A two-run double by Curt Blefary in the ninth inning gave the Athletics an 8-7 victory over the Royals in their last game of the regular season. Bob Oliver hit two homers, driving in four runs for the Royals, and Paul Schaal accounted for two RBIs with a homer and single.

The A's, who were losing, 7-6, loaded the bases in the ninth on a single by Dick Green, throwing error by Ted Abernathy on a bunt by George Hendrick, and an intentional pass to Dwain Anderson. Tom Burgmeier, relieving, retired Mike Hegan and Reggie Jackson to come within one of saving the game, but Blefary won it for the A's with his double. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 8, Kansas City Royals 7
Game Played on Wednesday, September 29, 1971 (Day game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Royals       1  0  0    2  1  2    0  1  0  -   7 11  2
A's          0  0  1    0  0  0    3  2  2  -   8  9  0


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Floyd ss              5   0   1   0     0   2   .152      Campaneris ss         2   0   0   1     0   0   .251
Schaal 3b             4   1   2   2     0   0   .274        Anderson ss         1   0   0   0     1   0   .270
Kirkpatrick cf        4   1   1   0     0   0   .219      Rudi lf               3   0   1   0     0   0   .267
Hopkins 1b            3   1   0   0     1   0   .278        Segui p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .085
Piniella lf           4   1   2   1     0   0   .279        Hegan 1b            2   1   0   0     0   1   .226
Oliver rf             3   2   2   4     1   0   .244      Jackson rf            5   0   0   0     0   2   .277
Martinez c            4   0   1   0     0   0   .152      Davis 1b              3   1   1   0     0   0   .324
Severson 2b           2   0   0   0     0   1   .300        Grant p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .273
  Knoop 2b            2   0   1   0     0   0   .205        Blefary ph,lf       2   1   2   2     0   0   .212
Fitzmorris p          3   1   1   0     0   2   .250      Bando 3b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .271
  Abernathy p         1   0   0   0     0   1   .077        Brown 3b            2   1   1   1     0   0   .201
  Burgmeier p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Mangual cf            2   0   0   0     0   0   .286
                                                            Monday cf           2   0   1   1     0   0   .245
                                                            Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                          Duncan c              2   0   0   0     0   0   .253
                                                            Tenace c            1   1   0   0     1   0   .274
                                                          Green 2b              4   2   3   2     0   0   .244
                                                          Dobson p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .197
                                                            Garrett ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            Hendrick lf,cf      1   1   0   0     0   0   .237

Totals               35   7  11   7     2   6             Totals               35   8   9   7     2   3

Time of Game: 2:13   Attendance:  1,415
Left on Base: Royals 3, A's 6
DP: Royals 0, A's 2
Errors: Knoop, Abernathy
Doubles: Fitzmorris (1), Knoop (8), Green 2 (14), Blefary (3)
Home Runs: Schaal (11), Oliver 2 (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Dobson (5), Hendrick (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Campaneris (6)
GIDP: Kirkpatrick (11), Oliver (13)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fitzmorris              6.2   4   4   4   1   1   0  26   4.19
Abernathy L(4-6)        1.1   4   4   0   1   1   0  11   2.56
Burgmeier               0.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   3   1.73
Totals                  8.2   9   8   4   2   3   0  40

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dobson                  6     8   6   6   2   2   3  26   3.81
Segui                   1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   3.14
Grant                   1     2   1   1   0   0   0   4   3.17
Locker W(7-2)           1     1   0   0   0   2   0   4   2.88
Totals                  9    11   7   7   2   6   3  37

Wild Pitches: Fitzmorris (15)

Umpires: HP - Larry McCoy, 1B - Bill Haller, 2B - Marty Springstead, 3B - Frank Umont


