Mike Hedlund escaped from a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and pitched the Royals to a 2-1 victory over the Twins. In the first, the Twins loaded the bases with one out on a single by Cesar Tovar and two passes, but Leo Cardenas lined into a double play. Later in the game, with the bases empty, Cardenas homered to produce the Twins' lone run.

The Royals scored for the first time in the seventh on singles by Amos Otis and Paul Schaal around an infield out. A single by Ed Kirkpatrick, double by Bobby Knoop and single by Freddie Patek added the winning run in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 2, Minnesota Twins 1
Game Played on Friday, September 17, 1971 (Night game) at Metropolitan Stadium
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   2  9  0
Twins        0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  7  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Patek ss              5   0   1   1     0   0   .273      Tovar rf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .301
Valdespino lf         4   0   1   0     0   0   .356      Carew 2b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .302
Otis cf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .306      Killebrew 1b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .258
Hopkins 1b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .278        Soderholm pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .132
Schaal 3b             3   0   1   1     1   0   .270      Braun 3b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .252
Keough rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .251      Cardenas ss           4   1   1   1     0   1   .267
Kirkpatrick c         3   1   2   0     1   1   .217      Brye lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .258
Knoop 2b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .212      Nettles cf            3   0   2   0     0   0   .248
  Floyd pr,2b         1   0   0   0     0   0   .189      Dempsey c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Hedlund p             4   0   0   0     0   0   .097      Perry p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .188
                                                            Haydel p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Oliva ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .337
                                                            Corbin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .219

Totals               35   2   9   2     2   2             Totals               31   1   7   1     2   2

Time of Game: 2:22   Attendance: 16,194
Left on Base: Royals 8, Twins 5
DP: Royals 3, Twins 0
Errors: Dempsey
Doubles: Knoop (6)
Home Runs: Cardenas (18)
GIDP: Cardenas (15), Dempsey (1), Carew (22)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hedlund W(15-7)         9     7   1   1   2   2   1  33   2.69
Totals                  9     7   1   1   2   2   1  33

Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Perry L(16-16)          6.1   9   2   2   1   1   0  28   4.38
Haydel                  1.2   0   0   0   1   1   0   6   3.62
Corbin                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.13
Totals                  9     9   2   2   2   2   0  37

Wild Pitches: Haydel (1)

Umpires: HP - Larry McCoy, 1B - Jim Odom, 2B - Marty Springstead, 3B - Jim Honochick


ROYALS 1ST: Patek flied out to left; Valdespino singled to
center; Dempsey dropped a foul fly hit by Otis for an error;
Otis singled to center [Valdespino to second]; Hopkins forced
Otis (pitcher to shortstop) [Valdespino to third]; Schaal forced
Hopkins (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0,
Twins 0.

TWINS 1ST: Tovar singled to right; Carew struck out; Killebrew
walked [Tovar to second]; Braun walked [Tovar to third,
Killebrew to second]; Cardenas grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Braun out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Royals 0, Twins 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Keough grounded out (shortstop to first);
Kirkpatrick walked; Knoop struck out; Hedlund grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 2ND: Brye grounded out (shortstop to first); Nettles
singled to left; Dempsey grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Nettles out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Twins 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Patek made an out to second; Valdespino made an out
to second; Otis grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 3RD: Perry made an out to second; Tovar singled to left;
Carew grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Tovar out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Twins 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Hopkins singled to right; Schaal grounded out (third
to first) [Hopkins to second]; Keough grounded out (pitcher to
first); Kirkpatrick singled to left [Hopkins out at home (left
to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 4TH: Killebrew grounded out (second to first); Braun
grounded out (first unassisted); Cardenas was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Twins 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Knoop flied out to right; Hedlund made an out to
pitcher; Patek made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 5TH: Brye grounded out (pitcher to first); Nettles singled
to left; Dempsey popped to first in foul territory; Perry flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Twins 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Valdespino grounded out (shortstop to first); Otis
singled to center; Hopkins grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Otis to second]; Schaal singled to left [Otis scored, Schaal to
second (on throw)]; Keough popped to third in foul territory; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Twins 0.

TWINS 6TH: Tovar flied out to right; Carew grounded out (third
to first); Killebrew lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 1, Twins 0.

ROYALS 7TH: Kirkpatrick singled to center; Knoop doubled to left
[Kirkpatrick to third]; Hedlund made an out to shortstop; Patek
singled to left [Kirkpatrick scored, Knoop to third]; FLOYD RAN
FOR KNOOP; HAYDEL REPLACED PERRY (PITCHING); Valdespino reached
on a fielder's choice [Floyd out at home (shortstop to catcher),
Patek to second]; Haydel threw a wild pitch [Patek to third,
Valdespino to second]; Otis flied out to center; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 7TH: FLOYD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Braun grounded out
(pitcher to first); Cardenas homered; Brye singled to left;
Nettles forced Brye (second to shortstop); Dempsey flied out to
right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 1.

ROYALS 8TH: Hopkins lined to center; Schaal walked; Keough lined
to left; Kirkpatrick struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
2, Twins 1.

TWINS 8TH: OLIVA BATTED FOR HAYDEL; Oliva flied out to center;
Tovar grounded out (second to first); Carew grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 1.

ROYALS 9TH: CORBIN REPLACED OLIVA (PITCHING); Floyd lined to
center; Hedlund lined to third; Patek grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 1.

TWINS 9TH: Killebrew singled to third; SODERHOLM RAN FOR
KILLEBREW; Braun flied out to left; Cardenas made an out to
second; Brye flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
2, Twins 1.