[Nick Soulis]

Series #181



1979 Texas Rangers
Record: 83-79
Finish: 3rd in AL West
Manager: Pat Corrales
Ball Park: Arlington Stadium
WAR Leader: Buddy Bell (6.9)
Franchise Record: 1-2
1979 Season Record: 1-4
Hall of Famers: (1)
https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TEX/1979.shtml

1983 Kansas City Royals
Record: 79-83
Finish: 2nd in AL West
Manager: Dick Howser
Ball Park: Royals Stadium
WAR Leader: Dan Quisenberry (5.1)
Franchise Record: 5-4
1983 Season Record: 1-0
Hall of Famers: (2)
https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/KCR/1983.shtml
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Battle Of Powder Blues To Rangers
Sample and Bell Overwhelm Royals Pitching



Game 1
At Arlington Stadium
1983 Kansas City Royals 5
1979 Texas Rangers 6
WP: E. Farmer (1-0) LP: S. Renko (0-1) S: J. Kern (1)
HR: W. Aikens (1), B. Sample (1)
POG: Buddy Bell (4-4, 3 RBI)
1979 Rangers Lead Series 1-0

The Texas 1979 Rangers started the Series #181 in style, downing the visiting Kansas City 1983 Royals at Arlington Stadium 1979-1984 by a score of 6-5 to grab an early 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Rangers third baseman Buddy Bell went 4-4 with 4 singles. He drove in 3 runs.Also having an impact was catcher Jim Sundberg, who stroked a single in the bottom of the fifth for Texas 1979. For the game, Sundberg was 2-3 with a triple and a walk. "Getting the win feels nice," said Bell. "More importantly, I had a good game."

Game 2
At Arlington Stadium
1983 Kansas City Royals 0
1979 Texas Rangers 6
WP: D. Lexander (1-0) LP: D. Leonard (0-1)
HR: O. Gamble (1)
POG: Doyle Alexander (6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 78 P)
1979 Rangers Lead Series 2-0

The 1979 Texas Rangers delivered a dominant performance in Game 2 of their Field of Dreams series against the 1983 Kansas City Royals, securing a 6-0 shutout victory at Arlington Stadium. Doyle Alexander was masterful on the mound, tossing 6.2 shutout innings while allowing just four hits and striking out four to earn Player of the Game honors. The Rangers wasted no time getting on the board, as Oscar Gamble launched a two-run homer off Dennis Leonard in the first inning to ignite the offense. Texas added two more runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, with Al Oliver’s pair of doubles plating three runs in total. Leonard struggled for Kansas City, surrendering six earned runs on eight hits in just four innings of work. Meanwhile, the Royals’ offense was stifled all night, managing only five hits while grounding into two double plays. Sparky Lyle finished off the shutout with 2.1 scoreless innings in relief, sealing Texas’ 2-0 series lead. With momentum fully on their side, the Rangers now head to Kansas City for Game 3, where the Royals will look to respond at Royals Stadium.

Game 3
At Royals Stadium
1979 Texas Rangers 9
1983 Kansas City Royals 6
WP: D. Darwin (1-0) LP: P. Splittorff (0-1) S: J. Kern (2)
HR: O. Gamble 2 (3), B. Sample (2), W. Aikens (2), J. Wathan (1)
POG: Oscar Gamble (3-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB)
1979 Rangers Lead Series 3-0

Under the clear autumn skies of Kansas City, the 1979 Texas Rangers stormed to a 9-6 victory over the 1983 Royals in Game 3 of their Field of Dreams best-of-seven showdown. With the win, Texas took a commanding 3-0 series lead, putting themselves on the brink of a sweep. Designated hitter Oscar Gamble delivered a heroic performance, launching two home runs and driving in three runs to fuel the Rangers' offense. After Kansas City jumped out to an early 4-1 lead behind Willie Aikens' solo blast and Frank White’s RBI double, Texas roared back with a relentless attack. A three-run fifth, punctuated by Gamble’s first homer, tied the game before the Rangers seized control with a decisive seventh-inning rally. Pat Putnam’s clutch RBI single gave Texas a 6-4 advantage, and Gamble added an exclamation point with his second blast in the eighth. Kansas City refused to go quietly, as John Wathan’s two-run homer in the eighth gave the home crowd hope, but Jim Kern slammed the door in the ninth for his second save of the series. Doyle Alexander struggled but earned the win, while Paul Splittorff took the loss for Kansas City. With their season on the brink, the Royals must find answers fast as they look to stave off elimination in Game 4 at Royals Stadium.

Game 4
At Royals Stadium
1979 Texas Rangers 1
1983 Kansas City Royals 7
WP: F. Wills (1-0) LP: D. Medich (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Frank Wills (8.2 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 4 K, 123 P)
1979 Rangers Lead Series 3-1

Under the clear October night sky at Royals Stadium, the 1983 Kansas City Royals refused to let their season end, delivering a commanding 7-1 victory over the 1979 Texas Rangers to force a Game 5. Right-hander Frank Wills was masterful, scattering just four hits over 8.2 innings while striking out four and allowing only a single run. The Royals’ bats erupted early, chasing Rangers starter Doc Medich after just 2.2 innings, with a relentless attack that saw Kansas City rack up 14 hits. U.L. Washington’s clutch three-run double in the third capped off a four-run inning that put the game out of reach. Kansas City’s defense was crisp, turning a key double play and playing error-free baseball, while Dan Quisenberry sealed the win by recording the final out. With the series now at 3-1 in favor of Texas, the Royals will look to build on this momentum in Game 5 and keep their Field of Dreams championship hopes alive.

Game 5
At Royals Stadium
1979 Texas Rangers 6
1983 Kansas City Royals 1
WP: E. Farmer (2-0) LP: S. Renko (0-2)
HR: None
POG: Ed Farmer (8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1098 P)

The 1979 Texas Rangers captured their first Field of Dreams Series 181, defeating the 1983 Kansas City Royals 6-1 in Game 5 at Royals Stadium. Behind a dominant pitching performance from **Ed Farmer**, who tossed eight innings of one-run ball, the Rangers silenced Kansas City's bats while racking up 14 hits. Texas took control early, with **Buddy Bell** and **Oscar Gamble** driving in key runs, while **Bump Wills** sparked the offense with a three-hit, two-run performance. The Royals, limited to just six hits, only managed to break through in the eighth inning on **Willie Aikens'** RBI double. Kansas City’s starter **Steve Renko** struggled, surrendering four runs over four innings, while Texas added insurance runs in the eighth off **Dan Quisenberry**. With the final out secured, the Rangers erupted in celebration, etching their name into Field of Dreams history.

1979 Texas Rangers WIn Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

(10/20, 3 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R, .650 SLG, 1.150 OPS)