An outstanding relief performance by rookie Ron Davis, who gained his fifth straight victory, enabled the Yankees to defeat the Rangers, 3-2, before 41,097 fans, the largest crowd in veight-year history of the Texas club. The Yankees scored their first two runs on homers by Bucky Dent and Juan Beniquez, while the Rangers counted on a round-tripper by Pat Putnam and on a single by Nelson Norman and triple by Billy Sample.

Davis replaced Luis Tiant with two men on base and none out in the ninth. Richie Zisk grounded out and, after Davis walked Jim Sundberg to load the bases, pinch-hitter John Ellis hit into a double play. Sparky Lyle, pitching in relief against his former teammates, was the loser on the only hit he allowed in three innings of work. Dent singled off Lyle in the 10th and Mickey Rivers sacrificed. Jim Kern then replaced Lyle and was tagged for a run-scoring single by Willie Randolph. [The Sporting News]



New York Yankees 3, Texas Rangers 2
Game Played on Saturday, June      16, 1979 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
Yankees      0  0  0    0  1  0    1  0  0    1  -   3  9  0
Rangers      0  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  0    0  -   2  6  0


Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rivers cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .280      Grubb cf              5   0   0   0     0   2   .292
Randolph 2b           5   0   1   1     0   0   .266      Sample lf             4   0   1   1     1   0   .267
Munson c              5   0   0   0     0   0   .293      Bell 3b               5   0   1   0     0   0   .278
Piniella rf           4   0   2   0     0   1   .308      Putnam 1b             4   1   2   1     0   0   .295
Nettles 3b            3   0   1   0     1   0   .294      Gamble dh             3   0   1   0     1   1   .311
Jones dh              3   0   0   0     0   2   .286        Washington pr,dh    0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Chambliss 1b          4   0   1   0     0   1   .261      Zisk rf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .218
Beniquez lf           4   1   2   1     0   0   .253      Sundberg c            2   0   0   0     2   1   .216
Dent ss               4   2   2   1     0   0   .254      Norman ss             3   1   1   0     0   0   .206
Tiant p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        J. Ellis ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .270
  Davis p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Blanks ss           0   0   0   0     0   0   .277
                                                          Wills 2b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .236
                                                          Rajsich p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lyle p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kern p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   3   9   3     1   4             Totals               35   2   6   2     4   6

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance: 41,097
Left on Base: Yankees 6, Rangers 7
DP: Yankees 1, Rangers 1
Doubles: Putnam (10)
Triples: Sample (1)
Home Runs: Dent (1), Beniquez (4), Putnam (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Jones (2), Rivers (1)
GIDP: Munson (8), J. Ellis (2)


Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Tiant                   8     6   2   2   2   5   1  32   4.76
Davis W(5-0)            2     0   0   0   2   1   0   7   2.16
Totals                 10     6   2   2   4   6   1  39

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rajsich                 6.1   7   2   2   0   2   2  26   2.78
Lyle L(3-6)             3     1   1   1   1   2   0  11   3.95
Kern                    0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   1.80
Totals                 10     9   3   3   1   4   2  39

Umpires: HP - Larry McCoy, 1B - Joe Brinkman, 2B - Vic Voltaggio, 3B - Marty Springstead


YANKEES 1ST: Rivers grounded out (second to first); Randolph
flied out to center; Munson grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Grubb struck out; Sample grounded out (shortstop to
first); Bell singled to center; Putnam grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Rangers 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Piniella flied out to right; Nettles made an out to
shortstop; Jones struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0,
Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Gamble flied out to left; Zisk flied out to center;
Sundberg walked; Norman made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Yankees 0, Rangers 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Chambliss singled to center; Beniquez singled to
right [Chambliss to second]; Dent popped to catcher in foul
territory; Rivers forced Beniquez (second to shortstop)
[Chambliss to third]; Randolph flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Wills struck out; Grubb grounded out (shortstop to
first); Sample flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Yankees 0, Rangers 0.

YANKEES 4TH: Munson grounded out (second to first); Piniella
singled to center; Nettles singled to right [Piniella to third,
Nettles to second (on throw to 3b)]; Jones reached on a
fielder's choice [Piniella out at home (second to third to
catcher to third)]; Chambliss grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Bell flied out to right; Putnam homered; Gamble
singled to right; Zisk flied out to center; Sundberg was called
out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Rangers 1.

YANKEES 5TH: Beniquez flied out to right; Dent homered; Rivers
grounded out (third to first); Randolph grounded out (pitcher to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 1, Rangers 1.

RANGERS 5TH: Norman singled to left; Wills grounded out (first
unassisted) [Norman to second]; Grubb grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Norman to third]; Sample tripled to right [Norman
scored]; Bell lined to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 1,
Rangers 2.

YANKEES 6TH: Munson made an out to second; Piniella singled to
center; Nettles flied out to right; Jones struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 1, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 6TH: Putnam made an out to shortstop; Gamble was called
out on strikes; Zisk was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Yankees 1, Rangers 2.

YANKEES 7TH: Chambliss flied out to center; Beniquez homered;
LYLE REPLACED RAJSICH (PITCHING); Dent made an out to second;
Rivers grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Yankees 2, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 7TH: Sundberg grounded out (shortstop to first); Norman
flied out to left; Wills flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Yankees 2, Rangers 2.

YANKEES 8TH: Randolph made an out to shortstop; Munson lined to
shortstop; Piniella struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees
2, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 8TH: Grubb popped to shortstop in foul territory; Sample
flied out to center; Bell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 2, Rangers 2.

YANKEES 9TH: Nettles walked; Jones out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Nettles to second]; Chambliss struck out;
Beniquez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Yankees 2, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 9TH: Putnam doubled to left; Gamble was walked
intentionally; WASHINGTON RAN FOR GAMBLE; DAVIS REPLACED TIANT
(PITCHING); Zisk grounded out (pitcher to first) [Putnam to
third, Washington to second]; Sundberg was walked intentionally;
J. ELLIS BATTED FOR NORMAN; J. Ellis grounded into a double play
(pitcher to catcher to first) [Putnam out at home]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 2, Rangers 2.

YANKEES 10TH: WASHINGTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); BLANKS
REPLACED J. ELLIS (PLAYING SS); Dent singled to left; Rivers out
on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Dent to second]; KERN
REPLACED LYLE (PITCHING); Randolph singled to right [Dent
scored]; Munson grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Randolph out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Yankees 3, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 10TH: Wills flied out to center; Grubb struck out;
Sample walked; Bell flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 3, Rangers 2.