Cookie Rojas, no longer an everyday player for the Royals, got a chance to start at third base and responded by driving in three runs to help beat the Indians, 5-3. The veteran singled home one run in the second, doubled to account for another in the seventh and hit a sacrifice fly for the final marker in the ninth. Royals' catcher Buck Martinez threw out four Indians trying to steal. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 5, Cleveland Indians 3
Game Played on Friday, June      18, 1976 (Day game) at Cleveland Stadium
Royals       1  1  1    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   5  9  2
Indians      0  0  2    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   3 13  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
D. Nelson 2b          4   1   1   0     1   0   .319      Gonzalez 1b           3   1   1   0     1   1   .231
Otis cf               5   1   1   0     0   2   .300      Manning cf            5   0   2   2     0   2   .284
Brett ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .350      Lowenstein rf         4   0   2   0     0   1   .265
Mayberry 1b           4   0   1   1     0   0   .252      Carty dh              3   0   1   1     1   1   .305
McRae dh              2   1   1   0     2   0   .356        Pruitt pr,dh        0   0   0   0     0   0   .071
Cowens rf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .245      Hendrick lf           4   0   1   0     0   1   .252
Wohlford lf           2   0   0   0     0   0   .221      Ashby c               4   0   1   0     0   2   .234
  Poquette ph,lf      2   2   2   0     0   0   .333      Bell 3b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .318
Rojas 3b              3   0   2   3     0   0   .288      Duffy ss              3   0   1   0     0   0   .233
Martinez c            4   0   0   0     0   1   .316        Blanks ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .304
Leonard p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Kuiper 2b             4   2   3   0     0   0   .230
                                                          Waits p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Thomas p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kern p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   5   9   4     3   3             Totals               35   3  13   3     2   9

Time of Game: 2:42   Attendance: 14,170
Left on Base: Royals 6, Indians 8
DP: Royals 1, Indians 1
Errors: Leonard 2, Lowenstein
Doubles: D. Nelson (2), Otis (13), Rojas (3)
Triples: Poquette (5)
Caught Stealing: Gonzalez (1), Hendrick (2), Lowenstein (4), Kuiper (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Gonzalez (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Rojas (2)
GIDP: Cowens (7), Hendrick (6)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Leonard W(7-2)          9    13   3   1   2   9   0  38   2.77
Totals                  9    13   3   1   2   9   0  38

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Waits                   3     5   3   3   0   2   0  14   3.15
Thomas L(0-1)           4.1   3   1   1   2   0   0  18   2.57
Kern                    1.2   1   1   1   1   1   0   6   2.60
Totals                  9     9   5   5   3   3   0  38

Balks: Waits (1)

Umpires: HP - Nestor Chylak, 1B - Jim Evans, 2B - Joe Brinkman, 3B - Greg Kosc


ROYALS 1ST: D. Nelson doubled to left; Otis struck out; Brett
grounded out (second to first) [D. Nelson to third]; Waits
balked [D. Nelson scored]; Mayberry made an out to third; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Gonzalez singled to third; Gonzalez was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Manning struck out;
Lowenstein singled to right; Lowenstein was picked off first but
was safe on an error by Leonard [Lowenstein to third]; Carty was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Indians
0.

ROYALS 2ND: McRae singled to right; Cowens singled to right
[McRae to third (error by Lowenstein), Cowens to second];
Wohlford grounded out (first unassisted); Rojas singled to right
[McRae scored, Cowens to third]; Martinez struck out; D. Nelson
flied out to right; 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 2, Indians 0.

INDIANS 2ND: Hendrick singled to left; Hendrick was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Ashby flied out to
center; Bell singled to right; Duffy flied out to right; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Indians 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Otis doubled to right; Brett grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Otis to third]; Mayberry grounded out (first
unassisted) [Otis scored]; McRae lined to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 3, Indians 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Kuiper singled to right; Kuiper was picked off
first but was safe on an error by Leonard [Kuiper to second];
Gonzalez reached on a fielder's choice; Manning singled to
shortstop [Kuiper scored (unearned), Gonzalez to third (on throw
to home), Manning to second]; Lowenstein struck out; Carty
singled [Gonzalez scored (unearned), Manning to third]; Hendrick
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Carty out at second]; 2 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3,
Indians 2.

ROYALS 4TH: THOMAS REPLACED WAITS (PITCHING); Cowens lined to
shortstop; Wohlford grounded out (shortstop to first); Rojas
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 3, Indians 2.

INDIANS 4TH: Ashby struck out; Bell flied out to right; Duffy
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 3, Indians 2.

ROYALS 5TH: Martinez lined to center; D. Nelson grounded out
(pitcher to shortstop to first); Otis grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 3, Indians 2.

INDIANS 5TH: Kuiper singled to left; Gonzalez out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Kuiper to second]; Manning singled to
center [Kuiper scored]; Lowenstein singled to right [Manning to
third]; Lowenstein was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Carty made an out to second; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 3, Indians 3.

ROYALS 6TH: Brett grounded out (shortstop to first); Mayberry
grounded out (shortstop to first); McRae walked; Cowens lined to
second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Indians 3.

INDIANS 6TH: Hendrick struck out; Ashby was called out on
strikes; Bell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Royals 3, Indians 3.

ROYALS 7TH: POQUETTE BATTED FOR WOHLFORD; Poquette singled to
left; Rojas doubled to left [Poquette scored]; Martinez popped
to first in foul territory; D. Nelson grounded out (second to
first) [Rojas to third]; Otis popped to first in foul territory;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Indians 3.

INDIANS 7TH: POQUETTE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Duffy singled
to left; Kuiper forced Duffy (pitcher to second to shortstop);
Kuiper was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Gonzalez
walked; Manning struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4,
Indians 3.

ROYALS 8TH: Brett lined to first; Mayberry singled to right;
McRae walked [Mayberry to second]; KERN REPLACED THOMAS
(PITCHING); Cowens grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [McRae out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Royals 4, Indians 3.

INDIANS 8TH: Lowenstein grounded out (second to first); Carty
walked; PRUITT RAN FOR CARTY; Hendrick flied out to left; Ashby
singled to right [Pruitt to third]; Bell flied out to left; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 4, Indians 3.

ROYALS 9TH: PRUITT STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Poquette tripled
to right; Rojas hit a sacrifice fly to center [Poquette scored];
Martinez grounded out (first unassisted); D. Nelson walked; Otis
was called out on strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 5,
Indians 3.

INDIANS 9TH: BLANKS BATTED FOR DUFFY; Blanks was called out on
strikes; Kuiper singled to right; Gonzalez struck out; Manning
forced Kuiper (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 5, Indians 3.