Larvell Blanks and John Lowenstein drove in two runs apiece in the first game and Buddy Bell knocked in a pair to support the pitching of Jim Bibby in the second game as the Indians defeated the Rangers in a doubleheader, 6-4 and 3-0. In the opener, the Indians jumped on Bert Blyleven for three runs in the first inning, loading the bases and scoring on a sacrifice fly by George Hendrick, single by Lowenstein and an error. Blanks batted in two runs with a single in the seventh and Lowenstein accounted for the Indians' final tally with a single in the eighth. Toby Harrah and Jeff Burroughs homered for the Rangers.

Bibby was the winner of the nightcap in a four-hit duel with Steve Hargan. Bell slapped a two-run single in the seventh inning after the Indians filled the sacks on a double by Rick Manning and passes to Boog Powell and Hendrick. [The Sporting News]



Cleveland Indians 6, Texas Rangers 4 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, August    15, 1976 (Day game) at Cleveland Stadium
Rangers      0  0  0    0  1  0    0  1  2  -   4 11  1
Indians      3  0  0    0  0  0    2  1  x  -   6 11  0


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Moates lf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .254      Kuiper 2b             4   1   2   0     0   0   .281
  Grieve ph,lf        2   0   0   0     0   0   .247      Blanks ss             4   1   2   2     0   0   .309
Harrah ss             3   1   1   1     2   0   .264      Manning cf            3   2   1   0     1   1   .303
Hargrove 1b           3   1   3   0     2   0   .292      Powell 1b             4   1   3   0     0   0   .220
Burroughs rf          5   1   1   2     0   0   .234      Hendrick dh           3   0   0   1     0   1   .269
Lahoud dh             2   0   1   0     0   0   .210      Lowenstein rf         4   0   2   2     0   0   .216
  Fregosi ph,dh       3   1   1   0     0   1   .244      Bell 3b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .288
Howell 3b             5   0   1   0     0   1   .254      Smith lf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .284
Randle 2b             4   0   1   0     0   2   .227      Fosse c               3   1   0   0     0   0   .311
Beniquez cf           3   0   1   1     1   1   .256      Thomas p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Sundberg c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .218        LaRoche p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Clines ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .253        Kern p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Fahey c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .220
Blyleven p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Terpko p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   4  11   4     6   6             Totals               33   6  11   5     1   4

Time of Game: 3:01
Left on Base: Rangers 11, Indians 5
DP: Rangers 1, Indians 1
Errors: Howell
Doubles: Hargrove (22), Bell (17), Kuiper (11)
Home Runs: Harrah (10), Burroughs (13)
Sacrifice Flies: Hendrick (5)
GIDP: Grieve (13), Blanks (5)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven L(9-13)        7.1  11   6   5   1   4   0  33   2.95
Terpko                  0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.49
Totals                  8    11   6   5   1   4   0  35

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Thomas W(3-1)           5     6   1   1   2   3   1  22   2.36
LaRoche                 2.1   3   1   1   4   2   0  14   2.56
Kern SV(10)             1.2   2   2   2   0   1   1   6   2.72
Totals                  9    11   4   4   6   6   2  42

Umpires: HP - Jim McKean, 1B - Nick Bremigan, 2B - Russ Goetz, 3B - George Maloney


RANGERS 1ST: Moates grounded out (pitcher to first); Harrah
grounded out (shortstop to first); Hargrove doubled to left;
Burroughs grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Kuiper grounded out (first unassisted); Blanks
singled to center; Manning walked [Blanks to second]; Powell
singled to center [Blanks to third, Manning to second]; Hendrick
hit a sacrifice fly to left [Blanks scored]; Lowenstein singled
to right [Manning scored, Powell to third]; Bell reached on an
error by Howell [Powell scored (unearned) (no RBI), Lowenstein
to third]; Smith grounded out (third to first); 3 R (2 ER), 3 H,
1 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Indians 3.

RANGERS 2ND: Lahoud singled to center; Howell singled to left
[Lahoud to second]; Randle struck out; Beniquez forced Howell
(third to second) [Lahoud to third]; Sundberg was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Indians 3.

INDIANS 2ND: Fosse grounded out (third to first); Kuiper flied
out to left; Blanks popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Indians 3.

RANGERS 3RD: Moates singled to center; Moates was picked off
first (pitcher to first); Harrah walked; Hargrove singled to
right [Harrah to second]; Burroughs made an out to second;
Lahoud made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers
0, Indians 3.

INDIANS 3RD: Manning flied out to left; Powell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Hendrick grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Indians 3.

RANGERS 4TH: Howell grounded out (second to first); Randle
grounded out (second to first); Beniquez was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Indians 3.

INDIANS 4TH: Lowenstein flied out to left; Bell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Smith was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Indians 3.

RANGERS 5TH: Sundberg flied out to center; Moates grounded out
(second to first); Harrah homered; Hargrove walked; Burroughs
forced Hargrove (third to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 1, Indians 3.

INDIANS 5TH: Fosse flied out to right; On a bunt Kuiper singled
to first; Blanks grounded into a double play (shortstop to
first) [Kuiper out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1,
Indians 3.

RANGERS 6TH: LAROCHE REPLACED THOMAS (PITCHING); FREGOSI BATTED
FOR LAHOUD; Fregosi flied out to center; Howell struck out;
Randle struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Indians 3.

INDIANS 6TH: Manning was called out on strikes; Powell singled
to center; Hendrick popped to first in foul territory;
Lowenstein flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers
1, Indians 3.

RANGERS 7TH: Beniquez walked; Sundberg forced Beniquez (second
to shortstop); GRIEVE BATTED FOR MOATES; Grieve flied out to
right; Harrah walked [Sundberg to second]; Hargrove walked
[Sundberg to third, Harrah to second]; Burroughs grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Rangers 1, Indians 3.

INDIANS 7TH: GRIEVE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Bell doubled to
left; Smith struck out; Fosse reached on a fielder's choice
[Bell out at third (third unassisted)]; Kuiper doubled to right
[Fosse to third]; Blanks singled to right [Fosse scored, Kuiper
scored, Blanks out at second (right to catcher to shortstop)]; 2
R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 1, Indians 5.

RANGERS 8TH: Fregosi singled to center; Howell flied out to
center; Randle singled to left [Fregosi to second]; Beniquez
singled to center [Fregosi scored, Randle to third]; CLINES
BATTED FOR SUNDBERG; Clines walked [Beniquez to second]; KERN
REPLACED LAROCHE (PITCHING); Grieve grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Clines out at second]; 1 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 2, Indians 5.

INDIANS 8TH: FAHEY REPLACED CLINES (PLAYING C ); Manning singled
to right; Powell singled to center [Manning to third]; Hendrick
struck out; On a bunt Lowenstein singled to first [Manning
scored, Powell to second]; TERPKO REPLACED BLYLEVEN (PITCHING);
Bell flied out to left; Smith flied out to right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Rangers 2, Indians 6.

RANGERS 9TH: Harrah grounded out (second to first); Hargrove
singled to right; Burroughs homered [Hargrove scored]; Fregosi
struck out; Howell flied out to right; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 4, Indians 6.