The Athletics, after losing the first game of a doubleheader, 4-2, scored an unearned run in the ninth inning of the second game to defeat the Royals, 2-1. As a result of the split, the A's lead was shaved to 3½ games over the White Sox in the West Division race. The Royals had a homer by Paul Schaal in the third inning of the opener and added their three other runs on singles by John Mayberry, Lou Piniella, Carl Taylor, Cookie Rojas and Bobby Floyd in the seventh. The A's rallied for their pair in the ninth before Ted Abernathy came in for Monty Montgomery and retired Sal Bando for the final out.

In the nightcap, Matty Alou singled for the A's in the ninth but was out trying for third on a single by Reggie Jackson. After stealing second, Jackson also pilfered third while Mike Epstein was taking ball four on an intentional pass. The Royals then walked Gene Tenace on purpose. Bando followed with a fly to Steve Hovley and when the right fielder threw poorly to the plate, Jackson scored the A's winning run. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 4, Oakland Athletics 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, September 24, 1972 (Day game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Royals       0  0  1    0  0  0    3  0  0  -   4  7  1
A's          0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   2  7  2


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Schaal 3b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .228      Campaneris ss         4   0   0   0     0   1   .243
Otis cf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .292      Rudi lf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .312
Scheinblum rf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .308      Alou rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .305
  Hovley rf           3   0   1   0     0   0   .267      Jackson cf            4   1   2   1     0   1   .264
Mayberry 1b           3   1   1   0     1   2   .293      Epstein 1b            4   0   1   1     0   0   .276
Piniella lf           4   1   1   0     0   0   .308      Bando 3b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .235
Kirkpatrick c         0   0   0   0     2   0   .269      Duncan c              3   0   0   0     0   1   .222
  Taylor ph,c         2   1   1   1     0   0   .280      Green 2b              2   0   0   0     0   1   .229
Rojas 2b              4   0   1   1     0   1   .262        Hegan ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .315
Floyd ss              3   0   1   0     0   0   .173        Cullen 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .254
Montgomery p          3   0   0   0     0   3   .188      Odom p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .127
  Abernathy p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Marquez ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .429
                                                            Lewis pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .273
                                                            Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Mincher ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .216
                                                            Horlen p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .133

Totals               31   4   7   3     3   7             Totals               32   2   7   2     1   4

Time of Game: 2:33
Left on Base: Royals 3, A's 4
DP: Royals 2, A's 2
Errors: Floyd, Jackson, Bando
Doubles: Rudi (30), Epstein (18)
Home Runs: Schaal (6)
Stolen Bases: Kirkpatrick (3), Lewis (6)
Caught Stealing: Hovley (3)
GIDP: Piniella (25), Rojas (16), Alou (1), Epstein (6)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Montgomery W(3-2)       8.2   7   2   2   1   4   0  32   2.42
Abernathy SV(5)         0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1.73
Totals                  9     7   2   2   1   4   0  33

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Odom L(14-6)            6     1   1   1   3   5   1  20   2.43
Knowles                 0.1   2   2   2   0   0   0   3   1.41
Locker                  1.2   4   1   1   0   2   0   8   2.15
Horlen                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.67
Totals                  9     7   4   4   3   7   1  34

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


ROYALS 1ST: Schaal made an out to second; Otis grounded out
(catcher to first); Scheinblum flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris flied out to center; Rudi popped to
catcher in foul territory; Alou popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Mayberry walked; Piniella grounded into a double
play (shortstop to first) [Mayberry out at second]; Kirkpatrick
walked; Kirkpatrick stole second; Rojas struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: HOVLEY REPLACED SCHEINBLUM (PLAYING RF); Jackson
grounded out (second to first); Epstein flied out to left; Bando
walked; Duncan struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0,
Athletics 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Floyd grounded out (third to first); Montgomery
struck out; Schaal homered; Otis was called out on strikes; 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Green grounded out (third to first); Odom
grounded out (shortstop to first); Campaneris was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Hovley grounded out (pitcher to first); Mayberry
struck out; Piniella flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Rudi flied out to left; Alou singled to shortstop
[Alou to second (error by Floyd)]; Jackson struck out; Epstein
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Kirkpatrick walked; Rojas grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Kirkpatrick out at second];
Floyd grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Bando popped to third in foul territory; Duncan
flied out to center; Green was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Montgomery was called out on strikes; Schaal
grounded out (second to first); Otis made an out to shortstop; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 6TH: MARQUEZ BATTED FOR ODOM; On a bunt Marquez
singled to third; LEWIS RAN FOR MARQUEZ; Lewis stole second;
Campaneris flied out to right; Rudi singled to shortstop [Lewis
stayed at second]; Alou grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Rudi out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 7TH: KNOWLES REPLACED LEWIS (PITCHING); Hovley grounded
out (pitcher to first); Mayberry singled to center; Piniella
singled to left [Mayberry to second]; TAYLOR BATTED FOR
KIRKPATRICK; LOCKER REPLACED KNOWLES (PITCHING); Taylor singled
to center [Mayberry scored, Piniella scored (error by Jackson)
(no RBI), Taylor to third]; Rojas singled to left [Taylor
scored]; Floyd singled to right [Rojas to third]; Bando dropped
a foul fly hit by Montgomery for an error; Montgomery struck
out; Schaal grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 5 H, 2 E, 2
LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 7TH: TAYLOR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Jackson
singled to right; Epstein grounded into a double play (second to
first to shortstop) [Jackson out at second]; Bando grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 8TH: Otis flied out to left; Hovley singled to right;
Hovley was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Mayberry
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Duncan flied out to left; HEGAN BATTED FOR GREEN;
Hegan grounded out (second to first); MINCHER BATTED FOR LOCKER;
Mincher flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4,
Athletics 0.

ROYALS 9TH: HORLEN REPLACED MINCHER (PITCHING); CULLEN REPLACED
HEGAN (PLAYING 2B); Piniella grounded out (second to first);
Taylor grounded out (shortstop to first); Rojas grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 9TH: Campaneris flied out to right; Rudi doubled to
left; Alou lined to right; Jackson singled to center [Rudi
scored]; Epstein doubled to left [Jackson scored]; ABERNATHY
REPLACED MONTGOMERY (PITCHING); Bando lined to right; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 2.