the bases, hoping to pave the way for a double play, but Oliver upset that strategy with his winning hit. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 4, Oakland Athletics 3
Game Played on Saturday, June      30, 1979 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
A's          0  0  1    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   3  8  0
Rangers      0  0  0    2  0  0    0  1  1  -   4  8  1


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Henderson cf          3   0   0   0     0   1   .222      Wills 2b              3   0   2   2     2   0   .264
Chalk 3b              2   0   1   1     3   0   .275      Sample lf             4   0   0   0     1   0   .272
Essian c              4   0   0   1     0   1   .250      Bell 3b               4   0   1   0     1   2   .278
Newman 1b             5   0   1   0     0   2   .232      J. Ellis 1b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .257
Page dh               4   0   0   0     0   0   .245        Sundberg c          2   1   1   0     0   1   .218
Armas rf,lf           3   0   1   0     1   2   .250      Soderholm dh          3   0   0   0     0   1   .243
Bryant lf             2   0   0   0     0   0   .147        Gamble ph,dh        0   1   0   0     2   0   .408
  Guerrero ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .211      Zisk rf               2   1   1   0     2   0   .219
  Murray rf           1   0   0   0     0   1   .190      Washington cf         2   0   0   0     0   0   .273
Edwards 2b            4   2   2   0     0   0   .249        Grubb ph,cf         1   0   1   0     1   0   .267
Picciolo ss           3   1   3   1     0   0   .231        Oliver pr,cf        1   0   1   1     0   0   .305
Hamilton p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Roberts c             1   1   0   0     1   1   .243
  Heaverlo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Putnam ph,1b        2   0   1   1     0   0   .304
  Langford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Norman ss             2   0   0   0     1   1   .201
  Todd p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Blanks ph,ss        1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                          Johnson p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kern p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   3   8   3     4   7             Totals               31   4   8   4    11   6

Time of Game: 3:03   Attendance: 22,439
Left on Base: A's 10, Rangers 14
DP: A's 1, Rangers 0
Errors: Norman
Doubles: Edwards (8), Picciolo 2 (3), Wills (10), Sundberg (11)
Sacrifice Hits: Picciolo (6), Henderson 2 (2), Zisk (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Essian (2)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hamilton                3.2   3   2   2   6   3   0  19   3.81
Heaverlo                2.1   0   0   0   1   2   0   8   3.75
Langford                1.1   3   1   1   1   1   0   8   6.50
Todd L(2-5)             1     2   1   1   3   0   0   8   7.51
Totals                  8.1   8   4   4  11   6   0  43

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Johnson                 6.1   6   3   3   2   3   0  28   4.02
Kern W(10-1)            2.2   2   0   0   2   4   0  12   1.45
Totals                  9     8   3   3   4   7   0  40

Wild Pitches: Langford (9), Todd 2 (2)

Umpires: HP - Don Denkinger, 1B - Steve Palermo, 2B - Mike Reilly, 3B - Derryl Cousins


ATHLETICS 1ST: Henderson struck out; Chalk grounded out (third
to first); Essian grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Wills singled to right; Sample flied into a double
play (right to first) [Wills out at first]; Bell struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Newman was called out on strikes; Page flied out
to center; Armas singled to left; Bryant forced Armas (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: J. Ellis flied out to right; Soderholm was called
out on strikes; Zisk walked; Washington flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Edwards doubled to center; Picciolo out on a
sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Edwards to third]; Henderson
flied to right in foul territory; Chalk singled to right
[Edwards scored]; Essian grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Roberts struck out; Norman flied out to left; Wills
walked; Sample walked [Wills to second]; Bell walked [Wills to
third, Sample to second]; J. Ellis forced Bell (third to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Newman flied out to center; Page grounded out
(second to first); Armas was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Soderholm flied out to center; Zisk singled to
left; Washington flied out to left; Roberts walked [Zisk to
second]; Norman walked [Zisk to third, Roberts to second]; Wills
doubled to left [Zisk scored, Roberts scored, Norman to third];
HEAVERLO REPLACED HAMILTON (PITCHING); Sample made an out to
first; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 2.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Bryant grounded out (second to first); Edwards
singled to second; Picciolo doubled to left [Edwards scored];
Henderson made an out to second; Chalk walked; Essian flied out
to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 5TH: Bell was called out on strikes; J. Ellis grounded
out (third to first); Soderholm grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Newman grounded out (shortstop to first); Page
reached on an error by Norman [Page to second]; Armas was walked
intentionally; GUERRERO BATTED FOR BRYANT; Guerrero flied out to
right [Page to third]; Edwards flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1
E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 6TH: MURRAY REPLACED GUERRERO (PLAYING RF); ARMAS
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Zisk grounded out (third to
first); GRUBB BATTED FOR WASHINGTON; Grubb walked; PUTNAM BATTED
FOR ROBERTS; Putnam flied out to center; Norman struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 2.

ATHLETICS 7TH: GRUBB STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); PUTNAM STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); SUNDBERG REPLACED J. ELLIS (PLAYING C );
Picciolo doubled to right; Henderson out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Picciolo to third]; KERN REPLACED JOHNSON
(PITCHING); Chalk walked; Essian hit a sacrifice fly to left
[Picciolo scored]; Newman singled to third [Chalk to second];
Page made an out to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics
3, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 7TH: LANGFORD REPLACED HEAVERLO (PITCHING); Wills flied
out to right; Sample grounded out (third to first); Bell singled
to left; Langford threw a wild pitch [Bell to second]; Sundberg
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 3, Rangers 2.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Armas struck out; Murray was called out on
strikes; Edwards grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Athletics 3, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 8TH: GAMBLE BATTED FOR SODERHOLM; Gamble walked; Zisk
out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Gamble to second];
Grubb singled to right [Gamble to third]; OLIVER RAN FOR GRUBB;
Putnam singled to center [Gamble scored, Oliver to second]; TODD
REPLACED LANGFORD (PITCHING); BLANKS BATTED FOR NORMAN; Blanks
flied out to center; Todd threw a wild pitch [Oliver to third,
Putnam to second]; Wills was walked intentionally; Sample
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Athletics
3, Rangers 3.

ATHLETICS 9TH: OLIVER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); BLANKS STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Picciolo singled to center; Henderson out
on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Picciolo to second];
Chalk walked; Essian struck out; Newman struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 3, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 9TH: Bell grounded out (shortstop to first); Sundberg
doubled; Gamble was walked intentionally; Todd threw a wild
pitch [Sundberg to third, Gamble to second]; Zisk walked; Oliver
singled to third [Sundberg scored, Gamble to third, Zisk to
second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Athletics 3, Rangers 4.