The Royals clinched their second straight West Division title by defeating the Angels, 7-3. The victory was the Royals' 21st in their last 22 games and killed off the runner-up Rangers' last chance. Dennis Leonard pitched a five-hitter for the Royals, struck out 13 and won his 19th game.

Al Cowens drove in five runs with three doubles and John Mayberry accounted for the remaining two RBIs with a homer. The Angels, who had a round-tripper by Bobby Bonds, broke their former attendance record of 1,400,321, set in 1966, when the crowd of 10,888 at the game pushed their total to 1,400,701. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 7, California Angels 3
Game Played on Friday, September 23, 1977 (Night game) at Anaheim Stadium
Royals       2  0  3    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   7  9  0
Angels       0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  1  -   3  5  3


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Angels               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Poquette lf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .289      Bosley lf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .305
McRae dh              5   2   2   0     0   0   .295      Remy 2b               2   0   0   0     2   0   .259
Brett 3b              4   3   1   0     1   0   .314      Landreaux cf          4   0   0   0     0   3   .241
Cowens rf             5   1   3   5     0   1   .308      Bonds rf              3   1   0   0     1   1   .268
Mayberry 1b           5   1   1   2     0   2   .231      Baylor dh             4   2   2   1     0   2   .255
Porter c              4   0   0   0     1   2   .277      Guerrero ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .304
Otis cf               3   0   1   0     1   0   .253      Chalk 3b              4   0   2   1     0   1   .274
White 2b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .251      Aikens 1b             4   0   0   1     0   2   .198
Washington ss         3   0   0   0     1   1   .286      Etchebarren c         0   0   0   0     1   0   .243
Leonard p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Goodwin ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .209
                                                            Hampton c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .281
                                                            Solaita ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .240
                                                            Humphrey c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .230
                                                            May ph              1   0   0   0     0   1   .228
                                                          Simpson p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Barlow p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   7   9   7     5   7             Totals               32   3   5   3     4  13

Time of Game: 2:37   Attendance: 10,888
Left on Base: Royals 8, Angels 6
DP: Royals 0, Angels 2
Errors: Remy, Chalk, Aikens
Doubles: McRae (52), Cowens 3 (31), White (21), Chalk (25)
Home Runs: Mayberry (23), Baylor (23)
Stolen Bases: Otis (22), Brett (14)
Sacrifice Hits: Poquette (4)
GIDP: Otis (12), Cowens (14)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Leonard W(19-11)        9     5   3   3   4  13   1  36   3.20
Totals                  9     5   3   3   4  13   1  36

Angels                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Simpson L(6-11)         3.1   8   7   6   3   3   1  22   5.68
Barlow                  5.2   1   0   0   2   4   0  20   5.02
Totals                  9     9   7   6   5   7   1  42

Wild Pitches: Leonard (11)

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


ROYALS 1ST: Poquette grounded out (shortstop to first); McRae
doubled to left; Brett walked; Cowens doubled to left [McRae
scored, Brett scored]; Mayberry struck out; Porter was called
out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Angels 0.

ANGELS 1ST: Bosley grounded out (shortstop to first); Remy
walked; Leonard threw a wild pitch [Remy to second]; Landreaux
grounded out (first unassisted) [Remy to third]; Bonds struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Angels 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Otis reached on an error by Chalk [Otis to second];
White struck out; Otis stole third; Washington flied out to
center; Poquette walked; McRae popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 2, Angels 0.

ANGELS 2ND: Baylor struck out; Guerrero lined to center; Chalk
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Angels 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Brett singled to center; Brett stole second; Cowens
doubled to left [Brett scored]; Mayberry homered [Cowens
scored]; Porter walked; Otis grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Porter out at second]; White
doubled to left; Washington lined to third; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 5, Angels 0.

ANGELS 3RD: Aikens lined to center; Etchebarren walked; Bosley
singled to left [Etchebarren to second]; Remy forced Bosley
(second to shortstop) [Etchebarren to third]; Landreaux struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 5, Angels 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Poquette grounded out (first unassisted); McRae
singled to right; Brett reached on an error by Remy [McRae to
second]; Cowens doubled to left [McRae scored, Brett scored
(unearned)]; BARLOW REPLACED SIMPSON (PITCHING); Mayberry
grounded out (first unassisted) [Cowens to third]; Porter
grounded out (first to pitcher); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 7, Angels 0.

ANGELS 4TH: Bonds lined to second; Baylor struck out; Guerrero
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 7,
Angels 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Otis walked; White forced Otis (pitcher to
shortstop); Washington struck out; Poquette grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 7, Angels 0.

ANGELS 5TH: Chalk grounded out (pitcher to first); Aikens struck
out; GOODWIN BATTED FOR ETCHEBARREN; Goodwin struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 7, Angels 0.

ROYALS 6TH: HAMPTON REPLACED GOODWIN (PLAYING C ); McRae flied
out to left; Brett reached on an error by Aikens; Cowens
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Brett
out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 7, Angels 0.

ANGELS 6TH: Bosley struck out; Remy popped to third in foul
territory; Landreaux struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
7, Angels 0.

ROYALS 7TH: Mayberry grounded out (first unassisted); Porter
struck out; Otis singled to center; White forced Otis (third to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 7, Angels 0.

ANGELS 7TH: Bonds walked; Baylor singled to right [Bonds to
third]; Guerrero popped to second; Chalk doubled to left [Bonds
scored, Baylor to third]; Aikens grounded out (second to first)
[Baylor scored, Chalk to third]; SOLAITA BATTED FOR HAMPTON;
Solaita struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 7, Angels 2.

ROYALS 8TH: HUMPHREY REPLACED SOLAITA (PLAYING C ); Washington
walked; Poquette out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted)
[Washington to second]; McRae flied out to center; Brett flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 7, Angels 2.

ANGELS 8TH: Bosley grounded out (shortstop to first); Remy
walked; Landreaux struck out; Bonds grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 7, Angels 2.

ROYALS 9TH: Cowens struck out; Mayberry struck out; Porter flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 7, Angels 2.

ANGELS 9TH: Baylor homered; Guerrero lined to center; Chalk
singled to left; Aikens was called out on strikes; MAY BATTED
FOR HUMPHREY; May was called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 7, Angels 3.