After Dick Drago tied the Kansas City record for most victories with his 16th of the season in the opener, the Royals rallied for three runs in the eighth inning of the nightcap to sweep a twi-night doubleheader with the White Sox, 3-1 and 8-6. Drago equaled the mark of Bud Daley of the former Kansas City Athletics, who won 16 games in both 1959 and '60.

The White Sox, who had a homer by Carlos May, held a 6-5 lead going into the eighth inning of the nightcap when the Royals' rally started with one out on a pass to Amos Otis and single by Jerry May, sending Otis to third. Otis and Bobby Knoop, who ran for May, then worked a double steal, Otis sliding home safely to tie the score. Knoop took third on a passed ball. Freddie Patek walked and stole second. Sandy Valdespino followed with a single, driving in both runners, for his third and fourth RBIs of the game. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 3, Chicago White Sox 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Friday, September 3, 1971 (Night game) at Comiskey Park I
Royals       1  0  0    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   3 10  1
White Sox    0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  6  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      White Sox            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Patek ss              5   1   1   0     0   0   .285      Kelly rf              3   0   2   0     1   0   .313
Schaal 3b             4   0   2   1     0   0   .265      Johnstone cf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .269
Otis cf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .304      McKinney 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .301
Piniella lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .266      Melton 3b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .279
Oliver rf             4   1   2   1     0   1   .256      May 1b                4   0   0   0     0   0   .283
Harrison 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Reichardt lf          4   1   1   0     0   0   .299
Knoop 2b              2   0   1   1     1   0   .240      Herrmann c            3   0   1   1     0   1   .238
May c                 4   0   1   0     0   2   .256      Alvarado ss           2   0   0   0     0   0   .210
Drago p               4   0   0   0     0   2   .123        Williams ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .290
                                                            Morales ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .236
                                                          John p                2   0   0   0     0   2   .111
                                                            Romo p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .300
                                                            Huntz ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .225
                                                            Kealey p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               35   3  10   3     1   5             Totals               31   1   6   1     2   3

Time of Game: 2:19
Left on Base: Royals 7, White Sox 6
DP: Royals 1, White Sox 1
Errors: Drago, Johnstone
Doubles: Oliver (11)
Triples: Patek (8)
Stolen Bases: Kelly (9)
Sacrifice Flies: Knoop (1), Herrmann (3)
GIDP: Drago (1), May (13)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Drago W(16-8)           9     6   1   0   2   3   0  34   2.97
Totals                  9     6   1   0   2   3   0  34

White Sox              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
John L(10-14)           6.1   9   3   3   1   2   0  28   3.61
Romo                    1.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   6   3.59
Kealey                  1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   3.92
Totals                  9    10   3   3   1   5   0  37

Umpires: HP - Hank Soar, 1B - Larry Barnett, 2B - Merle Anthony (left in the 5th inning),


ROYALS 1ST: Patek flied out to right; Schaal grounded out
(shortstop to first); Otis singled to center; Piniella singled
to center [Otis to second]; Oliver singled to center [Otis
scored, Piniella to third, Oliver to second (error by
Johnstone)]; Harrison made an out to first; 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Royals 1, White Sox 0.

WHITE SOX 1ST: Kelly singled to center; Johnstone flied out to
right; McKinney flied out to center; Kelly stole second; Melton
walked; May lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 1,
White Sox 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Knoop singled to left; May struck out; Drago was
called out on strikes; Patek grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, White Sox 0.

WHITE SOX 2ND: Reichardt grounded out (shortstop to first);
Herrmann struck out; Alvarado grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, White Sox 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Schaal singled to center; Otis grounded out (second
to first) [Schaal to second]; Piniella grounded out (third to
first); Oliver flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
1, White Sox 0.

WHITE SOX 3RD: John struck out; Kelly grounded out (second to
first); Johnstone grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, White Sox 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Harrison grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Knoop
walked; May singled to right [Knoop to third]; Drago grounded
into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [May out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, White Sox 0.

WHITE SOX 4TH: McKinney singled to right; Melton flied out to
center; May grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [McKinney out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
1, White Sox 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Patek grounded out (second to first); Schaal popped
to catcher in foul territory; Otis singled to center; Piniella
grounded out (third to first); 2B umpire Merle Anthony left
with pulled back muscle; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1,
White Sox 0.

WHITE SOX 5TH: Reichardt flied out to right; Herrmann singled to
center; Alvarado popped to first in foul territory; John struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, White Sox 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Oliver doubled to center; Harrison flied out to
center [Oliver to third]; Knoop hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Oliver scored]; May grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, White Sox 0.

WHITE SOX 6TH: Kelly singled to right; Johnstone made an out to
second; McKinney flied out to center; Melton forced Kelly (third
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, White Sox 0.

ROYALS 7TH: Drago grounded out (shortstop to first); Patek
tripled to center; ROMO REPLACED JOHN (PITCHING); Schaal singled
to left [Patek scored]; Otis made an out to second; Piniella
lined to third; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, White Sox 0.

WHITE SOX 7TH: May flied out to right; Reichardt singled to
pitcher [Reichardt to third (error by Drago)]; Herrmann hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Reichardt scored (unearned)]; WILLIAMS
BATTED FOR ALVARADO; Williams made an out to first; 1 R (0 ER),
1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 3, White Sox 1.

ROYALS 8TH: MORALES REPLACED WILLIAMS (PLAYING SS); Oliver
struck out; Harrison popped to third in foul territory; Knoop
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 3, White Sox
1.

WHITE SOX 8TH: HUNTZ BATTED FOR ROMO; Huntz flied out to center;
Kelly walked; Johnstone flied out to center; McKinney flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, White Sox 1.

ROYALS 9TH: KEALEY REPLACED HUNTZ (PITCHING); May struck out;
Drago struck out; Patek flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 3, White Sox 1.

WHITE SOX 9TH: Melton singled to left; May flied out to left;
Reichardt flied out to center; Herrmann grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, White Sox 1.