ROYALS 1ST: Floyd flied out to right; Schaal homered;
Kirkpatrick made an out to shortstop; Hopkins grounded out
(first to pitcher); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris grounded out (second to first); Rudi
singled to second; Jackson struck out; Davis forced Rudi
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1,
Athletics 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Piniella grounded out (shortstop to first); Oliver
walked; Martinez singled to shortstop [Oliver to second]; Oliver
was picked off second (pitcher to second); Severson flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Bando grounded out (shortstop to first); Mangual
grounded out (pitcher to first); Duncan grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Fitzmorris was called out on strikes; Floyd grounded
out (second to first); Schaal lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Green doubled to right; Dobson out on a sacrifice
bunt (first unassisted) [Green to third]; Campaneris hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Green scored]; Rudi grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 4TH: Kirkpatrick flied out to right; Hopkins walked;
Piniella lined to left; Oliver homered [Hopkins scored];
Martinez grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 3, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Jackson grounded out (second to first); Davis
flied out to right; Bando flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 3, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Severson struck out; Fitzmorris doubled to center;
Floyd singled to right [Fitzmorris to third]; Schaal singled to
left [Fitzmorris scored, Floyd to second]; Kirkpatrick grounded
into a double play (shortstop to first) [Schaal out at second];
1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 5TH: KNOOP REPLACED SEVERSON (PLAYING 2B); Mangual
lined to center; Duncan popped to catcher in foul territory;
Green grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 4, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 6TH: TENACE REPLACED DUNCAN (PLAYING C ); BROWN REPLACED
BANDO (PLAYING 3B); MONDAY REPLACED MANGUAL (PLAYING CF);
Hopkins grounded out (first to pitcher); Piniella singled to
left; Oliver homered [Piniella scored]; Martinez flied out to
left; Knoop flied out to right; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 6,
Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 6TH: GARRETT BATTED FOR DOBSON; Garrett grounded out
(first to pitcher); Campaneris grounded out (third to first);
Rudi grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 6, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 7TH: HENDRICK REPLACED GARRETT (PLAYING LF); SEGUI
REPLACED RUDI (PITCHING); ANDERSON REPLACED CAMPANERIS (PLAYING
SS); Fitzmorris was called out on strikes; Floyd was called out
on strikes; Schaal grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 6, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Jackson flied out to left; Davis singled to left;
Brown reached on a fielder's choice [Davis to second]; Monday
grounded out (second to pitcher) [Davis to third, Brown to
second]; Fitzmorris threw a wild pitch [Davis scored, Brown to
third]; Tenace walked; Green doubled to right [Brown scored,
Tenace scored]; ABERNATHY REPLACED FITZMORRIS (PITCHING);
Hendrick lined to right; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 6,
Athletics 4.

ROYALS 8TH: HEGAN REPLACED SEGUI (PLAYING 1B); GRANT REPLACED
DAVIS (PITCHING); Kirkpatrick singled to center; Hopkins
grounded out (first to second to pitcher) [Kirkpatrick to
second]; Piniella singled to center [Kirkpatrick scored]; Oliver
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Piniella out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 7,
Athletics 4.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Anderson grounded out (pitcher to first); Hegan
reached on an error by Knoop [Hegan to first]; Jackson struck
out; BLEFARY BATTED FOR GRANT; Blefary singled to right [Hegan
to second]; Brown singled to center [Hegan scored (unearned),
Blefary to second]; Monday singled to center [Blefary scored
(unearned), Brown to second]; Tenace flied out to right; 2 R (0
ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 7, Athletics 6.

ROYALS 9TH: LOCKER REPLACED MONDAY (PITCHING); BLEFARY STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING LF); HENDRICK CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF);
Martinez grounded out (shortstop to first); Knoop doubled to
left; Abernathy struck out; Floyd struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 7, Athletics 6.

ATHLETICS 9TH: Green singled to right; Hendrick reached on an
error by Abernathy on a sacrifice bunt [Green to third, Hendrick
to second]; Anderson was walked intentionally; BURGMEIER
REPLACED ABERNATHY (PITCHING); Hegan was called out on strikes;
Jackson flied out to center; Blefary doubled to center [Green
scored (unearned), Hendrick scored (unearned), Anderson to
third]; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 7, Athletics 8.