After winning only five of 22 exhibition games in spring training, the Twins opened their season by defeating the Royals, 6-4, in 11 innings. With a crowd of 31,781 on hand, the Royals fell behind, 4-2, before tying the score in the seventh inning on a double by Hal McRae, pass to Paul Schaal, a sacrifice, infield out by Freddie Patek and single by Jim Wohlford.

Lindy McDaniel, making his debut with the Royals, was on the mound in the 11th when the Twins broke the deadlock. A safe bunt by Jerry Terrell, pass to Sergio Ferrer and single by Rod Carew produced the go-ahead run and Ferrer then showed his speed, scoring from second base after a deep fly by Larry Hisle to center field. [The Sporting News]



Minnesota Twins 6, Kansas City Royals 4
Game Played on Friday, April     5, 1974 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Twins        0  0  0    2  2  0    0  0  0    0  2  -   6 14  1
Royals       0  0  2    0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  -   4 10  1


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Ferrer ss             5   2   2   0     1   0   .400      Patek ss              5   1   0   1     0   1   .000
Carew 2b              6   1   3   2     0   0   .500        Solaita ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hisle cf,lf           3   1   1   2     1   0   .333      Wohlford lf           4   1   2   2     1   1   .500
Lis 1b                4   1   1   1     0   2   .250      Pinson rf             5   0   2   1     0   0   .400
  Holt ph,1b          2   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Mayberry 1b           3   0   1   0     2   1   .333
Darwin rf             4   0   3   0     1   0   .750      Otis cf               4   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Killebrew dh          5   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Rojas 2b              5   0   1   0     0   0   .200
Braun lf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      McRae dh              5   1   2   0     0   1   .400
  Brye cf             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Schaal 3b             2   0   1   0     1   0   .500
Hundley c             4   0   3   1     0   0   .750        Gonzalez pr,3b      2   1   1   0     0   0   .500
  Soderholm pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Healy c               4   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Borgmann c          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Splittorff p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Terrell 3b            4   1   1   0     0   0   .250        McDaniel p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Blyleven p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               43   6  14   6     3   4             Totals               40   4  10   4     5   6

Time of Game: 3:17   Attendance: 31,781
Left on Base: Twins 10, Royals 9
DP: Twins 2, Royals 0
Errors: Lis, Wohlford
Doubles: Schaal (1), McRae 2 (2)
Triples: Hisle (1), Ferrer (1), Wohlford (1)
Stolen Bases: Patek (1), Gonzalez (1), Wohlford (1)
Caught Stealing: Carew (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Terrell (1), Healy (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Hisle 2 (2)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven                9     9   4   3   3   6   0  37   3.00
Campbell W(1-0)         2     1   0   0   2   0   0   9   0.00
Totals                 11    10   4   3   5   6   0  46

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Splittorff              9    11   4   3   1   4   0  38   3.00
McDaniel L(0-1)         2     3   2   2   2   0   0  11   9.00
Totals                 11    14   6   5   3   4   0  49

Passed Balls: Healy (1)

Umpires: HP - Lou DiMuro, 1B - Jim Odom, 2B - Dave Phillips, 3B - Bill Deegan


TWINS 1ST: Ferrer grounded out (pitcher to first); Debut game
for Sergio Ferrer; Carew singled to left; Carew was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Hisle flied out to center;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Patek was called out on strikes; Wohlford struck
out; Pinson singled to center; Mayberry singled to right [Pinson
to third]; Otis popped to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins
0, Royals 0.

TWINS 2ND: Lis struck out; Darwin flied out to right; Killebrew
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Rojas singled to left; McRae forced Rojas (third to
second); McRae was picked off first (pitcher to first); Schaal
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

TWINS 3RD: Braun flied out to right; Hundley singled to right;
Terrell flied out to right; Ferrer singled to center [Hundley to
second]; Carew grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Healy grounded out (third to first); Patek reached
on an error by Lis (assist by Ferrer); Patek stole second;
Wohlford tripled [Patek scored (unearned)]; Pinson singled to
left [Wohlford scored]; Mayberry walked [Pinson to second]; Otis
hit into a double play (third to second) [Pinson out at third,
Mayberry out at second]; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0,
Royals 2.

