After one day out of first place, the Angels snapped a five-game losing streak and regained the top spot in the West division by defeating the Indians, 9-8. The Indians grabbed a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, but the Angels narrowed their deficit to 4-3 before exploding for five runs on three homers in the eighth. Willie Aikens and Bobby Grich each connected with a man on base and Jim Anderson added a solo shot.

The Indians rallied for four runs to tie the score in their half, but Don Baylor singled for the Angels in the ninth, Aikens walked and Brian Downing singled to drive in the winning run. In the Indians' half, Rick Manning led off with a single. John Montague, purchased from the Mariners, then saved the game by inducing Bobby Bonds to hit into a double play and getting Toby Harrah on a grounder for the final out. [The Sporting News]



California Angels 9, Cleveland Indians 8
Game Played on Friday, August    31, 1979 (Night game) at Cleveland Stadium
Angels       0  0  0    0  0  2    1  5  1  -   9 14  0
Indians      0  0  0    4  0  0    0  4  0  -   8 10  0


Angels               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
R. Miller cf          5   1   2   1     0   1   .289      Hargrove 1b           5   0   1   2     0   0   .279
Lansford 3b           5   0   0   0     0   2   .293      Manning cf            5   0   3   0     0   0   .270
Ford rf               4   1   2   1     1   0   .290      Bonds rf              5   0   0   0     0   1   .283
Baylor dh             5   1   1   0     0   0   .296      Harrah 3b,ss          5   1   1   0     0   0   .285
Aikens 1b             4   1   2   2     1   0   .276      Thornton dh           4   1   1   1     0   0   .233
Downing c             5   2   3   1     0   0   .332      Hassey c              2   2   1   0     2   0   .270
Grich 2b              5   1   2   2     0   1   .301      Norris lf             2   1   1   0     1   0   .250
Harlow lf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .199        Pruitt ph           1   1   1   0     0   0   .278
Campaneris ss         1   1   0   0     1   0   .228        Alston lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .275
  Rettenmund ph       0   0   0   0     1   0   .260      Kuiper 2b             4   1   1   2     0   0   .263
  Anderson pr,ss      1   1   1   1     0   0   .254      Veryzer ss            2   1   0   0     1   0   .211
Knapp p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .281
  LaRoche p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Cox 3b              0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
  Clear p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Paxton p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Montague p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Cruz p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Reuschel p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Monge p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               39   9  14   9     4   4             Totals               36   8  10   5     4   2

Time of Game: 3:02   Attendance: 10,501
Left on Base: Angels 7, Indians 5
DP: Angels 1, Indians 2
Doubles: Aikens (15), R. Miller (11), Harlow (5), Downing (24), Harrah (23), Thornton (26)
Home Runs: Aikens (20), Grich (26), Anderson (2)
Stolen Bases: Manning (28)
GIDP: Harlow (1), Bonds (7)


Angels                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Knapp                   5.1   6   4   4   3   1   0  25   5.63
LaRoche                 1.2   2   3   3   1   0   0   8   5.89
Clear W(11-4)           1     2   1   1   0   1   0   5   3.45
Montague SV(2)          1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   5.55
Totals                  9    10   8   8   4   2   0  40

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Paxton                  6.1   8   3   3   1   2   0  26   5.78
Cruz                    1.1   4   5   5   2   1   3  10   4.04
Reuschel L(1-1)         1     1   1   1   0   0   0   4   7.36
Monge                   0.1   1   0   0   1   1   0   3   2.53
Totals                  9    14   9   9   4   4   3  43

Wild Pitches: Knapp (2), Clear 2 (7)

Umpires: HP - John Shulock, 1B - George Maloney, 2B - Jim McKean, 3B - Jerry Neudecker


ANGELS 1ST: R. Miller grounded out (pitcher to first); Lansford
struck out; Ford singled to right; Baylor made an out to second;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Hargrove flied out to right; Manning singled to
right; Manning stole second; Bonds struck out; Harrah flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 0, Indians 0.

