Joe Wallis, who dropped a fly ball to help the Royals win the opener of a doubleheader, 4-2, drove in three runs with a pair of doubles to spark the A's to a 9-3 victory in the nightcap. The A's led, 1-0, going into the eighth inning of the first game when Jerry Terrell began the Royals' half with a two-base hit off Bob Lacey. After Amos Otis drew a walk, Wallis dropped George Brett's line drive, enabling Terrell to score and Otis to advance to second.

A sacrifice by Darrell Porter moved the runners to second and third. After Hal McRae was given an intentional walk to load the bases, Elias Sosa replaced Lacey and walked pinch-hitter Steve Braun to force in Otis. Freddie Patek then stroked a single to plate Brett. Dave Heaverlo relieved and gave up another run on a single by Frank White before getting Tom Poquette to bounce into a double play.

In the second game, Wallis hit a two-run double in the fourth inning to send the A's ahead, 3-1, and added an RBI double and scored during a three-run sixth inning. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 4, Oakland Athletics 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, July      2, 1978 (Day game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  4  0  -   4 11  0
A's          0  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  9  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Poquette lf,rf        5   0   0   0     0   0   .198      Wallis cf             5   0   2   0     0   0   .319
LaCock 1b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .219      Dilone lf             3   0   1   0     0   1   .255
  Terrell ph,1b       2   1   1   0     0   0   .200      Page dh               4   1   2   1     0   0   .276
Otis cf               4   1   2   0     1   2   .288      Duncan 3b             2   1   1   0     0   0   .259
Brett 3b              5   1   2   0     0   1   .309        Gross 3b            1   0   0   0     0   0   .208
Porter c              3   0   0   0     1   1   .284      Newman 1b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .265
McRae dh              2   1   1   0     1   0   .268      Burke rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .220
Hurdle rf             1   0   1   0     1   0   .250      Essian c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .239
  Zdeb ph,rf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .233      Edwards 2b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .239
  Braun ph            0   0   0   1     1   0   .229        Revering ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .262
  Wilson pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .243        Alston pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Patek ss              4   0   2   1     0   1   .269      Picciolo ss           2   0   1   0     0   0   .211
White 2b              4   0   2   1     0   0   .278        Armas ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .224
Gura p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Langford p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lacey p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Heaverlo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   4  11   3     5   6             Totals               32   2   9   1     2   2

Time of Game: 2:29
Left on Base: Royals 10, A's 8
DP: Royals 0, A's 2
Errors: Wallis
Doubles: Terrell (1), Wallis (4)
Home Runs: Page (9)
Stolen Bases: McRae (9), Duncan (1), Burke (5)
Caught Stealing: Picciolo (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Porter (1), Dilone (6), Duncan (3), Picciolo (1)
GIDP: Poquette 2 (5)
Hit by Pitch: McRae (4,by Langford)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gura W(6-2)             8.1   9   2   2   2   1   1  35   3.07
Hrabosky SV(12)         0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   2.34
Totals                  9     9   2   2   2   2   1  37

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Langford                5.2   6   0   0   2   5   0  24   2.87
Lacey L(6-4)            1.2   2   4   3   2   0   0   9   2.82
Sosa                    0     1   0   0   1   0   0   2   2.95
Heaverlo                1.2   2   0   0   0   1   0   6   3.06
Totals                  9    11   4   3   5   6   0  41

Hit by Pitch: Langford (1)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Neudecker, 1B - George Maloney, 2B - Jim McKean, 3B - Greg Kosc


ROYALS 1ST: Poquette lined to center; LaCock flied out to left;
Otis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Wallis singled to center; Dilone out on a
sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Wallis to second]; Page
grounded out (pitcher to first); Duncan grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Brett grounded out (first unassisted); Porter struck
out; McRae singled to left; McRae stole second; Hurdle singled
to left [McRae out at home (left to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Newman grounded out (shortstop to first); Burke
flied out to left; Essian flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Patek struck out; White popped to first in foul
territory; Poquette popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Edwards flied out to center; Picciolo grounded
out (third to first); Wallis doubled to left; Dilone struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 4TH: LaCock was called out on strikes; Otis singled to
left; Brett struck out; Porter walked [Otis to second]; McRae
lined to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Page lined to center; Duncan singled to left;
Newman singled to center [Duncan to second]; Burke forced Newman
(third to second) [Duncan to third]; Duncan stole home and Burke
stole second; Essian flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 0, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Hurdle walked; Patek singled to center [Hurdle to
second]; White popped to pitcher; Hurdle was picked off second
(pitcher to shortstop); Poquette forced Patek (shortstop
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Edwards grounded out (shortstop to first);
Picciolo singled to left; Picciolo was picked off and caught
stealing second (pitcher to first to shortstop to pitcher);
Wallis lined to pitcher; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0,
Athletics 1.

ROYALS 6TH: LaCock lined to center; Otis singled to left; Brett
singled to right [Otis to second]; Porter popped to third; McRae
was hit by a pitch [Otis to third, Brett to second]; LACEY
REPLACED LANGFORD (PITCHING); ZDEB BATTED FOR HURDLE; Zdeb
forced McRae (third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 0,
Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 6TH: ZDEB STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Dilone singled;
Page singled to right [Dilone to second]; Duncan out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Dilone to third, Page to
second]; Newman was walked intentionally; Burke flied out to
center; Essian popped to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals
0, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 7TH: Patek grounded out (shortstop to first); White
singled to left; Poquette grounded into a double play (shortstop
to first) [White out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
0, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Edwards singled to left; Picciolo out on a
sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Edwards to second]; Wallis
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Edwards to third]; Dilone
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 8TH: GROSS REPLACED DUNCAN (PLAYING 3B); TERRELL BATTED
FOR LACOCK; Terrell doubled to left; Otis walked; Brett reached
on an error by Wallis [Terrell scored (no RBI), Otis to second];
Porter out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Otis to third,
Brett to second]; McRae was walked intentionally; SOSA REPLACED
LACEY (PITCHING); BRAUN BATTED FOR ZDEB; Braun walked [Otis
scored, Brett to third, McRae to second]; WILSON RAN FOR BRAUN;
Patek singled to left [Brett scored (unearned), McRae to third,
Wilson to second]; HEAVERLO REPLACED SOSA (PITCHING); White
singled [McRae scored, Wilson to third, Patek to second];
Poquette grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [White out at second]; 4 R (3 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Royals 4, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 8TH: TERRELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); WILSON
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); POQUETTE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
RF); Page homered; Gross flied out to center; Newman flied out
to right; Burke popped to first; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
4, Athletics 2.

ROYALS 9TH: Terrell popped to catcher in foul territory; Otis
struck out; Brett singled to left; Porter flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 9TH: Essian flied out to center; REVERING BATTED FOR
EDWARDS; Revering walked; HRABOSKY REPLACED GURA (PITCHING);
ALSTON RAN FOR REVERING; ARMAS BATTED FOR PICCIOLO; Armas struck
out; Wallis grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Royals 4, Athletics 2.