The Tigers clawed the Rangers twice, 3-1 and 8-2. In the lidlifter, Steve Kemp celebrated his 25th birthday by blasting a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning. Lou Whitaker was aboard via a walk on four straight pitches before Kemp connected off Ranger reliever Jim Kern.

Jerry Morales paced the second-game triumph with a pair of two-run homers. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 3, Texas Rangers 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Tuesday, August    7, 1979 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium
Rangers      0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1 10  1
Tigers       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   3  5  0


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rivers cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .280      LeFlore cf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .299
Bell ss               4   1   2   0     0   0   .303      Whitaker 2b           3   1   1   0     1   0   .280
Oliver lf             4   0   2   1     0   1   .320      Kemp lf               4   1   1   2     0   0   .332
Zisk rf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .264      Thompson 1b           3   1   1   1     0   0   .256
Putnam 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .287      Summers dh            3   0   0   0     0   0   .271
J. Ellis dh           4   0   2   0     0   0   .276      Morales rf            3   0   1   0     0   0   .224
  Sample pr,dh        0   0   0   0     0   0   .259      Parrish c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .266
Soderholm 3b          4   0   2   0     0   1   .243      Rodriguez 3b          3   0   1   0     0   0   .259
Sundberg c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .262        Brookens pr,3b      0   0   0   0     0   0   .264
Blanks 2b             3   0   1   0     0   1   .220      Trammell ss           2   0   0   0     0   1   .271
Comer p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Wilcox p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kern p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   1  10   1     0   4             Totals               28   3   5   3     1   2

Time of Game: 2:25
Left on Base: Rangers 7, Tigers 3
DP: Rangers 1, Tigers 1
Errors: Soderholm
Doubles: Bell (29), Oliver (17), Blanks (5), Morales (17)
Home Runs: Thompson (11), Kemp (19)
Caught Stealing: Bell (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Trammell (9)
GIDP: Soderholm (12), Morales (9)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Comer                   7.1   4   1   1   0   2   1  26   3.34
Kern L(10-3)            0.2   1   2   2   1   0   1   4   1.49
Totals                  8     5   3   3   1   2   2  30

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wilcox W(9-5)           9    10   1   1   0   4   0  35   4.60
Totals                  9    10   1   1   0   4   0  35

Umpires: HP - Bill Deegan, 1B - John Shulock, 2B - Jerry Neudecker, 3B - Mark Johnson


RANGERS 1ST: Debut for umpire Mark Johnson; Rivers lined
to first; Bell singled to center; Oliver was called out on
strikes; Bell was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: LeFlore lined to right; Whitaker lined to left; Kemp
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers
0, Tigers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Zisk singled to left; Putnam grounded out (pitcher
to first) [Zisk to second]; J. Ellis reached on a fielder's
choice [Zisk out at third (shortstop to third)]; Soderholm
singled to right [J. Ellis to second]; Sundberg forced Soderholm
(third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Thompson homered; Summers grounded out (pitcher to
first); Morales doubled to right; Parrish flied out to center;
Rodriguez flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0,
Tigers 1.

RANGERS 3RD: Blanks grounded out (third to first); Rivers
grounded out (third to first); Bell doubled to left; Oliver
doubled to left [Bell scored]; Zisk grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 3RD: Trammell struck out; LeFlore struck out; Whitaker
made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers
1.

RANGERS 4TH: Putnam grounded out (shortstop to first); J. Ellis
singled to left; Soderholm singled to left [J. Ellis to second];
Sundberg flied out to center [J. Ellis to third]; Blanks struck
out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Kemp grounded out (second to first); Thompson made
an out to shortstop; Summers flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

RANGERS 5TH: Rivers grounded out (second to first); Bell
grounded out (pitcher to first); Oliver grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 5TH: Morales grounded out (shortstop to first); Parrish
flied out to center; Rodriguez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

RANGERS 6TH: Zisk struck out; Putnam flied out to left; J. Ellis
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 6TH: Trammell grounded out (third to first); LeFlore
flied out to right; Whitaker singled to right; Kemp lined to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

RANGERS 7TH: Soderholm struck out; Sundberg flied out to center;
Blanks doubled to right; Rivers grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 7TH: Thompson reached on an error by Soderholm; Summers
lined to center; Morales grounded into a double play (first to
shortstop) [Thompson out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

RANGERS 8TH: Bell flied out to center; Oliver singled to center;
Zisk made an out to third; Putnam flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 8TH: Parrish lined to left; On a bunt Rodriguez singled;
BROOKENS RAN FOR RODRIGUEZ; KERN REPLACED COMER (PITCHING);
Trammell out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Brookens to
second]; LeFlore grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

RANGERS 9TH: BROOKENS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); J. Ellis
singled to center; SAMPLE RAN FOR J. ELLIS; Soderholm grounded
into a double play (third to second to first) [Sample out at
second]; Sundberg grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 9TH: SAMPLE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Whitaker walked;
Kemp homered [Whitaker scored]; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers
1, Tigers 3.