A homer by Carney Lansford with two men on base in the eighth inning lifted the Angels to a 4-3 victory and carried them within 3½ games of the pace-setting Royals in the West division. A two-run homer by Frank White paced the Royals to a 3-1 lead before Bobby Grich drew a pass from Marty Pattin to open the Angels' eighth. Al Hrabosky took over in relief and walked Rick Miller with one out. Lansford then hit his homer.

In anger, Hrabosky threw two pitches over the head of Lyman Bostock, who was the next batter. Bostock charged the mound, setting off a melee that brought both teams on the field. After order was restored, Bostock and Hrabosky exchanged words and went after each other again. Both players were ejected from the game. LaRoche, who pitched the last 1 1/3 innings for the Angels, set a California club record with his 23rd save of the season. [The Sporting News]



California Angels 4, Kansas City Royals 3
Game Played on Saturday, September 16, 1978 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Angels       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  0  -   4  5  1
Royals       0  2  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   3 12  0


Angels               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
R. Miller cf          4   1   0   0     1   3   .265      Braun lf              3   0   2   0     1   0   .269
Lansford 3b           4   2   2   3     0   0   .285        Wilson pr,lf        0   1   0   0     0   0   .217
Bostock rf            3   0   1   0     0   0   .295        Zdeb ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .254
  Landreaux ph,rf     0   0   0   0     1   0   .222      Brett 3b              4   0   1   0     1   0   .278
Baylor dh             3   0   0   1     0   0   .259      Otis cf               5   0   3   1     0   0   .297
Rudi lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .249      Porter c              5   0   2   0     0   0   .278
Jackson 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .294      LaCock 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .301
Downing c             3   0   1   0     1   0   .261        Wathan ph,1b        1   0   0   0     0   1   .321
Grich 2b              3   1   1   0     1   0   .234      McRae dh              4   0   2   0     0   0   .271
Chalk ss              2   0   0   0     0   1   .257      Cowens rf             4   1   0   0     0   0   .277
  Goodwin ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Patek ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .260
  Rettenmund ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .267        Quirk ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .208
  Anderson ss         0   0   0   0     1   0   .214        Washington pr,ss    0   0   0   0     0   0   .270
Hartzell p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      White 2b              3   1   1   2     0   0   .274
  Frost p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hurdle ph           0   0   0   0     0   0   .263
  Brett p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Cripe ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .333
  D. Miller p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Terrell 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .198
  LaRoche p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Pattin p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            McGilberry p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   4   5   4     5   4             Totals               38   3  12   3     2   3

Time of Game: 3:16   Attendance: 40,237
Left on Base: Angels 6, Royals 10
DP: Angels 0, Royals 0
Errors: Lansford
Doubles: Downing (14), Quirk (2)
Home Runs: Lansford (6), White (5)
Stolen Bases: Bostock (15), Landreaux (7), Wilson (40), Otis (30)
Caught Stealing: Brett (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Baylor (9)


Angels                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hartzell                2.2   8   2   2   0   0   1  15   3.45
Frost                   3.2   2   1   1   2   0   0  15   2.89
Brett                   0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4.92
D. Miller W(6-1)        1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.30
LaRoche SV(23)          1.1   1   0   0   0   2   0   5   2.79
Totals                  9    12   3   3   2   3   1  40

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pattin                  7     3   2   2   2   3   0  26   3.63
Hrabosky L(8-7)         0.1   1   2   2   2   0   1   4   3.10
McGilberry              1.2   1   0   0   1   1   0   7   3.10
Totals                  9     5   4   4   5   4   1  37

Umpires: HP - Marty Springstead, 1B - Rich Garcia, 2B - Jim Evans, 3B - Durwood Merrill


ANGELS 1ST: R. Miller struck out; Lansford singled to shortstop;
Bostock singled to left [Lansford to third]; Bostock stole
second; Baylor hit a sacrifice fly to right [Lansford scored,
Bostock to third]; Rudi flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Braun singled to left; Brett was credited with a
single when a runner was hit by the batted ball to first [Braun
out at second (first unassisted)]; Brett was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Otis reached on an error by
Lansford; Porter singled to center [Otis to third]; LaCock
forced Porter (pitcher to shortstop to second); 0 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 0.

