After a rocky start, Royals' ace Dennis Leonard slammed the door shut on the Red Sox attack and John Mayberry drove in three runs, including a solo homer, that proved to be the game-winning run as the 1977 Kansas City Royals opened up their ALCS against the 1975 Boston Red Sox with a 6-4 victory.
The fans at Kauffman Stadium were just settling into their seats when Jim Rice cast a pall over the crowd by belting a two-run homer off Leonard in the top of the first inning. It was Rice's third homer of the playoffs and pushed his RBI total to 8. The Sawx slugger is also batting a blistering .500 (10-20 with 2 doubles).
Leonard, a 22 game winner during the Sensational 70s campaign, then wielded his magic for the next 6.2 innings allowing only 4 baserunners - 3 hits and a hit batsman. In fact, after Carl Yastrzemski followed up Rice's two-out homer with a single, Leonard went on to set down 10 Red Sox in order.
The Royals struck back quickly scoring 4 runs in the first three innings in rather innocuous fashion. Three of the four runs driven in were by infield groundouts, and the Royals did not manage an extra base hit. Sawx starter Bill Lee was the victim of the Kansas City bloodletting as he lasted only 4 innings in a very uneven outing. Lee surrendered 6 hits and granting 2 free passes in his abbreviated 66 pitch appearance. Three of the runs charged to Lee were earned.
Dick Pole was the first man out of the pen for Boston and Mayberry touched him up for the game-winning strike. The Royals added one more in the seventh to make the score 6-2.
The Red Sox offense stirred in the eighth adding a pair of runs to the ledger. Cecil Cooper drove in Denny Doyle who reached on a failed double play attempt by the Royals and advanced to scoring position on an errant throw by Royals' shortstop Freddie Patek. This would spell the end of the day for Leonard, and Fred Lynn immediately greeted Kansas City reliever Doug Bird with a RBI double to bring Cooper around and close the gap to 6-4.
After Royals' closer Marl Littell got Yastrzemski to pop out to the catcher to begin the ninth, he allowed consecutive singles and then plunked pinch-hitter Bernie Carbo to load the bases. The rally was thwarted as Rick Burleson grounded into a 6-4-3 twin killing to give Kansas City the victory.
In these playoffs, Lee has made 2 starts throwing a total of 10 innings while being nicked for 6 runs. Boston will need their 17 game-winner to right the ship in this series if they hope to advance to the Fall Classic.
In Game 2, Boston will send Rick Wise to the mound in an attempt to even the series. Kansas City will counter with Paul Splittorff.
Leonard, a 22 game winner during the Sensational 70s campaign, then wielded his magic for the next 6.2 innings allowing only 4 baserunners - 3 hits and a hit batsman. In fact, after Carl Yastrzemski followed up Rice's two-out homer with a single, Leonard went on to set down 10 Red Sox in order.
The Royals struck back quickly scoring 4 runs in the first three innings in rather innocuous fashion. Three of the four runs driven in were by infield groundouts, and the Royals did not manage an extra base hit. Sawx starter Bill Lee was the victim of the Kansas City bloodletting as he lasted only 4 innings in a very uneven outing. Lee surrendered 6 hits and granting 2 free passes in his abbreviated 66 pitch appearance. Three of the runs charged to Lee were earned.
Dick Pole was the first man out of the pen for Boston and Mayberry touched him up for the game-winning strike. The Royals added one more in the seventh to make the score 6-2.
The Red Sox offense stirred in the eighth adding a pair of runs to the ledger. Cecil Cooper drove in Denny Doyle who reached on a failed double play attempt by the Royals and advanced to scoring position on an errant throw by Royals' shortstop Freddie Patek. This would spell the end of the day for Leonard, and Fred Lynn immediately greeted Kansas City reliever Doug Bird with a RBI double to bring Cooper around and close the gap to 6-4.
After Royals' closer Marl Littell got Yastrzemski to pop out to the catcher to begin the ninth, he allowed consecutive singles and then plunked pinch-hitter Bernie Carbo to load the bases. The rally was thwarted as Rick Burleson grounded into a 6-4-3 twin killing to give Kansas City the victory.
In these playoffs, Lee has made 2 starts throwing a total of 10 innings while being nicked for 6 runs. Boston will need their 17 game-winner to right the ship in this series if they hope to advance to the Fall Classic.
In Game 2, Boston will send Rick Wise to the mound in an attempt to even the series. Kansas City will counter with Paul Splittorff.
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