Paul Splittorff, making his first start since being called up from Omaha (American Association), received credit for his first major league victory when the Royals defeated the Senators, 4-2. The rookie lefthander yielded only five hits, but weakened and gave way to Ted Abernathy in the eighth inning.

The Royals scored three of their runs in the third on a pass to Amos Otis with the bases loaded and a double by Ed Kirkpatrick. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 4, Washington Senators 2
Game Played on Tuesday, June      8, 1971 (Night game) at Municipal Stadium
Senators     0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  1  -   2  6  3
Royals       0  0  3    0  0  0    1  0  x  -   4  8  1


Senators             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Unser cf              3   0   0   0     1   1   .255      Patek ss              4   2   1   0     0   0   .250
Maddox 3b,rf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .188      Schaal 3b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .281
Howard 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .294      Otis cf               3   0   2   1     1   1   .307
Billings lf           3   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Kirkpatrick lf        3   0   2   2     1   1   .267
  McCraw ph           1   1   1   1     0   0   .237      Rojas 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .314
Casanova c            4   0   0   0     0   1   .234      Oliver 1b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .244
Harrah ss             3   1   1   0     1   0   .256      Keough rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .206
Biittner rf           3   0   1   0     0   0   .288      May c                 4   0   2   0     0   0   .277
  Pina p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Splittorff p          3   1   1   0     0   0   .333
  Mincher ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .277        Abernathy p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cullen 2b             2   0   0   1     0   0   .170
  Allen ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .275
Cox p                 1   0   0   0     0   0   .133
  Fernandez ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .080
  Brown p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Riddleberger p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Wert 3b             2   0   0   0     0   0   .051

Totals               31   2   6   2     4   2             Totals               32   4   8   3     3   3

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance: 13,207
Left on Base: Senators 7, Royals 8
DP: Senators 2, Royals 2
Errors: Billings, Harrah, Wert, Oliver
Doubles: Howard (11), Kirkpatrick (8), Otis (9)
Home Runs: McCraw (5)
Stolen Bases: Patek 2 (10), Otis (15)
Sacrifice Flies: Cullen (1)
GIDP: Rojas (4), Splittorff (1)
Hit by Pitch: Oliver (3,by Cox)


Senators               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cox L(1-3)              4     4   3   2   2   1   0  19   4.19
Brown                   2.1   4   1   0   1   0   0  11   0.00
Riddleberger            0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   5.33
Pina                    1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   5   3.09
Totals                  8     8   4   2   3   3   0  36

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Splittorff W(1-0)       7.2   5   1   1   2   2   0  29   1.17
Abernathy SV(11)        1.1   1   1   1   2   0   1   7   2.12
Totals                  9     6   2   2   4   2   1  36

Hit by Pitch: Cox (4)

Umpires: HP - Bill Kunkel, 1B - Red Flaherty, 2B - John Rice, 3B - Ron Luciano


SENATORS 1ST: Unser grounded out (shortstop to first); Maddox
grounded out (shortstop to first); Howard singled to pitcher;
Billings forced Howard (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Senators 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Patek grounded out (shortstop to first); Schaal
grounded out (shortstop to first); Otis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Senators 0, Royals 0.

SENATORS 2ND: Casanova flied out to center; Harrah singled to
center; Biittner lined into a double play (pitcher to first)
[Harrah out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 0, Royals
0.

ROYALS 2ND: Kirkpatrick singled to left; Rojas grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Kirkpatrick out at
second]; Oliver was hit by a pitch; Keough forced Oliver
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 0, Royals
0.

SENATORS 3RD: Cullen popped to first; Cox grounded out (second
to first); Unser grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Senators 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: May grounded out (second to first); Splittorff
singled to left [Splittorff to second (error by Billings)];
Patek reached on an error by Harrah [Splittorff to third]; Patek
stole second; Schaal walked; Otis walked [Splittorff scored,
Patek to third, Schaal to second]; Kirkpatrick doubled to left
[Patek scored (unearned), Schaal scored, Otis to third]; Rojas
grounded out (shortstop to first); Oliver grounded out (second
to first); 3 R (2 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 0, Royals 3.

SENATORS 4TH: Maddox flied out to right; Howard flied out to
right; Billings grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Senators 0, Royals 3.

ROYALS 4TH: Keough grounded out (second to first); May singled
to right; Splittorff flied out to left; Patek forced May
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 0, Royals
3.

SENATORS 5TH: Casanova struck out; Harrah walked; Biittner
singled to right [Harrah to third]; Cullen hit a sacrifice fly
to right [Harrah scored]; FERNANDEZ BATTED FOR COX; Fernandez
forced Biittner (third to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Senators 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 5TH: BROWN REPLACED FERNANDEZ (PITCHING); Schaal popped
to first; Otis doubled to left; Kirkpatrick was walked
intentionally; Rojas flied out to left; Oliver flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 1, Royals 3.

SENATORS 6TH: Unser was called out on strikes; Maddox singled to
third; Howard doubled to right [Maddox to third]; Billings flied
into a double play (center to catcher) [Maddox out at home]; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 6TH: Keough grounded out (first unassisted); May singled
to third; Splittorff grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [May out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Senators 1, Royals 3.

SENATORS 7TH: Casanova flied out to right; Harrah flied out to
right; Biittner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Senators 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 7TH: On a bunt Patek singled to third; Patek stole
second; Schaal grounded out (third to first); Otis singled to
third [Patek to third]; RIDDLEBERGER REPLACED BROWN (PITCHING);
Kirkpatrick struck out; PINA REPLACED BIITTNER (PITCHING); WERT
REPLACED RIDDLEBERGER (PLAYING 3B); MADDOX CHANGED POSITIONS
(PLAYING RF); Otis stole second; Rojas reached on an error by
Wert [Otis to third, Patek scored (unearned) (no RBI)]; Oliver
struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 1, Royals 4.

SENATORS 8TH: Cullen reached on an error by Oliver (assist by
Patek); Wert grounded out (catcher to first) [Cullen to second];
Unser walked; Maddox flied out to left; ABERNATHY REPLACED
SPLITTORFF (PITCHING); Howard grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 1, Royals 4.

ROYALS 8TH: Keough grounded out (first to pitcher); May grounded
out (pitcher to first); Abernathy popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 1, Royals 4.

SENATORS 9TH: MCCRAW BATTED FOR BILLINGS; McCraw homered;
Casanova popped to first; Harrah grounded out (third to first);
MINCHER BATTED FOR PINA; Mincher walked; ALLEN BATTED FOR
CULLEN; Allen walked [Mincher to second]; Wert flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 2, Royals 4.