Making a successful big league debut, John Butcher tossed a six-hitter for the Rangers in a 6-2 victory over the A's. A two-run homer by Johnny Grubb in the fifth inning and solo blast by Rusty Staub in the sixth gave Butcher all the support he needed. Butcher gave up both A's runs in the first inning and didn't allow a man beyond second base after that. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 6, Oakland Athletics 2
Game Played on Monday, September 8, 1980 (Night game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Rangers      1  0  0    0  2  1    0  2  0  -   6  9  1
A's          2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  6  0


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rivers cf             5   1   2   0     0   0   .330      Henderson lf          4   1   0   0     1   0   .298
Grubb rf              4   1   1   2     1   1   .303      Murphy cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .278
Oliver lf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .307      Page dh               2   0   1   1     0   1   .239
Staub dh              3   1   1   2     0   1   .303        Davis ph,dh         1   0   0   0     1   0   .198
  Zisk ph,dh          1   0   0   0     0   0   .289      Revering 1b           4   1   0   0     0   1   .284
Putnam 1b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .276      Armas rf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .268
Sundberg c            3   1   1   0     1   0   .280      Gross 3b              4   0   2   1     0   0   .281
Frias 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .249      Newman c              4   0   0   0     0   2   .229
Harrelson ss          3   0   0   0     1   0   .230      McKay 2b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .233
Richardt 2b           4   1   3   2     0   0   .294      Picciolo ss           2   0   0   0     0   1   .233
Butcher p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Gonzalez ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .170
                                                          Kingman p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lacey p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   6   9   6     4   2             Totals               33   2   6   2     3   5

Time of Game: 2:33   Attendance:  9,731
Left on Base: Rangers 7, A's 8
DP: Rangers 0, A's 0
Errors: Butcher
Doubles: Richardt (2)
Home Runs: Grubb (6), Staub (7)
Stolen Bases: Henderson (73)
Sacrifice Hits: Picciolo (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Staub (5)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Butcher W(1-0)          9     6   2   2   3   5   0  37   2.00
Totals                  9     6   2   2   3   5   0  37

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kingman L(7-17)         7.2   9   6   6   4   1   2  36   3.82
Lacey                   1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   3.20
Totals                  9     9   6   6   4   2   2  40

Umpires: HP - Bill Kunkel, 1B - John Shulock, 2B - Terry Cooney, 3B - Dan Morrison


RANGERS 1ST: Rivers singled to left; Debut game for John
Butcher; Grubb walked [Rivers to second]; Oliver singled to
right [Rivers to third, Grubb to second]; Staub hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Rivers scored]; Putnam grounded out (pitcher to
first) [Grubb to third, Oliver to second]; Sundberg was walked
intentionally; Frias flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Rangers 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Henderson walked; Henderson stole second; Murphy
grounded out (second to first) [Henderson to third]; Page
singled to second [Henderson scored]; Revering forced Page
(second to shortstop); Armas singled to right [Revering to
third]; On a bunt Gross singled to third [Revering scored, Armas
to second]; Newman flied out to left; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Rangers 1, Athletics 2.

RANGERS 2ND: Harrelson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Richardt made an out to shortstop; Rivers flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 2ND: McKay walked; Picciolo reached on an error by
Butcher on a sacrifice bunt [McKay to second]; On a bunt
Henderson made an out to pitcher; Murphy popped to third in foul
territory; Page was called out on strikes; Mitchell Page
ejected by HP umpire Bill Kunkel; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Rangers 1, Athletics 2.

RANGERS 3RD: Grubb grounded out (shortstop to first); Oliver
flied out to right; Staub was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Revering struck out; Armas flied out to left;
Gross singled to third; Newman struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Rangers 1, Athletics 2.

RANGERS 4TH: Putnam flied out to right; Sundberg grounded out
(third to first); Frias flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 1, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 4TH: McKay grounded out (pitcher to first); Picciolo
struck out; Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Athletics 2.

RANGERS 5TH: Harrelson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Richardt doubled to left; Rivers flied out to left; Grubb
homered [Richardt scored]; Oliver flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 3, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Murphy grounded out (second to first); DAVIS
BATTED FOR PAGE; Davis walked; Revering flied out to center;
Armas singled to left [Davis to second]; Gross grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 3, Athletics
2.

RANGERS 6TH: DAVIS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Staub homered;
Putnam grounded out (shortstop to first); Sundberg made an out
to second; Frias flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 4, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Newman grounded out (shortstop to first); McKay
made an out to shortstop; Picciolo grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Athletics 2.

RANGERS 7TH: Harrelson grounded out (second to first); Richardt
singled to left; Rivers singled to center [Richardt to second];
Grubb forced Rivers (second to shortstop) [Richardt to third];
Oliver flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 4,
Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Henderson grounded out (third to first); Murphy
singled to center; Davis flied out to left; Revering grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 4,
Athletics 2.

RANGERS 8TH: Staub flied out to center; Putnam walked; Sundberg
singled to left [Putnam to second]; Frias flied out to center;
Harrelson walked [Putnam to third, Sundberg to second]; Richardt
singled to left [Putnam scored, Sundberg scored, Harrelson to
second]; LACEY REPLACED KINGMAN (PITCHING); Rivers grounded out
(pitcher to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 6, Athletics
2.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Armas grounded out (third to first); Gross
grounded out (second to first); Newman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Athletics 2.

RANGERS 9TH: Grubb struck out; Oliver flied out to left; ZISK
BATTED FOR STAUB; Zisk grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 9TH: ZISK STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); McKay grounded
out (second to first); GONZALEZ BATTED FOR PICCIOLO; Gonzalez
flied out to left; Henderson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 6, Athletics 2.