Bill North drove in the Athletics' tying run and scored the winning run in the sixth inning before being ejected for attacking pitcher Doug Bird in the eighth inning of a 5-4 victory over the Royals. With the Royals leading, 4-3, Dick Green doubled in the sixth and crossed the plate when North singled. North then stole second and scored on a single by Bert Campaneris.

In the eighth, North let his bat fly toward the mound, walked out and suddenly began punching Bird. Later, he disclosed that he had planned the attack in revenge for being hit by a pitched ball by Bird when both were playing in the Midwest League in 1970. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 5, Kansas City Royals 4
Game Played on Friday, May       18, 1973 (Night game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Royals       1  1  0    1  1  0    0  0  0  -   4  8  0
A's          2  0  0    0  1  2    0  0  x  -   5 12  2


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Patek ss              3   1   0   0     2   0   .225      Campaneris ss         4   2   3   1     0   0   .311
Rojas 2b              5   0   0   0     0   0   .286      Rudi lf               2   1   1   2     0   0   .242
Otis cf               5   1   1   1     0   0   .305        Mangual lf,cf       2   0   0   0     0   2   .179
Mayberry 1b           4   0   1   0     1   1   .264      Tenace 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .271
Piniella lf           4   0   1   1     0   1   .242        Hegan 1b,lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .231
McRae rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .169      Jackson rf            4   0   2   1     0   0   .297
Wohlford dh           4   2   2   1     0   0   .300      Johnson dh            4   0   1   0     0   1   .245
Schaal 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .268      Bando 3b              3   0   2   0     1   1   .252
Healy c               3   0   3   1     1   0   .270      Fosse c               3   0   1   0     0   0   .289
Busby p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Green 2b              3   1   1   0     0   0   .224
  Bird p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      North cf              3   1   1   1     0   0   .271
                                                            Marquez ph,1b       1   0   0   0     0   1   .316
                                                          Holtzman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   4   8   4     4   3             Totals               32   5  12   5     2   5

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance:  7,535
Left on Base: Royals 9, A's 7
DP: Royals 2, A's 1
Errors: Tenace, Holtzman
Doubles: Otis (9), Piniella (6), Jackson (7), Fosse (5), Green (4)
Triples: Wohlford (1)
Home Runs: Wohlford (1), Rudi (5)
Stolen Bases: Campaneris 2 (9), North (14)
Sacrifice Hits: Green (4), Fosse (3)
GIDP: Piniella (5)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Busby L(3-5)            5.2  11   5   5   2   2   1  28   4.98
Bird                    2.1   1   0   0   0   3   0   8   1.08
Totals                  8    12   5   5   2   5   1  36

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Holtzman W(8-2)         9     8   4   3   4   3   1  40   1.44
Totals                  9     8   4   3   4   3   1  40

Wild Pitches: Busby (2), Holtzman (5)

Umpires: HP - Don Denkinger, 1B - Merle Anthony, 2B - Bill Deegan, 3B - Frank Umont


ROYALS 1ST: Patek walked; Rojas grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Patek to second]; Otis doubled [Patek scored]; Mayberry walked;
Piniella was called out on strikes; McRae struck out; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris singled; Rudi homered [Campaneris
scored]; Tenace lined to first; Jackson doubled; Johnson flied
to left; Bando struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1,
Athletics 2.

ROYALS 2ND: Wohlford homered; Schaal lined to right; Healy
singled; Patek walked [Healy to second]; Rojas grounded out
(third to first) [Healy to third, Patek to second]; Otis flied
to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Fosse doubled; Green out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Fosse to third]; North popped to third in
foul territory; Campaneris grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 2.

ROYALS 3RD: Mayberry singled; Piniella grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Mayberry out at second];
McRae flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2,
Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Rudi grounded out (second to first); Tenace lined
to third; Jackson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Royals 2, Athletics 2.

ROYALS 4TH: Wohlford tripled; Schaal grounded out (second to
first); Healy singled [Wohlford scored]; Holtzman threw a wild
pitch [Healy to second]; Patek grounded out (second to first)
[Healy to third]; Rojas grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Johnson singled; Bando singled [Johnson to
second]; Fosse lined into a double play (shortstop to second)
[Johnson out at second]; Green forced Bando (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Athletics 2.

ROYALS 5TH: MANGUAL REPLACED RUDI (PLAYING LF); Otis reached on
an error by Holtzman [Otis to second]; Mayberry popped to third
in foul territory; Piniella doubled [Otis scored (unearned)];
McRae lined to right; Wohlford grounded out (pitcher to first);
1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 5TH: North grounded out (shortstop to first);
Campaneris singled; Campaneris stole second; Mangual was called
out on strikes; Tenace walked; Jackson singled [Campaneris
scored, Tenace to third]; Johnson popped to third; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 3.

ROYALS 6TH: Schaal grounded out (second to first); Healy
singled; Patek forced Healy (first to shortstop); Rojas reached
on an error by Tenace [Patek to third, Rojas to first]; Otis
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Royals
4, Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Bando walked; Fosse lined into a double play
(center to first) [Bando out at first]; Green doubled; Busby
threw a wild pitch [Green to third]; North singled [Green
scored]; North stole second; Campaneris singled [North scored];
BIRD REPLACED BUSBY (PITCHING); Campaneris stole second; Mangual
struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 5.

ROYALS 7TH: Mayberry struck out; Piniella grounded out
(shortstop to first); McRae popped to first in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 5.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Tenace grounded out (third to first); Jackson
grounded out (second to first); Johnson was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 5.

ROYALS 8TH: HEGAN REPLACED TENACE (PLAYING 1B); Wohlford lined
to first; Schaal popped to second; Healy walked; Patek grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics
5.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Bando singled; Fosse out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to second) [Bando to second]; Green grounded out (first
unassisted) [Bando to third]; MARQUEZ BATTED FOR NORTH; Marquez
struck out; Bill North ducked an inside pitch, threw his bat
at Doug Bird and then charged the mound; North ejected by HP
umpire Don Denkinger; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4,
Athletics 5.

ROYALS 9TH: MANGUAL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); HEGAN
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); MARQUEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
1B); Rojas grounded out (third to first); Otis popped to second;
Mayberry grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 4, Athletics 5.