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.