With Paul Splittorff pitching his third four-hitter of the season, the Royals defeated the Orioles, 3-1. The Orioles scored their run in the third inning on a double by Doug DeCinces, a groundout and a sacrifice fly by Mark Belanger.

Orioles' starter Scott McGregor lost his control and the game in the fifth. McGregor passed two batters and gave up a single by George Brett that loaded the bases. Hal McRae walked, forcing in the tying run. Joe Kerrigan relieved and on his first pitch Amos Otis singled, driving in two runs to decide the outcome. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 3, Baltimore Orioles 1
Game Played on Friday, July      7, 1978 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Orioles      0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  4  1
Royals       0  0  0    0  3  0    0  0  x  -   3 10  1


Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopez cf              3   0   1   0     1   0   .216      Brett 3b              5   1   4   0     0   0   .318
Dauer 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .254      Zdeb lf               3   1   1   0     1   0   .247
Singleton rf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .282      McRae dh              3   0   1   1     1   0   .262
Murray 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .269      Otis cf               4   0   1   2     0   1   .275
May dh                4   0   0   0     0   0   .254      Porter c              3   0   1   0     1   1   .281
Mora lf               3   0   1   0     0   0   .248      Wathan 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .280
DeCinces 3b           3   1   1   0     0   0   .236      Hurdle rf             3   0   1   0     1   0   .260
Dempsey c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .248      Patek ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .270
Belanger ss           2   0   1   1     0   0   .217      White 2b              2   1   1   0     2   0   .284
McGregor p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Splittorff p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kerrigan p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   1   4   1     1   1             Totals               31   3  10   3     6   2

Time of Game: 2:08   Attendance: 23,314
Left on Base: Orioles 4, Royals 10
DP: Orioles 2, Royals 1
Errors: Dempsey, Patek
Doubles: DeCinces (13), Porter (16)
Stolen Bases: Otis (17), McRae (10)
Sacrifice Flies: Belanger (4)
GIDP: Wathan (2)


Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McGregor L(8-8)         4     7   3   3   4   2   0  21   4.06
Kerrigan                4     3   0   0   2   0   0  16   5.79
Totals                  8    10   3   3   6   2   0  37

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Splittorff W(10-7)      9     4   1   1   1   1   0  32   2.90
Totals                  9     4   1   1   1   1   0  32

Umpires: HP - Larry McCoy, 1B - Steve Palermo, 2B - Don Denkinger, 3B - Dave Phillips


ORIOLES 1ST: Lopez walked; Dauer hit into a double play (pitcher
to catcher to shortstop) [Lopez out at second]; Singleton flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Brett singled to center; Zdeb singled to center
[Brett out at third (center to second)]; McRae forced Zdeb
(third to second); Otis flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Orioles 0, Royals 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: Murray flied out to center; May grounded out (third
to first); Mora flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Porter struck out; Dempsey dropped a foul fly hit by
Wathan for an error; Wathan flied out to left; Hurdle singled to
center; Patek grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Orioles 0, Royals 0.

ORIOLES 3RD: DeCinces doubled to right; Dempsey grounded out
(second to first) [DeCinces to third]; Belanger hit a sacrifice
fly to left [DeCinces scored]; Lopez singled to right; Dauer
popped to catcher; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: On a bunt White singled; Brett singled to center
[White to second]; Zdeb flied out to right [White to third];
McRae hit into a double play (center to catcher) [White out at
home]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 1, Royals 0.

ORIOLES 4TH: Singleton flied out to right; Murray flied out to
left; May popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 1,
Royals 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Otis struck out; Porter doubled to right; Wathan
flied out to left; Hurdle walked; Patek flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Orioles 1, Royals 0.

ORIOLES 5TH: Mora flied out to center; DeCinces flied out to
left; Dempsey flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles
1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 5TH: White walked; Brett singled to center [White to
second]; Zdeb walked [White to third, Brett to second]; McRae
walked [White scored, Brett to third, Zdeb to second]; KERRIGAN
REPLACED MCGREGOR (PITCHING); Otis singled to center [Brett
scored, Zdeb scored, McRae to third]; Otis stole second; Porter
grounded out (first unassisted); Wathan reached on a fielder's
choice [McRae out at home (third to catcher), Otis to third];
Hurdle flied out to left; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Orioles 1,
Royals 3.

ORIOLES 6TH: Belanger singled to center; Lopez forced Belanger
(second to shortstop); Dauer reached on a fielder's choice
[Lopez to second (error by Patek; assist by White)]; Singleton
flied out to center; Murray popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Orioles 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 6TH: Patek grounded out (third to first); White made an
out to second; Brett singled to third; Zdeb grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 1, Royals 3.

ORIOLES 7TH: May grounded out (shortstop to first); Mora singled
to center; DeCinces popped to third; Dempsey flied out to left;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 7TH: McRae singled to center; Otis flied out to right;
McRae stole second; Porter walked; Wathan grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Porter out at second]; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 1, Royals 3.

ORIOLES 8TH: Belanger flied out to center; Lopez grounded out
(third to first); Dauer grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 8TH: Hurdle flied out to left; Patek grounded out (third
to first); White walked; Brett flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 1, Royals 3.

ORIOLES 9TH: Singleton flied out to right; Murray struck out;
May grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 1, Royals 3.