Pounding out 18 hits, the Rangers enjoyed a 12-2 rout of the A's. Al Oliver led the Texas attack with four hits and four RBIs. Bump Wills went 4-for-4 and Mickey Rivers was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. The Rangers took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on a single by Oliver and sacrifice fly by Buddy Bell. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 12, Oakland Athletics 2
Game Played on Tuesday, September 15, 1981 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
A's          0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   2  6  2
Rangers      0  0  3    0  2  2    5  0  x  -  12 18  1


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Henderson lf          4   0   1   0     0   2   .331      Wills 2b              4   4   4   0     1   0   .251
Murphy cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .264      Rivers cf             4   2   3   3     0   0   .268
Johnson dh            4   0   1   0     0   2   .255      Oliver dh             5   1   4   4     0   0   .314
Armas rf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .265      Bell 3b               3   0   0   1     1   0   .303
Spencer 1b            2   1   0   0     2   0   .197      Putnam 1b             5   0   1   0     0   1   .262
Gross 3b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .194      Poquette lf           5   0   1   2     0   0   .227
Heath c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .244      Sundberg c            4   1   1   0     1   0   .278
  Kearney c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Roberts rf            5   1   2   0     0   0   .286
  Newman ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .242      Wagner ss             5   3   2   2     0   0   .357
McKay 2b              2   1   2   2     2   0   .238      Hough p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Picciolo ss           4   0   1   0     0   1   .239        Lacey p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Kingman p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Owchinko p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bordi p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   2   6   2     5   7             Totals               40  12  18  12     3   1

Time of Game: 2:47   Attendance: 11,829
Left on Base: A's 7, Rangers 9
DP: A's 0, Rangers 3
Errors: Gross, Picciolo, Putnam
Doubles: Oliver 2 (26), Wagner (2), Rivers (16)
Home Runs: McKay (2)
Caught Stealing: Wills (9), Rivers (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Bell (8)
GIDP: Gross (6), Picciolo (5), Heath (8)
Hit by Pitch: Rivers (1,by Kingman)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kingman L(3-6)          4.1   8   5   5   1   0   0  22   3.88
Owchinko                1     4   2   1   0   1   0   8   2.97
McLaughlin              1.2   5   5   5   1   0   0  10  12.10
Bordi                   1     1   0   0   1   0   0   5   0.00
Totals                  8    18  12  11   3   1   0  45

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hough W(1-1)            8     5   1   0   5   7   0  32   3.43
Lacey                   1     1   1   1   0   0   1   4   7.66
Totals                  9     6   2   1   5   7   1  36

Hit by Pitch: Kingman (4)
Wild Pitches: Hough (3)

Umpires: HP - Durwood Merrill, 1B - Dave Phillips, 2B - Jerry Neudecker, 3B - Larry McCoy


ATHLETICS 1ST: Henderson struck out; Murphy grounded out (second
to first); Johnson singled to left; Armas struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Wills singled to left; Wills was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Rivers singled to left; Rivers was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); Oliver flied out to
left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Spencer walked; Gross grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Spencer out at second]; Heath
flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Bell grounded out (pitcher to first); Putnam flied
out to left; Poquette reached on an error by Picciolo; Sundberg
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: McKay walked; Picciolo struck out; Henderson
singled to left [McKay to second]; Murphy forced Henderson
(pitcher to shortstop) [McKay to third]; Johnson grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Roberts flied out to left; Wagner singled to
center; Wills singled to left [Wagner to second]; Rivers was hit
by a pitch [Wagner to third, Wills to second]; Oliver singled to
center [Wagner scored, Wills scored, Rivers to third]; Bell hit
a sacrifice fly to right [Rivers scored]; Putnam flied out to
right; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 3.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Armas struck out; Spencer grounded out (second to
first); Gross walked; Heath flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 4TH: Poquette made an out to third; Sundberg flied out
to center; Roberts singled to left; Wagner flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 3.

ATHLETICS 5TH: McKay walked; Picciolo grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [McKay out at second];
Henderson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 0, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 5TH: Wills singled to right; Rivers flied out to left;
Oliver doubled to left [Wills to third]; Bell was walked
intentionally; OWCHINKO REPLACED KINGMAN (PITCHING); Putnam
struck out; Poquette singled to center [Wills scored, Oliver
scored, Bell to second]; Sundberg flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Rangers 5.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Murphy flied out to right; Johnson struck out;
Armas flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Rangers 5.

RANGERS 6TH: Roberts reached on an error by Gross; Wagner forced
Roberts (third to second); Wills singled to left [Wagner to
third]; Rivers singled to center [Wagner scored (unearned),
Wills to third]; Oliver singled to center [Wills scored, Rivers
to third]; MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED OWCHINKO (PITCHING); Oliver was
out trying to advance to second (catcher to second); Bell
grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 0, Rangers 7.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Spencer walked; Gross reached on an error by
Putnam [Spencer to second]; Heath grounded into a double play
(pitcher to second to first) [Spencer to third, Gross out at
second]; McKay singled to right [Spencer scored (unearned)];
Picciolo singled to center [McKay to second]; Hough threw a wild
pitch [McKay to third, Picciolo to second]; Henderson struck
out; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 7.

RANGERS 7TH: Putnam flied out to right; Poquette flied out to
left; Sundberg singled to left; Roberts singled to center
[Sundberg to second]; Wagner doubled to right [Sundberg scored,
Roberts scored]; Wills walked; Rivers doubled to left [Wagner
scored, Wills scored]; Oliver doubled to right [Rivers scored];
Bell grounded out (shortstop to first); 5 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 1, Rangers 12.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Murphy singled to right; Johnson struck out;
Armas grounded out (third to first) [Murphy to second]; Spencer
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers
12.

RANGERS 8TH: BORDI REPLACED MCLAUGHLIN (PITCHING); KEARNEY
REPLACED HEATH (PLAYING C ); Putnam singled to right; Poquette
forced Putnam (second to shortstop); Sundberg walked [Poquette
to second]; Roberts flied out to left; Wagner flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 1, Rangers 12.

ATHLETICS 9TH: LACEY REPLACED HOUGH (PITCHING); Gross grounded
out (first to pitcher); NEWMAN BATTED FOR KEARNEY; Newman flied
out to left; McKay homered; Picciolo flied out to center; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 12.