After staking the Yankees to a five-run lead in the first inning, the Royals battled back to gain a 9-8 victory. Rich Gale, who started for the Royals, gave up a hit and two walks to load the bases before departing with none out. After Al Hrabosky relieved, the Yankees scored on two infield outs, a single by Graig Nettles and homer by Jim Spencer.

Hrabosky settled down to pitch four scoreless stanzas while the Royals wiped out their deficit and went ahead, 8-5, with the aid of two-run homers by George Brett and Al Cowens. The Royals added their deciding run in the seventh on a single by Pete LaCock and triple by Amos Otis. The Yankees rallied for three runs in their half off Gary Christenson, who made his major league debut, but Renie Martin retired the last six batters to save the game. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 9, New York Yankees 8
Game Played on Saturday, September 1, 1979 (Day game) at Yankee Stadium I
Royals       0  1  3    4  0  0    1  0  0  -   9 14  0
Yankees      5  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  0  -   8 10  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wilson lf             5   0   2   0     0   3   .310      Murcer cf             4   2   1   0     1   2   .254
McRae dh              5   1   2   3     0   1   .282      Randolph 2b           3   2   2   0     2   0   .277
Brett 3b              5   1   1   2     0   1   .330      Gamble lf             2   1   0   0     1   0   .357
Porter c              3   0   1   0     0   0   .300        Piniella ph,lf      2   1   1   0     0   0   .306
  Gaudet c            2   0   1   0     0   0   .500      Jackson rf            4   0   1   3     0   1   .293
LaCock 1b             5   2   3   0     0   2   .283      Chambliss 1b          4   0   1   2     0   0   .277
Otis cf               4   1   2   2     1   1   .296      Nettles 3b            4   1   2   1     0   0   .251
Cowens rf             3   1   1   2     1   0   .300      Spencer dh            3   1   2   2     0   1   .289
White 2b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .247        Scott ph,dh         1   0   0   0     0   1   .251
Washington ss         2   2   0   0     1   1   .251      Gulden c              2   0   0   0     0   2   .164
Gale p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        White ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .201
  Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Narron c            1   0   0   0     0   1   .143
  Christenson p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Dent ss               4   0   0   0     0   0   .233
  Martin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Clay p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kaat p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Davis p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hood p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gossage p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   9  14   9     3  10             Totals               35   8  10   8     4   9

Time of Game: 3:08   Attendance: 30,130
Left on Base: Royals 6, Yankees 4
DP: Royals 1, Yankees 1
Errors: Kaat
Doubles: Wilson (14), LaCock (24), White (22)
Triples: Otis (2), Chambliss (3)
Home Runs: Brett (18), Cowens (8), Spencer (16)
Stolen Bases: Otis (29), Washington (8)
Caught Stealing: Wilson (11), Randolph (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Washington (4)
GIDP: Brett (7), Nettles (12)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gale                    0     1   3   3   2   0   0   3   5.59
Hrabosky W(8-4)         5     5   2   2   1   5   1  20   4.24
Christenson             2     4   3   3   1   2   0  10  13.50
Martin SV(4)            2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   8.35
Totals                  9    10   8   8   4   9   1  39

Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Clay                    2.1   5   4   4   1   1   1  12   5.19
Kaat L(2-3)             0.2   2   4   3   1   1   1   6   3.38
Davis                   3     3   0   0   1   2   0  11   3.03
Hood                    1     2   1   1   0   0   0   5   3.38
Gossage                 2     2   0   0   0   6   0   8   3.03
Totals                  9    14   9   8   3  10   2  42

Wild Pitches: Clay (7), Kaat (2)

Umpires: HP - Ken Kaiser, 1B - Rocky Roe, 2B - Ron Luciano, 3B - Russ Goetz


ROYALS 1ST: Wilson doubled to right [Wilson out at third (right
to second to third)]; McRae grounded out (third to first); Brett
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Murcer singled to center; Randolph walked [Murcer
to second]; Gamble walked [Murcer to third, Randolph to second];
HRABOSKY REPLACED GALE (PITCHING); Jackson grounded out (second
to first) [Murcer scored, Randolph to third, Gamble to second];
Chambliss grounded out (shortstop to first) [Randolph scored];
Nettles singled to left [Gamble scored]; Spencer homered
[Nettles scored]; Gulden struck out; 5 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Yankees 5.

