Denny McLain, making his first start for the A's, won, 3-2, with help from Darold Knowles and Rollie Fingers. McLain was lifted after Cookie Rojas and Amos Otis singled in the eighth inning.

Knowles struck out John Mayberry. Fingers then took over and induced Lou Piniella to ground into a double play. Mike Epstein and Dave Duncan homered for the Athletics. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 3, Kansas City Royals 2
Game Played on Tuesday, April     18, 1972 (Night game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Royals       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  0
A's          0  1  0    1  0  0    1  0  x  -   3  6  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Schaal 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .077      Campaneris ss         2   0   0   0     2   0   .100
Rojas 2b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .250      Rudi lf               4   0   1   0     0   2   .154
Otis cf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .333      Jackson rf            3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Mayberry 1b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Bando 3b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .273
Piniella lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Epstein 1b            3   1   1   1     1   0   .143
Oliver rf             4   1   0   0     0   1   .250        Hegan 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
May c                 4   1   2   0     0   0   .250      Brooks cf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .100
Floyd ss              3   0   1   2     0   0   .133      Duncan c              3   1   1   1     0   1   .429
  Hopkins ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Green 2b              2   0   2   0     1   0   .667
Hedlund p             3   0   1   0     0   1   .333      McLain p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Nelson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   2   8   2     0   4             Totals               25   3   6   2     5   4

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance:  4,494
Left on Base: Royals 6, A's 5
DP: Royals 2, A's 1
Errors: Bando
Doubles: May 2 (3), Green (1)
Home Runs: Epstein (1), Duncan (2)
Caught Stealing: Green (1)
Sacrifice Hits: McLain 2 (2)
GIDP: Piniella (2), Rudi (2), Brooks (2)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hedlund L(0-1)          7     6   3   3   4   3   2  28   3.86
Nelson                  1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   0.00
Totals                  8     6   3   3   5   4   2  32

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McLain W(1-0)           7     8   2   0   0   2   0  30   0.00
Knowles                 0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   0.00
Fingers SV(1)           1.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.45
Totals                  9     8   2   0   0   4   0  35

Balks: Hedlund (1)

Umpires: HP - Russ Goetz, 1B - Hank Morgenweck, 2B - John Rice, 3B - Marty Springstead


ROYALS 1ST: Athletics Manager Dick Williams ejected by 2B
umpire John Rice sometime in game; Schaal grounded out
(pitcher to first); Rojas singled to center; Otis struck out;
Mayberry grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris walked; Rudi grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Campaneris out at second];
Jackson grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Piniella grounded out (shortstop to first); Oliver
flied out to center; May doubled to left; Floyd flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Bando singled to center; Epstein walked [Bando to
second]; Brooks grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Bando to third, Epstein out at second]; Hedlund
balked [Bando scored]; Duncan struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 3RD: Hedlund singled; Schaal grounded out (second to
first) [Hedlund to second]; Rojas flied out to left; Otis made
an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics
1.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Green doubled to left; McLain out on a sacrifice
bunt (first unassisted) [Green to third]; Green was caught
stealing home (catcher to third); Campaneris walked; Rudi
singled [Campaneris to third]; Jackson popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 4TH: Mayberry flied out to right; Piniella flied out to
left; Oliver reached on an error by Bando; May doubled to left
[Oliver to third]; Floyd singled to right [Oliver scored
(unearned), May scored (unearned)]; Hedlund grounded out
(pitcher to first); 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2,
Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Bando flied out to right; Epstein homered; Brooks
grounded out (third to first); Duncan flied out to left; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 2.

ROYALS 5TH: Schaal flied out to right; Rojas grounded out
(pitcher to first); Otis flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Green singled; On a bunt McLain popped to first
in foul territory; Campaneris flied out to left; Rudi was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 2.

ROYALS 6TH: Mayberry singled to center; Piniella flied out to
left; Oliver flied out to center; May flied out to center; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Jackson popped to catcher in foul territory;
Bando flied out to left; Epstein flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 2.

ROYALS 7TH: Floyd lined to shortstop; Hedlund struck out; Schaal
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Brooks was called out on strikes; Duncan homered;
Green walked; McLain out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Green to second]; Campaneris flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 3.

ROYALS 8TH: Rojas singled; Otis singled [Rojas to second];
KNOWLES REPLACED MCLAIN (PITCHING); Mayberry was called out on
strikes; FINGERS REPLACED KNOWLES (PITCHING); Piniella grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Otis out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 8TH: NELSON REPLACED HEDLUND (PITCHING); Rudi struck
out; Jackson walked; Bando flied out to center; Epstein made an
out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 3.

ROYALS 9TH: HEGAN REPLACED EPSTEIN (PLAYING 1B); Oliver struck
out; May popped to first in foul territory; HOPKINS BATTED FOR
FLOYD; Hopkins flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 2, Athletics 3.