Kern's Dominance Earns Rangers Seventh Straight

Grapefruit League
Yankees 9, Orioles 7
Red Sox 6, Tigers 2
Pirates 4, White Sox 3
Twins 3, Phillies 1
Rangers 7, Braves 6
Mets 6, Reds 0
Astros 7, Expos 6 (12)
Dodgers 12, Royals 5

Cactus League
Indians 12, Padres 5
Brewers 3, Angels 1
Cubs 7, Giants 3
A's 8, Cardinals 7 (11)

• A member of three teams last season, Jim Kern continues to enjoy life as a Ranger as his three perfect innings lead Texas to a victory over Atlanta and an MLB best 9-3 spring record.
• Rick Burleson homered and rookie Rick Krueger pitched a perfect 9th to complete a perfect spring as Boston downed Detroit 6-2. The defending champs won their final four games to even their spring mark at 6-6.
• In Cocoa, Mike Ivie hit a solo shot to tie it in the bottom of the 12th and Skip Jutze scored on a game-winning fielder's choice as the Astros outlasted the Expos. The teams finished in a three-way tie atop the Grapefruit League's North Standings with the defending NL champion Reds.
• The Padres left reliever Jerry Johnson out to dry in a 10-run Cleveland 7th in Tucson. Johnson allowed all 10 runs in the inning, including a two-run home run and two-run double by Alan Bannister.
• In Palm Springs the A's won their 3rd extra inning game to finish atop the Cactus League at 8-4. Rookie Kevin Bell hit a game-tying two-run single in the 9th and a game winning single in the 11th. He had a strong spring but can only hope to be a backup to Sal Bando in Oakland.

Rangers 7, Braves 6

4/1/1976, TEX76-ATL76, West Palm Beach,FL
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
1976 Rangers           0  0  4  0  0  0  0  0  3     7  5  1     3  2
1976 Braves            0  3  0  0  2  1  0  0  0     6 10  0     7  0
 
Rangers              AB  R  H BI   AVG    Braves               AB  R  H BI   AVG
Wagner            dh  5  0  0  0  .154    Perez             ss  5  1  1  1  .148
Flynn             2b  4  1  1  1  .231    Montanez          1b  5  0  4  0  .333
Howell            3b  3  1  1  1  .167    Evans             3b  4  1  0  0  .150
Zisk              rf  4  0  1  1  .200    May               cf  4  0  0  0  .292
Grubb             1b  3  0  0  0  .261    Murphy            dh  4  1  1  0  .217
Fahey             c   3  1  0  0  .350    Spikes            rf  3  1  1  2  .250
Johnson           lf  2  2  0  0  .300    Crowley           lf  3  1  1  1  .211
Mason             ss  4  2  2  1  .263    Varney            c   4  1  2  1  .333
Moates            cf  2  0  0  1  .313    Gilbreath         2b  2  0  0  0  .300
                     30  7  5  5                               34  6 10  5
 
Rangers                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Hands                            2.0  4  3  3  2  1  38  22  7.56
Peterson                         2.0  1  0  0  1  0  30  19 14.21
Brown            BS 1            1.1  3  2  2  1  0  30  16  3.00
Moore                            0.0  2  1  0  1  0  12   7  6.14
Bibby                            0.2  0  0  0  0  0   3   2 11.00
Kern             W 1-0           3.0  0  0  0  0  5  32  26  1.00
                                 9.0 10  6  5  5  6 145  92 
 
Braves                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Hargan                           2.2  4  4  4  2  1  43  28  7.27
LaCorte                          1.1  0  0  0  0  1  15   8  0.00
House                            2.0  0  0  0  2  2  27  16  2.16
Montefusco       H 1             2.0  0  0  0  0  2  23  14  4.50
Leon             H 3, L 0-1      0.1  1  3  3  2  1  25  13  7.11
Beard            BS 1            0.2  0  0  0  0  0  10   5  0.00
                                 9.0  5  7  7  6  7 143  84 
 
E-Moates. 2B-Howell, Mason, Varney 2. 3B-Spikes, Crowley. K-Wagner 2, Flynn, 
Grubb, Johnson, Mason 2, May, Murphy 2, Crowley, Varney, Gilbreath. 
BB-Howell, Grubb, Fahey, Johnson 2, Moates, Evans, May, Spikes, Crowley, 
Gilbreath. SH-Gilbreath. SF-Moates. WP-Hands, Brown, Hargan. BALK-Beard. 
GWRBI: Moates