A three-run homer by Pat Putnam was the big blow as the Rangers posted a 5-2 victory over the Twins. Texas scored in the second inning on an RBI single by Leon Roberts, and Putnam connected for the circuit in the third to score Al Oliver, who was aboard via a fielder's choice, and Buddy Bell, on base via a walk. [The Sporting News]

Texas Rangers 5, Minnesota Twins 2

Game Played on Friday, September 25, 1981 (Night game) at Metropolitan Stadium

Rangers 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 5 13 0 Twins 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 - 2 6 0 Rangers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Twins AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Wills 2b 5 0 0 0 0 3 .249 Powell lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .238 Rivers cf 5 0 4 0 0 0 .283 Wilfong 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .246 Oliver dh 4 1 1 0 1 1 .306 Engle rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .244 Bell 3b 4 1 1 0 1 0 .292 Wynegar c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .255 Putnam 1b 4 1 2 3 0 0 .257 Castino 3b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .265 Poquette lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .174 Ward cf 3 1 0 0 1 2 .265 Sundberg c 4 2 3 0 0 0 .277 Hrbek 1b 3 0 1 2 1 1 .213 Roberts rf 4 0 2 2 0 0 .283 Gaetti dh 2 0 0 0 0 1 .167 Wagner ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .293 Adams ph,dh 1 0 0 0 1 0 .217 Hough p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Washington ss 2 0 1 0 0 0 .228 Comer p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Sofield ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .156 Baker ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .161 Williams p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Verhoeven p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 38 5 13 5 2 5 Totals 32 2 6 2 3 8 Time of Game: 2:11 Attendance: 15,607 Left on Base: Rangers 8, Twins 6 DP: Rangers 1, Twins 1 Doubles: Oliver (28), Rivers 2 (19), Hrbek (3) Triples: Rivers (2), Sundberg (2) Home Runs: Putnam (8) GIDP: Adams (9) Rangers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Hough W(3-1) 6.1 5 2 2 1 6 0 25 3.21 Comer SV(6) 2.2 1 0 0 2 2 0 10 2.65 Totals 9 6 2 2 3 8 0 35 Twins IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Williams L(6-9) 8 11 5 5 1 5 1 34 3.88 Verhoeven 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 6 3.75 Totals 9 13 5 5 2 5 1 40 Passed Balls: Sundberg (8) Wild Pitches: Hough (4) Balks: Williams (3) Umpires: HP - Rocky Roe, 1B - Vic Voltaggio, 2B - John Shulock, 3B - Terry Cooney RANGERS 1ST: Wills struck out; Rivers flied out to center; Oliver doubled to right; Bell was credited with a single when a runner was hit by the batted ball [Oliver out at third (shortstop unassisted)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Rangers 0, Twins 0. TWINS 1ST: Powell struck out; Wilfong singled to center; Engle flied out to center; Wynegar forced Wilfong (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Rangers 0, Twins 0. RANGERS 2ND: Putnam singled to center; Poquette lined into a double play (center to first) [Putnam out at first]; Sundberg singled to right; Williams balked [Sundberg to second]; Roberts singled to right [Sundberg scored]; Wagner was called out on strikes; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Rangers 1, Twins 0. TWINS 2ND: Castino lined to shortstop; Ward grounded out (shortstop to first); Hrbek struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Rangers 1, Twins 0. RANGERS 3RD: Wills was called out on strikes; Rivers singled to left; Oliver forced Rivers (first to shortstop); Bell walked [Oliver to second]; Putnam homered [Oliver scored, Bell scored]; Poquette grounded out (first unassisted); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 0. TWINS 3RD: Gaetti struck out; Washington grounded out (third to first); Powell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 0. RANGERS 4TH: Sundberg flied out to right; Roberts grounded out (shortstop to first); Wagner grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 0. TWINS 4TH: Wilfong flied out to center; Engle struck out [Engle out at first (catcher to first)]; Wynegar flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 0. RANGERS 5TH: Wills struck out; Rivers doubled to right; Oliver struck out; Bell flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 0. TWINS 5TH: Castino grounded out (third to first); Ward struck out but advanced to first on a wild pitch; Hrbek forced Ward (second to shortstop); Gaetti forced Hrbek (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 0. RANGERS 6TH: Putnam grounded out (second to first); Poquette lined to second; Sundberg singled to left; Roberts flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 0. TWINS 6TH: Washington singled to right; Powell lined to center; Wilfong struck out; Engle singled to left [Washington to third]; Wynegar popped to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 0. RANGERS 7TH: Wagner flied out to right; Wills lined to first; Rivers tripled to left; Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 0. TWINS 7TH: Castino singled to pitcher; Sundberg allowed a passed ball [Castino to second]; Ward walked; Hrbek doubled to center [Castino scored, Ward scored, Hrbek out at third (center to second to pitcher to third)]; COMER REPLACED HOUGH (PITCHING); ADAMS BATTED FOR GAETTI; Adams walked; SOFIELD BATTED FOR WASHINGTON; Sofield flied out to left; Powell singled to center [Adams to third]; Wilfong flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 2. RANGERS 8TH: ADAMS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); BAKER REPLACED SOFIELD (PLAYING SS); Bell flied out to right; Putnam grounded out (second to first); Poquette grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 2. TWINS 8TH: Engle made an out to second; Wynegar was called out on strikes; Castino grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Rangers 4, Twins 2. RANGERS 9TH: Sundberg tripled to center; VERHOEVEN REPLACED WILLIAMS (PITCHING); Roberts singled to left [Sundberg scored]; Wagner forced Roberts (shortstop to second); Wills flied out to center; Rivers doubled to center [Wagner to third]; Oliver was walked intentionally; Bell lined to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Rangers 5, Twins 2. TWINS 9TH: Ward struck out; Hrbek walked; Adams grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Hrbek out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Rangers 5, Twins 2.

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