The Royals, who defeated the Red Sox, 5-2, for their fourth straight victory, moved into first place in the West Division, one-half game ahead of the White Sox and Rangers and one game in front of the Twins. Hal McRae doubled and Al Cowens singled to start the Royals' scoring in the first inning.

Luis Tiant, who started for the Red Sox, was kayoed in the third when the Royals added three runs on a double by Tom Poquette, single by George Brett, triple by Cowens and single by John Mayberry. Mark Littell, making his second start of the season for the Royals, pitched five hitless innings before stiffness in his back forced his exit. The Red Sox jumped on Steve Mingori for two runs in the seventh, but Doug Bird relieved and preserved the victory. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 5, Boston Red Sox 2
Game Played on Saturday, August    20, 1977 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Red Sox      0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  6  0
Royals       1  0  3    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   5 11  1


Red Sox              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Burleson ss           5   0   1   1     0   0   .295      Poquette lf           4   1   1   0     0   0   .283
Lynn cf               3   0   0   0     2   2   .249      McRae dh              4   1   2   0     0   2   .289
Rice dh               4   0   1   0     0   1   .323      Brett 3b              3   1   1   1     1   0   .306
Yastrzemski lf        3   0   1   0     1   0   .301      Cowens rf             4   1   2   2     0   0   .298
Fisk c                4   0   0   0     0   0   .302      Mayberry 1b           3   1   1   1     1   1   .242
Scott 1b              4   1   2   0     0   1   .271      Porter c              4   0   1   0     0   1   .276
Hobson 3b             4   1   0   0     0   3   .272      Otis cf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .249
Carbo rf              1   0   0   0     1   1   .287      Patek ss              4   0   1   0     0   1   .269
  Evans ph,rf         2   0   1   1     0   0   .288      White 2b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .248
Doyle 2b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .248      Littell p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Dillard ph,2b       1   0   0   0     0   0   .263        Mingori p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Miller ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .266        Bird p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Tiant p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Stanley p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   2   6   2     4   9             Totals               34   5  11   5     2   7

Time of Game: 2:43   Attendance: 40,502
Left on Base: Red Sox 9, Royals 7
DP: Red Sox 0, Royals 0
Errors: Brett
Doubles: Evans (9), Burleson (27), McRae 2 (39), Poquette (19), Otis (17)
Triples: Cowens (8)
Stolen Bases: Patek (39)


Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Tiant L(8-8)            2.1   7   4   4   0   2   0  14   4.97
Stanley                 4.2   3   1   1   2   5   0  19   4.11
Campbell                1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.88
Totals                  8    11   5   5   2   7   0  36

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Littell W(6-4)          5     0   0   0   3   6   0  18   3.42
Mingori                 1     4   2   1   0   0   0   8   3.14
Bird SV(6)              3     2   0   0   1   3   0  12   4.83
Totals                  9     6   2   1   4   9   0  38

Umpires: HP - Mike Reilly, 1B - Bill Kunkel, 2B - Ron Luciano, 3B - Bill Haller


RED SOX 1ST: Burleson flied out to right; Lynn walked; Rice
struck out; Yastrzemski walked [Lynn to second]; Fisk forced
Yastrzemski (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red
Sox 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Poquette popped to shortstop; McRae doubled to
right; Brett flied out to left; Cowens singled to center [McRae
scored]; Mayberry popped to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Red Sox 0, Royals 1.

RED SOX 2ND: Scott flied out to right; Hobson struck out; Carbo
walked; Doyle grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Red Sox 0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 2ND: Porter grounded out (first to pitcher); Otis flied
out to center; Patek singled to left; Patek stole second; White
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Royals 1.

RED SOX 3RD: Burleson flied out to right; Lynn was called out on
strikes; Rice flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox
0, Royals 1.

ROYALS 3RD: Poquette doubled; McRae struck out; Brett singled to
left [Poquette scored, Brett to second (on throw to home)];
Cowens tripled to right [Brett scored]; Mayberry singled to
right [Cowens scored]; STANLEY REPLACED TIANT (PITCHING); Porter
struck out; Otis grounded out (third to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Red Sox 0, Royals 4.

RED SOX 4TH: Yastrzemski flied out to center; Fisk grounded out
(third to first); Scott struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red
Sox 0, Royals 4.

ROYALS 4TH: Patek struck out; White grounded out (third to
first); Poquette lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox
0, Royals 4.

RED SOX 5TH: Hobson struck out; Carbo was called out on strikes;
Doyle lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Royals 4.

ROYALS 5TH: McRae struck out; Brett lined to left; Cowens flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Royals 4.

RED SOX 6TH: MINGORI REPLACED LITTELL (PITCHING); Burleson
popped to third; Lynn grounded out (third to first); Rice
singled to left; Yastrzemski singled to right [Rice to third];
Fisk flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Royals
4.

ROYALS 6TH: Mayberry struck out; Porter grounded out (pitcher to
first); Otis doubled to right; Patek grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Royals 4.

RED SOX 7TH: Scott singled to left; Hobson reached on an error
by Brett [Scott to second]; EVANS BATTED FOR CARBO; Evans
doubled to left [Scott scored, Hobson to third]; BIRD REPLACED
MINGORI (PITCHING); DILLARD BATTED FOR DOYLE; Dillard flied out
to right; Burleson grounded out (third to first) [Hobson scored
(unearned)]; Lynn walked; Rice grounded out (first to pitcher);
2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Royals 4.

ROYALS 7TH: EVANS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); DILLARD STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 2B); White struck out; Poquette grounded out
(pitcher to first); McRae doubled to right; Brett was walked
intentionally; Cowens grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Royals 4.

RED SOX 8TH: Yastrzemski grounded out (first unassisted); Fisk
grounded out (third to first); Scott singled to right; Hobson
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Royals 4.

ROYALS 8TH: Mayberry walked; Porter singled to right [Mayberry
to second]; CAMPBELL REPLACED STANLEY (PITCHING); Otis singled
to left [Mayberry scored, Porter out at third (left to third),
Otis to second (on throw to 3b)]; Patek flied out to left; White
grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox
2, Royals 5.

RED SOX 9TH: Evans flied out to left; MILLER BATTED FOR DILLARD;
Miller struck out; Burleson doubled to right; Lynn struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Royals 5.