A homer by Dave McKay snapped a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning to give the A's a 4-3 victory over the Royals and force Kansas City into overtime in search of the second-half championship of the A.L. West. The Royals had to travel to Cleveland to make up a doubleheader with the Indians the next day. K.C. needed one victory in Cleveland to clinch the second-half title and secure two home games against the A's in the divisional playoff. [The Sporting News]

Oakland Athletics 4, Kansas City Royals 3

Game Played on Sunday, October 4, 1981 (Day game) at Royals Stadium

A's 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 4 8 0 Royals 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 - 3 8 1 A's AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Royals AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Henderson lf 4 1 2 0 1 1 .319 Wilson lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .304 Murphy cf 4 1 1 0 1 0 .251 White 2b 4 1 2 0 0 0 .248 Johnson dh 3 0 1 1 0 0 .260 G. Brett 3b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .310 Sexton pr,dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Aikens 1b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .262 Davis ph,dh 1 0 0 0 0 1 .050 Otis cf 4 1 2 1 0 1 .267 Armas rf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .261 McRae dh 4 0 1 1 0 0 .273 Klutts 3b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .370 Hurdle rf 4 0 2 1 0 1 .329 Moore 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .255 Motley pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .233 Heath c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .236 Wathan c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .247 McKay 2b 3 1 1 1 0 1 .263 Quirk ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .250 Stanley ss 2 0 0 0 1 0 .193 Washington ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .225 Drumright ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .291 May ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .291 Picciolo ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .268 Gura p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Keough p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Quisenberry p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Underwood p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Beard p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 34 4 8 4 3 5 Totals 35 3 8 3 1 4 Time of Game: 3:06 Attendance: 28,723 Left on Base: A's 8, Royals 6 DP: A's 0, Royals 1 Errors: G. Brett Doubles: Armas (24) Triples: Henderson (7) Home Runs: McKay (4) Stolen Bases: Otis (16) Sacrifice Hits: McKay (3) Sacrifice Flies: Johnson (6) GIDP: Heath (9) A's IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Keough W(10-6) 7.1 7 3 3 0 2 0 29 3.40 Underwood 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 3.66 Beard SV(3) 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 0 5 2.77 Totals 9 8 3 3 1 4 0 36 Royals IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Gura L(11-8) 7 7 4 4 2 4 1 29 2.72 Quisenberry 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 10 1.73 Totals 9 8 4 4 3 5 1 39 Balks: Keough 2 (2) Umpires: HP - Durwood Merrill, 1B - Dave Phillips, 2B - Jerry Neudecker, 3B - Larry McCoy ATHLETICS 1ST: Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first); Murphy walked; Johnson flied out to center; Armas doubled to center [Murphy scored]; Klutts singled to left [Armas scored]; Moore grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Athletics 2, Royals 0. ROYALS 1ST: Wilson made an out to first; White singled to center; G. Brett flied out to center; Aikens flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Athletics 2, Royals 0. ATHLETICS 2ND: Heath struck out; McKay struck out; Stanley flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Athletics 2, Royals 0. ROYALS 2ND: Otis singled to left; Otis stole second; McRae grounded out (shortstop to first); Keough balked [Otis to third]; Hurdle singled to center [Otis scored]; Keough balked [Hurdle to second]; Wathan made an out to second; Washington grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Athletics 2, Royals 1. ATHLETICS 3RD: Henderson singled to center; Murphy singled to right [Henderson to third]; Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to right [Henderson scored]; Armas flied out to left; Klutts forced Murphy (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Athletics 3, Royals 1. ROYALS 3RD: Wilson flied out to center; White flied out to right; G. Brett flied to right in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Athletics 3, Royals 1. ATHLETICS 4TH: Moore singled to left; Heath grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Moore out at second]; McKay grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Athletics 3, Royals 1. ROYALS 4TH: Aikens struck out; Otis flied out to center; McRae flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Athletics 3, Royals 1. ATHLETICS 5TH: Stanley walked; Henderson struck out; Murphy flied out to left; Johnson forced Stanley (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Athletics 3, Royals 1. ROYALS 5TH: Hurdle struck out; Wathan made an out to shortstop; Washington made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Athletics 3, Royals 1. ATHLETICS 6TH: Armas flied out to right; Klutts grounded out (third to first); Moore struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Athletics 3, Royals 1. ROYALS 6TH: Wilson made an out to shortstop; White singled to left; G. Brett flied out to center; Aikens singled to center [White to third]; Otis singled to center [White scored, Aikens to second]; McRae singled to center [Aikens scored, Otis to third]; Hurdle flied out to left; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Athletics 3, Royals 3. ATHLETICS 7TH: Heath grounded out (third to first); McKay homered; Stanley flied out to left; Henderson tripled to right; Murphy flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Athletics 4, Royals 3. ROYALS 7TH: Wathan flied out to left; Washington flied out to left; Wilson flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Athletics 4, Royals 3. ATHLETICS 8TH: QUISENBERRY REPLACED GURA (PITCHING); Johnson singled to right; SEXTON RAN FOR JOHNSON; Armas flied out to left; Klutts flied out to center [Sexton to second]; Moore reached on a fielder's choice [Sexton out at third (third unassisted)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Athletics 4, Royals 3. ROYALS 8TH: SEXTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); White flied out to left; UNDERWOOD REPLACED KEOUGH (PITCHING); G. Brett walked; Aikens grounded out (first unassisted) [G. Brett to second]; BEARD REPLACED UNDERWOOD (PITCHING); Otis was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Athletics 4, Royals 3. ATHLETICS 9TH: Heath reached on an error by G. Brett; McKay out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Heath to second]; DRUMRIGHT BATTED FOR STANLEY; Drumright reached on a fielder's choice [Heath to third]; Henderson walked [Drumright to second]; Murphy forced Heath (shortstop to catcher) [Drumright to third, Henderson to second]; DAVIS BATTED FOR SEXTON; Davis was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 3 LOB. Athletics 4, Royals 3. ROYALS 9TH: DAVIS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); PICCIOLO REPLACED DRUMRIGHT (PLAYING SS); McRae grounded out (second to first); Hurdle singled to left; MOTLEY RAN FOR HURDLE; QUIRK BATTED FOR WATHAN; Quirk struck out; MAY BATTED FOR WASHINGTON; May lined to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Athletics 4, Royals 3.

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