Posting his second straight shutout, Bert Blyleven allowed only three hits and pitched the Twins to a 2-0 victory to disappoint the Royals' opening-night crowd of 32,728, largest turnout in the club's three-year history. [The Sporting News]



Minnesota Twins 2, Kansas City Royals 0
Game Played on Monday, April     12, 1971 (Night game) at Municipal Stadium
Twins        0  1  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   2 12  0
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  3  0


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Tovar lf              4   1   3   0     0   0   .519      Patek ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .269
Carew 2b              5   0   3   1     0   1   .269      Keough rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .083
Oliva rf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .417      Otis cf               3   0   1   0     1   1   .286
Killebrew 3b,1b       3   1   2   0     1   0   .476      Piniella lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .207
Reese 1b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .125      Kirkpatrick c         3   0   0   0     0   1   .313
  Alyea ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Oliver 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .231
  Thompson 3b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Rojas 2b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .375
Holt cf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .333      Schaal 3b             2   0   1   0     1   0   .227
Cardenas ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .136      Drago p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Mitterwald c          4   0   0   0     0   2   .111        Burgmeier p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Blyleven p            4   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Hopkins ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Abernathy p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   2  12   2     1   4             Totals               28   0   3   0     2   3

Time of Game: 2:09   Attendance: 32,728
Left on Base: Twins 9, Royals 4
DP: Twins 1, Royals 1
Doubles: Killebrew (2), Carew (2), Tovar (3), Oliva (3), Rojas (2)
Caught Stealing: Carew (1), Tovar (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Drago (1)
GIDP: Carew (2)
Hit by Pitch: Tovar (1,by Drago)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(2-0)         9     3   0   0   2   3   0  31   0.00
Totals                  9     3   0   0   2   3   0  31

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Drago L(1-1)            6.2  11   2   2   1   2   0  31   1.15
Burgmeier               1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.00
Abernathy               1     1   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9    12   2   2   1   4   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Drago (1)

Umpires: HP - Larry Barnett, 1B - Merle Anthony, 2B - George Maloney, 3B - Hank Soar


TWINS 1ST: Tovar flied out to left; Carew singled to left; Carew
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Oliva
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Patek flied out to right; Keough flied out to left;
Otis popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 0, Royals 0.

TWINS 2ND: Killebrew doubled to right; Reese grounded out
(second to first) [Killebrew to third]; Holt singled to left
[Killebrew scored]; Cardenas grounded out (third to first) [Holt
to second]; Mitterwald struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins
1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Piniella grounded out (shortstop to first);
Kirkpatrick grounded out (pitcher to first); Oliver made an out
to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Royals 0.

TWINS 3RD: On a bunt Blyleven grounded out (pitcher to first);
Tovar was hit by a pitch; Carew grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Tovar out at second]; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Rojas doubled to left; Schaal singled to right
[Rojas to third]; Drago was called out on strikes; Patek lined
into a double play (third unassisted) [Rojas out at third]; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1, Royals 0.

TWINS 4TH: Oliva lined to left; Killebrew singled to third;
Reese singled to center [Killebrew to second]; Holt flied out to
left; Cardenas forced Reese (third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Twins 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Keough grounded out (catcher unassisted); Otis
struck out; Piniella grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Royals 0.

TWINS 5TH: Mitterwald was called out on strikes; Blyleven
grounded out (shortstop to first); Tovar singled to center;
Carew doubled to right [Tovar to third]; Oliva grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Kirkpatrick struck out; Oliver flied out to left;
Rojas flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Royals
0.

TWINS 6TH: Killebrew grounded out (shortstop to first); Reese
grounded out (pitcher to first); Holt singled to right; Cardenas
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Schaal walked; Drago out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Schaal to second]; Patek grounded out
(shortstop to first); Keough grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1, Royals 0.

TWINS 7TH: Mitterwald grounded out (shortstop to first);
Blyleven made an out to second; Tovar doubled to left; Carew
singled to center [Tovar scored]; Oliva doubled to center [Carew
to third]; Killebrew was walked intentionally; BURGMEIER
REPLACED DRAGO (PITCHING); ALYEA BATTED FOR REESE; Alyea struck
out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 7TH: KILLEBREW CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); THOMPSON
REPLACED ALYEA (PLAYING 3B); Otis singled to center; Piniella
made an out to shortstop; Kirkpatrick forced Otis (second to
shortstop); Oliver flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Twins 2, Royals 0.

TWINS 8TH: Holt flied out to right; Cardenas flied out to
center; Mitterwald flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 8TH: Rojas grounded out (pitcher to first); Schaal
grounded out (pitcher to first); HOPKINS BATTED FOR BURGMEIER;
Hopkins grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 2, Royals 0.

TWINS 9TH: ABERNATHY REPLACED HOPKINS (PITCHING); Blyleven
grounded out (pitcher to first); Tovar singled to center; Tovar
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Carew struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 9TH: Patek grounded out (third to first); Keough made an
out to third; Otis walked; Piniella flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals 0.