Reviving their chances in the West Division race, the Athletics overpowered the Royals, 11-1, to pull within six games of the front-runners with 10 games left to play. Vida Blue gave up the Royals' run in the first inning on a single by George Brett and double by Hal McRae but then allowed only four more hits the rest of the way.

Before the Royals scored, the A's already had posted three runs, two counting on a homer by Gene Tenace. Phil Garner hit for the circuit with two men on base in the sixth and Joe Rudi rapped a round-tripper for two runs in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 11, Kansas City Royals 1
Game Played on Wednesday, September 22, 1976 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
A's          3  1  0    0  0  4    3  0  0  -  11 13  0
Royals       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  2


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
North dh              5   1   1   0     0   0   .274      Wohlford lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .248
Campaneris ss         4   2   1   1     1   0   .266      Cowens rf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .264
Rudi lf               5   1   1   2     0   0   .283      Brett 3b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .334
  Walling lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      McRae dh              4   0   2   1     0   0   .338
Tenace c              3   1   1   2     2   0   .253      Otis cf               3   0   0   0     0   1   .284
Bando 3b              4   2   2   0     0   0   .233        Wilson cf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  McMullen 3b         1   0   1   0     0   0   .218      Mayberry 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Baylor rf             4   2   2   1     1   0   .253      White 2b,ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .235
Washington cf         5   0   1   0     0   1   .249      Patek ss              2   0   0   0     0   1   .249
Fairly 1b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .263        Rojas ph,2b         1   0   1   0     0   0   .240
Garner 2b             4   1   2   3     0   0   .263      Martinez c            1   0   0   0     1   1   .235
Blue p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Davis ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .268
                                                            Jones pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .204
                                                            Wathan c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .323
                                                          Pattin p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bruno p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            McClure p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Sanders p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               39  11  13  10     4   1             Totals               32   1   6   1     1   3

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 36,064
Left on Base: A's 5, Royals 5
DP: A's 0, Royals 1
Errors: White, Patek
Doubles: Baylor (25), McRae 2 (34)
Home Runs: Tenace (21), Garner (8), Rudi (13)
Stolen Bases: North 2 (72)
Caught Stealing: Garner (12)
GIDP: Washington (13)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blue W(17-12)           9     6   1   1   1   3   0  33   2.40
Totals                  9     6   1   1   1   3   0  33

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pattin L(8-13)          5.1   8   6   1   1   0   1  24   2.61
Hall                    0.1   0   1   0   0   1   0   2   4.46
Bruno                   1     2   4   4   2   0   2   7   7.16
McClure                 1.1   2   0   0   0   0   0   6   6.75
Sanders                 1     1   0   0   1   0   0   4   2.81
Totals                  9    13  11   4*  4   1   3  43

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


ATHLETICS 1ST: North grounded out (pitcher to first); Campaneris
reached on an error by Patek [Campaneris to second]; Rudi flied
out to left; Tenace homered (unearned) [Campaneris scored
(unearned)]; Bando singled to right; Baylor doubled to center
[Bando scored (unearned)]; Washington popped to first in foul
territory; 3 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 3, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Wohlford grounded out (pitcher to first); Cowens
grounded out (pitcher to first); Brett singled to left; McRae
doubled to left [Brett scored, McRae out at third (left to
catcher to third)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 3, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Fairly grounded out (second to first); Garner
grounded out (second to first); North singled to left; North
stole second; North stole third; Campaneris singled to left
[North scored]; Rudi flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 4, Royals 1.

ROYALS 2ND: Otis struck out; Mayberry grounded out (first
unassisted); White popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 4, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Tenace grounded out (third to first); Bando flied
out to right; Baylor popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 4, Royals 1.

ROYALS 3RD: Patek was called out on strikes; Martinez walked;
Wohlford flied out to right; Cowens grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 4, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Washington grounded out (shortstop to first);
Fairly grounded out (first to pitcher); Garner singled to
center; Garner was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 4, Royals 1.

ROYALS 4TH: Brett lined to third; McRae doubled to center; Otis
flied out to center [McRae to third]; Mayberry grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 4, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 5TH: North lined to second; Campaneris grounded out
(second to first); Rudi popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 4, Royals 1.

ROYALS 5TH: White popped to catcher in foul territory; Patek
flied out to right; Martinez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 4, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Tenace walked; Bando singled to left [Tenace to
second]; Baylor singled to left [Tenace out at home (left to
catcher), Bando to second]; HALL REPLACED PATTIN (PITCHING);
Washington struck out; Fairly reached on an error by White
[Bando scored (unearned) (no RBI), Baylor to third]; BRUNO
REPLACED HALL (PITCHING); Garner homered (unearned, but earned
for the pitcher) [Baylor scored (unearned), Fairly scored
(unearned)]; North flied out to center; 4 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Athletics 8, Royals 1.

ROYALS 6TH: Wohlford grounded out (shortstop to first); Cowens
singled to left; Brett forced Cowens (shortstop to second);
McRae popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 8, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Campaneris walked; Rudi homered [Campaneris
scored]; Tenace flied out to left; Bando grounded out (second to
first); Baylor walked; MCCLURE REPLACED BRUNO (PITCHING);
Washington singled to left [Baylor to second]; Fairly singled to
right [Baylor scored, Washington to third]; Garner flied to
right in foul territory; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 11,
Royals 1.

ROYALS 7TH: MCMULLEN REPLACED BANDO (PLAYING 3B); Otis lined to
left; Mayberry flied out to center; White popped to first in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 11, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 8TH: WILSON REPLACED OTIS (PLAYING CF); North lined to
center; Campaneris grounded out (shortstop to first); Rudi flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 11, Royals 1.

ROYALS 8TH: WALLING REPLACED RUDI (PLAYING LF); ROJAS BATTED FOR
PATEK; Rojas singled to left; DAVIS BATTED FOR MARTINEZ; Davis
singled to right [Rojas to second]; JONES RAN FOR DAVIS;
Wohlford lined to first; Cowens flied out to right; Brett lined
to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 11, Royals 1.

ATHLETICS 9TH: ROJAS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); WATHAN
REPLACED JONES (PLAYING C ); WHITE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
SS); SANDERS REPLACED MCCLURE (PITCHING); Tenace walked;
McMullen singled to left [Tenace to second]; Baylor forced
McMullen (shortstop unassisted) [Tenace to third]; Washington
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Baylor out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 11,
Royals 1.

ROYALS 9TH: McRae flied out to center; Wilson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Mayberry grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 11, Royals 1.