The Royals extended their West Division lead to seven games by defeating the Athletics, 3-1, for their fifth straight victory. Doug Bird, who started for the Royals, won his first game since August 23, pitching six innings. The Royals used three relievers with Larry Gura finishing for his first save of the season.

The division leaders struck for their first two runs with two out in the third when Jim Wohlford and George Brett walked and Hal McRae and John Mayberry singled. The A's counted their run in the sixth on doubles by Bert Campaneris and Joe Rudi, but the Royals added an insurance tally in the eighth on another walk to Brett, a single by McRae and sacrifice fly by Mayberry. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 3, Oakland Athletics 1
Game Played on Tuesday, September 21, 1976 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
A's          0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   1  9  0
Royals       0  0  2    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   3  5  0


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
North cf              4   0   2   0     0   1   .275      Poquette lf,rf        4   0   0   0     0   0   .310
Campaneris ss         4   1   1   0     0   0   .266      Otis cf               0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Baylor dh             4   0   1   0     0   1   .251        Wohlford pr,lf      2   1   1   0     1   0   .252
Rudi lf               4   0   1   1     0   2   .284      Brett 3b              2   2   0   0     2   0   .335
Bando 3b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .231      McRae dh              3   0   2   1     1   0   .337
Tenace c              4   0   1   0     0   0   .252      Mayberry 1b           3   0   1   2     0   0   .238
Washington rf         4   0   0   0     0   1   .250      Cowens rf,cf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .264
Fairly 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .264      White 2b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .237
  McMullen ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .214      Patek ss              3   0   1   0     0   0   .251
Garner 2b             3   0   1   0     0   1   .262      Martinez c            2   0   0   0     0   1   .236
Bahnsen p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bird p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Mingori p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Littell p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gura p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   1   9   1     0   6             Totals               27   3   5   3     4   2

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 28,869
Left on Base: A's 7, Royals 7
DP: A's 0, Royals 0
Doubles: Tenace (19), Campaneris (14), Rudi (32), Garner (27), Patek (18)
Stolen Bases: Bando (19), Wohlford (21)
Caught Stealing: North (29)
Sacrifice Hits: Martinez (9)
Sacrifice Flies: Mayberry (12)
Hit by Pitch: Otis (4,by Bahnsen)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bahnsen L(8-7)          6     4   2   2   3   2   0  26   3.42
Fingers                 2     1   1   1   1   0   0   8   2.47
Totals                  8     5   3   3   4   2   0  34

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bird W(12-9)            6     7   1   1   0   4   0  24   3.36
Mingori                 2     2   0   0   0   2   0   8   2.27
Littell                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1.94
Gura SV(1)              0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.09
Totals                  9     9   1   1   0   6   0  35

Hit by Pitch: Bahnsen (2)

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


ATHLETICS 1ST: North singled to left; Campaneris flied out to
center; Baylor singled to left [North to second]; Rudi struck
out; Bando forced Baylor (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Poquette flied out to center; Otis was hit by a
pitch; WOHLFORD RAN FOR OTIS; Brett flied out to left; McRae
walked [Wohlford to second]; Mayberry grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: POQUETTE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); WOHLFORD
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); COWENS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
CF); Tenace doubled to left; Washington flied out to center
[Tenace to third]; Fairly grounded out (third to first); Garner
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Cowens popped to second; White was called out on
strikes; Patek popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 0, Royals 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: North lined to left; Campaneris flied out to
right; Baylor grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Martinez struck out; Poquette flied out to center;
Wohlford walked; Wohlford stole second; Brett walked; McRae
singled to left [Wohlford scored, Brett to third]; Mayberry
singled to center [Brett scored, McRae to third]; Cowens popped
to first in foul territory; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Royals 2.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Rudi grounded out (third to first); Bando singled
to left; Bando stole second; Tenace popped to shortstop;
Washington struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Royals 2.

ROYALS 4TH: White grounded out (third to first); Patek popped to
first in foul territory; Martinez popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 2.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Fairly flied out to right; Garner struck out;
North singled to center; North was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Royals 2.

ROYALS 5TH: Poquette grounded out (second to first); Wohlford
singled to center; Brett grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Wohlford to second]; McRae flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Campaneris doubled to right; Baylor struck out;
Rudi doubled to left [Campaneris scored]; Bando flied out to
left; Tenace flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 6TH: Mayberry grounded out (second to first); Cowens
popped to shortstop; White grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 2.

ATHLETICS 7TH: MINGORI REPLACED BIRD (PITCHING); Washington
grounded out (first unassisted); Fairly grounded out (first
unassisted); Garner doubled to left; North struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 7TH: Patek doubled to left; FINGERS REPLACED BAHNSEN
(PITCHING); Martinez out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second)
[Patek to third]; Poquette reached on a fielder's choice [Patek
out at home (shortstop to catcher)]; Wohlford popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 2.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Campaneris flied out to center; Baylor popped to
second; Rudi was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 8TH: Brett walked; McRae singled to center [Brett to
third]; Mayberry hit a sacrifice fly to center [Brett scored,
McRae to second]; Cowens flied out to center; White grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 3.

ATHLETICS 9TH: Bando singled to left; LITTELL REPLACED MINGORI
(PITCHING); Tenace flied out to left; GURA REPLACED LITTELL
(PITCHING); Washington forced Bando (pitcher to shortstop);
MCMULLEN BATTED FOR FAIRLY; McMullen flied out to right; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 3.