Oakland scored one run in the top of the 10th on their way to a 3-2 win over the Royals at Municipal Stadium.
Royals starter Jim Rooker was still on the mound as the 10th began. He had allowed two runs on seven hits through nine innings, but pinch-hitter Bob Johnson led off with a single. Bert Campaneris dropped a soft single into center field. Rick Monday attempted to bunt the runners over, but Rooker fired to third for a forceout. However, Bobby Brooks singled to drive in Campaneris with the lead run. Reliever Moe Drabowsky came on in relief and got the last two outs to keep the deficit at one, but the Royals could not take advantage of a single with one out in the bottom of the inning.
The two runs Rooker allowed before the 10th came in the third. With one out, Campaneris walked and stole second. Monday drove him in with a single, but was thrown out trying to stretch that into a double. That play loomed large when Brooks followed with a home run, meaning the A’s only held a 2-0 lead.
Kansas City’s offense had its hands full with Oakland starter Catfish Hunter, who did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. That hit was a Luis Alcaraz single, and Mike Fiore followed with a single. Alcaraz took third on a fly ball and scored on Joe Foy’s grounder.
The Royals would get singles in each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, but remained down one run until the ninth. With Hunter still in the game, Fiore led off with a double. With one out, Foy hit a fly ball down the right-field line. It was caught in foul territory, but Fiore tagged up and reached third. He then scored when Hunter uncorked a wild pitch. Kansas City followed that with two singles but could not push the winning run across.
Hunter finished with nine innings pitched, allowing eight hits and striking out six while not walking anyone.
With the loss, the Royals fell to 62-86. They were in fourth place, 27 games behind Minnesota.
Box score and play-by-play: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KCA/KCA196909170.shtml
Today’s birthdays: Orlando Cepeda (1937), Thad Bosley (1956), Ryan Jensen (1975)
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