Manager Bob Lemon's choice of Dick Drago as the Royals' opening-game pitcher paid off when the righthander tossed a six-hitter and beat the Angels, 4-1. The victory was Drago's third over the Angels without a defeat since his arrival with the Royals in 1969. Wright, the Angels' 22-game winner last season, was kayoed in the sixth inning, disappointing the crowd of 24,434. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 4, California Angels 1
Game Played on Tuesday, April     6, 1971 (Night game) at Anaheim Stadium
Royals       0  2  0    1  0  1    0  0  0  -   4  9  0
Angels       0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Angels               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Patek ss              5   0   2   0     0   1   .400      Alomar 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Keough rf             4   0   1   0     1   0   .250      Fregosi ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Otis cf               4   1   1   0     0   1   .250      Johnson lf            4   0   2   0     0   0   .500
Piniella lf           4   2   2   0     0   0   .500      Conigliaro rf         4   0   1   0     0   1   .250
Oliver 1b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Spencer 1b            4   1   2   0     0   0   .500
Rojas 2b              2   1   0   2     1   0   .000      McMullen 3b           3   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Schaal 3b             4   0   2   1     0   0   .500      Moses c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Martinez c            2   0   0   1     1   1   .000      Berry cf              3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Drago p               4   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Wright p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Allen p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gonzalez ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Fisher p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Stephenson ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            LaRoche p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   4   9   4     3   5             Totals               32   1   6   0     0   2

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance: 24,434
Left on Base: Royals 7, Angels 4
DP: Royals 1, Angels 0
Errors: McMullen
Doubles: Piniella (1), Patek 2 (2), Otis (1)
Caught Stealing: Keough (1), Martinez (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Oliver (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Martinez (1), Rojas (1)
GIDP: Moses (1)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Drago W(1-0)            9     6   1   0   0   2   0  32   0.00
Totals                  9     6   1   0   0   2   0  32

Angels                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wright L(0-1)           5.2   8   4   4   2   1   0  25   6.35
Allen                   0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   0.00
Fisher                  2     0   0   0   1   2   0   8   0.00
LaRoche                 1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.00
Totals                  9     9   4   4   3   5   0  38

Passed Balls: Martinez (1), Moses (1)

Umpires: HP - Larry Napp, 1B - Jerry Neudecker, 2B - Russ Goetz, 3B - Dave Phillips


ROYALS 1ST: Debut for umpire Dave Phillips; Patek
grounded out (shortstop to first); Keough singled to left;
Keough was picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to
first to second); Otis flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 1ST: Alomar was called out on strikes; Fregosi grounded
out (shortstop to first); Johnson grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Piniella singled to third; Oliver singled to
shortstop [Piniella to third]; Rojas forced Oliver (shortstop to
second) [Piniella scored]; Schaal singled [Rojas to third];
Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to right [Rojas scored]; Drago was
called out on strikes; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Angels 0.

ANGELS 2ND: Conigliaro grounded out (third to first); Spencer
singled to right; McMullen flied out to left; Moses flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Angels 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Patek grounded out (first to pitcher); Keough
grounded out (shortstop to first); Otis grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Angels 0.

ANGELS 3RD: Berry grounded out (shortstop to first); Wright
grounded out (second to first); Alomar grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Angels 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Piniella doubled to left; Oliver out on a sacrifice
bunt (first unassisted) [Piniella to third]; Rojas hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Piniella scored]; Schaal flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 3, Angels 0.

ANGELS 4TH: Fregosi lined to left; Johnson lined to pitcher;
Conigliaro grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 3, Angels 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Martinez walked; Martinez was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Drago grounded out (first to pitcher);
Patek doubled to left; Keough flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Royals 3, Angels 0.

ANGELS 5TH: Spencer singled to right; McMullen singled to left
[Spencer to second]; Moses grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Spencer to third, McMullen out at second];
Martinez allowed a passed ball [Spencer scored (unearned)];
Berry grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 3, Angels 1.

ROYALS 6TH: Otis doubled to left; Piniella flied out to right
[Otis to third]; Oliver flied out to right; Rojas walked; Schaal
singled to center [Rojas to third, Otis scored]; ALLEN REPLACED
WRIGHT (PITCHING); Martinez was called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 4, Angels 1.

ANGELS 6TH: GONZALEZ BATTED FOR ALLEN; Gonzalez grounded out
(first unassisted); Alomar grounded out (shortstop to first);
Fregosi grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Royals 4, Angels 1.

ROYALS 7TH: FISHER REPLACED GONZALEZ (PITCHING); Drago reached
on an error by McMullen; Moses allowed a passed ball [Drago to
second]; Patek struck out (catcher to first); Keough walked;
Otis struck out; Piniella made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Royals 4, Angels 1.

ANGELS 7TH: Johnson singled to left; On a bunt Conigliaro
singled to third [Johnson to second]; Spencer lined to right;
McMullen made an out to shortstop; Moses flied out to center; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 4, Angels 1.

ROYALS 8TH: On a bunt Oliver grounded out (third to first);
Rojas flied out to center; Schaal grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Angels 1.

ANGELS 8TH: Berry flied out to left; STEPHENSON BATTED FOR
FISHER; Stephenson flied out to right; Alomar flied out to left;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Angels 1.

ROYALS 9TH: LAROCHE REPLACED STEPHENSON (PITCHING); Martinez
flied out to left; Drago struck out; Patek doubled to left;
Keough grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 4, Angels 1.

ANGELS 9TH: Fregosi flied out to right; Johnson singled;
Conigliaro was called out on strikes; Spencer grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Angels 1.