The Angels clinched the first title in their 19-year history behind the five-hit pitching of Frank Tanana, defeating Kansas City, 4-1, and ending the Royals' three-year reign as West division champions. The Angels scored three runs in the second inning. Don Baylor walked, went to second on a single by Rod Carew and scored on a single by Brian Downing. A wild pitch allowed Carew to score. Downing reached second and came home on a single by Larry Harlow.

The Royals scored their lone run in the fourth when Frank White singled for the first hit off Tanana, Amos Otis was hit by a pitch and Al Cowens singled. The Angels iced their title with a tally in the fifth on singles by Dan Ford, Carew and Downing. [The Sporting News]



California Angels 4, Kansas City Royals 1
Game Played on Tuesday, September 25, 1979 (Night game) at Anaheim Stadium
Royals       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  5  0
Angels       0  3  0    0  1  0    0  0  x  -   4 12  0


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Angels               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wilson lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .313      R. Miller cf          5   0   3   0     0   0   .291
White 2b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .261      Lansford 3b           5   0   0   0     0   0   .286
McRae dh              4   0   0   0     0   0   .288      Ford rf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .291
Otis cf               3   0   1   0     0   0   .294      Baylor dh             3   1   1   0     1   0   .298
Cowens rf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .295      Carew 1b              4   1   3   0     0   0   .316
Porter c              4   0   0   0     0   2   .289      Downing c             3   1   3   2     1   0   .325
Wathan 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .201      Grich 2b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .295
Washington ss         3   0   2   0     0   0   .260      Harlow lf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .228
Cruz 3b               3   0   0   0     0   1   .202      Anderson ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .254
Chamberlain p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Tanana p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Splittorff p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Quisenberry p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   1   5   1     0   4             Totals               35   4  12   3     3   0

Time of Game: 2:28   Attendance: 40,631
Left on Base: Royals 5, Angels 10
DP: Royals 0, Angels 0
Stolen Bases: Carew (18)
Caught Stealing: Downing (3)
Hit by Pitch: Otis (3,by Tanana)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Chamberlain L(4-4)      1.1   3   3   3   1   0   0   8   3.75
Splittorff              4     6   1   1   2   0   0  20   4.26
Quisenberry             2.2   3   0   0   0   0   0  10   3.15
Totals                  8    12   4   4   3   0   0  38

Angels                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Tanana W(7-5)           9     5   1   1   0   4   0  33   3.87
Totals                  9     5   1   1   0   4   0  33

Passed Balls: Porter (13)
Hit by Pitch: Tanana (2)
Wild Pitches: Chamberlain (2), Tanana (6)

Umpires: HP - Jim Evans, 1B - Al Clark, 2B - Durwood Merrill, 3B - Larry Barnett


ROYALS 1ST: Wilson grounded out (shortstop to first); White
flied out to left; McRae grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 1ST: R. Miller flied out to right; Lansford popped to
second; Ford grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Otis grounded out (second to first); Cowens grounded
out (shortstop to first); Porter was called out on strikes; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 0.

ANGELS 2ND: Baylor walked; Carew singled to left [Baylor to
second]; Downing singled to right [Baylor scored, Carew to
third]; Chamberlain threw a wild pitch [Carew scored, Downing to
second]; Grich grounded out (third to first); Harlow singled to
right [Downing scored]; SPLITTORFF REPLACED CHAMBERLAIN
(PITCHING); Anderson flied out to right; R. Miller singled to
left [Harlow to second]; Lansford flied out to left; 3 R, 4 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 3.

ROYALS 3RD: Wathan grounded out (third to first); Washington
popped to shortstop; Cruz flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 0, Angels 3.

ANGELS 3RD: Ford grounded out (second to first); Baylor flied
out to center; On a bunt Carew singled to third; Carew stole
second; Porter allowed a passed ball [Carew to third]; Downing
walked; Grich flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals
0, Angels 3.

ROYALS 4TH: Wilson flied out to center; White singled to center;
McRae popped to right; Otis was hit by a pitch [White to
second]; Cowens singled to left [White scored, Otis to second];
Tanana threw a wild pitch [Otis to third, Cowens to second];
Porter flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 1,
Angels 3.

ANGELS 4TH: On a bunt Harlow made an out to first; Anderson
flied out to left; R. Miller grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Angels 3.

ROYALS 5TH: Wathan lined to third; Washington singled to center;
Cruz was called out on strikes; Wilson flied out to center; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Angels 3.

ANGELS 5TH: Lansford popped to shortstop; Ford singled to
shortstop; Baylor popped to second; Carew singled to center
[Ford to second]; Downing singled to left [Ford scored, Carew to
third]; Grich was walked intentionally [Downing to second];
Harlow grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Royals 1, Angels 4.

ROYALS 6TH: White grounded out (shortstop to first); McRae
grounded out (shortstop to first); Otis flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Angels 4.

ANGELS 6TH: Anderson flied out to center; R. Miller singled to
second; QUISENBERRY REPLACED SPLITTORFF (PITCHING); Lansford
grounded out (shortstop to first) [R. Miller to second]; Ford
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1,
Angels 4.

ROYALS 7TH: Cowens flied out to center; Porter was called out on
strikes; Wathan popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Angels 4.

ANGELS 7TH: Baylor singled to center; Carew flied to left in
foul territory; Downing singled to second [Baylor to second];
Downing was caught stealing second (catcher to second) [Baylor
to third]; Grich lined to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
1, Angels 4.

ROYALS 8TH: Washington singled to center; Cruz grounded out
(second to first) [Washington to second]; Wilson was called out
on strikes; White reached on a fielder's choice [Washington out
at third (third unassisted)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1,
Angels 4.

ANGELS 8TH: Harlow flied out to left; Anderson grounded out
(shortstop to first); R. Miller singled to shortstop; Lansford
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
1, Angels 4.

ROYALS 9TH: McRae flied out to left; Otis singled to left;
Cowens forced Otis (second to shortstop); Porter grounded out
(first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Angels 4.