Scoring four unearned runs in the third inning, the A's won the second game of a twi-night doubleheader, 5-4, to gain a split with the Royals, who won the first game, 5-3. In the opener, George Brett batted in three of the Royals' runs with a double and triple, while Al Cowens accounted for two others with a bases-loaded single. Paul Splittorff, pitching with a 5-1 lead, appeared to have the A's well in hand until the eighth inning when Mario Guerrero singled and Taylor Duncan homered. Al Hrabosky relieved and picked up his 10th save.

In a shuffle of 18-year-old pitchers, the A's sent Mike Morgan to Vancouver (Pacific Coast) and started Tim Conroy in the nightcap. The youngster allowed only two hits before being lifted after 3 1/3 innings, but he walked five batters and hit one with a pitch. Pete Broberg, the first of four relievers used by the A's, gained the decision. The A's third-inning scoring began with a pass to Jim Essian, a sacrifice and an error by Clint Hurdle in failing to hold the throw from Frank White on a grounder by Tito Fuentes. Essian scored and Fuentes reached second. Guerrero singled to drive in Fuentes and Mitchell Page followed with a two-run homer. [The Sporting News]

Kansas City Royals 5, Oakland Athletics 3 (Game 1)

Game Played on Friday, June 23, 1978 (Night game) at Royals Stadium

A's          0  0  0    1  0  0    0  2  0  -   3  7  1
Royals       2  0  2    0  0  0    1  0  x  -   5  6  2


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Dilone rf             5   0   2   0     0   0   .268      Braun lf              1   2   1   0     3   0   .222
Fuentes 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Wilson pr,cf        1   1   0   0     0   1   .230
  Essian c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .235      McRae dh              4   2   1   0     0   0   .268
Guerrero ss           4   1   1   0     0   0   .279      Brett 3b              4   0   2   3     0   1   .299
Duncan 3b             4   2   2   2     0   0   .259      Porter c              4   0   0   0     0   1   .293
Page dh               4   0   1   0     0   0   .259      Hurdle 1b             2   0   0   0     2   1   .266
Newman c              3   0   0   0     1   0   .237        LaCock 1b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .208
  Edwards pr,2b       0   0   0   0     0   0   .218      Cowens cf,rf          4   0   1   2     0   2   .242
Revering 1b           4   0   1   1     0   0   .260      Poquette rf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .214
Alston lf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .200        Zdeb ph,rf,lf       3   0   0   0     0   0   .259
  Wallis ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .303      Patek ss              3   0   1   0     1   0   .273
Armas cf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .229      White 2b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .281
Langford p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Splittorff p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   3   7   3     1   3             Totals               30   5   6   5     7   6

Time of Game: 2:29
Left on Base: A's 7, Royals 8
DP: A's 1, Royals 1
Errors: Newman, Brett, Patek
Doubles: Duncan (3), Revering (8), Braun (6), Brett (19), Patek (12)
Triples: Page (1), Brett (5)
Home Runs: Duncan (2)
Stolen Bases: Dilone 3 (25), Wilson (27)
GIDP: Duncan (1)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Langford L(1-5)         2.2   4   4   4   2   4   0  15   3.12
Johnson                 5     2   1   1   5   1   0  21   2.66
Sosa                    0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   3.04
Totals                  8     6   5   5   7   6   0  37

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Splittorff W(9-6)       7.2   6   3   3   0   1   1  31   2.73
Hrabosky SV(10)         1.1   1   0   0   1   2   0   6   1.99
Totals                  9     7   3   3   1   3   1  37

Umpires: HP - Lou DiMuro, 1B - Ken Kaiser, 2B - Mike Reilly, 3B - Bill Haller


ATHLETICS 1ST: Dilone reached on an error by Brett; Fuentes
popped to second; Dilone stole second; Dilone stole third;
Guerrero reached on a fielder's choice [Dilone stayed at third];
Duncan grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Guerrero out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Braun doubled to right; McRae reached on a fielder's
choice [Braun to third]; Brett tripled to right [Braun scored,
McRae scored]; Porter grounded out (first to pitcher); Hurdle
was called out on strikes; Cowens struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 2.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Page popped to shortstop; Newman reached on an
error by Patek; Revering flied out to right; Alston popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 2.

ROYALS 2ND: Poquette grounded out (second to first); Patek
grounded out (shortstop to first); White flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 2.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Armas lined to shortstop; Dilone singled to
right; Dilone stole second; Fuentes flied out to left; Guerrero
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals
2.

ROYALS 3RD: Braun walked; McRae singled to center [Braun to
second]; Brett was called out on strikes; Porter struck out;
Hurdle walked [Braun to third, McRae to second]; Cowens singled
to right [Braun scored, McRae scored, Hurdle to third]; JOHNSON
REPLACED LANGFORD (PITCHING); ZDEB BATTED FOR POQUETTE; Zdeb
flied out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Royals 4.

ATHLETICS 4TH: ZDEB STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Duncan doubled;
Page popped to second; Newman popped to second; Revering doubled
to right [Duncan scored]; Alston was called out on strikes; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 4.

ROYALS 4TH: Patek grounded out (shortstop to first); White
popped to third in foul territory; Braun walked; McRae flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 4.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Armas flied out to center; Dilone singled to
center; Fuentes lined to center; Guerrero grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 4.

ROYALS 5TH: Brett lined to center; Porter grounded out (first to
pitcher); Hurdle walked; Cowens flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 4.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Duncan flied out to left; Page lined to right;
Newman grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 1, Royals 4.

ROYALS 6TH: Zdeb flied out to right; Patek walked; White lined
into a double play (second to first) [Patek out at first]; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 4.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Revering lined to right; Alston grounded out
(first to pitcher); Armas flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 4.

ROYALS 7TH: Braun walked; WILSON RAN FOR BRAUN; McRae flied out
to right; Wilson stole second [Wilson to third (error by
Newman)]; Brett doubled to right [Wilson scored]; Porter flied
out to center [Brett to third]; Hurdle grounded out (pitcher to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 1, Royals 5.

ATHLETICS 8TH: WILSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); LACOCK
REPLACED HURDLE (PLAYING 1B); COWENS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
RF); ZDEB CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Dilone grounded out
(shortstop to first); Fuentes lined to shortstop; Guerrero
singled to center; Duncan homered [Guerrero scored]; HRABOSKY
REPLACED SPLITTORFF (PITCHING); Page tripled to center; Newman
walked; EDWARDS RAN FOR NEWMAN; Revering popped to second; 2 R,
3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 3, Royals 5.

ROYALS 8TH: EDWARDS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); ESSIAN REPLACED
FUENTES (PLAYING C ); Cowens struck out; Zdeb flied out to
right; Patek doubled to left; White was walked intentionally;
SOSA REPLACED JOHNSON (PITCHING); Wilson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 3, Royals 5.

ATHLETICS 9TH: WALLIS BATTED FOR ALSTON; Wallis struck out;
Armas struck out; Dilone popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Athletics 3, Royals 5.

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