Six unearned runs, resulting from two errors by shortstop Nelson Norman and a passed ball by catcher Jim Sundberg, enabled the Twins to breeze to an 11-4 victory over the Rangers. Roy Smalley committed two errors at shortstop for the Twins, but more than made up for them by crashing a bases-loaded triple after a two-out misplay by Norman in the fourth inning.

Rob Wilfong followed with a double to drive in Smalley. The Twins added four earned runs in the fifth and then picked up a tainted pair in the eighth with the help of Sundberg's passed ball and a second error by Norman. Richie Zisk homered for the Rangers. [The Sporting News]



Minnesota Twins 11, Texas Rangers 4
Game Played on Saturday, September 15, 1979 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
Twins        0  0  0    4  4  0    0  2  1  -  11 13  2
Rangers      0  1  2    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   4 14  4


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Smalley ss            6   1   1   3     0   3   .281      Rivers cf             5   0   3   0     0   0   .291
Wilfong 2b            5   0   2   3     0   0   .315      Wills 2b              5   1   2   0     0   0   .269
Goodwin dh            2   0   0   0     1   0   .279      Bell 3b               5   0   1   0     0   0   .298
  Ward ph,dh          2   1   0   0     0   1   .000      J. Ellis dh           4   1   2   1     0   0   .288
  Cubbage ph,dh       0   0   0   0     1   0   .272        Washington pr,dh    0   0   0   0     0   0   .278
Landreaux lf          6   2   3   0     0   1   .309        Oliver ph,dh        1   0   0   0     0   0   .326
Powell rf             6   1   2   2     0   1   .284      Zisk rf               4   1   1   1     0   1   .273
Wynegar c             3   2   1   0     2   1   .266      Sample lf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .297
R. Jackson 1b         4   0   0   0     0   0   .271      Montanez 1b           4   1   1   0     0   0   .244
Edwards cf            4   2   2   2     1   0   .267      Sundberg c            4   0   1   0     0   1   .274
Castino 3b            4   2   2   0     1   0   .287      Norman ss             3   0   1   1     0   1   .208
Zahn p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Putnam ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .283
  Redfern p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Alexander p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Darwin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Rajsich p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            McCall p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               42  11  13  10     6   7             Totals               40   4  14   4     0   3

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance: 20,619
Left on Base: Twins 12, Rangers 9
DP: Twins 1, Rangers 0
Errors: Smalley 2, Rivers, Bell, Norman 2
Doubles: Wilfong (21), Landreaux (25), Castino (13), Wills 2 (18), J. Ellis (12)
Triples: Smalley (3)
Home Runs: Zisk (17)
Sacrifice Hits: R. Jackson (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Wilfong (10)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Zahn W(12-6)            7    12   4   4   0   1   1  31   3.62
Redfern                 2     2   0   0   0   2   0   9   3.15
Totals                  9    14   4   4   0   3   1  40

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Alexander L(4-7)        4     8   6   2   2   1   0  23   4.46
Darwin                  0.1   1   2   2   2   0   0   4   4.09
Rajsich                 3.2   3   2   0   1   5   0  17   3.75
McCall                  1     1   1   1   1   1   0   6   9.00
Totals                  9    13  11   5   6   7   0  50

Passed Balls: Sundberg (7)

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


TWINS 1ST: Smalley struck out; Wilfong made an out to shortstop;
Goodwin walked; Landreaux singled to center [Goodwin to second];
Powell flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 0,
Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Rivers flied out to center; Wills reached on an
error by Smalley; Bell singled to left [Wills out at third (left
to third)]; J. Ellis forced Bell (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 0.

TWINS 2ND: Wynegar grounded out (first unassisted); R. Jackson
flied out to right; Edwards singled to center; Castino singled
to center [Edwards to third]; Smalley made an out to second; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Zisk grounded out (shortstop to first); Sample
grounded out (first unassisted); Montanez singled to center;
Sundberg singled to left [Montanez to second]; Norman singled to
center [Montanez scored, Sundberg to second]; Rivers flied out
to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 1.

