The Angels pulled within 1½ games of the Royals in the West division by defeating the pace-setters in a twi-night doubleheader, 3-2 and 4-2. In the opener, the Angels started their scoring with a walk to Ron Fairly, an infield out and a single by Bobby Grich in the fifth inning. Joe Rudi homered in the sixth and the deciding run followed in the same stanza when two walks and a single by Grich loaded the bases and Rick Miller laid down a safe bunt. The Royals rallied in the ninth, but Dave LaRoche relieved Don Aase and saved the game.

Dave Frost, making his first start since July 30, pitched the distance for the Angels in the nightcap. After Don Baylor homered in the fourth to give the Angels a 2-1 lead, George Brett tied the score with a round-tripper in the seventh. Carney Lansford opened the Angels' eighth by drawing a walk and taking third on a single by Lyman Bostock. Baylor then doubled for his third hit of the game, driving in the tie-breaking tally, and Fairly added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly. [The Sporting News]

California Angels 3, Kansas City Royals 2 (Game 1)

Game Played on Saturday, September 9, 1978 (Night game) at Anaheim Stadium

Royals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 2 10 0 Angels 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 x - 3 7 0 Royals AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Angels AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Braun lf 3 0 1 0 1 0 .247 R. Miller cf 5 0 2 1 0 1 .268 Silverio pr,lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Lansford 3b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .272 Quirk ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .095 Bostock rf 3 0 1 0 1 0 .293 Zdeb ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .256 Baylor dh 4 0 1 0 0 0 .256 McRae dh 5 0 0 0 0 1 .270 Rudi lf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .247 LaCock 1b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .301 Fairly 1b 3 1 0 0 1 0 .224 Porter c 4 0 0 0 0 2 .283 Downing c 3 1 0 0 1 0 .265 Otis cf 3 0 1 0 1 0 .286 Grich 2b 3 0 2 1 1 0 .233 Brett 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .278 Anderson ss 3 0 0 0 1 2 .224 Cowens rf 4 1 3 0 0 0 .282 Aase p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 White 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .275 LaRoche p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Poquette ph 1 1 1 1 0 0 .208 Terrell ss 2 0 1 0 0 0 .202 Hurdle ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .264 Washington pr,ss 1 0 1 0 0 0 .287 Gale p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Mingori p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 McGilberry p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 35 2 10 1 3 3 Totals 31 3 7 3 6 4 Time of Game: 2:32 Left on Base: Royals 9, Angels 10 DP: Royals 0, Angels 1 Doubles: Poquette (9) Home Runs: Rudi (15) Caught Stealing: Cowens (6) GIDP: Zdeb (2) Royals IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Gale L(14-8) 5.2 5 3 3 5 2 1 27 2.98 Mingori 1.1 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 2.98 McGilberry 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 4 3.50 Totals 8 7 3 3 6 4 1 37 Angels IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Aase W(10-8) 8 10 2 2 3 3 0 36 4.14 LaRoche SV(22) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2.59 Totals 9 10 2 2 3 3 0 38 Passed Balls: Porter (8) Umpires: HP - Bill Kunkel, 1B - Bill Deegan, 3B - Terry Cooney ROYALS 1ST: Umpire Al Clark out with injured toe; Braun grounded out (pitcher to first); McRae was called out on strikes; LaCock walked; Porter struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 0. ANGELS 1ST: R. Miller grounded out (pitcher to first); Lansford was called out on strikes; Bostock singled to left; Baylor popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 0. ROYALS 2ND: Otis flied out to center; Brett grounded out (shortstop to first); Cowens singled to second; Cowens was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 0. ANGELS 2ND: Rudi grounded out (shortstop to first); Fairly grounded out (third to first); Downing flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 0. ROYALS 3RD: White grounded out (second to first); Terrell singled to center; Braun singled to right [Terrell to second]; McRae popped to second; LaCock forced Braun (third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 0. ANGELS 3RD: Grich grounded out (first unassisted); Anderson struck out (catcher to first); R. Miller lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 0. ROYALS 4TH: Porter struck out; Otis walked; Brett singled to center [Otis to second]; Cowens grounded out (second to first) [Otis to third, Brett to second]; White grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 0. ANGELS 4TH: Lansford flied out to center; Bostock walked; Baylor flied out to left; Rudi forced Bostock (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 0. ROYALS 5TH: Terrell flied out to center; Braun grounded out (shortstop to first); McRae lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 0. ANGELS 5TH: Fairly walked; Downing grounded out (third to first) [Fairly to second]; Grich singled to center [Fairly scored]; Anderson popped to second; R. Miller singled to right [Grich to second]; Lansford walked [Grich to third, R. Miller to second]; Bostock grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 1. ROYALS 6TH: LaCock grounded out (first to pitcher); Porter popped to second; Otis flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 1. ANGELS 6TH: Baylor popped to catcher in foul territory; Rudi homered; Fairly grounded out (first to pitcher); Downing walked; Grich singled to left [Downing to second]; Anderson walked [Downing to third, Grich to second]; MINGORI REPLACED GALE (PITCHING); On a bunt R. Miller singled to third [Downing scored, Grich to third, Anderson to second]; Lansford forced R. Miller (shortstop to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 3. ROYALS 7TH: Brett lined to center; Cowens singled to right; White flied out to right; HURDLE BATTED FOR TERRELL; Hurdle singled to right [Cowens to third]; WASHINGTON RAN FOR HURDLE; Braun walked [Washington to second]; SILVERIO RAN FOR BRAUN; McRae forced Silverio (shortstop to second); Debut game for Luis Silverio; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 3. ANGELS 7TH: SILVERIO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); WASHINGTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Bostock lined to third; Baylor singled to right; Rudi flied out to center; Fairly grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 3. ROYALS 8TH: LaCock grounded out (shortstop to first); Porter grounded out (third to first); Otis singled to right; Brett grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 3. ANGELS 8TH: MCGILBERRY REPLACED MINGORI (PITCHING); Downing grounded out (shortstop to first); Grich walked; Porter allowed a passed ball [Grich to second]; Anderson was called out on strikes; R. Miller was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Angels 3. ROYALS 9TH: Cowens singled to left; POQUETTE BATTED FOR WHITE; Poquette doubled to center [Cowens scored]; Washington singled to center [Poquette to third]; QUIRK BATTED FOR SILVERIO; LAROCHE REPLACED AASE (PITCHING); ZDEB BATTED FOR QUIRK; Zdeb grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Poquette scored (no RBI), Washington out at second]; McRae popped to second; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 2, Angels 3.

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