The Athletics tightened the West Division race, pulling within 2½ games of the Royals when Mike Torrez pitched a two-hitter and Sal Bando smashed a homer to beat the pace-setters, 1-0. Torrez retired the last 14 batters in a row. Marty Pattin matched Torrez in a scoreless duel until the seventh inning when Bando walloped his homer with a booming drive that landed 10 rows back in the left field bleachers. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 1, Kansas City Royals 0
Game Played on Tuesday, September 28, 1976 (Night game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  2  1
A's          0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  x  -   1  4  0


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Poquette rf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .302      North cf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .280
Cowens cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .265      Campaneris ss         4   0   0   0     0   0   .259
Brett 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .330      Rudi lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .274
Mayberry 1b           3   0   0   0     1   0   .235      Tenace c              2   0   0   0     1   1   .250
McRae lf              3   0   1   0     0   0   .334      Bando 3b              3   1   1   1     0   0   .244
Quirk dh              3   0   0   0     0   1   .239      Baylor rf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .249
Rojas 2b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .236      Washington dh         3   0   1   0     0   0   .258
Stinson c             2   0   0   0     1   1   .268      Fairly 1b             2   0   0   0     1   1   .265
Patek ss              1   0   0   0     1   0   .242      Garner 2b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .258
  Davis ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .262      Torrez p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  White ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .231
Pattin p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               28   0   2   0     3   2             Totals               28   1   4   1     2   5

Time of Game: 2:05   Attendance:  9,464
Left on Base: Royals 4, A's 5
DP: Royals 0, A's 1
Errors: White
Doubles: Washington (20)
Home Runs: Bando (27)
Stolen Bases: Patek (51)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pattin L(8-14)          8     4   1   1   2   5   1  30   2.53
Totals                  8     4   1   1   2   5   1  30

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Torrez W(16-11)         9     2   0   0   3   2   0  31   2.55
Totals                  9     2   0   0   3   2   0  31

Umpires: HP - Ron Luciano, 1B - Al Clark, 2B - Larry McCoy, 3B - Bill Haller


ROYALS 1ST: 1:02 rain delay before start of game;
Poquette flied out to center; Cowens lined to left; Brett
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: North grounded out (pitcher to first); Campaneris
popped to catcher in foul territory; Rudi grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Mayberry grounded out (first to pitcher); McRae
singled to left; Quirk forced McRae (second to shortstop); Rojas
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Tenace walked; Bando flied out to left; Baylor
lined to center; Washington popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Stinson grounded out (first unassisted); Patek
walked; Patek stole second; Poquette lined into a double play
(left to second) [Patek out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Fairly grounded out (pitcher to first); Garner
grounded out (pitcher to first); North singled to center;
Campaneris flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0,
Athletics 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Cowens lined to left; Brett flied out to center;
Mayberry walked; McRae forced Mayberry (second to shortstop); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Rudi flied out to center; Tenace lined to left;
Bando flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0,
Athletics 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Quirk grounded out (first to pitcher); Rojas singled
to left; Stinson walked [Rojas to second]; Patek flied out to
left; Poquette forced Stinson (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Baylor struck out; Washington doubled to left;
Fairly was walked intentionally; Garner was called out on
strikes; North singled to pitcher [Washington out at third
(pitcher to third), Fairly to second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Cowens grounded out (third to first); Brett lined to
center; Mayberry grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Campaneris flied out to right; Rudi struck out;
Tenace struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ROYALS 7TH: McRae grounded out (shortstop to first); Quirk
struck out; Rojas grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Bando homered; Baylor flied out to left;
Washington popped to shortstop; Fairly was called out on
strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 8TH: Stinson struck out; DAVIS BATTED FOR PATEK; Davis
grounded out (shortstop to first); Poquette popped to third in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 8TH: WHITE REPLACED DAVIS (PLAYING SS); Garner popped
to second; North reached on an error by White; Campaneris flied
out to left; Rudi lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
0, Athletics 1.

ROYALS 9TH: Cowens grounded out (third to first); Brett grounded
out (third to first); Mayberry grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Athletics 1.