Sparked by Harmon Killebrew, who started the scoring with a two-run homer, the Twins won the first game of a doubleheader, 6-2, but the Royals came back with a four-run outburst in the fifth inning to capture the second game, 5-3. After Killebrew's clout in the third inning of the opener, the Twins added a pair in the sixth. George Mitterwald drove in one with a double and scored himself on a single by Jim Perry. The Twins counted their last two runs in the ninth. Gail Hopkins homered for the Royals.

The Royals' big inning in the nightcap started with a triple by Rich Severson, walk to Bobby Floyd and two-run double by Paul Schaal. Joe Keough singled, scoring Schaal. After a double by Hopkins, Bob Oliver hit a sacrifice fly. [The Sporting News]

Minnesota Twins 6, Kansas City Royals 2 (Game 1)

Game Played on Sunday, September 26, 1971 (Day game) at Municipal Stadium

Twins        0  0  2    0  0  2    0  0  2  -   6 15  0
Royals       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  6  1


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Tovar rf              5   2   3   0     0   1   .311      Patek ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .267
Braun 3b              4   1   1   0     1   0   .251      Valdespino rf         4   0   0   0     0   0   .339
Killebrew 1b          4   1   2   2     1   1   .259      Otis cf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .301
Carew 2b              5   0   3   1     0   1   .305      Hopkins 1b            4   1   1   1     0   0   .284
Cardenas ss           5   0   2   1     0   0   .269      Schaal 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .269
Holt cf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .260      Piniella lf           3   1   2   0     0   0   .276
  Renick ph,lf        1   0   0   0     0   1   .237      Kirkpatrick c         2   0   1   0     0   0   .219
Brye lf,cf            5   1   1   0     0   1   .215        Martinez c          1   0   1   0     0   0   .158
Mitterwald c          3   1   1   1     1   1   .252      Knoop 2b              2   0   0   1     0   0   .201
Perry p               4   0   1   1     0   0   .185      Drago p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .130
  Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Keough ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Abernathy p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .091
                                                            Burgmeier p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .250

Totals               40   6  15   6     3   6             Totals               31   2   6   2     0   1

Time of Game: 2:15
Left on Base: Twins 10, Royals 3
DP: Twins 0, Royals 1
Errors: Valdespino
Doubles: Mitterwald (13), Piniella (21)
Home Runs: Killebrew (28), Hopkins (9)
Caught Stealing: Tovar (14), Kirkpatrick (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Knoop (2)
GIDP: Perry (4)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Perry W(17-17)          8     5   2   2   0   1   1  28   4.23
Hall SV(9)              1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   3.30
Totals                  9     6   2   2   0   1   1  32

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Drago L(17-11)          8    12   4   4   2   4   1  36   2.98
Abernathy               0.1   3   2   2   1   1   0   5   2.64
Burgmeier               0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   1.75
Totals                  9    15   6   6   3   6   1  43

Wild Pitches: Drago (4)

Umpires: HP - George Maloney, 1B - Jim Evans, 2B - Hank Soar, 3B - Larry Barnett


TWINS 1ST: Tovar singled to left; Tovar was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Braun made an out to shortstop;
Killebrew singled to center; Carew singled to center [Killebrew
to second]; Cardenas lined to shortstop; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Twins 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Patek grounded out (third to first); Valdespino
grounded out (shortstop to first); Otis grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

TWINS 2ND: Holt grounded out (third to first); Brye singled to
left; Mitterwald was called out on strikes; Perry grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Hopkins grounded out (second to first); Schaal flied
out to center; Piniella doubled to left; Kirkpatrick grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

TWINS 3RD: Tovar singled to left; Drago threw a wild pitch
[Tovar to second]; Braun lined to center; Killebrew homered
[Tovar scored]; Carew struck out; Cardenas grounded out (pitcher
to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Knoop flied out to right; Drago flied out to right;
Patek flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2,
Royals 0.

TWINS 4TH: Holt singled to right [Holt to second (error by
Valdespino)]; Brye struck out; Mitterwald flied out to right;
Perry flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals
0.

ROYALS 4TH: Valdespino flied out to left; Otis grounded out
(shortstop to first); Hopkins homered; Schaal flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals 1.

TWINS 5TH: Tovar struck out; Braun grounded out (shortstop to
first); Killebrew walked; Carew grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Piniella grounded out (shortstop to first);
Kirkpatrick singled to second; Kirkpatrick was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Knoop lined to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals 1.

TWINS 6TH: Cardenas singled to third; Holt forced Cardenas
(pitcher to second); Brye forced Holt (third to second);
Mitterwald doubled to center [Brye scored]; Perry singled to
right [Mitterwald scored]; Tovar grounded out (shortstop to
first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 1.

ROYALS 6TH: Drago struck out; Patek popped to shortstop;
Valdespino flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 4,
Royals 1.

TWINS 7TH: MARTINEZ REPLACED KIRKPATRICK (PLAYING C ); Braun
singled to right; Killebrew flied out to left; Carew singled to
center [Braun to second]; Cardenas flied out to right; Holt
forced Carew (second to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins
4, Royals 1.

ROYALS 7TH: Otis grounded out (shortstop to first); Hopkins
grounded out (shortstop to first); Schaal grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 1.

TWINS 8TH: Brye popped to catcher in foul territory; Mitterwald
walked; Perry grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop
to first) [Mitterwald out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 4, Royals 1.

ROYALS 8TH: Piniella singled to left; Martinez singled to center
[Piniella to third]; Knoop hit a sacrifice fly to left [Piniella
scored]; KEOUGH BATTED FOR DRAGO; Keough forced Martinez (second
to shortstop); Patek popped to catcher in foul territory; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 2.

TWINS 9TH: ABERNATHY REPLACED KEOUGH (PITCHING); Tovar singled
to center; Braun walked [Tovar to second]; Killebrew struck out;
Carew singled to right [Tovar scored, Braun to third]; Cardenas
singled to third [Braun scored, Carew to second]; BURGMEIER
REPLACED ABERNATHY (PITCHING); RENICK BATTED FOR HOLT; Renick
struck out; Brye grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Twins 6, Royals 2.

ROYALS 9TH: HALL REPLACED PERRY (PITCHING); RENICK STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING LF); BRYE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF);
Valdespino grounded out (second to first); Otis singled to
center; Hopkins forced Otis (first to shortstop); Schaal flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 6, Royals 2.

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