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.