ROYALS 2ND: Porter flied out to right; LaCock doubled to left;
Otis singled to center [LaCock scored]; Otis stole second;
Cowens grounded out (shortstop to first) [Otis to third]; White
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
1, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 2ND: Dent grounded out (second to first); Murcer struck
out; Randolph singled to center; Randolph was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1,
Yankees 5.

ROYALS 3RD: Washington walked; Washington stole second; Clay
threw a wild pitch [Washington to third]; Wilson struck out;
McRae singled to right [Washington scored]; Brett homered [McRae
scored]; KAAT REPLACED CLAY (PITCHING); Porter flied out to
left; LaCock was called out on strikes; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 4, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 3RD: Gamble flied out to right; Jackson struck out;
Chambliss tripled to left; Nettles flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 4, Yankees 5.

ROYALS 4TH: Otis walked; Cowens homered [Otis scored]; White
doubled to right; Washington reached on an error by Kaat on a
sacrifice bunt [White to third]; Kaat threw a wild pitch
[Washington to second]; DAVIS REPLACED KAAT (PITCHING); Wilson
struck out; McRae singled to right [White scored, Washington
scored (unearned)]; Brett grounded into a double play (first to
shortstop to first) [McRae out at second]; 4 R (3 ER), 3 H, 1 E,
0 LOB.  Royals 8, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 4TH: Spencer singled to right; Gulden was called out on
strikes; Dent popped to catcher in foul territory; Murcer was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 8, Yankees
5.

ROYALS 5TH: Porter singled to right; LaCock was called out on
strikes; Otis forced Porter (shortstop to second); Cowens walked
[Otis to second]; White forced Cowens (shortstop to second); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 8, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 5TH: Randolph walked; Gamble flied out to left; Jackson
lined to left [Randolph to second]; Chambliss grounded out
(first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 8, Yankees 5.

ROYALS 6TH: Washington flied out to left; Wilson singled to
left; Wilson was picked off and caught stealing second (catcher
to first); McRae grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 8, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 6TH: CHRISTENSON REPLACED HRABOSKY (PITCHING); GAUDET
REPLACED PORTER (PLAYING C ); Nettles singled to center;
Debut game for Gary Christenson; Spencer struck out; WHITE
BATTED FOR GULDEN; White struck out; Dent flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 8, Yankees 5.

ROYALS 7TH: NARRON REPLACED WHITE (PLAYING C ); HOOD REPLACED
DAVIS (PITCHING); Brett grounded out (second to first); Gaudet
flied out to center; LaCock singled to right; Otis tripled to
left [LaCock scored]; Cowens lined to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 9, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 7TH: Murcer walked; Randolph singled to left [Murcer to
second]; PINIELLA BATTED FOR GAMBLE; Piniella singled to right
[Murcer to third, Randolph to second]; Jackson singled to right
[Murcer scored, Randolph scored, Piniella to third]; Chambliss
forced Jackson (second to shortstop) [Piniella scored]; Nettles
grounded into a double play (first to shortstop to pitcher)
[Chambliss out at second]; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 9,
Yankees 8.

ROYALS 8TH: PINIELLA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); GOSSAGE
REPLACED HOOD (PITCHING); White struck out; Washington struck
out; Wilson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 9, Yankees 8.

YANKEES 8TH: MARTIN REPLACED CHRISTENSON (PITCHING); SCOTT
BATTED FOR SPENCER; Scott was called out on strikes; Narron
struck out; Dent popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 9, Yankees 8.

ROYALS 9TH: McRae struck out; Brett was called out on strikes;
Gaudet singled to right; LaCock singled to left [Gaudet to
second]; Otis struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 9,
Yankees 8.

YANKEES 9TH: Murcer grounded out (pitcher to first); Randolph
popped to second; Piniella flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 9, Yankees 8.