Although in his third season with the Royals, Cookie Rojas had never hit a homer in Kansas City until the veteran infielder connected with a man on base in the seventh inning to clinch a 5-2 victory over the Athletics. Rojas' homer was the first given up by Darold Knowles to any batter this season.

However, Vida Blue was the loser after giving up the Royals' first three runs, including one scored by Rojas, who doubled in the sixth and completed his journey around the bases on a single by Amos Otis and sacrifice fly by Richie Scheinblum. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 5, Oakland Athletics 2
Game Played on Wednesday, August    9, 1972 (Night game) at Municipal Stadium
A's          0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  4  2
Royals       0  0  0    1  0  2    2  0  x  -   5  9  0


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Campaneris ss         4   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Patek ss              4   1   1   0     0   1   .232
Bando 3b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .255      Rojas 2b              4   2   2   2     0   1   .284
Rudi lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .323      Otis cf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .304
Epstein 1b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .277      Scheinblum rf         2   1   0   1     1   0   .314
Jackson cf            4   1   1   0     0   1   .253      Piniella lf           4   0   2   1     0   0   .304
Alyea rf              2   1   0   0     1   0   .162      Schaal 3b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .212
  Hegan ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .292      Hopkins 1b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .220
Duncan c              4   0   1   1     0   0   .234      Kirkpatrick c         3   0   0   0     0   1   .290
Cullen 2b             2   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Hedlund p             2   0   0   0     0   2   .207
  Mincher ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .217        Angelini p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Tenace ph           1   0   0   1     0   0   .195        Abernathy p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kubiak 2b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Blue p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .071
  Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Mangual ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .246
  Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   2   4   2     4   2             Totals               31   5   9   4     2   5

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 17,877
Left on Base: A's 6, Royals 5
DP: A's 0, Royals 1
Errors: Campaneris, Epstein
Doubles: Piniella 2 (26), Rojas (20), Patek (21), Hopkins (2)
Home Runs: Rojas (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Scheinblum (3)
GIDP: Kubiak (6)
Hit by Pitch: Epstein (7,by Abernathy)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blue L(4-7)             5.1   5   3   3   1   4   0  22   3.12
Locker                  0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.76
Knowles                 2     3   2   2   1   1   1   9   1.60
Totals                  8     9   5   5   2   5   1  34

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hedlund W(4-5)          6.1   4   2   2   2   2   0  25   3.63
Angelini                0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   1.80
Abernathy SV(1)         2.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   8   1.33
Totals                  9     4   2   2   4   2   0  35

Hit by Pitch: Abernathy (3)
Wild Pitches: Angelini (1)

Umpires: HP - Lou DiMuro, 1B - Bill Deegan, 2B - Larry McCoy, 3B - Jim Honochick


ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris flied out to center; Bando singled to
right; Rudi flied out to right; Epstein singled to right [Bando
to second]; Jackson forced Epstein (third to second); 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Patek struck out; Rojas was called out on strikes;
Otis grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 0, Royals 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Alyea grounded out (third to first); Duncan flied
out to left; Cullen lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Scheinblum made an out to second; Piniella doubled
to right [Piniella out at home (right to second to third)];
Schaal reached on an error by Campaneris; Hopkins forced Schaal
(second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Royals 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Blue struck out; Campaneris lined to pitcher;
Bando flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Kirkpatrick flied out to center; Hedlund struck out;
Patek flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Royals 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Rudi flied out to right; Epstein made an out to
third; Jackson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Rojas made an out to shortstop; Otis grounded out
(shortstop to first); Scheinblum walked; Piniella doubled to
center [Scheinblum scored]; Schaal grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Alyea lined to left; Duncan grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cullen grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Hopkins singled to left; Kirkpatrick lined to
shortstop; Hedlund struck out; Patek popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 6TH: On a bunt Blue grounded out (catcher to first);
Campaneris grounded out (third to first); Bando walked; Rudi
forced Bando (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 6TH: Rojas doubled to left; Otis singled to left [Rojas
to third]; Scheinblum hit a sacrifice fly to right [Rojas
scored]; LOCKER REPLACED BLUE (PITCHING); Piniella grounded out
(third to first) [Otis to second]; Schaal singled to shortstop
[Otis scored (error by Epstein) (no RBI)]; Hopkins flied out to
center; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 3.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Epstein grounded out (first unassisted); Jackson
singled to center; Alyea walked [Jackson to second]; Duncan
singled to left [Alyea to second, Jackson scored]; MINCHER
BATTED FOR CULLEN; ANGELINI REPLACED HEDLUND (PITCHING); TENACE
BATTED FOR MINCHER; Angelini threw a wild pitch [Duncan to
second, Alyea to third]; Tenace grounded out (shortstop to
second to first) [Alyea scored]; MANGUAL BATTED FOR LOCKER;
Mangual walked; ABERNATHY REPLACED ANGELINI (PITCHING);
Campaneris grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Athletics 2, Royals 3.

ROYALS 7TH: KUBIAK REPLACED TENACE (PLAYING 2B); KNOWLES
REPLACED MANGUAL (PITCHING); Kirkpatrick struck out; Abernathy
grounded out (shortstop to first); Patek doubled to left; Rojas
homered [Patek scored]; Otis grounded out (shortstop to first);
2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Royals 5.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Bando grounded out (pitcher to first); Rudi
grounded out (pitcher to first); Epstein was hit by a pitch;
Jackson lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 2,
Royals 5.

ROYALS 8TH: Scheinblum grounded out (third to first); Piniella
flied out to right; Schaal walked; Hopkins doubled to right
[Schaal out at home (right to second to catcher)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 2, Royals 5.

ATHLETICS 9TH: HEGAN BATTED FOR ALYEA; Hegan walked; Duncan
popped to catcher in foul territory; Kubiak grounded into a
double play (shortstop to first) [Hegan out at second]; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 2, Royals 5.