Hal McRae, who entered the game with a .199 batting average, smashed a triple and homer to lead the Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox. McRae tripled in the second inning, scoring Lou Piniella, who had singled, and crossed the plate himself on a sacrifice fly by Rick Reichardt. McRae's homer in the fourth then accounted for the deciding run off Bill Lee, who failed for the fifth time in a bid for his 13th victory. Steve Busby, who started for the Royals, gave up five hits including a homer by Rick Miller, and struck out 11 before needing help from Doug Bird in the eighth inning. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 3, Boston Red Sox 2
Game Played on Thursday, August    9, 1973 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Red Sox      0  1  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  5  1
Royals       0  2  0    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   3  7  1


Red Sox              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Harper lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .267      Patek ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .233
Guerrero ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .252      Rojas 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .271
Smith cf              3   0   1   0     1   1   .291      Otis cf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .304
Yastrzemski 1b        3   1   1   0     1   1   .266      Mayberry 1b           3   0   0   0     1   0   .293
Cepeda dh             4   0   1   0     0   0   .292      Piniella lf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .251
Petrocelli 3b         4   0   0   0     0   3   .249        Kirkpatrick lf      0   0   0   0     0   0   .283
Griffin 2b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .265      McRae rf              4   2   2   2     0   0   .205
Montgomery c          4   0   0   0     0   3   .348        Hovley rf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .263
Miller rf             3   1   1   1     0   2   .264      Reichardt dh          1   0   0   1     1   1   .248
Lee p                 0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bevacqua 3b           2   0   1   0     1   0   .269
                                                          Taylor c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .221
                                                          Busby p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bird p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   2   5   1     2  12             Totals               29   3   7   3     3   1

Time of Game: 2:31   Attendance: 17,167
Left on Base: Red Sox 6, Royals 6
DP: Red Sox 1, Royals 0
Errors: Petrocelli, Patek
Doubles: Otis (19)
Triples: McRae (2)
Home Runs: Miller (3), McRae (4)
Stolen Bases: Mayberry (3), Bevacqua (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Reichardt (1)


Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lee L(12-7)             8     7   3   3   3   1   1  33   2.80
Totals                  8     7   3   3   3   1   1  33

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Busby W(10-11)          7.2   5   2   2   2  11   1  31   4.33
Bird SV(9)              1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.69
Totals                  9     5   2   2   2  12   1  35

Wild Pitches: Busby 2 (7)

Umpires: HP - Joe Brinkman, 1B - Hank Morgenweck, 2B - Nestor Chylak, 3B - Jim Evans


RED SOX 1ST: Harper grounded out (third to first); Guerrero
lined to second; Smith struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red
Sox 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Patek flied out to right; Rojas grounded out
(pitcher to shortstop to first); Otis grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Royals 0.

RED SOX 2ND: Yastrzemski singled to right; Cepeda singled to
left [Yastrzemski to third]; Busby threw a wild pitch
[Yastrzemski scored, Cepeda to second]; Petrocelli struck out;
Griffin grounded out (shortstop to first); Montgomery struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Mayberry lined to right; Piniella singled to second;
McRae tripled [Piniella scored]; Reichardt hit a sacrifice fly
to center [McRae scored]; Bevacqua singled to right; Taylor
reached on an error by Petrocelli [Bevacqua to second]; Patek
flied out to left; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals 2.

RED SOX 3RD: Miller was called out on strikes; Harper popped to
second; Guerrero flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red
Sox 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 3RD: Rojas grounded out (first unassisted); Otis doubled
to left [Otis out at third (left to third)]; Mayberry walked;
Mayberry stole second; Piniella grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals 2.

RED SOX 4TH: Smith popped to shortstop; Yastrzemski reached on
an error by Patek; Cepeda grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Yastrzemski to second]; Busby threw a wild pitch [Yastrzemski
to third]; Petrocelli was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals 2.

ROYALS 4TH: McRae homered; Reichardt was called out on strikes;
Bevacqua walked; Bevacqua stole second; Taylor lined into a
double play (first to second) [Bevacqua out at second]; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals 3.

RED SOX 5TH: Griffin grounded out (second to first); Montgomery
struck out; Miller was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 5TH: Patek grounded out (third to first); Rojas grounded
out (shortstop to first); Otis singled to center; Mayberry flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals 3.

RED SOX 6TH: Harper struck out; Guerrero singled to shortstop;
Smith walked [Guerrero to second]; Yastrzemski was called out on
strikes; Cepeda flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red
Sox 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 6TH: Piniella flied out to center; McRae grounded out
(pitcher to first); Reichardt walked; Bevacqua forced Reichardt
(shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals
3.

RED SOX 7TH: Petrocelli was called out on strikes; Griffin was
called out on strikes; Montgomery grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals 3.

ROYALS 7TH: Taylor grounded out (shortstop to first); Patek
flied out to right; Rojas flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Red Sox 1, Royals 3.

RED SOX 8TH: Miller homered; Harper popped to shortstop in foul
territory; On a bunt Guerrero grounded out (shortstop to first);
Smith singled to left; Yastrzemski walked [Smith to second];
BIRD REPLACED BUSBY (PITCHING); Cepeda lined to left; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Royals 3.

ROYALS 8TH: Otis flied out to right; Mayberry grounded out
(first to pitcher); Piniella singled to left; McRae grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Royals 3.

RED SOX 9TH: KIRKPATRICK REPLACED PINIELLA (PLAYING LF); HOVLEY
REPLACED MCRAE (PLAYING RF); Petrocelli popped to first in foul
territory; Griffin grounded out (shortstop to first); Montgomery
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 2,
Royals 3.