Tom Poquette belted a three-run homer and Carl Yastrzemski connected for the circuit with a man on base for the 2,991st hit of his career, helping the Red Sox to defeat the Rangers, 9-6. Rick Burleson knocked in the first Red Sox run with a single in the second inning before Poquette made it 4-0 with his homer. Yastrzemski's smash followed a pass to Jim Rice in the third.

Rice batted in what proved to be the deciding run with a single in the fifth and Butch Hobson accounted for an insurance pair with a double in the seventh to put the Red Sox ahead, 9-2. The Rangers were unable to overcome that deficit although knocking out Mike Torrez during a three-run rally in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Boston Red Sox 9, Texas Rangers 6
Game Played on Friday, August    31, 1979 (Night game) at Fenway Park
Rangers      0  0  0    0  1  0    1  3  1  -   6 13  0
Red Sox      0  4  2    0  1  0    2  0  x  -   9 12  1


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Red Sox              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rivers cf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .275      Burleson ss           5   1   1   1     0   1   .286
Wills 2b              5   0   3   2     0   1   .268      Poquette rf,cf        5   1   1   3     0   1   .283
Oliver lf             2   0   0   1     2   0   .327      Lynn cf               4   1   3   0     0   0   .346
Zisk rf               5   1   1   0     0   1   .272        Dwyer pr,rf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .261
Bell 3b,ss            5   0   0   0     0   1   .302      Rice dh               2   2   1   1     2   0   .324
Montanez dh           5   1   1   0     0   0   .237      Yastrzemski lf        4   1   1   2     0   1   .271
Putnam 1b             4   1   2   0     0   0   .282      Watson 1b             3   1   2   0     1   0   .308
  Sample ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .270      Hobson 3b             4   1   2   2     0   0   .259
Sundberg c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .265      Papi 2b               4   0   0   0     0   1   .189
  J. Ellis c          3   2   1   0     1   0   .285      O'Berry c             4   1   1   0     0   0   .176
Norman ss             1   0   1   0     0   0   .201      Torrez p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Soderholm ph,3b     2   1   1   1     0   0   .253        Burgmeier p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Comer p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Allard p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lyle p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   6  13   6     3   3             Totals               35   9  12   9     3   4

Time of Game: 2:36   Attendance: 31,314
Left on Base: Rangers 11, Red Sox 5
DP: Rangers 1, Red Sox 1
Errors: Hobson
Doubles: Putnam 2 (17), Zisk (18), Lynn (35), Hobson (21)
Home Runs: Poquette (2), Yastrzemski (21)
Stolen Bases: Rivers (7), Wills 2 (32), Rice (8)
Caught Stealing: Wills (8)
Sacrifice Flies: Oliver (6), Rivers (8)
GIDP: Zisk (11), Hobson (16)
Hit by Pitch: Sundberg (5,by Torrez), Soderholm (1,by Torrez)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Comer L(13-10)          4     7   7   7   2   0   2  21   3.91
Allard                  3     5   2   2   1   2   0  14   4.75
Lyle                    1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   3.33
Totals                  8    12   9   9   3   4   2  38

Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Torrez W(14-9)          7.2  11   5   4   3   3   0  38   4.70
Burgmeier SV(3)         1.1   2   1   1   0   0   0   6   2.21
Totals                  9    13   6   5   3   3   0  44

Hit by Pitch: Torrez 2 (4)

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


RANGERS 1ST: Rivers singled to right; Rivers stole second; Wills
struck out; Oliver walked; Zisk forced Rivers (shortstop to
third) [Oliver to second]; Bell grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Red Sox 0.

RED SOX 1ST: Burleson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Poquette grounded out (second to first); Lynn singled to center;
Rice walked [Lynn to second]; Yastrzemski grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Red Sox 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Montanez grounded out (shortstop to first); Putnam
grounded out (second to first); Sundberg was hit by a pitch;
Norman singled to left [Sundberg to second]; Rivers grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Red Sox 0.

