Gail Hopkins, who appeared in the starting lineup for only the second time this season, tripled with the bases loaded in the first inning and added a homer in the seventh to lead the Royals to a 6-2 victory over the Tigers. The first baseman had been at bat only 10 times previously this year and had just one hit. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 6, Detroit Tigers 2
Game Played on Sunday, May       9, 1971 (Day game) at Tiger Stadium
Royals       3  0  0    2  0  0    1  0  0  -   6  9  1
Tigers       0  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   2  6  0


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Patek ss              4   0   1   0     0   1   .252      McAuliffe 2b          5   0   0   0     0   1   .200
Keough lf             3   1   0   0     2   0   .208      Rodriguez 3b          4   0   1   0     1   0   .238
Otis cf               5   1   2   1     0   0   .269      Northrup rf           3   1   1   0     2   0   .324
Kirkpatrick c         3   1   1   0     2   0   .236      Cash 1b               3   1   1   2     1   0   .268
Hopkins 1b            5   1   2   4     0   0   .250      Horton lf             3   0   1   0     1   1   .209
Rojas 2b              4   0   1   0     1   0   .336      Freehan c             4   0   0   0     0   2   .289
Schaal 3b             3   1   0   0     2   1   .337      Stanley cf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .262
Oliver rf             4   1   1   1     1   1   .239      Brinkman ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .221
Wright p              2   0   1   0     1   1   .167      Niekro p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .182
  York p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Denehy p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Burgmeier p         1   0   0   0     1   1   .250        Collins ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            Zepp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            G. Brown ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .222
                                                            Patterson p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            I. Brown ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .143
                                                            Hannan p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   6   9   6    10   5             Totals               34   2   6   2     5   8

Time of Game: 2:59   Attendance: 25,570
Left on Base: Royals 12, Tigers 10
DP: Royals 0, Tigers 1
Errors: Patek
Doubles: Kirkpatrick (3), Oliver (3), Otis (4)
Triples: Hopkins (1)
Home Runs: Hopkins (1), Cash (6)
Stolen Bases: Schaal (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Patek (1)
GIDP: Keough (3)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wright                  4.1   5   2   2   4   4   1  23   3.43
York                    1.1   1   0   0   1   1   0   6   4.91
Burgmeier W(2-1)        3.1   0   0   0   0   3   0  10   0.86
Totals                  9     6   2   2   5   8   1  39

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(1-4)           3     6   5   5   3   0   0  17   5.58
Denehy                  1     0   0   0   2   0   0   5   0.00
Zepp                    2     1   0   0   2   3   0   9   7.71
Patterson               2     2   1   1   2   0   1  10   4.50
Hannan                  1     0   0   0   1   2   0   4   3.27
Totals                  9     9   6   6  10   5   1  45

Passed Balls: Kirkpatrick (3)
Wild Pitches: Wright (1), Zepp (1), Patterson (2)

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


ROYALS 1ST: Patek made an out to second; Keough walked; Otis
singled to left [Keough to second]; Kirkpatrick walked [Keough
to third, Otis to second]; Hopkins tripled to center
[Kirkpatrick scored, Otis scored, Keough scored]; Rojas grounded
out (third to first); Schaal lined to center; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe grounded out (second to first); Rodriguez
singled to center; Northrup walked [Rodriguez to second]; Cash
flied out to center; Horton walked [Rodriguez to third, Northrup
to second]; Freehan struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 3,
Tigers 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); Wright
singled to center; Patek singled to left [Wright to second];
Keough grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Patek
out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Stanley grounded out (shortstop to first); Brinkman
reached on an error by Patek; Niekro struck out; McAuliffe flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Tigers 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Otis grounded out (shortstop to first); Kirkpatrick
doubled; Hopkins flied out to right; Rojas flied out to center;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Rodriguez flied out to left; Northrup singled to
left; Cash walked [Northrup to second]; Horton struck out;
Freehan flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 3,
Tigers 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Schaal walked; Oliver doubled to right [Schaal
scored]; DENEHY REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Wright walked; Patek
out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Wright to second,
Oliver to third]; Keough walked; Otis forced Keough (third to
second) [Wright to third, Oliver scored]; Kirkpatrick grounded
out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 5,
Tigers 0.

TIGERS 4TH: Stanley singled to left; Brinkman flied out to
center; COLLINS BATTED FOR DENEHY; Collins lined to second;
McAuliffe was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 5, Tigers 0.

ROYALS 5TH: ZEPP REPLACED COLLINS (PITCHING); Hopkins grounded
out (second to first); Rojas walked; Zepp threw a wild pitch
[Rojas to second]; Schaal was called out on strikes; Oliver was
walked intentionally; Wright struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Royals 5, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 5TH: Rodriguez grounded out (third to first); Northrup
walked; Cash homered [Northrup scored]; Horton singled to left;
Wright threw a wild pitch [Horton to second]; YORK REPLACED
WRIGHT (PITCHING); Freehan struck out; Stanley flied out to
left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 5, Tigers 2.

ROYALS 6TH: Patek was called out on strikes; Keough flied out to
right; Otis doubled to right; Kirkpatrick grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 5, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 6TH: Brinkman grounded out (third to first); G. BROWN
BATTED FOR ZEPP; G. Brown singled to left; Kirkpatrick allowed a
passed ball [G. Brown to second]; McAuliffe lined to center;
Rodriguez walked; BURGMEIER REPLACED YORK (PITCHING); Northrup
forced Rodriguez (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Royals 5, Tigers 2.

ROYALS 7TH: PATTERSON REPLACED G. BROWN (PITCHING); Hopkins
homered; Rojas singled to right; Schaal forced Rojas (shortstop
to second); Patterson threw a wild pitch [Schaal to second];
Oliver grounded out (third to first); Burgmeier walked; Patek
made an out to first; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 6, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 7TH: Cash grounded out (first to pitcher); Horton
grounded out (shortstop to first); Freehan popped to first in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 6, Tigers 2.

ROYALS 8TH: Keough lined to center; Otis lined to center;
Kirkpatrick walked; Hopkins grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 6, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 8TH: Stanley struck out; Brinkman struck out; I. BROWN
BATTED FOR PATTERSON; I. Brown was called out on strikes; Ike
Brown and Tigers Manager Billy Martin ejected by HP umpire
George Maloney; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 6, Tigers 2.

ROYALS 9TH: HANNAN REPLACED I. BROWN (PITCHING); Rojas grounded
out (third to first); Schaal walked; Schaal stole second; Oliver
struck out; Burgmeier struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
6, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 9TH: McAuliffe grounded out (second to first); Rodriguez
lined to shortstop; Northrup grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 6, Tigers 2.