The Angels pulled within 1½ games of the Royals in the West division by defeating the pace-setters in a twi-night doubleheader, 3-2 and 4-2. In the opener, the Angels started their scoring with a walk to Ron Fairly, an infield out and a single by Bobby Grich in the fifth inning. Joe Rudi homered in the sixth and the deciding run followed in the same stanza when two walks and a single by Grich loaded the bases and Rick Miller laid down a safe bunt. The Royals rallied in the ninth, but Dave LaRoche relieved Don Aase and saved the game.

Dave Frost, making his first start since July 30, pitched the distance for the Angels in the nightcap. After Don Baylor homered in the fourth to give the Angels a 2-1 lead, George Brett tied the score with a round-tripper in the seventh. Carney Lansford opened the Angels' eighth by drawing a walk and taking third on a single by Lyman Bostock. Baylor then doubled for his third hit of the game, driving in the tie-breaking tally, and Fairly added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly. [The Sporting News]

California Angels 3, Kansas City Royals 2 (Game 1)

Game Played on Saturday, September 9, 1978 (Night game) at Anaheim Stadium

Royals       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   2 10  0
Angels       0  0  0    0  1  2    0  0  x  -   3  7  0


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Angels               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Braun lf              3   0   1   0     1   0   .247      R. Miller cf          5   0   2   1     0   1   .268
  Silverio pr,lf      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Lansford 3b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .272
  Quirk ph            0   0   0   0     0   0   .095      Bostock rf            3   0   1   0     1   0   .293
  Zdeb ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .256      Baylor dh             4   0   1   0     0   0   .256
McRae dh              5   0   0   0     0   1   .270      Rudi lf               4   1   1   1     0   0   .247
LaCock 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .301      Fairly 1b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .224
Porter c              4   0   0   0     0   2   .283      Downing c             3   1   0   0     1   0   .265
Otis cf               3   0   1   0     1   0   .286      Grich 2b              3   0   2   1     1   0   .233
Brett 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .278      Anderson ss           3   0   0   0     1   2   .224
Cowens rf             4   1   3   0     0   0   .282      Aase p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
White 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .275        LaRoche p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Poquette ph         1   1   1   1     0   0   .208
Terrell ss            2   0   1   0     0   0   .202
  Hurdle ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .264
  Washington pr,ss    1   0   1   0     0   0   .287
Gale p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Mingori p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McGilberry p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   2  10   1     3   3             Totals               31   3   7   3     6   4

Time of Game: 2:32
Left on Base: Royals 9, Angels 10
DP: Royals 0, Angels 1
Doubles: Poquette (9)
Home Runs: Rudi (15)
Caught Stealing: Cowens (6)
GIDP: Zdeb (2)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gale L(14-8)            5.2   5   3   3   5   2   1  27   2.98
Mingori                 1.1   2   0   0   0   0   0   6   2.98
McGilberry              1     0   0   0   1   2   0   4   3.50
Totals                  8     7   3   3   6   4   1  37

Angels                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Aase W(10-8)            8    10   2   2   3   3   0  36   4.14
LaRoche SV(22)          1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.59
Totals                  9    10   2   2   3   3   0  38

Passed Balls: Porter (8)

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


ROYALS 1ST: Umpire Al Clark out with injured toe; Braun
grounded out (pitcher to first); McRae was called out on
strikes; LaCock walked; Porter struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 1ST: R. Miller grounded out (pitcher to first); Lansford
was called out on strikes; Bostock singled to left; Baylor
popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
0, Angels 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Otis flied out to center; Brett grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cowens singled to second; Cowens was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 2ND: Rudi grounded out (shortstop to first); Fairly
grounded out (third to first); Downing flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ROYALS 3RD: White grounded out (second to first); Terrell
singled to center; Braun singled to right [Terrell to second];
McRae popped to second; LaCock forced Braun (third to second); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 3RD: Grich grounded out (first unassisted); Anderson
struck out (catcher to first); R. Miller lined to shortstop; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Porter struck out; Otis walked; Brett singled to
center [Otis to second]; Cowens grounded out (second to first)
[Otis to third, Brett to second]; White grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 4TH: Lansford flied out to center; Bostock walked; Baylor
flied out to left; Rudi forced Bostock (shortstop to second); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Terrell flied out to center; Braun grounded out
(shortstop to first); McRae lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 5TH: Fairly walked; Downing grounded out (third to first)
[Fairly to second]; Grich singled to center [Fairly scored];
Anderson popped to second; R. Miller singled to right [Grich to
second]; Lansford walked [Grich to third, R. Miller to second];
Bostock grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Royals 0, Angels 1.

ROYALS 6TH: LaCock grounded out (first to pitcher); Porter
popped to second; Otis flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 1.

ANGELS 6TH: Baylor popped to catcher in foul territory; Rudi
homered; Fairly grounded out (first to pitcher); Downing walked;
Grich singled to left [Downing to second]; Anderson walked
[Downing to third, Grich to second]; MINGORI REPLACED GALE
(PITCHING); On a bunt R. Miller singled to third [Downing
scored, Grich to third, Anderson to second]; Lansford forced R.
Miller (shortstop to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 0,
Angels 3.

ROYALS 7TH: Brett lined to center; Cowens singled to right;
White flied out to right; HURDLE BATTED FOR TERRELL; Hurdle
singled to right [Cowens to third]; WASHINGTON RAN FOR HURDLE;
Braun walked [Washington to second]; SILVERIO RAN FOR BRAUN;
McRae forced Silverio (shortstop to second); Debut game for
Luis Silverio; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 3.

ANGELS 7TH: SILVERIO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); WASHINGTON
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Bostock lined to third; Baylor
singled to right; Rudi flied out to center; Fairly grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 3.

ROYALS 8TH: LaCock grounded out (shortstop to first); Porter
grounded out (third to first); Otis singled to right; Brett
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
0, Angels 3.

ANGELS 8TH: MCGILBERRY REPLACED MINGORI (PITCHING); Downing
grounded out (shortstop to first); Grich walked; Porter allowed
a passed ball [Grich to second]; Anderson was called out on
strikes; R. Miller was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 3.

ROYALS 9TH: Cowens singled to left; POQUETTE BATTED FOR WHITE;
Poquette doubled to center [Cowens scored]; Washington singled
to center [Poquette to third]; QUIRK BATTED FOR SILVERIO;
LAROCHE REPLACED AASE (PITCHING); ZDEB BATTED FOR QUIRK; Zdeb
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Poquette scored (no RBI), Washington out at second]; McRae
popped to second; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Angels 3.

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