ANGELS 2ND: Jackson flied out to left; Downing walked; Grich
singled to right [Downing to second]; Chalk struck out; R.
Miller struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: McRae singled to shortstop; Cowens forced McRae
(shortstop to second); Patek flied out to right; White homered
[Cowens scored]; Braun singled to third; Brett flied out to
left; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 2.

ANGELS 3RD: Lansford popped to catcher in foul territory;
Bostock grounded out (second to first); Baylor lined to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 3RD: Otis flied out to center; Porter singled to right;
LaCock popped to third in foul territory; McRae singled to
center [Porter to second]; FROST REPLACED HARTZELL (PITCHING);
Cowens lined to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 2.

ANGELS 4TH: Rudi flied out to center; Jackson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Downing popped to second in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 4TH: Patek flied out to center; White grounded out (first
unassisted); Braun flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Angels 1, Royals 2.

ANGELS 5TH: Grich flied out to center; Chalk flied out to left;
R. Miller grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Angels 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 5TH: Brett lined to second; Otis singled to center;
Porter flied out to right; LaCock flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 2.

ANGELS 6TH: Lansford flied out to left; Bostock grounded out
(first unassisted); Baylor flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 6TH: McRae grounded out (shortstop to first); Cowens
grounded out (third to first); Patek flied out to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 2.

ANGELS 7TH: Rudi popped to first in foul territory; Jackson
lined to right; Downing grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 7TH: White grounded out (third to first); Braun walked;
WILSON RAN FOR BRAUN; Wilson stole second; Brett was walked
intentionally; Otis singled to left [Wilson scored, Brett to
third]; BRETT REPLACED FROST (PITCHING); Porter popped to
second; D. MILLER REPLACED BRETT (PITCHING); WATHAN BATTED FOR
LACOCK; Otis stole second; Wathan struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Angels 1, Royals 3.

ANGELS 8TH: WILSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); WATHAN STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 1B); Grich walked; GOODWIN BATTED FOR CHALK;
HRABOSKY REPLACED PATTIN (PITCHING); RETTENMUND BATTED FOR
GOODWIN; Rettenmund flied out to left; R. Miller walked [Grich
to second]; Lansford homered [Grich scored, R. Miller
scored]; Al Hrabosky threw two pitches over the head of Lyman
Bostock, who charged the mound; both benches cleared; after
order was restored, the two players exchanged words and starting
fighting; Bostock and Hrabosky ejected by HP umpire Marty
Springstead; MCGILBERRY REPLACED HRABOSKY (PITCHING);
LANDREAUX BATTED FOR BOSTOCK; Landreaux walked (walk was charged
to Hrabosky); Baylor popped to catcher in foul territory;
Landreaux stole second; Rudi flied out to right; 3 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Angels 4, Royals 3.

ROYALS 8TH: LANDREAUX STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); ANDERSON
REPLACED RETTENMUND (PLAYING SS); McRae grounded out (second to
first); Cowens popped to first; QUIRK BATTED FOR PATEK; Quirk
doubled to left; WASHINGTON RAN FOR QUIRK; HURDLE BATTED FOR
WHITE; LAROCHE REPLACED D. MILLER (PITCHING); CRIPE BATTED FOR
HURDLE; Cripe struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 4,
Royals 3.

ANGELS 9TH: WASHINGTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); TERRELL
REPLACED CRIPE (PLAYING 2B); Jackson flied out to right; Downing
doubled to right; Grich flied out to center; Anderson walked; R.
Miller struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Angels 4, Royals 3.

ROYALS 9TH: ZDEB BATTED FOR WILSON; Zdeb struck out; Brett lined
to shortstop; Otis singled to center; Porter flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 4, Royals 3.