The Royals clinched their third straight West division championship as Larry Gura pitched a three hitter to beat the Mariners, 4-1. The Royals tallied three times in the fifth inning to put the game away.

Hal McRae led off with a single and took third on a double by Freddie Patek. Frank White hit a grounder and reached first base safely as McRae beat the throw to the plate. A walk to George Brett loaded the bases and a single by Amos Otis then produced two more runs. Doubles by Pete LaCock and Al Cowens added another marker in the sixth. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 4, Seattle Mariners 1
Game Played on Tuesday, September 26, 1978 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Mariners     0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  3  0
Royals       0  0  0    0  3  1    0  0  x  -   4  8  0


Mariners             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cruz 2b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .241      Braun lf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .255
Reynolds ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .286        Wilson lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .220
Paciorek 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .299      Brett 3b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .291
Roberts rf            3   1   2   1     0   0   .303      Otis cf               4   0   2   2     0   0   .299
Robertson dh          1   0   0   0     2   0   .225      Porter c              4   0   1   0     0   0   .266
Stanton lf            2   0   0   0     1   0   .182      LaCock 1b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .303
Ruppert Jones cf      3   0   0   0     0   0   .241      McRae dh              4   1   1   0     0   0   .273
Bernhardt 3b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .230      Cowens rf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .275
Stinson c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .257      Patek ss              3   1   1   0     0   1   .252
Abbott p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      White 2b              3   1   0   1     0   0   .277
                                                          Gura p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               27   1   3   1     3   0             Totals               32   4   8   4     2   1

Time of Game: 1:42   Attendance: 22,415
Left on Base: Mariners 2, Royals 6
DP: Mariners 1, Royals 3
Doubles: Roberts (19), Reynolds (16), Brett (44), Patek (23), LaCock (21), Cowens (24)
Triples: Porter (6)
Home Runs: Roberts (22)
GIDP: Stanton 2 (6), Ruppert Jones (14), LaCock (8)


Mariners               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Abbott L(7-14)          8     8   4   4   2   1   0  34   5.08
Totals                  8     8   4   4   2   1   0  34

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gura W(16-4)            9     3   1   1   3   0   1  30   2.76
Totals                  9     3   1   1   3   0   1  30

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


MARINERS 1ST: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Reynolds
grounded out (pitcher to first); Paciorek grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mariners 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Braun popped to shortstop; Brett doubled to left;
Otis flied out to right; Porter lined to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mariners 0, Royals 0.

MARINERS 2ND: Roberts doubled to left; Robertson walked; Stanton
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Roberts to third, Robertson out at second]; Ruppert Jones
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mariners
0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: LaCock grounded out (shortstop to first); McRae
flied out to center; Cowens popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Mariners 0, Royals 0.

MARINERS 3RD: Bernhardt grounded out (shortstop to first);
Stinson grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mariners 0, Royals
0.

ROYALS 3RD: Patek was called out on strikes; White popped to
second; Braun walked; Brett flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mariners 0, Royals 0.

MARINERS 4TH: Reynolds flied out to center; Paciorek popped to
second; Roberts homered; Robertson grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mariners 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Otis singled to left; Porter flied out to right;
LaCock grounded into a double play (first to shortstop to first)
[Otis out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mariners 1, Royals
0.

MARINERS 5TH: Stanton walked; Ruppert Jones grounded into a
double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Stanton out at
second]; Bernhardt lined to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mariners 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 5TH: McRae singled to left; Cowens popped to third; Patek
doubled to left [McRae to third]; White reached on a fielder's
choice [McRae scored, Patek to third]; Braun popped to
shortstop; Brett walked [White to second]; Otis singled [Patek
scored, White scored, Brett to third]; Porter grounded out
(second to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mariners 1, Royals 3.

MARINERS 6TH: Stinson lined to third; Cruz grounded out
(shortstop to first); Reynolds doubled to right; Paciorek lined
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mariners 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 6TH: LaCock doubled to left; McRae grounded out (second
to first) [LaCock to third]; Cowens doubled to left [LaCock
scored]; Patek grounded out (shortstop to first); White grounded
out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mariners 1,
Royals 4.

MARINERS 7TH: Roberts lined to shortstop; Robertson walked;
Stanton grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Robertson out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mariners 1, Royals 4.

ROYALS 7TH: Braun grounded out (second to first); Brett grounded
out (second to first); Otis flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mariners 1, Royals 4.

MARINERS 8TH: WILSON REPLACED BRAUN (PLAYING LF); Ruppert Jones
grounded out (shortstop to first); Bernhardt grounded out
(second to first); Stinson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mariners 1, Royals 4.

ROYALS 8TH: Porter tripled to left; LaCock lined to first; McRae
popped to catcher in foul territory; Cowens grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mariners 1, Royals
4.

MARINERS 9TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Reynolds
grounded out (first to pitcher); Paciorek grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mariners 1, Royals
4.