TWINS 4TH: Hisle tripled to center; Lis singled to left [Hisle
scored]; Darwin singled to right [Lis to second]; Killebrew was
called out on strikes; Braun grounded out (second to first) [Lis
to third, Darwin to second]; Hundley singled to third [Lis
scored, Darwin to third]; Terrell flied out to center; 2 R, 4 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals 2.

ROYALS 4TH: Rojas grounded out (third to first); McRae was
called out on strikes; Schaal doubled; Healy was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Royals 2.

TWINS 5TH: Ferrer tripled to left; Carew singled to left [Ferrer
scored, Carew to second (error by Wohlford)]; Healy allowed a
passed ball [Carew to third]; Hisle hit a sacrifice fly to left
[Carew scored (unearned)]; Lis struck out; Darwin singled to
left; Killebrew flied out to left; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Twins 4, Royals 2.

ROYALS 5TH: Patek flied out to left; Wohlford grounded out
(shortstop to first); Pinson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 2.

TWINS 6TH: Braun grounded out (second to first); Hundley
grounded out (third to first); Terrell grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 2.

ROYALS 6TH: Mayberry struck out; Otis grounded out (shortstop to
first); Rojas grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 2.

TWINS 7TH: Ferrer flied out to left; Carew grounded out (second
to first); Hisle grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 2.

ROYALS 7TH: McRae doubled to right; Schaal walked; GONZALEZ RAN
FOR SCHAAL; Healy out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second)
[McRae to third, Gonzalez to second]; Patek grounded out
(pitcher to first) [McRae scored, Gonzalez to third]; Wohlford
singled to center [Gonzalez scored]; Pinson lined to center; 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 4.

TWINS 8TH: GONZALEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Lis flied out
to center; Darwin walked; Killebrew flied out to center; Braun
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 4.

ROYALS 8TH: HISLE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); BRYE REPLACED
BRAUN (PLAYING CF); Mayberry walked; Otis forced Mayberry (third
to second); Rojas flied out to center; McRae flied out to left;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 4.

TWINS 9TH: Hundley singled to left; SODERHOLM RAN FOR HUNDLEY;
Terrell out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Soderholm
to second]; Ferrer popped to first in foul territory; Carew
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4,
Royals 4.

ROYALS 9TH: BORGMANN REPLACED SODERHOLM (PLAYING C ); Gonzalez
singled to left; Gonzalez stole second; Healy struck out; Patek
lined into a double play (center to second) [Gonzalez out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 4.

TWINS 10TH: MCDANIEL REPLACED SPLITTORFF (PITCHING); Hisle
walked; HOLT BATTED FOR LIS; Holt popped to third in foul
territory; Darwin singled to shortstop [Hisle to second];
Killebrew forced Darwin (second to shortstop) [Hisle to third];
Brye popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Twins 4, Royals 4.

ROYALS 10TH: HOLT STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); CAMPBELL REPLACED
BLYLEVEN (PITCHING); Wohlford walked; Wohlford stole second;
Pinson flied out to center; Mayberry flied out to left; Otis
walked; Rojas flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins
4, Royals 4.

TWINS 11TH: Borgmann flied out to center; On a bunt Terrell
singled to pitcher; Ferrer walked [Terrell to second]; Carew
singled to left [Terrell scored, Ferrer to second]; Hisle hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Ferrer scored]; Amos Otis hit fence
catching ball; Holt forced Carew (shortstop to second); 2 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 6, Royals 4.

ROYALS 11TH: McRae doubled to left; Gonzalez flied out to right;
Healy popped to third; SOLAITA BATTED FOR PATEK; Solaita
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 6,
Royals 4.