The tie-breaking run scored on a wild pitch as the Rangers grabbed a 5-3 decision over the A's. With the score tied, 3-3, in the seventh inning, Nelson Norman singled and was forced by Mickey Rivers. An errant pickoff throw allowed Rivers to advance to third and he raced home on a wild pitch. [The Sporting News]



Texas Rangers 5, Oakland Athletics 3
Game Played on Tuesday, September 25, 1979 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium
A's          2  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   3  9  1
Rangers      0  3  0    0  0  0    1  1  x  -   5  9  0


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Henderson lf          4   1   1   0     0   0   .278      Rivers cf             4   1   1   1     0   0   .293
Murphy cf             4   1   1   1     0   2   .248      Wills 2b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .273
Revering dh           4   0   2   1     0   0   .294      Oliver lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .327
Newman 1b             4   1   3   0     0   0   .232      Montanez 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .251
Gross 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .221      Zisk rf               3   1   1   0     1   0   .266
Wallis rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .100        Sample pr,rf        0   1   0   0     0   0   .292
Essian c              3   0   0   0     1   1   .248      Putnam dh             3   1   1   0     0   0   .283
Edwards 2b            3   0   1   1     0   0   .241        J. Ellis ph,dh      1   0   0   0     0   1   .285
Picciolo ss           3   0   0   0     0   1   .259      Soderholm 3b          4   0   2   1     0   0   .259
Kingman p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Washington pr       0   0   0   0     0   0   .278
  Minetto p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Bell 3b             0   0   0   0     0   0   .298
  Norris p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Sundberg c            2   1   1   1     2   1   .270
                                                          Norman ss             4   0   3   1     0   1   .221
                                                          Medich p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kern p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   9   3     1   4             Totals               32   5   9   4     4   4

Time of Game: 2:31   Attendance:  6,322
Left on Base: A's 4, Rangers 7
DP: A's 1, Rangers 1
Errors: Kingman
Doubles: Murphy (9)
Stolen Bases: Henderson (30), Sample (8)
GIDP: Newman (17), Oliver (14)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kingman L(7-7)          6.1   7   4   3   3   2   0  29   4.30
Minetto                 1.1   1   1   1   0   1   0   4   5.59
Norris                  0.1   1   0   0   1   1   0   3   4.80
Totals                  8     9   5   4   4   4   0  36

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Medich                  6.2   6   3   3   1   2   0  25   4.08
Kern W(13-5)            2.1   3   0   0   0   2   0   9   1.58
Totals                  9     9   3   3   1   4   0  34

Wild Pitches: Kingman (10)

Umpires: HP - Dave Phillips, 1B - Dallas Parks, 2B - Rich Garcia, 3B - Ted Hendry


ATHLETICS 1ST: Henderson singled to left; Henderson stole
second; Murphy doubled to right [Henderson scored]; Revering
singled to right [Murphy scored]; Newman grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Revering out at second];
Gross flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2,
Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Rivers grounded out (pitcher to first); Wills made
an out to first; Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Wallis grounded out (shortstop to first); Essian
struck out; Edwards flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 2, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Montanez grounded out (second to first); Zisk
walked; Putnam singled to center [Zisk to second]; Soderholm
flied out to center; Sundberg singled to left [Zisk scored,
Putnam to second]; Norman singled to center [Putnam scored,
Sundberg to second]; Rivers singled to right [Sundberg scored,
Norman to third]; Wills forced Rivers (shortstop to second); 3
R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 3.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Picciolo grounded out (third to first); Henderson
grounded out (first unassisted); Murphy struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 3RD: Oliver popped to shortstop in foul territory;
Montanez grounded out (shortstop to first); Zisk flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 3.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Revering singled to center; Newman singled to
left [Revering out at third (left to third), Newman to second
(on throw to 3b)]; Gross flied out to left; Wallis flied out to
center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 4TH: Putnam grounded out (first to pitcher); Soderholm
grounded out (shortstop to first); Sundberg walked; Norman
singled to center [Sundberg to second]; Rivers grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers
3.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Essian made an out to shortstop; Edwards lined to
center; Picciolo flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 2, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 5TH: Wills grounded out (first unassisted); Oliver
grounded out (second to first); Montanez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 3.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Henderson grounded out (third to first); Murphy
flied out to center; Revering flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 6TH: Zisk grounded out (third to first); Putnam grounded
out (first unassisted); Soderholm singled to left; Sundberg
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 2, Rangers 3.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Newman singled to center; Gross lined to center;
Wallis flied out to center; Essian walked [Newman to second];
KERN REPLACED MEDICH (PITCHING); Edwards singled to center
[Newman scored, Essian to third, Edwards out at second (center
to catcher to second to catcher)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 3, Rangers 3.

RANGERS 7TH: Norman singled to second; Rivers forced Norman
(catcher to shortstop); Rivers was picked off first but was safe
on an error by Kingman [Rivers to third]; Kingman threw a wild
pitch [Rivers scored (unearned)]; Wills walked; MINETTO REPLACED
KINGMAN (PITCHING); Oliver grounded into a double play (second
to shortstop to first) [Wills out at second]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1
E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 3, Rangers 4.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Picciolo struck out; Henderson flied out to
center; Murphy struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 3,
Rangers 4.

RANGERS 8TH: Montanez flied out to right; Zisk singled to right;
SAMPLE RAN FOR ZISK; J. ELLIS BATTED FOR PUTNAM; Sample stole
second; J. Ellis struck out; NORRIS REPLACED MINETTO (PITCHING);
Soderholm singled to left [Sample scored, Soderholm to second
(on throw to home)]; WASHINGTON RAN FOR SODERHOLM; Sundberg was
walked intentionally; Norman struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Athletics 3, Rangers 5.

ATHLETICS 9TH: J. ELLIS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); SAMPLE
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); BELL REPLACED WASHINGTON (PLAYING
3B); Revering grounded out (third to first); Newman singled to
center; Gross singled to right [Newman to second]; Wallis forced
Gross (first to shortstop) [Newman to third]; Essian forced
Wallis (third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 3,
Rangers 5.