Equalling his career high for any previous season in the majors, Doug Bird posted his ninth victory, winning the first game of a twi-night doubleheader, 3-1, but the Yankees came back with a five-run rally in the eighth inning to capture the second game, 7-4. A walk and consecutive singles by George Brett, John Mayberry and Hal McRae produced a 2-1 lead for the Royals in the sixth inning of the opener. Buck Martinez batted in the extra tally with a single in the ninth. Roy White homered for the Yankee counter.

In the nightcap, the Yankees' outburst in eighth inning began with two walks and a safe bunt by Mickey Rivers. White singled, driving in two runs, and Chris Chambliss, one out later, homered for three more runs to climax the rally. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 3, New York Yankees 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Tuesday, July      6, 1976 (Night game) at Yankee Stadium I
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  1  -   3  8  0
Yankees      1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  3  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wohlford lf           2   1   1   0     2   0   .241      Rivers cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .319
Otis cf               3   0   0   0     0   1   .292      White lf              3   1   1   1     1   0   .282
Brett 3b              4   1   2   0     0   0   .358      Munson c              3   0   0   0     0   1   .326
Mayberry 1b           4   0   2   1     0   0   .256      Chambliss 1b          4   0   1   0     0   1   .300
McRae dh              4   0   1   1     0   0   .340      C. May dh             4   0   0   0     0   0   .235
Cowens rf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .267      Nettles 3b            3   0   0   0     0   2   .221
Martinez c            4   0   1   1     0   0   .264      Gamble rf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .253
Patek ss              4   0   0   0     0   1   .263      Alomar 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .209
White 2b              2   0   0   0     1   1   .213      Mason ss              2   0   0   0     0   0   .148
Bird p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Piniella ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .279
  Mingori p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Stanley ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
                                                          Figueroa p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lyle p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   3   8   3     3   3             Totals               30   1   3   1     1   5

Time of Game: 2:17
Left on Base: Royals 5, Yankees 4
DP: Royals 0, Yankees 0
Errors: Chambliss
Doubles: Mayberry (10), Rivers (18)
Home Runs: White (7)
Caught Stealing: Brett (7), White (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Otis (5)
Hit by Pitch: Munson (6,by Bird)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bird W(9-1)             7     3   1   1   1   3   1  26   2.86
Mingori SV(7)           2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   2.57
Totals                  9     3   1   1   1   5   1  32

Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Figueroa L(9-6)         7.1   6   2   2   3   2   0  29   3.14
Lyle                    1.2   2   1   0   0   1   0   6   1.94
Totals                  9     8   3   2   3   3   0  35

Hit by Pitch: Bird (1)

Umpires: HP - Rich Garcia, 1B - Lou DiMuro, 2B - Bill Kunkel, 3B - Dave Phillips


ROYALS 1ST: Wohlford flied out to right; Otis grounded out
(shortstop to first); Brett singled to left; Brett was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Rivers grounded out (second to first); White
homered; Munson was called out on strikes; Chambliss flied out
to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Yankees 1.

ROYALS 2ND: Mayberry doubled; McRae reached on a fielder's
choice [Mayberry out at third (pitcher to third)]; Cowens popped
to shortstop; Martinez flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 0, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 2ND: C. May grounded out (second to first); Nettles
struck out; Gamble flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Yankees 1.

ROYALS 3RD: Patek lined to second; White popped to third in foul
territory; Wohlford walked; Otis grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 3RD: Alomar flied out to right; Mason flied out to left;
Rivers doubled to right; White walked; Munson was hit by a pitch
[Rivers to third, White to second]; Chambliss grounded out
(first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 0, Yankees 1.

ROYALS 4TH: Brett flied out to left; Mayberry flied out to left;
McRae grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 4TH: C. May flied out to center; Nettles grounded out
(second to first); Gamble flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Yankees 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Cowens grounded out (shortstop to first); Martinez
flied out to right; Patek flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 5TH: Alomar popped to third in foul territory; Mason
grounded out (second to first); Rivers popped to shortstop; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Yankees 1.

ROYALS 6TH: White walked; White was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Wohlford walked; Otis struck out; Brett
singled to center [Wohlford to second]; Mayberry singled to
center [Wohlford scored, Brett to third]; McRae singled to
center [Brett scored, Mayberry to second]; Cowens flied out to
right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 2, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 6TH: White grounded out (first unassisted); Munson
popped to second; Chambliss singled to right; C. May grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Yankees
1.

ROYALS 7TH: Martinez grounded out (third to first); Patek flied
out to right; White was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 2, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 7TH: Nettles struck out; Gamble grounded out (second to
first); Alomar grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Royals 2, Yankees 1.

ROYALS 8TH: Wohlford singled to center; Otis out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to second) [Wohlford to second]; LYLE REPLACED
FIGUEROA (PITCHING); Brett grounded out (second to first)
[Wohlford to third]; Wohlford was picked off third (catcher to
third); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 8TH: MINGORI REPLACED BIRD (PITCHING); PINIELLA BATTED
FOR MASON; Piniella popped to shortstop; Rivers struck out;
White flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2,
Yankees 1.

ROYALS 9TH: STANLEY REPLACED PINIELLA (PLAYING SS); Mayberry
popped to pitcher in foul territory; McRae grounded out (third
to first); Cowens singled to center; Cowens was picked off first
but was safe on an error by Chambliss [Cowens to second];
Martinez singled to shortstop [Cowens scored (unearned)]; Patek
struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 9TH: Munson grounded out (third to first); Chambliss
struck out; C. May flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 3, Yankees 1.