The Royals were defeated by the Twins, 4-3, but later in the evening backed into the West Division championship when the Athletics also lost to the Angels in their game at Oakland. The Royals took a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning with the aid of a triple by Tom Poquette, but the Twins forged in front with three runs in the seventh when Butch Wynegar and Larry Hisle singled, Dan Ford walked to load the bases and Mike Cubbage cleared the sacks with a double.

The Royals tied the count in their half on a single by Al Cowens, sacrifice by John Wathan and single by pinch-hitter Cookie Rojas. The Twins pushed a run across in the ninth with a pass to Cubbage, sacrifice by Bob Randall and single by Steve Braun to beat the Royals and delay their title celebration until the news arrived of the A's loss to the Angels. [The Sporting News]



Minnesota Twins 4, Kansas City Royals 3
Game Played on Friday, October   1, 1976 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Twins        0  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  1  -   4 10  0
Royals       0  0  0    0  2  0    1  0  0  -   3 10  0


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Braun dh              5   0   1   1     0   1   .289      Poquette lf           3   0   2   1     1   0   .305
Smalley ss            5   0   2   0     0   1   .259      Otis cf               3   0   0   0     0   1   .279
Carew 1b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .327      Brett 3b              3   0   3   0     1   0   .331
Bostock cf            3   0   0   0     0   0   .323      McRae dh              4   0   0   0     0   0   .331
  Brye cf             1   0   1   0     0   0   .259      Mayberry 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .234
Wynegar c             3   1   1   0     1   0   .261      Cowens rf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .266
Hisle lf              4   1   1   0     0   2   .269      Wathan c              2   1   0   0     0   0   .275
Ford rf               3   1   1   0     1   1   .269        Davis ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .261
Cubbage 3b            3   1   1   3     1   0   .259      Patek ss              3   0   1   0     0   1   .244
Randall 2b            3   0   0   0     0   1   .267        Quirk ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Goltz p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      White 2b              2   1   0   0     0   0   .230
  Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Rojas ph,2b         2   0   2   1     0   0   .250
  Burgmeier p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Wilson pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bird 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

Totals               34   4  10   4     3   6             Totals               32   3  10   2     2   2

Time of Game: 2:46   Attendance: 38,482
Left on Base: Twins 7, Royals 6
DP: Twins 1, Royals 1
Doubles: Ford (24), Cubbage (18), Brye (10), Brett (32)
Triples: Poquette (9)
Stolen Bases: McRae (22)
Caught Stealing: Brett (11), Wilson (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Randall (17), Wathan (1)
GIDP: Bostock (15), McRae (13)
Hit by Pitch: Otis (5,by Goltz)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Goltz                   6.2   8   3   3   2   1   0  28   3.36
Johnson                 0.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.61
Burgmeier               0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.50
Campbell W(17-5)        1.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   4   3.02
Totals                  9    10   3   3   2   2   0  36

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bird                    6.2   7   3   3   1   4   0  27   3.37
Mingori                 0.2   2   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.35
Littell L(8-4)          1.2   1   1   1   2   2   0   7   2.08
Totals                  9    10   4   4   3   6   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Goltz (5)
Wild Pitches: Goltz 2 (15)

Umpires: HP - Jim McKean, 1B - Nick Bremigan, 2B - Russ Goetz, 3B - George Maloney


TWINS 1ST: Braun flied out to left; Smalley singled to left;
Carew singled to left [Smalley to second]; Bostock grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Carew out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Poquette singled to center; Otis popped to second;
Brett singled to left [Poquette to second]; McRae grounded into
a double play (third to second to first) [Brett out at second];
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

TWINS 2ND: Wynegar grounded out (second to first); Hisle struck
out; Ford flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Mayberry grounded out (first unassisted); Cowens
grounded out (pitcher to first); Wathan flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

TWINS 3RD: Cubbage grounded out (second to first); Randall
grounded out (third to first); Braun struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Patek grounded out (pitcher to first); White
grounded out (shortstop to first); Poquette grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

TWINS 4TH: Smalley grounded out (first unassisted); Carew
grounded out (first unassisted); Bostock grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Otis was hit by a pitch; Otis was picked off first
(pitcher to first); Brett doubled to left; McRae grounded out
(third to first) [Brett to third]; Mayberry flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

TWINS 5TH: Wynegar popped to third in foul territory; Hisle
struck out; Ford doubled to left; Cubbage grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Cowens singled to left; Wathan forced Cowens
(shortstop unassisted); Patek singled to left [Wathan to
second]; White forced Patek (second to shortstop) [Wathan to
third]; Goltz threw a wild pitch [Wathan scored, White to
second]; Poquette tripled to left [White scored]; Otis flied out
to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 2.

TWINS 6TH: Randall struck out; Braun popped to pitcher; Smalley
singled to right; Carew forced Smalley (second to shortstop); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Royals 2.

ROYALS 6TH: Brett walked; McRae popped to second; Mayberry
popped to third in foul territory; Brett was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0,
Royals 2.

TWINS 7TH: Bostock lined to first; Wynegar singled to right;
Hisle singled to center [Wynegar to second]; Ford walked
[Wynegar to third, Hisle to second]; Cubbage doubled to right
[Wynegar scored, Hisle scored, Ford scored]; Randall grounded
out (third to first); MINGORI REPLACED BIRD (PITCHING); Braun
flied out to right; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 3, Royals 2.

ROYALS 7TH: BRYE REPLACED BOSTOCK (PLAYING CF); Cowens singled
to right; Wathan out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second)
[Cowens to second]; Patek struck out; ROJAS BATTED FOR WHITE;
Rojas singled to center [Cowens scored, Rojas to second (on
throw to home)]; Goltz threw a wild pitch [Rojas to third];
Poquette walked; JOHNSON REPLACED GOLTZ (PITCHING); Otis was
called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 3, Royals 3.

TWINS 8TH: ROJAS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Smalley flied out
to left; Carew singled to center; Brye doubled to right [Carew
to third]; LITTELL REPLACED MINGORI (PITCHING); Wynegar was
walked intentionally; Hisle forced Carew (third to catcher)
[Brye to third, Wynegar to second]; Ford struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Twins 3, Royals 3.

ROYALS 8TH: Brett singled to center; McRae forced Brett (first
to shortstop); BURGMEIER REPLACED JOHNSON (PITCHING); McRae
stole second; Mayberry flied out to center; CAMPBELL REPLACED
BURGMEIER (PITCHING); Cowens flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Twins 3, Royals 3.

TWINS 9TH: Cubbage walked; Randall out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Cubbage to second]; Braun singled to center
[Cubbage scored, Braun out at second (center to second to
third)]; Smalley struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 4,
Royals 3.

ROYALS 9TH: DAVIS BATTED FOR WATHAN; Davis grounded out (pitcher
to first); QUIRK BATTED FOR PATEK; Quirk grounded out (second to
first); Rojas singled to left; WILSON RAN FOR ROJAS; Wilson was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Twins 4, Royals 3.