BLUE OUT-DUELS JENKINS WITH 2-HITTER
Jenkins Matches Season High with 9 Ks

OAKLAND, Aug. 14 (AP) - Vida Blue tossed a complete game two-hitter, out-dueling Ferguson Jenkins in the process, as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-1 at the Oakland Coliseum.  Blue came within two outs of firing the fifth one-hitter of the major league season but yielded a one-out single to pinch hitter Bobby Darwin in the top of the ninth inning.

The Red Sox opened the scoring when Carl Yastrzemski led off the top of the second with his 18th home run of the year, giving Boston a 1-0 lead.  The A's countered in the bottom of the third when Phil Garner's seventh long ball of the season came with one out and the bases empty.

The score remained tied at one until the bottom of the fifth when the A's took a lead they wouldn't surrender.  With one out, Jenkins issued his first walk of the game; Claudell Washington was the beneficiary.  Washington stole second and advanced to third when Garner beat out a slow roller for an infield hit, putting runners at first and third.  Bill North followed with a grounder to second.  The Red Sox got the force on Garner but North beat the relay throw to first, allowing Washington to score the tie-breaking run.

Oakland added an insurance run in the eighth.  Garner started the inning off with a single on a 3-2 fastball.  North sacrificed Garner to second and Bert Campaneris followed by lining a single to left, scoring Garner with the A's third run of the game. 

In the top of the ninth, Blue, who hadn't allowed a hit since the Yastrzemski home run in the second, retired Rick Burleson on a fly to left for the first out.  Darwin was then summoned to pinch hit for Doug Griffin.  Darwin stayed back on a 1-2 offering and lined a single to right-center field, bringing the tying run to the plate.  But Blue (16-9) closed the contest out in style, striking out Fred Lynn and Yastrzemski to secure the victory.  It was the left-hander's 17th complete game of the season which ranks fourth in the American League, two behind AL leader Frank Tanana of the California Angels.

Despite coming out on the short end, Jenkins matched a season high by fanning nine Oakland batters.  It was the sixth time this season that the Boston right-hander struck out nine.  The previous occasion was on July 14 at Kansas City.

8/14/1976, Bos76-Oak76, Oakland Coliseum
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
1976 Red Sox           0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     1  2  0     3  0
1976 Athletics         0  0  1  0  1  0  0  1  x     3  7  0     4  1
 
Red Sox              AB  R  H BI   AVG    Athletics            AB  R  H BI   AVG
Burleson          ss  3  0  0  0  .316    North             cf  3  0  0  1  .277
Griffin,D         2b  2  0  0  0  .191    Campaneris        ss  4  0  1  1  .263
 Darwin           ph  1  0  1  0  .217    Baylor            1b  4  0  1  0  .275
Lynn              cf  4  0  0  0  .307    Rudi              lf  4  0  0  0  .251
Yastrzemski       1b  4  1  1  1  .266    Bando             3b  3  0  2  0  .246
Rice              lf  3  0  0  0  .313    Tenace            c   3  0  0  0  .292
Fisk              c   2  0  0  0  .259    Williams,B        dh  3  0  0  0  .205
Evans,Dw          rf  3  0  0  0  .246    Washington        rf  2  1  0  0  .264
Petrocelli        dh  3  0  0  0  .210    Garner            2b  3  2  3  1  .264
Hobson            3b  3  0  0  0  .200                         29  3  7  3
                     28  1  2  1
 
Red Sox                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Jenkins          L 10-9          8.0  7  3  3  1  9 113  72  3.55
                                 8.0  7  3  3  1  9 113  72
 
Athletics                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Blue             W 16-9          9.0  2  1  1  3  6 115  72  3.02
                                 9.0  2  1  1  3  6 115  72
 
Bos: Darwin batted for Griffin,D in the 9th
 
HR-Yastrzemski(18), Garner(7). RBI-Yastrzemski(68), North(31),
Campaneris(33), Garner(56). SB-Washington(25). CS-Baylor. K-Lynn,
Yastrzemski, Rice 2, Evans,Dw, Petrocelli, Campaneris 2, Rudi 2, Bando,
Tenace 2, Washington 2. BB-Burleson, Griffin,D, Fisk, Washington. SH-North.
GWRBI: North
Temperature: 65, Sky: cloudy, Wind: out to right at 20 MPH.
Attendance: 18,686
Game Time: 2:02