The Royals were assured of finishing at least .500 for the best showing by any Kansas City major league club when Al Fitzmorris pitched a five-hitter and beat the Twins, 4-2. The victory was the Royals' 81st and, even if they lost all their remaining games, they would wind up at 81-81.

The Royals overcame the Twins' 2-1 lead and won the game with three runs in the fourth inning on a walk to Lou Piniella, double by Bob Oliver, single by Dennis Paepke, a wild throw by Steve Brye after fielding the hit, and a single by Fitzmorris. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 4, Minnesota Twins 2
Game Played on Saturday, September 18, 1971 (Day game) at Metropolitan Stadium
Royals       1  0  0    3  0  0    0  0  0  -   4  7  0
Twins        1  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  5  2


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Patek ss              5   1   1   0     0   0   .273      Tovar rf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .301
Schaal 3b             3   0   0   0     2   1   .268      Carew 2b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .302
Otis cf               4   0   1   1     0   1   .305      Killebrew 1b          4   0   0   1     0   1   .255
Piniella lf           3   1   1   0     1   0   .264      Braun 3b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .248
Oliver rf             3   1   1   0     1   0   .239      Cardenas ss           3   1   2   0     0   0   .269
Paepke c              4   1   1   2     0   0   .213      Brye lf               3   0   0   0     0   0   .246
Harrison 1b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .216      Nettles cf            2   0   1   0     1   0   .252
Floyd 2b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .171      Roof c                2   0   0   1     0   0   .215
Fitzmorris p          3   0   1   1     0   1   .231        Holt ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .259
                                                            Gebhard p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                          Kaat p                2   0   0   0     0   0   .174
                                                            Luebber p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .059
                                                            Alyea ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .178
                                                            Dempsey pr,c        0   0   0   0     0   0   .286

Totals               33   4   7   4     4   4             Totals               29   2   5   2     2   2

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance:  9,811
Left on Base: Royals 7, Twins 2
DP: Royals 3, Twins 1
Errors: Braun, Brye
Doubles: Otis (25), Oliver (12), Harrison (4), Cardenas (23)
Triples: Patek (11), Carew (9)
Stolen Bases: Schaal (7), Piniella (5), Nettles (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Fitzmorris (2)
GIDP: Paepke (6), Roof (10), Killebrew (21), Brye (3)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fitzmorris W(7-4)       9     5   2   2   2   2   0  31   4.06
Totals                  9     5   2   2   2   2   0  31

Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kaat L(12-13)           5     7   4   3   4   2   0  25   3.49
Luebber                 3     0   0   0   0   2   0   9   4.81
Gebhard                 1     0   0   0   0   0   0   4   3.24
Totals                  9     7   4   3   4   4   0  38

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


ROYALS 1ST: Patek tripled to center; Schaal walked; Otis doubled
to third [Patek scored, Schaal to third]; Piniella grounded out
(shortstop to first); Oliver was walked intentionally; Paepke
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Oliver
out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 1, Twins 0.

TWINS 1ST: Tovar grounded out (shortstop to first); Carew
tripled to left; Killebrew grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Carew scored]; Braun grounded out (catcher to first); 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Twins 1.

ROYALS 2ND: Harrison flied out to right; Floyd struck out;
Fitzmorris was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 1, Twins 1.

TWINS 2ND: Cardenas doubled to left; Brye flied out to right
[Cardenas to third]; Nettles walked; Nettles stole second; Roof
grounded out (second to first) [Cardenas scored, Nettles to
third]; Kaat grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 1, Twins 2.

ROYALS 3RD: Patek popped to catcher in foul territory; Schaal
grounded out (third to first); Otis grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Twins 2.

TWINS 3RD: Tovar flied out to left; Carew flied out to left;
Killebrew was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 1, Twins 2.

ROYALS 4TH: Piniella walked; Oliver doubled to left [Piniella to
third]; Paepke singled to left [Piniella scored, Oliver scored,
Paepke to second (error by Brye)]; Harrison grounded out (third
to first); Floyd grounded out (pitcher to first); Fitzmorris
singled to right [Paepke scored (unearned)]; Patek flied out to
right; 3 R (2 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Twins 2.

TWINS 4TH: Braun struck out (catcher to first); Cardenas
grounded out (third to first); Brye grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Twins 2.

ROYALS 5TH: Schaal walked; Otis flied out to right; Piniella
singled to center [Schaal to second]; Schaal stole third and
Piniella stole second; Oliver reached on a fielder's choice
[Schaal out at home (shortstop to catcher), Piniella to third];
Paepke flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 4, Twins
2.

TWINS 5TH: Nettles singled to left; Roof grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Nettles out at second];
Kaat made an out to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4,
Twins 2.

ROYALS 6TH: Harrison doubled to right; LUEBBER REPLACED KAAT
(PITCHING); Floyd flied out to right [Harrison to third]; On a
bunt Fitzmorris reached on a fielder's choice [Harrison out at
home (third to catcher)]; Patek flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Twins 2.

TWINS 6TH: Tovar singled to catcher; Carew flied out to right;
Killebrew grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Tovar out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Twins 2.

ROYALS 7TH: Schaal was called out on strikes; Otis struck out;
Piniella grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 4, Twins 2.

TWINS 7TH: Braun made an out to third; Cardenas singled to
right; Brye grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Cardenas out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
4, Twins 2.

ROYALS 8TH: Oliver flied out to left; Paepke made an out to
second; Harrison lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
4, Twins 2.

TWINS 8TH: Nettles grounded out (third to first); HOLT BATTED
FOR ROOF; Holt grounded out (second to first); ALYEA BATTED FOR
LUEBBER; Alyea walked; DEMPSEY RAN FOR ALYEA; Tovar forced
Dempsey (second to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4,
Twins 2.

ROYALS 9TH: DEMPSEY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); GEBHARD
REPLACED HOLT (PITCHING); Floyd reached on an error by Braun
[Floyd to first]; Fitzmorris out on a sacrifice bunt (first to
second) [Floyd to second]; Patek flied out to center; Schaal
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Twins 2.

TWINS 9TH: Carew made an out to shortstop; Killebrew grounded
out (shortstop to first); Braun grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Twins 2.