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.