A two-run homer by Bump Wills was the key hit as the Rangers shaded the Tigers, 3-2, ending Detroit's five-game winning streak. Wills' blow came in the fifth inning and followed a leadoff walk to Bill Stein. Doc Medich worked 6 2/3 innings to receive credit for the victory and Mark Mercer, called up from the minors three days previously, pitched hitless ball the rest of the way to earn the save. [The Sporting News]

Texas Rangers 3, Detroit Tigers 2

Game Played on Friday, September 4, 1981 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium

Tigers 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 7 0 Rangers 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 x - 3 8 0 Tigers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Rangers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Peters cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .243 Rivers cf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .260 Kelleher ss 1 0 0 0 0 0 .236 Sample lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .269 Trammell ph,ss 1 0 1 0 0 0 .287 Oliver dh 4 0 1 0 0 0 .329 Kemp lf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .283 Bell 3b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .318 Gibson rf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .316 Jones rf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .385 Hebner 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .216 Sundberg c 2 0 1 0 0 0 .281 Jackson ph,1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .264 Stein 1b 1 1 0 1 1 0 .372 Summers dh 3 0 2 0 0 0 .284 Putnam 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .248 Wockenfuss ph,dh 1 0 0 0 0 1 .191 Wills 2b 3 1 1 2 0 0 .244 Parrish c 3 1 1 2 1 1 .222 Mendoza ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .252 Brookens 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .277 Medich p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Whitaker 2b 3 0 1 0 0 1 .265 Mercer p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Cowens ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .269 Wilcox p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 32 2 7 2 2 6 Totals 28 3 8 3 1 0 Time of Game: 2:31 Attendance: 11,027 Left on Base: Tigers 7, Rangers 4 DP: Tigers 1, Rangers 0 Doubles: Oliver (23) Home Runs: Parrish (8), Wills (2) Caught Stealing: Sundberg (1) Sacrifice Hits: Kelleher 2 (6), Sundberg (3) Sacrifice Flies: Stein (2) GIDP: Oliver (13) Tigers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Wilcox L(9-6) 8 8 3 3 1 0 1 31 2.82 Totals 8 8 3 3 1 0 1 31 Rangers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Medich W(8-4) 6.2 7 2 2 2 3 1 29 3.15 Mercer SV(1) 2.1 0 0 0 0 3 0 7 3.38 Totals 9 7 2 2 2 6 1 36 Umpires: HP - Jim Evans, 1B - Al Clark, 2B - Mark Johnson, 3B - Steve Palermo TIGERS 1ST: Peters flied out to left; Kelleher grounded out (second to first); Kemp grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Tigers 0, Rangers 0. RANGERS 1ST: Rivers grounded out (first unassisted); Sample singled to left; Oliver grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Sample out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Tigers 0, Rangers 0. TIGERS 2ND: Gibson singled to second; Hebner popped to shortstop; Summers flied to right; Parrish homered [Gibson scored]; Brookens grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 0. RANGERS 2ND: Bell singled to left; Jones singled to pitcher [Bell to second]; Sundberg out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Bell to third, Jones to second]; Stein hit a sacrifice fly to center [Bell scored]; Wills grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 1. TIGERS 3RD: Whitaker singled to center; Peters forced Whitaker (third to second); Kelleher out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Peters to second]; Kemp grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 1. RANGERS 3RD: Mendoza grounded out (shortstop to first); Rivers singled to center; Sample grounded out (second to first) [Rivers to second]; Oliver grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 1. TIGERS 4TH: Gibson struck out; Hebner lined to shortstop; Summers singled to left; Parrish walked [Summers to second]; Brookens grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 1. RANGERS 4TH: Bell grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first); Jones grounded out (second to first); Sundberg singled to left; Sundberg was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 1. TIGERS 5TH: Whitaker grounded out (second to first); Peters singled to center; Kelleher out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Peters to second]; Kemp walked; Gibson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 1. RANGERS 5TH: Stein walked; Wills homered [Stein scored]; Mendoza grounded out (third to first); Rivers singled to center; Sample grounded out (shortstop to first) [Rivers to second]; Oliver grounded out (first to pitcher); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 3. TIGERS 6TH: Hebner lined to second; Summers singled to left; Parrish grounded out (third to first) [Summers to second]; Brookens grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 3. RANGERS 6TH: Bell grounded out (third to first); Jones flied out to left; Sundberg grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 3. TIGERS 7TH: Whitaker was called out on strikes; Peters grounded out (second to first); TRAMMELL BATTED FOR KELLEHER; Trammell singled to shortstop; MERCER REPLACED MEDICH (PITCHING); Kemp grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 3. RANGERS 7TH: TRAMMELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Stein grounded out (third to first); Wills flied out to right; Mendoza flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 3. TIGERS 8TH: PUTNAM REPLACED STEIN (PLAYING 1B); Gibson grounded out (second to first); JACKSON BATTED FOR HEBNER; Jackson struck out; WOCKENFUSS BATTED FOR SUMMERS; Wockenfuss was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 3. RANGERS 8TH: WOCKENFUSS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); JACKSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Rivers flied out to left; Sample flied out to center; Oliver doubled to right; Bell grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 3. TIGERS 9TH: Parrish struck out; Brookens grounded out (pitcher to first); COWENS BATTED FOR WHITAKER; Cowens popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Tigers 2, Rangers 3.

The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet.
Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org".