9/14/81 - Arlington Stadium
Rangers 12, A's 0
Rangers 12, A's 0
Matt Keough vs Danny Darwin
Texas roughed up Matt Keough to the tune of 10 runs (8 earned) in 4 innings. Danny Darwin improved his record to 3-0 and lowered his ERA to 2.44 as the Rangers banged out 12 runs on 14 hits. Pat Putnam (4) and Jim Sundberg (3) had big RBI days. "Mr. Scoops" Al Oliver went 3 for 5 to bump his season average up to .343. Mike Babcock pitched the final inning and 2 thirds to share the shutout with Darwin. Oakland got just 3 hits and never advanced a runner past second.
9/15/81
A's 3, Rangers 2
Steve McCatty vs Fergie Jenkins
Buddy Bell's RBI single in the first scored Mickey Rivers to make it 1-0 Texas. Oakland
starter Steve McCatty was in trouble, but he got Al Oliver to ground out and Leon Roberts to strike out to end the inning and strand 2 runners. This would come back to haunt the Rangers as McCatty was on his "A" game the rest of the way. DH Cliff Johnson's solo blast in the bottom of the second tied the game up at 1-1. Oakland found a way to scratch out 2 huge runs in the top of the 4th to give McCatty a 3-1 lead. Cliff Johnson came through again with an RBI single to score Dave McKay, who led off the inning with a walk. Wayne Gross' sac fly to center scored Tony Armas. Billy Sample cut Oakland's lead to 1 with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the 6th. Buddy Bell and Al Oliver followed that up with singles, which made manager Keller start thinking, "why couldn't we have had the singles before the homer". Manager Keller's prophecy was correct, because Leon Roberts flew out weakly to right and Mark "Power Painter" Wagner hit into a routine 4-6-3 DP to end the inning and blow a huge opportunity for the Rangers. McCatty would feed off of the adrenaline created in the 6th and not allow the Rangers a single baserunner the rest of the way and improve his season record to 3-4. Jenkins, also went the distance and was the hard luck loser. His record fell to 0-5, with an ERA of 3.96. Obviously the Rangers refuse to hit for the future HOF'er from Canada.
9/16/81
A's 7, Rangers 4
Brian Kingman vs Doc Medich
The good doctor needed a physician himself after rubbing up a blister the size of the Hindenburg in the top of the 2nd. Medich, who had thrown just 24 pitches to that point, was replaced by Charlie Hough who's knuckleball still hasn't knuckled. Oakland proceeded to batter Hough for 7 runs (6 earned) over the next 3 innings including a huge 5 run third inning that erased Texas' 3-0 lead. Rob Picciolo led off the 3rd with an opposite field single, then moved to third on Rickey Henderson's hit. Picciolo scored easily on Dave McKay's slow roller to second to make it 3-1. Dwayne Murphy's homer to right center tied the game up a 3-3. Tony Armas kept the pressure on Hough by doubling off the wall in left center. Wayne Gross walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Both runner moved up 90 feet on Jeff Newman's chopper to third. Gold Glover Buddy Bell made a great play to get the slow footed Newman at first. A lesser fielder would have not made the play and their would have been 1 out with the bases jammed. With 2 outs Jim Spencer "for hire", sliced a single on the chalk down the left field line to score Armas and Newman and give Oakland a 5-3 lead. Mike Heath's solo shot to lead off the 6th made it 7-3 and a passed ball charged to gold glover Sundberg allowed Picciolo to score, which made it 7-3. After 7 innings Kingman was replaced by Bob Owchinko. Kingman gave up all 3 of the runs he allowed in the bottom of the 2nd, but by the 7th he was running on fumes. Owchinko had a scoreless 8th, but began to falter in the bottom of the 9th. After getting the first 2 outs (Sample struck out / Wagner grounded out) Owchinko was firmly in the drivers seat. Singles by Bump Wills and Bill Stein were mild concerns. A walk to Buddy Bell to load the bases became a major concern, because the go ahead run was at the plate in the form of Jim Sundberg. Oakland went to the pen and brought on Dave Beard, who jammed Sundberg. Picciolo picked up the 2 hope grounder and flipped it to defensive replacement Chicken Stanley for the force out to end the game. Oakland took 2 of 3 to move right behind the Angels in a battle for the AL West.