ANGELS 2ND: Aikens doubled to center; Downing grounded out
(second to first) [Aikens to third]; Grich hit into a double
play to right [Aikens out at home (right to catcher)]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 2ND: Thornton flied out to center; Hassey singled to
right; Norris flied out to center; Kuiper grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 0, Indians 0.

ANGELS 3RD: Harlow grounded out (first unassisted); Campaneris
grounded out (second to first); R. Miller singled to center;
Lansford forced R. Miller (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Angels 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Veryzer grounded out (third to first); Hargrove
grounded out (first to pitcher); Manning singled to center;
Bonds lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 0,
Indians 0.

ANGELS 4TH: Ford made an out to second; Baylor grounded out
(shortstop to first); Aikens flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Angels 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 4TH: Harrah flied out to left; Thornton grounded out
(shortstop to first); Hassey walked; Norris singled to right
[Hassey to third]; Kuiper singled to left [Hassey scored, Norris
to second]; Veryzer walked [Norris to third, Kuiper to second];
Hargrove singled to center [Norris scored, Kuiper scored,
Veryzer to third]; Knapp threw a wild pitch [Veryzer scored,
Hargrove to second]; Manning grounded out (second to first); 4
R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 0, Indians 4.

ANGELS 5TH: Downing flied out to center; Grich singled to
center; Harlow grounded into a double play (first to shortstop
to pitcher) [Grich out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels
0, Indians 4.

INDIANS 5TH: Bonds made an out to second; Harrah flied out to
center; Thornton grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Angels 0, Indians 4.

ANGELS 6TH: Campaneris walked; R. Miller doubled to center
[Campaneris scored]; Lansford struck out; Ford singled to center
[R. Miller scored]; Baylor made an out to second; Aikens flied
out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 2, Indians 4.

INDIANS 6TH: Hassey popped to catcher in foul territory; Norris
walked; LAROCHE REPLACED KNAPP (PITCHING); Kuiper flied out to
left; Veryzer grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Angels 2, Indians 4.

ANGELS 7TH: Downing singled to center; Grich grounded out (third
to first) [Downing to second]; Harlow doubled to center [Downing
scored]; CRUZ REPLACED PAXTON (PITCHING); RETTENMUND BATTED FOR
CAMPANERIS; Rettenmund walked; ANDERSON RAN FOR RETTENMUND; R.
Miller was called out on strikes; Lansford forced Anderson
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Angels 3, Indians
4.

INDIANS 7TH: ANDERSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Hargrove
flied out to right; On a bunt Manning grounded out (pitcher to
first); Bonds flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels
3, Indians 4.

ANGELS 8TH: Ford walked; Baylor made an out to shortstop; Aikens
homered [Ford scored]; Downing doubled to right; Grich homered
[Downing scored]; Harlow flied to left in foul territory;
Anderson homered; REUSCHEL REPLACED CRUZ (PITCHING); R. Miller
grounded out (shortstop to first); 5 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels
8, Indians 4.

INDIANS 8TH: Harrah doubled to right; Thornton doubled to left
[Harrah scored]; Hassey walked; PRUITT BATTED FOR NORRIS; CLEAR
REPLACED LAROCHE (PITCHING); Pruitt singled to left [Thornton to
third, Hassey to second]; Kuiper grounded out (second to first)
[Thornton scored, Hassey to third, Pruitt to second]; JOHNSON
BATTED FOR VERYZER; Johnson struck out; Clear threw a wild pitch
[Hassey scored, Pruitt to third]; Clear threw a wild pitch
[Pruitt scored]; Hargrove popped to catcher in foul territory; 4
R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 8, Indians 8.

ANGELS 9TH: HARRAH CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); ALSTON
REPLACED PRUITT (PLAYING LF); COX REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING 3B);
Lansford made an out to third; Ford grounded out (shortstop to
first); Baylor singled to left; MONGE REPLACED REUSCHEL
(PITCHING); Aikens walked [Baylor to second]; Downing singled to
left [Baylor scored, Aikens to third]; Grich struck out; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Angels 9, Indians 8.

INDIANS 9TH: Manning singled to right; MONTAGUE REPLACED CLEAR
(PITCHING); Bonds grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Manning out at second]; Harrah grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 9, Indians 8.