Doubles by Fred Patek and Frank White on consecutive pitches in the sixth inning produced three runs and carried the Royals to a 5-4 victory over the Rangers. With the score tied, 2-2, the Royals opened the sixth with a double by Joe Lahoud and single by Darrell Porter, Lahoud stopping at third.

Amos Otis then struck out, but Patek followed with a double, driving in two runs, and scored what proved to be the winning run on White's two-bagger. Toby Harrah hit his career high 22nd homer in the seventh when the Rangers fell short with a two-run rally. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 5, Texas Rangers 4
Game Played on Wednesday, August    31, 1977 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Rangers      0  1  1    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   4  6  0
Royals       0  1  0    0  1  3    0  0  x  -   5  9  1


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Hargrove 1b           3   1   2   0     1   0   .308      Brett 3b              3   1   1   0     1   0   .313
Wills 2b              2   0   1   1     1   1   .283      McRae dh              3   0   0   0     1   0   .284
Washington lf         3   0   1   1     0   1   .298      LaCock 1b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .295
Horton dh             4   0   0   0     0   0   .289      Cowens rf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .298
Sundberg c            3   1   1   0     1   0   .299      Lahoud lf             3   1   2   0     1   0   .281
Harrah 3b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .271        Zdeb lf             0   0   0   0     0   0   .303
Beniquez cf           2   0   0   0     1   1   .275      Porter c              4   1   2   1     0   0   .269
May rf                3   1   0   0     1   1   .238      Otis cf               4   0   0   0     0   2   .251
Campaneris ss         3   0   0   0     1   1   .255      Patek ss              3   1   1   2     0   0   .264
Alexander p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      White 2b              3   0   1   1     0   0   .240
  Barker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Colborn p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bird p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               27   4   6   3     6   5             Totals               31   5   9   5     3   2

Time of Game: 2:45   Attendance: 25,223
Left on Base: Rangers 5, Royals 6
DP: Rangers 0, Royals 1
Errors: Lahoud
Doubles: Lahoud 2 (4), Patek (21), White (16)
Home Runs: Harrah (22)
Caught Stealing: Beniquez (15), Patek (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Wills (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Washington (4)
Hit by Pitch: Beniquez (1,by Bird), Patek (4,by Barker)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Alexander L(13-9)       5.1   7   4   4   2   0   0  24   4.10
Barker                  2.2   2   1   1   1   2   0  11   3.96
Totals                  8     9   5   5   3   2   0  35

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Colborn W(15-13)        6     5   3   2   4   3   1  24   3.60
Bird SV(9)              3     1   1   1   2   2   0  12   4.40
Totals                  9     6   4   3   6   5   1  36

Hit by Pitch: Barker (1), Bird (2)
Wild Pitches: Colborn 2 (7)

Umpires: HP - Durwood Merrill, 1B - Don Denkinger, 2B - Larry McCoy, 3B - Dale Ford


RANGERS 1ST: Hargrove singled to right; Wills struck out;
Washington forced Hargrove (shortstop unassisted); Horton flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Brett grounded out (first to pitcher); McRae
grounded out (shortstop to first); LaCock grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Royals 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Sundberg singled to right; Harrah grounded out
(third to first) [Sundberg to second]; Beniquez walked; Colborn
threw a wild pitch [Sundberg to third, Beniquez to second]; May
struck out; Colborn threw a wild pitch [Sundberg scored,
Beniquez to third]; Campaneris walked; Campaneris was picked off
first (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Cowens singled to left; Lahoud walked [Cowens to
second]; Porter singled to center [Cowens scored, Lahoud to
second]; Otis flied out to center [Lahoud to third]; Patek lined
to right; White grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Rangers 1, Royals 1.

RANGERS 3RD: Hargrove singled to left [Hargrove to second (error
by Lahoud)]; Wills out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Hargrove to third]; Washington hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Hargrove scored (unearned)]; Horton lined to shortstop; 1 R (0
ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 1.

ROYALS 3RD: Brett grounded out (second to first); McRae flied
out to right; LaCock grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 1.

RANGERS 4TH: Sundberg walked; Harrah lined into a double play
(first unassisted) [Sundberg out at first]; Beniquez struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 1.

ROYALS 4TH: Cowens grounded out (third to first); Lahoud doubled
to right; Porter flied out to right; Otis flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 1.

RANGERS 5TH: May grounded out (pitcher to first); Campaneris
flied out to center; Hargrove flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Patek grounded out (third to first); White flied out
to right; Brett singled to right; McRae walked [Brett to
second]; LaCock singled to right [Brett scored, McRae to third,
LaCock out at second (right to catcher to first to shortstop)];
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 2.

RANGERS 6TH: Wills walked; Washington singled to center [Wills
to third, Washington out at second (center to second)]; Horton
grounded out (pitcher to first); Sundberg flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 2.

ROYALS 6TH: Cowens flied out to center; Lahoud doubled to right;
Porter singled to center [Lahoud to third]; BARKER REPLACED
ALEXANDER (PITCHING); Otis struck out; Patek doubled to right
[Lahoud scored, Porter scored]; White doubled to right [Patek
scored]; Brett walked; McRae grounded out (second to first); 3
R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 5.

RANGERS 7TH: Harrah homered; BIRD REPLACED COLBORN (PITCHING);
Beniquez grounded out (third to first); May walked; Campaneris
flied out to left; Hargrove walked [May to second]; Wills
singled to right [May scored, Hargrove to third]; Washington
struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals 5.

ROYALS 7TH: LaCock flied out to left; Cowens grounded out (third
to first); Lahoud popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals 5.

RANGERS 8TH: ZDEB REPLACED LAHOUD (PLAYING LF); Horton grounded
out (second to first); Sundberg grounded out (third to first);
Harrah flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4,
Royals 5.

ROYALS 8TH: Porter grounded out (pitcher to first); Otis struck
out; Patek was hit by a pitch; Patek was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 4, Royals
5.

RANGERS 9TH: Beniquez was hit by a pitch; Beniquez was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); May popped to third in foul
territory; Campaneris struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers
4, Royals 5.