A homer by Eric Soderholm with two men on base in the sixth inning carried the Twins to a 3-2 victory over the Royals. Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew singled ahead of Soderholm's blow. [The Sporting News]



Minnesota Twins 3, Kansas City Royals 2
Game Played on Wednesday, May       31, 1972 (Night game) at Metropolitan Stadium
Royals       1  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2 11  2
Twins        0  0  0    0  0  3    0  0  x  -   3  6  2


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Patek ss              5   0   1   0     0   1   .257      Tovar rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .292
Hovley rf             4   1   1   0     1   2   .227      Thompson ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .276
Piniella lf           5   0   2   0     0   1   .322      Carew 2b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .287
Kirkpatrick c         4   0   2   1     0   0   .319      Killebrew 1b          4   1   1   0     0   0   .245
Rojas 2b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .272        Granger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
Hopkins 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .143      Darwin cf             2   0   0   0     2   0   .246
Otis cf               4   1   3   0     0   0   .252      Renick lf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .208
Schaal 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .216        Brye lf             1   0   0   0     0   0   .191
xRooker p             2   0   1   1     0   0   .000      Soderholm 3b          4   1   1   3     0   0   .187
  Mayberry ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .216      Roof c                2   0   2   0     1   0   .232
                                                          Blyleven p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .207
                                                            Reese 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200

Totals               37   2  11   2     1   4             Totals               30   3   6   3     3   3

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance:  7,686
Left on Base: Royals 10, Twins 7
DP: Royals 1, Twins 0
Errors: Patek, Schaal, Thompson, Roof
Doubles: Patek (6), Piniella (8), Otis (7)
Home Runs: Soderholm (3)
Stolen Bases: Otis 2 (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Blyleven (5)
GIDP: Renick (1)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rooker L(2-2)           8     6   3   3   3   3   1  34   3.68
Totals                  8     6   3   3   3   3   1  34

Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(7-3)         7     9   2   2   1   4   0  31   2.44
Granger SV(8)           2     2   0   0   0   0   0   8   0.73
Totals                  9    11   2   2   1   4   0  39

Umpires: HP - Dave Phillips, 1B - Jim Evans, 2B - Nestor Chylak, 3B - Larry Barnett


ROYALS 1ST: Patek was called out on strikes; Hovley walked;
Piniella singled to shortstop [Hovley to second]; Kirkpatrick
singled to right [Hovley scored, Piniella out at third (right to
third)]; Rojas flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
1, Twins 0.

TWINS 1ST: Tovar flied out to right; Thompson singled to center;
Carew forced Thompson (pitcher to shortstop); Killebrew reached
on an error by Schaal [Carew to second]; Darwin walked [Carew to
third, Killebrew to second]; Renick grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 1, Twins 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Hopkins flied out to center; Otis singled to
pitcher; Otis stole second; Schaal grounded out (second to
first) [Otis to third]; Rooker singled to right [Otis scored];
Patek doubled [Rooker to third]; Hovley struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 2ND: Soderholm grounded out (second to first); Roof
walked; Blyleven out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Roof to second]; Tovar lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 2, Twins 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Piniella was called out on strikes; Kirkpatrick
flied out to right; Rojas flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 3RD: Thompson grounded out (shortstop to first); Carew was
called out on strikes; Killebrew grounded out (third to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Hopkins flied out to right; Otis singled to center;
Schaal lined to right; Rooker reached on catcher's interference
by Roof [Otis to second]; Otis stole third; Patek flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 4TH: Darwin walked; Renick grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Darwin out at second]; Soderholm
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
2, Twins 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Hovley grounded out (second to first); Piniella
doubled to center; Kirkpatrick flied to center; Rojas grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 5TH: Roof singled to center; Blyleven forced Roof (pitcher
to shortstop); Tovar flied out to center; Thompson forced
Blyleven (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2,
Twins 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Hopkins grounded out (third to first); Otis doubled
to left; Schaal flied to right in foul territory; Rooker lined
to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 6TH: Carew singled to center; Killebrew singled to center
[Carew to third]; Darwin flied out to right; Renick was called
out on strikes; Soderholm homered [Carew scored, Killebrew
scored]; Roof singled to center; Blyleven struck out; 3 R, 4 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 3.

ROYALS 7TH: BRYE REPLACED RENICK (PLAYING LF); Patek grounded
out (pitcher to first); Hovley was called out on strikes;
Piniella reached on an error by Thompson; Kirkpatrick singled to
right [Piniella out at home (right to shortstop to catcher)]; 0
R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 3.

TWINS 7TH: Tovar lined to center; Thompson lined to center;
Carew reached on an error by Patek; Killebrew grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 3.

ROYALS 8TH: GRANGER REPLACED KILLEBREW (PITCHING); REESE
REPLACED BLYLEVEN (PLAYING 1B); Rojas singled to right; Hopkins
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Rojas to second]; Otis
grounded out (second to first) [Rojas to third]; Schaal popped
to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2,
Twins 3.

TWINS 8TH: Darwin made an out to shortstop; Brye grounded out
(third to first); Soderholm made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Twins 3.

ROYALS 9TH: MAYBERRY BATTED FOR ROOKER; Mayberry flied out to
left; Patek lined to left; Hovley singled to shortstop; Piniella
forced Hovley (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 2, Twins 3.