Steve Busby became the biggest winner in Kansas City's major league history with his 21st victory of the season as the Royals swept a doubleheader with the Rangers, 4-1 and 8-5. In the opener, Al Fitzmorris pitched a four hitter and beat Jim Bibby, who was turned back in a bid for his 20th victory. John Mayberry tripled and scored the Royals' first run on an error in the second inning. A double by Buck Martinez, single by Vada Pinson, an error and wild pitch added two Royal runs in the third and another tally followed in the fifth on singles by Pinson and George Brett around a stolen base. The Rangers' run in the ninth was unearned.

In the nightcap, Busby surpassed Paul Splittorff's former K. C. record of 20 victories in 1973. Busby gave up 10 hits and finally gave way to Doug Bird with two out in the eighth inning. Toby Harrah hit a two-run homer for the Rangers. Fred Patek batted in four runs and Brett three for the Royals, who broke a 4-4 tie with a four-run outburst in the eighth. The Rangers threatened in their half and scored once before Bird retired Jeff Burroughs on a fly with the bases loaded. [The Sporting News]

Kansas City Royals 4, Texas Rangers 1 (Game 1)

Game Played on Saturday, September 21, 1974 (Night game) at Arlington Stadium

Royals       0  1  2    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   4 12  2
Rangers      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  5  2


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Pinson lf             5   2   4   0     0   0   .272      Nelson 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Cowens rf             4   0   2   0     1   1   .248      Tovar cf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .283
Brett 3b              4   0   1   2     0   1   .270      Burroughs rf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .301
McRae dh              4   0   0   0     0   1   .313      Hargrove 1b           3   1   1   0     1   0   .329
Mayberry 1b           4   1   1   0     0   0   .244      Spencer dh            4   0   0   0     0   0   .282
Otis cf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .287        Moates pr,dh        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Rojas 2b              1   0   1   0     0   0   .268      Randle lf             3   0   1   0     1   0   .306
  Patek ss            3   0   0   0     0   2   .223      Harrah ss             3   0   1   1     1   0   .266
White ss,2b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .224      Howell 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .222
Martinez c            3   1   2   0     1   0   .217      Sundberg c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .256
Fitzmorris p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bibby p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Merritt p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Terpko p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   4  12   2     2   7             Totals               31   1   5   1     4   1

Time of Game: 2:38
Left on Base: Royals 7, Rangers 7
DP: Royals 2, Rangers 1
Errors: Mayberry, White, Tovar, Howell
Doubles: Cowens (5), Martinez (3)
Triples: Mayberry (1)
Stolen Bases: Pinson 2 (17)
GIDP: Brett (7), Nelson (16)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fitzmorris W(12-6)      9     5   1   0   4   1   0  35   2.88
Totals                  9     5   1   0   4   1   0  35

Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bibby L(19-18)          4.1   7   4   3   2   3   0  20   4.67
Merritt                 3.2   4   0   0   0   3   0  14   4.71
Terpko                  1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.00
Totals                  9    12   4   3   2   7   0  38

Wild Pitches: Bibby (11)

Umpires: HP - Marty Springstead, 1B - Russ Goetz, 2B - Don Denkinger, 3B - Hank Morgenweck


ROYALS 1ST: Pinson grounded out (first to pitcher); Cowens
doubled to left; Brett struck out; McRae flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Nelson grounded out (third to first); Tovar walked;
Burroughs hit into a double play (second to first to shortstop)
[Tovar out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Rangers
0.

ROYALS 2ND: Mayberry tripled to center [Mayberry scored (error
by Howell)]; Roy Howell mishandled the throw and the ball
went into dugout; Otis grounded out (third to first); Rojas
singled to left [Rojas out at second (left to second)]; White
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
1, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Hargrove walked; Spencer grounded out (pitcher
unassisted) [Hargrove to second]; Randle walked; Harrah forced
Randle (third to second) [Hargrove to third]; Howell grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 1, Rangers
0.

ROYALS 3RD: Martinez doubled to right; Pinson singled to center
[Martinez scored (error by Tovar) (no RBI), Pinson to second];
Bibby threw a wild pitch [Pinson to third]; Cowens walked; Brett
forced Cowens (shortstop to second) [Pinson scored (unearned)];
McRae flied out to right; Mayberry lined to right; 2 R (1 ER), 2
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 3RD: PATEK REPLACED ROJAS (PLAYING SS); WHITE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); On a bunt Sundberg grounded out (pitcher
to first); Nelson grounded out (shortstop to first); Tovar
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 3,
Rangers 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Otis flied out to right; Patek struck out; White
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 3, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Burroughs singled to left; Hargrove forced
Burroughs (second to shortstop); Spencer forced Hargrove (second
to shortstop); Randle forced Spencer (shortstop unassisted); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Rangers 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Martinez walked; Pinson singled to right [Martinez
to second]; Martinez was picked off second (catcher to second);
Pinson stole second; Cowens singled to left [Pinson to third];
MERRITT REPLACED BIBBY (PITCHING); Brett singled to left [Pinson
scored, Cowens to second]; McRae popped to first; Mayberry lined
to right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 4, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 5TH: Harrah walked; Howell singled to right [Harrah to
second]; Sundberg was called out on strikes; Nelson grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Howell out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Rangers 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Otis was called out on strikes; Patek was called out
on strikes; White flied to right in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 6TH: Tovar grounded out (shortstop to first); Burroughs
flied out to right; Hargrove grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Rangers 0.

ROYALS 7TH: Martinez singled to center; On a bunt Pinson singled
to first [Martinez to second]; Cowens forced Martinez (third to
shortstop) [Pinson to second]; Brett grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Cowens out at second]; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 7TH: Spencer grounded out (second to first); On a bunt
Randle singled to third; Harrah singled to center [Randle out at
third (center to third)]; Howell grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Rangers 0.

ROYALS 8TH: McRae was called out on strikes; Mayberry grounded
out (second to first); Otis singled to left; Patek popped to
first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 8TH: Sundberg grounded out (shortstop to first); Nelson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Tovar reached on an error by
Mayberry; Burroughs grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Rangers 0.

ROYALS 9TH: TERPKO REPLACED MERRITT (PITCHING); White grounded
out (shortstop to first); Debut game for Jeff Terpko;
Martinez grounded out (second to first); Pinson singled to
center; Pinson stole second; Cowens struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 4, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 9TH: Hargrove singled to center; Spencer reached on an
error by White [Hargrove to second]; MOATES RAN FOR SPENCER;
Randle grounded out (pitcher to first) [Hargrove to third,
Moates to second]; Debut game for Dave Moates; Harrah
reached on a fielder's choice [Hargrove scored (unearned),
Moates out at third (shortstop to third to second)]; Howell
grounded out (third to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 4, Rangers 1.

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