BUSBY TAKES PERFECTO INTO 8TH
Royals Hold on To Beat Halos
KANSAS CITY, June 27 (AP) - Steve Busby took a perfect game into the eighth
inning before surrendering a walk and a two-run home run but the Kansas City
Royals held on for a 4-2 victory over the California Angels at Royals
Stadium. Busby came up six outs short in his quest for perfection, the
deepest any starter has gone this year without surrendering a baserunner.
The Royals scored twice in the opening frame, when the first five batters
reached base safely against Angels starter Don Kirkwood. Jim Wohlford led
off with a single and was doubled to third by Amos Otis. George Brett
walked, filling the bases, and Kirkwood then issued a free pass to John
Mayberry, forcing home Wohlford with the game's first run. Hal McRae then
drew Kirkwood's third consecutive walk, forcing home Otis with the second run of
the inning and the California bullpen began to get ready in a hurry. But
Kirkwood stiffened, retiring Tony Solaita on a pop to second and Frank White on
a shalllow fly ball to right field before striking out Fred Patek to end the
inning with the Royals ahead, 2-0.
Kansas City added a single run in the sixth, when Solaita doubled home McRae,
who had walked, and another lone tally in the seventh when Otis doubled and
scored on Brett's base hit, putting the Royals on top, 4-0.
Busby, meanwhile, was cruising through the Angels lineup, retiring the first 21
batters he faced. But Bill Melton drew a lead-off five-pitch walk to end
the perfect game in the eighth and then Busby fell behind Bobby Jones 3-1.
Busby's fifth pitch to the California right fielder was a fastball that Jones
hammered deep into the bullpen in right, breaking up the no-hitter and the
shutout in one fell swoop. Kansas City manager Whitey Herzog had seen
enough. With the lead cut in half, he summoned Mark Littell from the
bullpen to replace Busby. Littell retired Ron Jackson on a ground out but
then surrendered a double to Rusty Torres and a single to Mario Guerrero, giving
California runners on the corners with one out. But then, in a key moment,
Littell induced a double play ball off the bat of pinch hitter Adrian Garrett to
end the inning with the Royals still on top, 4-2.
In the ninth inning, Dave Collins led off with a single, bringing the tying run
to the plate for the Angels, but Littell retired Jerry Remy, Dan Briggs and
Bruce Bochte in order to close out the game.
6/27/1976, Cal76-KC 76, Royals Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Angels 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 4 0 2 1 1976 Royals 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 x 4 8 0 7 1 Angels AB R H BI AVG Royals AB R H BI AVG Collins lf 4 0 1 0 .310 Wohlford rf 4 1 2 0 .284 Remy 2b 4 0 0 0 .303 Otis cf 4 2 2 0 .283 Briggs 1b 4 0 0 0 .225 Brett,G 3b 3 0 1 1 .338 Melton dh 2 1 0 0 .151 Mayberry 1b 3 0 0 1 .232 Bochte ph 1 0 0 0 .268 McRae lf 1 1 0 1 .381 Jones,B rf 3 1 1 2 .174 Cowens rf 1 0 0 0 .284 Jackson,Ro 3b 3 0 0 0 .302 Solaita dh 3 0 1 1 .179 Torres,R cf 3 0 1 0 .208 Wathan ph 1 0 0 0 .105 Guerrero ss 3 0 1 0 .236 White,F 2b 4 0 1 0 .236 Humphrey c 2 0 0 0 .125 Patek ss 3 0 1 0 .261 Garrett,A ph 1 0 0 0 .200 Martinez,B c 3 0 0 0 .211 30 2 4 2 30 4 8 4 Angels INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Kirkwood L 5-6 5.1 5 3 3 4 2 111 63 3.67 Hassler 2.2 3 1 1 1 0 39 27 5.14 8.0 8 4 4 5 2 150 90 Royals INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Busby W 3-3 7.0 1 2 2 1 5 82 48 4.31 Littell S 4 2.0 3 0 0 0 2 22 15 2.20 9.0 4 2 2 1 7 104 63 Cal: Garrett,A batted for Humphrey in the 8th Garrett,A moved to c in the 8th Bochte batted for Melton in the 9th KC : Wohlford moved to lf in the 8th Cowens inserted at rf in the 8th Wathan batted for Solaita in the 8th 2B-Torres,R(5), Otis 2(23), Solaita(2). HR-Jones,B(3). RBI-Jones,B 2(12), Brett,G(41), Mayberry(43), McRae(40), Solaita(5). SB-McRae(12), Patek(20). CS-Brett,G. K-Remy, Briggs, Melton 2, Jones,B 2, Bochte, Wohlford, Patek. BB-Melton, Brett,G, Mayberry, McRae 2, Patek. WP-Hassler. GWRBI: Mayberry Temperature: 89, Sky: clear, Wind: out to center at 1 MPH. Attendance: 32,125 Game Time: 2:33