Texas roughed up Matt Keough to the tune of 10 runs (8 earned) in 4 innings. Danny Darwin improved his record to 3-0 and lowered his ERA to 2.44 as the Rangers banged out 12 runs on 14 hits. Pat Putnam (4) and Jim Sundberg (3) had big RBI days. "Mr. Scoops" Al Oliver went 3 for 5 to bump his season average up to .343. Mike Babcock pitched the final inning and 2 thirds to share the shutout with Darwin. Oakland got just 3 hits and never advanced a runner past second.9/15/81
A's 3, Rangers 2
Steve McCatty vs Fergie Jenkins
Buddy Bell's RBI single in the first scored Mickey Rivers to make it 1-0 Texas. Oakland
starter Steve McCatty was in trouble, but he got Al Oliver to ground out and Leon Roberts to strike out to end the inning and strand 2 runners. This would come back to haunt the Rangers as McCatty was on his "A" game the rest of the way. DH Cliff Johnson's solo blast in the bottom of the second tied the game up at 1-1. Oakland found a way to scratch out 2 huge runs in the top of the 4th to give McCatty a 3-1 lead. Cliff Johnson came through again with an RBI single to score Dave McKay, who led off the inning with a walk. Wayne Gross' sac fly to center scored Tony Armas. Billy Sample cut Oakland's lead to 1 with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the 6th. Buddy Bell and Al Oliver followed that up with singles, which made manager Keller start thinking, "why couldn't we have had the singles before the homer". Manager Keller's prophecy was correct, because Leon Roberts flew out weakly to right and Mark "Power Painter" Wagner hit into a routine 4-6-3 DP to end the inning and blow a huge opportunity for the Rangers. McCatty would feed off of the adrenaline created in the 6th and not allow the Rangers a single baserunner the rest of the way and improve his season record to 3-4. Jenkins, also went the distance and was the hard luck loser. His record fell to 0-5, with an ERA of 3.96. Obviously the Rangers refuse to hit for the future HOF'er from Canada.9/16/81
A's 7, Rangers 4
Brian Kingman vs Doc Medich
The good doctor needed a physician himself after rubbing up a blister the size of the Hindenburg in the top of the 2nd. Medich, who had thrown just 24 pitches to that point, was replaced by Charlie Hough who's knuckleball still hasn't knuckled. Oakland proceeded to batter Hough for 7 runs (6 earned) over the next 3 innings including a huge 5 run third inning that erased Texas' 3-0 lead. Rob Picciolo led off the 3rd with an opposite field single, then moved to third on Rickey Henderson's hit. Picciolo scored easily on Dave McKay's slow roller to second to make it 3-1. Dwayne Murphy's homer to right center tied the game up a 3-3. Tony Armas kept the pressure on Hough by doubling off the wall in left center. Wayne Gross walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Both runner moved up 90 feet on Jeff Newman's chopper to third. Gold Glover Buddy Bell made a great play to get the slow footed Newman at first. A lesser fielder would have not made the play and their would have been 1 out with the bases jammed. With 2 outs Jim Spencer "for hire", sliced a single on the chalk down the left field line to score Armas and Newman and give Oakland a 5-3 lead. Mike Heath's solo shot to lead off the 6th made it 7-3 and a passed ball charged to gold glover Sundberg allowed Picciolo to score, which made it 7-3. After 7 innings Kingman was replaced by Bob Owchinko. Kingman gave up all 3 of the runs he allowed in the bottom of the 2nd, but by the 7th he was running on fumes. Owchinko had a scoreless 8th, but began to falter in the bottom of the 9th. After getting the first 2 outs (Sample struck out / Wagner grounded out) Owchinko was firmly in the drivers seat. Singles by Bump Wills and Bill Stein were mild concerns. A walk to Buddy Bell to load the bases became a major concern, because the go ahead run was at the plate in the form of Jim Sundberg. Oakland went to the pen and brought on Dave Beard, who jammed Sundberg. Picciolo picked up the 2 hope grounder and flipped it to defensive replacement Chicken Stanley for the force out to end the game. Oakland took 2 of 3 to move right behind the Angels in a battle for the AL West.
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