This Date In Royals History--1984 Edition: August 1

Missed opportunities cost the Royals in a loss to Toronto.

The Blue Jays scored three runs in the late innings to earn a 4-1 win over the Royals on Wednesday night at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto.

Blue Jays starter Luis Leal allowed eight hits and three walks over seven innings, but Kansas City left eight runners on base and had just one hit in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. The Royals’ lone run came in the fourth. Dane Iorg singled with one out but was caught stealing. That cost Kansas City a run when Darryl Motley homered, his eighth of the season.

Royals starter Larry Gura held Toronto to one hit through the first three innings, but singles from George Bell and Cliff Johnson started the fourth with singles. With one out, Willie Upshaw doubled, tying the score at 1-1. But Gura kept the score knotted by retiring the next two batters.

The score remained 1-1 into the seventh, with some help from some baserunning misadventures by the Royals. In the fifth, Frank White and Onix Concepcion started the inning with singles, with White stopping at second. Willie Wilson put down a bunt, but catcher Buck Martinez jumped on it and threw to first for the out. White rounded third but got too far away from the base, and first baseman Upshaw threw behind him. White was out at third and a promising inning came to nothing. White also led off the seventh with a single but was caught stealing.

Toronto pulled ahead in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Tony Fernandez tripled and Damaso Garcia singled for a 2-1 lead. 

Bret Saberhagen replaced Gura to start the eighth. Jesse Barfield greeted him with a single, then stole second. Upshaw grounded back to the mound, and Saberhagen tossed to third to get Barfield. But pinch-hitter Ernie Whitt homered, and the Jays had a 4-1 lead. Jim Gott, who had finished out the eighth, retired the Royals in order in the ninth for his second save in as many nights.

With the loss, the Royals dropped to 50-56. They were in fourth place in the AL West, five games behind Minnesota.

Box score and play-by-play: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TOR/TOR198408010.shtml

Today’s birthdays: Tony Muser (1947), Scott Anderson (1962), Gregg Jefferies (1967)