On Wild Night in Texas, Ryan and Fisk Shine

It was not exactly a typical Friday night at Arlington, Tex., but it was a wild one.

There was a brawl, Nolan Ryan was sensational and Carlton Fisk set a home run record for catchers in a doubleheader between the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox.

Although he failed to win for the third time after posting his 300th victory, the 43-year-old Ryan pitched a fine game in the opener, which the Rangers won in 13 innings, 1-0, on Ruben Sierra’s single with the bases loaded.

For 10 innings, Ryan was nearly unhittable. The White Sox managed three hits, but he struck out 15 and didn’t walk anyone.

He did have something to do with the fight. In the third inning Ryan hit rookie Craig Grebeck, who tagged him for a home run last week at Chicago.

In the fifth, Greg Hibbard hit Steve Buechele on the arm. The Rangers’ third baseman charged the mound and both benches emptied. Order, however, was quickly restored, and Buechele was ejected.

Hibbard stayed in the game, giving up only two hits in eight innings.

“As long as we win that’s what counts,” Ryan said. “My job is to keep us in the game. The way their guy was going, I had to pitch well.

“It’s the best I’ve felt in a while. It was the best fastball I’ve had in six weeks.

“I was trying to come in on the rookie, but I came too far in.”

Fisk, the veteran White Sox catcher, hit a knuckleball thrown by Charlie Hough that didn’t do anything, over the left-field wall in the second inning of the nightcap.

It was his 328th home run as a catcher to break a tie with Johnny Bench.

Fisk’s home run helped the White Sox, behind Melido Perez, win the second game. They trail Oakland by 6 1/2 games.