Backed by George Brett, who drove in all of the Royals' runs, Dennis Leonard defeated the White Sox, 3-2, but it took an outstanding catch by Tom Poquette in the ninth inning to save the victory. Jim Wohlford and Poquette singled and Brett hit a sacrifice fly to produce the Royals' initial run in the first inning. Another single by Wohlford, a stolen base and infield outs by Poquette and Brett added a run in the third.

Fred Patek singled in the seventh, stole second and scored the deciding run on a single by Brett. The White Sox loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Poquette made a shoestring grab of a looper by Bill Stein along the right field line and Bucky Dent grounded out to end the game. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 3, Chicago White Sox 2
Game Played on Friday, September 17, 1976 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
White Sox    0  1  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  3
Royals       1  0  1    0  0  0    1  0  x  -   3  8  1


White Sox            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lemon cf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .245      Wohlford lf           3   2   2   0     0   0   .247
Garr rf               4   0   2   1     0   1   .303      Poquette rf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .314
Spencer 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .252      Brett 3b              3   0   1   3     0   0   .334
Orta lf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .280      Mayberry 1b           3   0   1   0     1   0   .238
  Bannister pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .247      Otis cf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .284
Ewing dh              4   1   2   0     0   0   .194      Quirk dh              4   0   0   0     0   1   .240
  Kelly pr,dh         0   0   0   0     0   0   .253      Stinson c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .275
Downing c             1   0   0   0     2   0   .252      White 2b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .238
Brohamer 2b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .262      xPatek ss             3   1   1   0     0   0   .000
Stein 3b              4   0   0   1     0   2   .273      Leonard p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Dent ss               3   1   1   0     1   0   .246
Gossage p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   2   7   2     4   6             Totals               30   3   8   3     2   2

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance: 15,087
Left on Base: White Sox 7, Royals 9
DP: White Sox 1, Royals 0
Errors: Orta, Downing, Dent, Leonard
Doubles: Ewing (2)
Stolen Bases: Wohlford (20), Patek (49)
Caught Stealing: Downing (3), Lemon (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Downing (4), Wohlford (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Brett (8)
GIDP: Otis (13)
Hit by Pitch: White (3,by Gossage)


White Sox              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gossage L(9-15)         8     8   3   3   2   2   0  36   3.83
Totals                  8     8   3   3   2   2   0  36

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Leonard W(17-8)         9     7   2   2   4   6   0  36   3.35
Totals                  9     7   2   2   4   6   0  36

Hit by Pitch: Gossage (7)
Wild Pitches: Gossage (6)

Umpires: HP - Bill Deegan, 1B - Terry Cooney, 2B - Jerry Neudecker, 3B - Art Frantz


WHITE SOX 1ST: Lemon grounded out (second to first); Garr
singled to right; Spencer flied out to right; Orta grounded out
(pitcher to shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White
Sox 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Wohlford singled to left; Poquette singled [Wohlford
to third]; Brett hit a sacrifice fly to left [Wohlford scored];
Mayberry forced Poquette (second to shortstop); Otis singled to
right [Mayberry to second]; Gossage threw a wild pitch [Mayberry
to third, Otis to second]; Quirk grounded out (pitcher to
first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  White Sox 0, Royals 1.

WHITE SOX 2ND: Ewing doubled to right; Ewing was picked off
second but was safe on an error by Leonard [Ewing to third];
Downing walked; Brohamer popped to third in foul territory;
Stein forced Downing (shortstop to second) [Ewing scored]; Dent
singled to left [Stein to second]; Lemon grounded out (shortstop
to first); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  White Sox 1, Royals 1.

ROYALS 2ND: Stinson struck out; White popped to second; Patek
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 1, Royals 1.

WHITE SOX 3RD: Garr grounded out (third to first); Spencer
grounded out (shortstop to first); Orta flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 1, Royals 1.

ROYALS 3RD: Wohlford singled to center; Wohlford stole second;
Poquette grounded out (second to first) [Wohlford to third];
Brett grounded out (second to first) [Wohlford scored]; Mayberry
grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White
Sox 1, Royals 2.

WHITE SOX 4TH: Ewing grounded out (second to first); Downing
grounded out (second to first); Brohamer was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 4TH: Otis grounded out (second to first); Quirk grounded
out (first unassisted); Stinson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 1, Royals 2.

WHITE SOX 5TH: Stein struck out; Dent walked; Lemon grounded out
(third to first) [Dent to second]; Garr singled to center [Dent
scored]; Spencer lined to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox
2, Royals 2.

ROYALS 5TH: White was hit by a pitch; Patek reached on catcher's
interference by Downing [White to second]; Wohlford forced White
(pitcher to third) [Patek to second]; Poquette forced Wohlford
(shortstop to second) [Patek to third]; Brett grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  White Sox 2, Royals 2.

WHITE SOX 6TH: Orta struck out; Ewing lined to center; Downing
walked; Downing was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 2, Royals 2.

ROYALS 6TH: Mayberry singled to center; Otis lined to left;
Quirk reached on a fielder's choice [Mayberry to second (error
by Dent)]; Stinson flied out to center; White forced Quirk
(second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  White Sox 2, Royals
2.

WHITE SOX 7TH: Brohamer popped to shortstop; Stein was called
out on strikes; Dent lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White
Sox 2, Royals 2.

ROYALS 7TH: Patek singled to center; Patek stole second;
Wohlford out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Patek to
third]; Poquette walked; Brett singled to left [Patek scored,
Poquette to third (error by Orta), Brett to second]; Mayberry
was walked intentionally; Otis grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Mayberry out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 1
E, 2 LOB.  White Sox 2, Royals 3.

WHITE SOX 8TH: Lemon singled to center; Garr struck out; Spencer
struck out; Lemon was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 2, Royals 3.

ROYALS 8TH: Quirk was called out on strikes; Stinson lined to
third; White singled to center; Patek flied out to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 2, Royals 3.

WHITE SOX 9TH: Orta singled to right; BANNISTER RAN FOR ORTA;
Ewing singled to left [Bannister to second]; KELLY RAN FOR
EWING; Downing out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Bannister to third, Kelly to second]; Brohamer was walked
intentionally; Stein lined to right; Dent grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  White Sox 2, Royals 3.