the Royals rallied for five runs in the eighth inning and posted a 9-7 victory to move 3½ games ahead of the Angels in the West division race. The Royals began their scoring with three runs in the sixth on a homer by Hal McRae, double by Pete LaCock and homer by Darrel Porter, but the Angels held a 4-3 lead before the Royals erupted in the eighth.

John Wathan singled, Porter doubled and both scored on a single by Amos Otis. After two walks, Jerry Terrell singled to drive in Otis. Willie Wilson then beat out an infield hit to Ron Jackson and when the first baseman fell down, two more runs scored. The Angels fell short with a three-run homer by Lyman Bostock in their half of the eighth before Al Cowens added a Royals' insurance marker with a sacrifice fly in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 9, California Angels 7
Game Played on Friday, September 8, 1978 (Night game) at Anaheim Stadium
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  3    0  5  1  -   9 12  0
Angels       0  0  1    0  0  2    1  3  0  -   7 11  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Angels               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Braun lf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .245      R. Miller cf          3   0   0   1     0   1   .266
  Wilson pr,lf        1   0   1   2     0   0   .223      Lansford 3b           3   1   1   1     2   0   .275
McRae dh              4   1   1   1     1   0   .273      Bostock rf            4   2   2   3     1   0   .292
LaCock 1b             2   1   1   0     1   0   .305      Baylor dh             4   0   1   0     1   0   .256
  Wathan ph,1b        2   1   1   0     0   0   .315      Rudi lf               4   0   1   1     0   1   .247
Porter c              4   2   2   2     1   2   .286      Jackson 1b            5   0   1   0     0   1   .296
Otis cf               5   2   4   2     0   0   .286      Downing c             4   1   2   0     1   0   .267
Brett 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Grich 2b              3   3   1   0     2   1   .230
Cowens rf             3   1   0   1     1   0   .277      Anderson ss           3   0   2   1     0   0   .232
White 2b              5   0   0   0     0   2   .277      Knapp p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Terrell ss            4   1   1   1     0   0   .197        D. Miller p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Gura p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        LaRoche p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bird p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Fitzmorris p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   9  12   9     4   4             Totals               33   7  11   7     7   4

Time of Game: 3:25   Attendance: 26,507
Left on Base: Royals 8, Angels 10
DP: Royals 0, Angels 0
Errors: Downing
Doubles: LaCock (17), Porter (27), Rudi (21), Anderson (7), Bostock (20)
Home Runs: McRae (15), Porter (16), Bostock (5)
Stolen Bases: Otis 3 (27), Wilson 2 (38)
Sacrifice Hits: Brett (2), Anderson (6), R. Miller (9)
Sacrifice Flies: Cowens (9), R. Miller (4), Rudi (5)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gura                    6     7   4   4   5   2   0  30   2.83
Bird W(5-6)             1.1   2   1   1   1   0   0   6   5.51
Hrabosky                1.2   2   2   2   1   2   1   8   2.91
Totals                  9    11   7   7   7   4   1  44

Angels                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Knapp                   5.1   5   3   3   2   2   2  23   4.15
D. Miller               1.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   6   2.20
LaRoche L(9-7)          0.2   5   5   5   2   1   0   9   2.62
Fitzmorris              1.1   1   1   1   0   1   0   6   3.35
Totals                  9    12   9   9   4   4   2  44

Umpires: HP - Al Clark, 1B - Bill Kunkel, 2B - Bill Deegan, 3B - Terry Cooney


ROYALS 1ST: Braun lined to shortstop; McRae grounded out (first
unassisted); LaCock walked; Porter struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 1ST: R. Miller grounded out (shortstop to first);
Lansford walked; Bostock grounded out (second to first)
[Lansford to second]; Baylor flied to left in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Otis singled to right; Otis stole second; Brett
flied out to left; Cowens grounded out (third to first); White
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 2ND: Rudi flied out to right; Jackson popped to catcher
in foul territory; Downing flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Terrell grounded out (second to first); Braun flied
out to left; McRae flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 3RD: Grich walked; Anderson out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Grich to second]; R. Miller grounded out
(third to first); Lansford singled to center [Grich scored];
Bostock grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 0, Angels 1.

ROYALS 4TH: LaCock grounded out (shortstop to first); Porter
walked; Otis flied to right in foul territory; Brett forced
Porter (second to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0,
Angels 1.

ANGELS 4TH: Baylor popped to shortstop; Rudi doubled to left;
Jackson popped to shortstop; Downing walked; Grich struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Cowens popped to shortstop; White grounded out
(first unassisted); Terrell flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 1.

ANGELS 5TH: Anderson singled to left; R. Miller out on a
sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Anderson to second]; Lansford
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Anderson to third]; Bostock
walked; Baylor walked [Bostock to second]; Rudi struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 1.

ROYALS 6TH: Braun flied out to center; McRae homered; LaCock
doubled to right; Porter homered [LaCock scored]; Otis singled
to center; D. MILLER REPLACED KNAPP (PITCHING); Otis stole
second; Brett grounded out (second to first) [Otis to third];
Cowens grounded out (shortstop to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 3, Angels 1.

ANGELS 6TH: Jackson flied out to right; Downing singled to
center; Grich singled to left [Downing to second]; Anderson
doubled to left [Downing scored, Grich to third]; R. Miller hit
a sacrifice fly to center [Grich scored, Anderson to third];
Lansford grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 3, Angels 3.

ROYALS 7TH: White popped to first in foul territory; Terrell
popped to shortstop; Braun singled to center; WILSON RAN FOR
BRAUN; Wilson stole second [Wilson to third (error by Downing)];
McRae flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Angels
3.

ANGELS 7TH: WILSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Bostock doubled
to right; BIRD REPLACED GURA (PITCHING); On a bunt Baylor
singled to third [Bostock to third]; Rudi hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Bostock scored]; Jackson singled to left [Baylor out at
third (left to third)]; Downing popped to third in foul
territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Angels 4.

ROYALS 8TH: LAROCHE REPLACED D. MILLER (PITCHING); WATHAN BATTED
FOR LACOCK; Wathan singled to right; Porter doubled to left
[Wathan to third]; Otis singled to left [Wathan scored, Porter
scored]; Brett out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Otis
to second]; Cowens was walked intentionally; White struck out;
Terrell singled to right [Otis scored, Cowens to third, Terrell
to second (on throw to home)]; Wilson singled to first [Cowens
scored, Terrell scored]; Wilson stole second; McRae was walked
intentionally; FITZMORRIS REPLACED LAROCHE (PITCHING); Wathan
reached on a fielder's choice [Wilson to third, McRae to
second]; Porter struck out; 5 R, 5 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 8,
Angels 4.

ANGELS 8TH: WATHAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Grich walked;
Anderson lined to left; HRABOSKY REPLACED BIRD (PITCHING); R.
Miller struck out; Lansford walked [Grich to second]; Bostock
homered [Grich scored, Lansford scored]; Baylor popped to
shortstop; 3 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 8, Angels 7.

ROYALS 9TH: Otis singled to left; Otis stole second; Brett
grounded out (second to first) [Otis to third]; Cowens hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Otis scored]; White grounded out (third
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 9, Angels 7.

ANGELS 9TH: Rudi popped to third; Jackson struck out; Downing
singled to pitcher; Grich flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 9, Angels 7.