TWINS 3RD: Wilfong grounded out (second to first); Goodwin flied
out to left; Landreaux grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 3RD: Wills doubled to center; Bell grounded out (second
to first) [Wills to third]; J. Ellis doubled to left [Wills
scored]; Zisk grounded out (third to first); Sample singled to
left [J. Ellis scored]; Montanez grounded out (shortstop to
first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Rangers 3.

TWINS 4TH: Powell grounded out (second to first); Wynegar
singled to center; R. Jackson flied out to left; Edwards walked
[Wynegar to second]; Castino reached on an error by Norman
[Wynegar to third, Edwards to second]; Smalley tripled to right
[Wynegar scored (unearned), Edwards scored (unearned), Castino
scored (unearned)]; Wilfong doubled to center [Smalley scored
(unearned)]; Goodwin grounded out (second to first); 4 R (0 ER),
3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 4TH: Sundberg grounded out (third to first); Norman
flied out to right; Rivers singled to left; Wills grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Rangers 3.

TWINS 5TH: Landreaux doubled to right; Powell singled to center
[Landreaux scored, Powell to second (error by Rivers)]; DARWIN
REPLACED ALEXANDER (PITCHING); Wynegar was walked intentionally;
R. Jackson out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Powell
to third, Wynegar to second]; Edwards singled to left [Powell
scored, Wynegar scored]; Castino walked [Edwards to second];
RAJSICH REPLACED DARWIN (PITCHING); Smalley struck out; Wilfong
singled to right [Edwards scored, Castino to third]; WARD BATTED
FOR GOODWIN; Ward grounded out (second to first); 4 R, 4 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Twins 8, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 5TH: WARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Bell flied out to
center; J. Ellis flied out to left; Zisk homered; Sample singled
to left [Sample out at second (left to second)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Twins 8, Rangers 4.

TWINS 6TH: Landreaux was called out on strikes; Powell flied out
to center; Wynegar struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 8,
Rangers 4.

RANGERS 6TH: Montanez grounded out (pitcher to first); Sundberg
flied out to center; Norman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 8, Rangers 4.

TWINS 7TH: R. Jackson flied out to center; Edwards lined to
left; Castino grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Twins 8, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 7TH: Rivers singled to shortstop; Wills lined into a
double play (second to first) [Rivers out at first]; Bell
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 8,
Rangers 4.

TWINS 8TH: Smalley struck out; Wilfong grounded out (pitcher to
first); Ward struck out but advanced to first on a passed ball;
Landreaux singled to right [Ward to third]; Powell singled to
left [Ward scored (unearned), Landreaux to second]; Wynegar
walked [Landreaux to third, Powell to second]; R. Jackson
reached on an error by Norman [Landreaux scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Powell to third, Wynegar to second]; Edwards grounded out
(pitcher to first); 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Twins 10,
Rangers 4.

RANGERS 8TH: J. Ellis singled to center; WASHINGTON RAN FOR J.
ELLIS; REDFERN REPLACED ZAHN (PITCHING); Zisk was called out on
strikes; Sample reached on an error by Smalley [Washington to
second]; Montanez forced Sample (first to shortstop) [Washington
to third]; Sundberg struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 10,
Rangers 4.

TWINS 9TH: WASHINGTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); MCCALL
REPLACED RAJSICH (PITCHING); Castino doubled to center; Smalley
flied out to center [Castino to third]; Wilfong hit a sacrifice
fly to right [Castino scored]; CUBBAGE BATTED FOR WARD; Cubbage
walked; Landreaux reached on an error by Bell [Cubbage to third,
Landreaux to second]; Powell struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Twins 11, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 9TH: CUBBAGE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); PUTNAM BATTED
FOR NORMAN; Putnam grounded out (first to pitcher); Rivers
singled to right; Wills doubled to center [Rivers to third];
Bell grounded out (third to first); OLIVER BATTED FOR
WASHINGTON; Oliver flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Twins 11, Rangers 4.