RED SOX 2ND: Watson singled to center; Hobson singled to left
[Watson to second]; On a bunt Papi forced Watson (third to
shortstop) [Hobson to second]; O'Berry forced Papi (third to
second) [Hobson to third]; Burleson singled to right [Hobson
scored, O'Berry to third]; Poquette homered [O'Berry scored,
Burleson scored]; Lynn grounded out (second to first); 4 R, 4 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Red Sox 4.

RANGERS 3RD: Wills singled to center; Oliver popped to third in
foul territory; Wills stole second; Wills was picked off and
caught stealing third (pitcher to shortstop to third); Zisk
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Red Sox 4.

RED SOX 3RD: J. ELLIS REPLACED SUNDBERG (PLAYING C ); Rice
walked; Yastrzemski homered [Rice scored]; Watson grounded out
(third to first); Hobson grounded out (third to first); Papi
grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers
0, Red Sox 6.

RANGERS 4TH: Bell grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Putnam grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Red Sox 6.

RED SOX 4TH: O'Berry flied out to center; Burleson flied out to
center; Poquette grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Red Sox 6.

RANGERS 5TH: J. Ellis singled to left; SODERHOLM BATTED FOR
NORMAN; Soderholm reached on an error by Hobson [J. Ellis to
second]; Rivers forced Soderholm (second to shortstop) [J. Ellis
to third]; Wills forced Rivers (shortstop to second) [J. Ellis
scored (unearned)]; Wills stole second; Oliver walked; Zisk
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Rangers 1, Red Sox 6.

RED SOX 5TH: SODERHOLM STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); BELL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Lynn doubled to center; ALLARD REPLACED
COMER (PITCHING); Rice singled to left [Lynn scored]; Rice stole
second; Yastrzemski struck out; Watson singled to left [Rice to
third]; Hobson grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Watson out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1,
Red Sox 7.

RANGERS 6TH: Bell struck out; Montanez grounded out (shortstop
to first); Putnam doubled to center; J. Ellis grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Red Sox
7.

RED SOX 6TH: Papi struck out; O'Berry singled to right; Burleson
flied out to right; Poquette grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Red Sox 7.

RANGERS 7TH: Soderholm singled to left; Rivers singled to first
[Soderholm to second]; Wills singled to left [Soderholm to
third, Rivers to second]; Oliver lined out on a sacrifice fly to
center [Soderholm scored, Rivers to third]; Zisk grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Wills out at
second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Red Sox 7.

RED SOX 7TH: Lynn singled to left; DWYER RAN FOR LYNN; Rice
forced Dwyer (shortstop to second); Yastrzemski grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Rice to second]; Watson was walked
intentionally; Hobson doubled to right [Rice scored, Watson
scored]; Papi made an out to shortstop; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 2, Red Sox 9.

RANGERS 8TH: DWYER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); POQUETTE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); Bell flied out to center; Montanez
singled to center; Putnam doubled to right [Montanez to third];
J. Ellis walked; Soderholm was hit by a pitch [Montanez scored,
Putnam to third, J. Ellis to second]; Rivers hit a sacrifice fly
to center [Putnam scored]; Wills singled to right [J. Ellis
scored, Soderholm to second]; BURGMEIER REPLACED TORREZ
(PITCHING); Oliver grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 5, Red Sox 9.

RED SOX 8TH: LYLE REPLACED ALLARD (PITCHING); O'Berry grounded
out (second to first); Burleson was called out on strikes;
Poquette was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 5, Red Sox 9.

RANGERS 9TH: Zisk doubled to left; Bell flied out to right;
Montanez grounded out (first to pitcher) [Zisk to third]; SAMPLE
BATTED FOR PUTNAM; Sample singled to center [Zisk scored]; J.
Ellis popped to first in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 6, Red Sox 9.