The first shutout of Roger Nelson's major league career saw the Royals' righthander pitch a four-hitter and defeat the Tigers, 1-0. The Royals decided the outcome of Nelson's duel with Bill Slayback by scoring in the first inning.

Amos Otis beat out a bunt and stole second with two out. After Richie Scheinblum walked, John Mayberry bounced an infield hit off Slayback's glove. Scrambling after the ball, Slayback then threw wildly to first, allowing Otis to score. However, the run was earned because Ed Kirkpatrick, the next batter, drew a walk which would have forced in the run before Cookie Rojas flied out. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 1, Detroit Tigers 0
Game Played on Tuesday, July      4, 1972 (Night game) at Municipal Stadium
Tigers       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1
Royals       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   1  7  0


Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
McAuliffe 2b          4   0   1   0     0   1   .225      Patek ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .231
Rodriguez 3b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .231      Otis cf               4   1   2   0     0   1   .305
Northrup rf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .256      Piniella lf           3   0   2   0     1   0   .314
Freehan c             4   0   1   0     0   1   .283      Scheinblum rf         3   0   0   0     1   1   .331
Cash 1b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .256      Mayberry 1b           4   0   2   0     0   0   .300
Horton lf             2   0   0   0     1   0   .238      Kirkpatrick c         1   0   0   0     3   0   .299
Stanley cf            3   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Rojas 2b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .295
Brinkman ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .194      Floyd 3b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .185
Slayback p            2   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Nelson p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .250
  G. Brown ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .237
  Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .077

Totals               31   0   4   0     1   4             Totals               28   1   7   0     5   4

Time of Game: 2:08   Attendance: 10,762
Left on Base: Tigers 5, Royals 9
DP: Tigers 1, Royals 0
Errors: Slayback
Stolen Bases: Northrup (2), Otis (12)
Caught Stealing: Kirkpatrick (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Nelson (1)
GIDP: Scheinblum (6)


Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Slayback L(1-2)         7     7   1   1   4   4   0  31   1.93
Scherman                1     0   0   0   1   0   0   3   2.60
Totals                  8     7   1   1   5   4   0  34

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Nelson W(2-2)           9     4   0   0   1   4   0  32   1.06
Totals                  9     4   0   0   1   4   0  32

Umpires: HP - Jim Odom, 1B - Don Denkinger, 2B - Ron Luciano, 3B - Frank Umont


TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe struck out; Rodriguez flied out to center;
Northrup singled to left; Northrup stole second; Freehan struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Patek grounded out (third to first); Otis singled to
center; Otis stole second; Piniella flied out to right;
Scheinblum walked; Mayberry singled to pitcher [Scheinblum to
third, Otis scored (error by Slayback) (no RBI)]; Kirkpatrick
walked [Mayberry to second]; Rojas flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H,
1 E, 3 LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.

TIGERS 2ND: Cash grounded out (shortstop to first); Horton flied
out to right; Stanley grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 2ND: Floyd struck out; Nelson grounded out (third to
first); Patek flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers
0, Royals 1.

TIGERS 3RD: Brinkman flied out to center; Slayback struck out;
McAuliffe made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 3RD: Otis flied out to left; Piniella walked; Scheinblum
struck out; Mayberry singled to right [Piniella to third];
Kirkpatrick walked [Mayberry to second]; Rojas grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Rodriguez grounded out (shortstop to first);
Northrup grounded out (second to first); Freehan singled to
center; Cash singled to right [Freehan to second]; Horton walked
[Freehan to third, Cash to second]; Stanley grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 4TH: Floyd flied out to center; Nelson was called out on
strikes; Patek flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 0, Royals 1.

TIGERS 5TH: Brinkman grounded out (pitcher to first); Slayback
struck out; McAuliffe singled to right; Rodriguez grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Otis singled to left; Piniella singled to right
[Otis to second]; Scheinblum grounded out (first unassisted)
[Piniella to second, Otis to third]; Mayberry popped to first in
foul territory; Kirkpatrick flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.

TIGERS 6TH: Northrup made an out to shortstop; Freehan flied out
to left; Cash grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 6TH: Rojas singled to right; Floyd flied out to right;
Nelson out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Rojas to
second]; Patek grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.

TIGERS 7TH: Horton flied out to center; Stanley flied out to
center; Brinkman made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 7TH: Otis struck out; Piniella singled to left;
Scheinblum grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Piniella out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers
0, Royals 1.

TIGERS 8TH: G. BROWN BATTED FOR SLAYBACK; G. Brown flied out to
left; McAuliffe made an out to third; Rodriguez flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 8TH: SCHERMAN REPLACED G. BROWN (PITCHING); Mayberry
grounded out (shortstop to first); Kirkpatrick walked;
Kirkpatrick was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Rojas flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 0,
Royals 1.

TIGERS 9TH: Northrup flied out to left; Freehan grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cash flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Tigers 0, Royals 1.