Driving in two runs apiece, Steve Kemp, Aurelio Rodriguez and Alan Trammell led the Tigers to a 10-4 mauling of the Royals. The Tigers were aided by two errors by K. C. third baseman George Brett and one by shortstop Freddie Patek.

Jack Billingham staggered through the first five innings to pick up his first victory of the season as Steve Baker bailed him out over the last four to record his first major league save. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 10, Kansas City Royals 4
Game Played on Monday, April     16, 1979 (Day game) at Tiger Stadium
Royals       0  0  2    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   4 11  3
Tigers       1  3  1    1  0  0    4  0  x  -  10 11  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brett 3b              5   0   0   0     0   0   .333      LeFlore dh            4   1   0   1     0   1   .194
  Washington 2b       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Whitaker 2b           4   1   3   1     1   1   .333
McRae dh              4   2   1   0     1   2   .364      Kemp lf               5   1   3   2     0   1   .467
Otis cf               4   2   2   0     1   2   .361      Thompson 1b           2   1   0   1     2   0   .143
Porter c              4   0   3   1     1   0   .375      Morales rf            5   0   0   0     0   1   .138
Cowens rf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .219      Wockenfuss c          2   2   1   0     1   0   .222
LaCock 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .286        May c               1   1   1   1     0   0   .222
Hurdle lf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .240      Jones cf              4   1   1   0     0   1   .313
White 2b              3   0   2   0     0   0   .258      Rodriguez 3b          4   1   1   2     0   0   .278
  Braun ph,3b         1   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Trammell ss           3   1   1   2     1   0   .476
Patek ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .387      Billingham p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Quirk ph,ss         0   0   0   0     1   0   .000        Baker p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Gura p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Rodriguez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   4  11   2     4   6             Totals               34  10  11  10     5   5

Time of Game: 2:54   Attendance:  9,457
Left on Base: Royals 9, Tigers 7
DP: Royals 0, Tigers 2
Errors: Brett 2, Patek, Wockenfuss
Doubles: Hurdle (3), Kemp (3)
Home Runs: Whitaker (1)
Stolen Bases: Otis (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Thompson (1), LeFlore (1)
GIDP: LaCock (2), Patek (1)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gura L(1-1)             6.1   8   9   5   5   3   1  33   4.64
Rodriguez               1.2   3   1   1   0   2   0   8   2.25
Totals                  8    11  10   6   5   5   1  41

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham W(1-0)       5     9   4   3   3   2   0  25   4.91
Baker SV(1)             4     2   0   0   1   4   0  15   1.35
Totals                  9    11   4   3   4   6   0  40

Passed Balls: Wockenfuss (1)
Wild Pitches: Baker (1)

Umpires: HP - Tom Ravashiere, 1B - Doug Cossey, 2B - John Shulock, 3B - Dick Runchey


ROYALS 1ST: Debut for umpire Dick Runchey; Brett grounded
out (third to first); McRae grounded out (shortstop to first);
Otis singled to left; Porter singled to right [Otis to third];
Cowens forced Porter (third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Royals 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: LeFlore reached on an error by Brett; Whitaker
singled to center [LeFlore to third, Whitaker to second (on
throw to 3b)]; Kemp struck out; Thompson hit a sacrifice fly to
right [LeFlore scored (unearned), Whitaker to third]; Morales
grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 0, Tigers 1.

ROYALS 2ND: LaCock singled to left; Hurdle grounded out (first
unassisted) [LaCock to second]; White lined to first; Patek
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
0, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 2ND: Wockenfuss singled to left; Jones flied out to
center; Rodriguez reached on an error by Patek [Wockenfuss to
second]; Trammell walked [Wockenfuss to third, Rodriguez to
second]; LeFlore hit a sacrifice fly to center [Wockenfuss
scored (unearned), Rodriguez to third, Trammell to second];
Whitaker walked; Kemp singled to right [Rodriguez scored
(unearned), Trammell scored (unearned), Whitaker to third];
Thompson grounded out (pitcher to first); 3 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Royals 0, Tigers 4.

ROYALS 3RD: Brett lined to third; McRae singled to right; Otis
singled to right [McRae to third]; Otis stole second [McRae
scored (error by Wockenfuss), Otis to third]; Porter walked;
Cowens singled to center [Otis scored, Porter to third]; LaCock
grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Cowens out at second]; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Tigers
4.

TIGERS 3RD: Morales lined to center; Wockenfuss walked; Jones
grounded out (third to first) [Wockenfuss to second]; Rodriguez
singled to left [Wockenfuss scored, Rodriguez out at second
(left to second)]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2, Tigers 5.

ROYALS 4TH: Hurdle was called out on strikes; White singled to
center; Patek grounded into a double play (pitcher to second to
first) [White out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 2,
Tigers 5.

TIGERS 4TH: Trammell grounded out (second to first); LeFlore
grounded out (third to first); Whitaker homered; Kemp doubled to
right; Thompson walked; Morales flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Royals 2, Tigers 6.

ROYALS 5TH: Brett popped to first in foul territory; McRae
walked; Otis walked [McRae to second]; Porter singled to left
[McRae scored, Otis to second]; Cowens forced Porter (third to
second) [Otis to third]; Wockenfuss allowed a passed ball [Otis
scored (unearned), Cowens to second]; LaCock struck out; 2 R (1
ER), 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 5TH: Wockenfuss grounded out (third to first); Jones was
called out on strikes; Rodriguez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Tigers 6.

ROYALS 6TH: MAY REPLACED WOCKENFUSS (PLAYING C ); Hurdle doubled
to left; BAKER REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); White singled to
right [Hurdle to third]; Patek reached on a fielder's choice
[Hurdle out at home (third to catcher to third), White to
second]; Baker threw a wild pitch [White to third, Patek to
second]; Brett lined to left; McRae struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Royals 4, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 6TH: Trammell grounded out (second to first); LeFlore
grounded out (shortstop to first); Whitaker was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Tigers 6.

ROYALS 7TH: Otis struck out; Porter singled to right; Cowens
popped to shortstop; LaCock flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Royals 4, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 7TH: Kemp singled to right; Thompson walked [Kemp to
second]; Morales lined to center [Kemp to third]; May singled to
left [Kemp scored, Thompson to second]; RODRIGUEZ REPLACED GURA
(PITCHING); Jones singled to center [Thompson to third, May to
second]; Rodriguez reached on an error by Brett [Thompson
scored, May to third, Jones to second]; Trammell singled to left
[May scored, Jones scored, Rodriguez to third, Trammell out at
second (left to catcher to second)]; LeFlore struck out; 4 R, 4
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Tigers 10.

ROYALS 8TH: Hurdle popped to shortstop; BRAUN BATTED FOR WHITE;
Braun flied out to center; QUIRK BATTED FOR PATEK; Quirk walked;
Brett flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 4, Tigers 10.

TIGERS 8TH: QUIRK STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); BRAUN STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 3B); WASHINGTON REPLACED BRETT (PLAYING 2B);
Whitaker singled to right; Kemp flied out to center; Thompson
grounded out (second to first) [Whitaker to second]; Morales was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Tigers
10.

ROYALS 9TH: McRae was called out on strikes; Otis was called out
on strikes; Porter grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 4, Tigers 10.