A wild throw by Paul Schaal on a bunt in the ninth inning permitted Allan Lewis to score from second base and gave the Athletics a 2-1 victory over the Royals. John Mayberry homered for the Royals in the fourth, but the A's tied the score in their half on a single by Joe Rudi, a wild pitch and double by Reggie Jackson.

Matty Alou doubled in the ninth and yielded the paths to Lewis. Rudi was passed intentionally. Jackson then bunted down the third base line to Schaal, who tried to force Lewis with a throw to shortstop Freddie Patek covering the bag, but his aim was bad and the ball went off into left field as Lewis continued his journey to the plate. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 2, Kansas City Royals 1
Game Played on Saturday, September 23, 1972 (Day game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Royals       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  4  1
A's          0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  1  -   2  5  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Schaal 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .227      Campaneris ss         4   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Otis cf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .294      Alou rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .306
Scheinblum rf         1   0   0   0     2   0   .308        Lewis pr            0   1   0   0     0   0   .250
x  Keough pr,rf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Rudi lf               3   1   2   0     1   0   .311
Mayberry 1b           2   1   1   1     2   0   .293      Jackson cf            3   0   1   1     0   0   .262
Piniella lf           1   0   0   0     0   1   .308      Tenace c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .216
  Hovley lf           2   0   0   0     1   0   .266      Epstein 1b            1   0   0   0     1   1   .276
Taylor c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .275      Bando 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Rojas 2b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .263      Green 2b              1   0   0   0     0   0   .242
Patek ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .217        Mangual ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .240
Splittorff p          3   0   0   0     1   0   .235        Kubiak 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .202
                                                            Hendrick ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .164
                                                            Maxvill 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
                                                          Hunter p              2   0   1   0     0   1   .202
                                                            Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .273
                                                            Fingers p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .294

Totals               28   1   4   1     6   1             Totals               27   2   5   1     2   2

Time of Game: 2:15   Attendance:  7,062
Left on Base: Royals 8, A's 5
DP: Royals 2, A's 1
Errors: Schaal, Tenace
Doubles: Jackson (23), Alou (3)
Home Runs: Mayberry (23)
Sacrifice Hits: Patek (6), Jackson (4)
GIDP: Mayberry (11), Bando (12), Campaneris (9)
Hit by Pitch: Epstein (10,by Splittorff)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Splittorff L(11-12)     8     5   2   1   2   2   0  31   3.17
Totals                  8     5   2   1   2   2   0  31

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hunter                  7     4   1   1   5   1   1  30   2.05
Knowles                 0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   1.13
Fingers W(9-8)          1.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.57
Totals                  9     4   1   1   6   1   1  36

Hit by Pitch: Splittorff (4)
Wild Pitches: Splittorff (6)

Umpires: HP - Bill Kunkel, 1B - Red Flaherty, 2B - Bill Haller, 3B - Jerry Neudecker


ROYALS 1ST: Schaal grounded out (shortstop to first); Otis
grounded out (third to first); Scheinblum walked; Mayberry
walked [Scheinblum to second]; Piniella was called out on
strikes; Lou Piniella ejected by HP umpire Bill Kunkel; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: HOVLEY REPLACED PINIELLA (PLAYING LF); Campaneris
flied out to right; Alou grounded out (first unassisted); Rudi
singled to right; Jackson grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Taylor grounded out (shortstop to first); Rojas made
an out to first; Patek lined to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Tenace grounded out (shortstop to first); Epstein
was hit by a pitch; Bando grounded into a double play (pitcher
to shortstop to first) [Epstein out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Splittorff flied out to right; Schaal popped to
first in foul territory; Otis grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Green grounded out (shortstop to first); Hunter
singled to center; Campaneris grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [Hunter out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Scheinblum made an out to shortstop; Mayberry
homered; Hovley grounded out (third to first); Taylor lined to
third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Alou grounded out (pitcher to first); Rudi
singled to right; Splittorff threw a wild pitch [Rudi to
second]; Jackson doubled to right [Rudi scored]; Tenace flied
out to center; Epstein walked; Bando made an out to shortstop; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Rojas grounded out (third to first); Patek flied out
to center; Splittorff walked; Schaal singled to right
[Splittorff out at third (right to third)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 5TH: MANGUAL BATTED FOR GREEN; Mangual flied out to
center; Hunter struck out; Campaneris grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 6TH: KUBIAK REPLACED MANGUAL (PLAYING 2B); Otis flied out
to center; Scheinblum walked; KEOUGH RAN FOR SCHEINBLUM;
Mayberry walked [Keough to second]; Hovley popped to third in
foul territory; Taylor grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 6TH: KEOUGH STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Alou grounded
out (second to first); Rudi flied out to center; Jackson
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
1, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 7TH: Rojas singled to right; Patek out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Rojas to second]; Splittorff grounded
out (first unassisted) [Rojas to third]; Schaal flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Tenace flied out to center; Epstein was called
out on strikes; Bando grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 8TH: Otis singled to left; Keough reached on catcher's
interference by Tenace [Otis to second]; Athletics Manager
Dick Williams ejected by 1B umpire Red Flaherty; KNOWLES
REPLACED HUNTER (PITCHING); Mayberry grounded into a double play
(first to shortstop to first) [Otis to third, Keough out at
second]; Hovley walked; FINGERS REPLACED KNOWLES (PITCHING);
Taylor popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Royals 1, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 8TH: HENDRICK BATTED FOR KUBIAK; Hendrick flied out to
center; Fingers flied out to center; Campaneris grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics
1.

ROYALS 9TH: MAXVILL REPLACED HENDRICK (PLAYING 2B); Rojas popped
to third in foul territory; Patek flied out to center;
Splittorff popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 9TH: Alou doubled to right; LEWIS RAN FOR ALOU; Rudi
was walked intentionally; Jackson reached on a fielder's choice
on a sacrifice bunt [Lewis scored (error by Schaal) (unearned)
(no RBI), Rudi to second]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Royals
1, Athletics 2.