Mickey Rivers rapped five straight hits, including two homers, enabling the Rangers to defeat the Twins, 5-3. Rivers' first homer of the game sparked a three-run outburst in the first inning. Dave Goltz, who started for the Twins, was kayoed after retiring only one batter.

Rivers singled and scored in the second before adding his second circuit clout of the game in the sixth. Fergie Jenkins, who broke a personal four-game losing streak, gave up a homer by Danny Goodwin in the sixth and was lifted after Rob Wilfong and Ken Landreaux rapped round-trippers in the eighth. Sparky Lyle took over and picked up his 12th save. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 5, Minnesota Twins 3
Game Played on Friday, September 14, 1979 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
Twins        0  0  0    0  0  1    0  2  0  -   3  6  0
Rangers      3  1  0    0  0  1    0  0  x  -   5 15  0


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Sofield lf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .273      Rivers cf             5   3   5   2     0   0   .288
Wilfong 2b            3   1   2   1     1   0   .314      Wills 2b              4   0   1   0     1   0   .268
Goodwin dh            4   1   1   1     0   1   .283      Bell 3b               5   1   1   0     0   0   .299
Landreaux cf          3   1   1   1     1   0   .307      Montanez dh           3   1   2   1     1   0   .244
Smalley ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .282      Zisk rf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .273
R. Jackson 1b         4   0   0   0     0   0   .273      Putnam 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .284
Powell rf             2   0   0   0     1   0   .283      Sample lf             3   0   2   0     1   0   .294
  Rivera ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .280      Sundberg c            3   0   0   1     1   0   .274
Wynegar c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .266      Norman ss             4   0   1   0     0   1   .207
Castino 3b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .284      Jenkins p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Goltz p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lyle p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Stanfield p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bacsik p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Serum p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   6   3     3   3             Totals               35   5  15   4     4   2

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance: 10,082
Left on Base: Twins 6, Rangers 10
DP: Twins 3, Rangers 0
Doubles: Smalley (26), Bell (40)
Home Runs: Goodwin (5), Wilfong (9), Landreaux (13), Rivers 2 (8)
Stolen Bases: Wilfong (10), Rivers (8)
Caught Stealing: Putnam (6)
GIDP: Bell 2 (16), Sundberg (17)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Goltz L(14-11)          0.1   4   3   3   0   0   1   5   4.12
Stanfield               0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Bacsik                  1.1   3   1   1   2   0   0   8   4.87
Serum                   6     8   1   1   2   2   1  25   6.57
Totals                  8    15   5   5   4   2   2  39

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Jenkins W(14-13)        7.2   6   3   3   3   2   3  32   4.06
Lyle SV(12)             1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   3.07
Totals                  9     6   3   3   3   3   3  36

Wild Pitches: Serum (1), Jenkins (4)

Umpires: HP - Jim Evans, 1B - Fred Spenn, 2B - Ted Hendry, 3B - Larry Barnett


TWINS 1ST: Sofield flied out to right; Wilfong singled to
center; Wilfong stole second; Goodwin struck out; Landreaux
walked; Jenkins threw a wild pitch [Wilfong to third, Landreaux
to second]; Smalley flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Twins 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Rivers homered; Wills flied out to center; Bell
doubled to right; Montanez singled to right [Bell scored]; Zisk
singled to left [Montanez to second]; STANFIELD REPLACED GOLTZ
(PITCHING); Putnam made an out to second; Debut game for
Kevin Stanfield; BACSIK REPLACED STANFIELD (PITCHING);
Sample walked [Montanez to third, Zisk to second]; Sundberg
walked [Montanez scored, Zisk to third, Sample to second];
Norman grounded out (shortstop to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Twins 0, Rangers 3.

TWINS 2ND: R. Jackson grounded out (third to first); Powell
flied out to right; Wynegar flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 2ND: Rivers singled to right; Wills singled to center
[Rivers to third]; Bell grounded into a double play (second to
first) [Rivers scored, Wills out at second]; Montanez singled to
left; Zisk grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Twins 0, Rangers 4.

TWINS 3RD: Castino grounded out (third to first); Sofield
grounded out (first unassisted); Wilfong walked; Goodwin lined
to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 3RD: SERUM REPLACED BACSIK (PITCHING); Putnam singled to
right; On a bunt Sample singled to pitcher [Putnam to second];
Sundberg grounded into a double play (third to first) [Sample to
second, Putnam out at third]; Norman was called out on strikes;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 4.

TWINS 4TH: Landreaux flied out to left; Smalley flied out to
right; R. Jackson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 0, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 4TH: Rivers singled to right; Wills flied out to left;
Bell flied out to right; Rivers stole second; Serum threw a wild
pitch [Rivers to third]; Montanez walked; Zisk struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 4.

TWINS 5TH: Powell walked; Wynegar flied out to center; Castino
made an out to second; Sofield singled to center [Powell to
third]; Wilfong flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins
0, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 5TH: Putnam grounded out (second to pitcher); Sample
singled to left; Sundberg flied out to right; Norman grounded
out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers
4.

TWINS 6TH: Goodwin homered; Landreaux flied out to center;
Smalley grounded out (first unassisted); R. Jackson grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 6TH: Rivers homered; Wills flied out to left; Bell made
an out to shortstop; Montanez grounded out (shortstop to first);
1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Rangers 5.

TWINS 7TH: Powell grounded out (second to first); Wynegar flied
out to right; Castino popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Rangers 5.

RANGERS 7TH: Zisk grounded out (first unassisted); Putnam
singled to left; Putnam was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Sample lined to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1,
Rangers 5.

TWINS 8TH: Sofield was called out on strikes; Wilfong homered;
Goodwin flied out to left; Landreaux homered; Smalley doubled to
center; LYLE REPLACED JENKINS (PITCHING); R. Jackson grounded
out (third to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 3, Rangers 5.

RANGERS 8TH: Sundberg flied out to left; Norman singled to
right; Rivers singled to center [Norman to third]; Wills walked
[Rivers to second]; Bell grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Wills out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Twins 3, Rangers 5.

TWINS 9TH: RIVERA BATTED FOR POWELL; Rivera grounded out (third
to first); Wynegar flied out to left; Castino struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 3, Rangers 5.