This Date In Royals History--1985 Edition: October 3
Danny Jackson outduels a future Hall of Famer, the offense hits three home runs, and the Royals are in first place by themselves with three games left.
The Royals took over first place with three games left in the season by pounding three home runs off Angels starter Don Sutton, while youngster Danny Jackson outdueled the future Hall of Famer in a 4-1 win on Thursday night at Royals Stadium.
Sutton, who entered the game just five wins shy of 300 for his career, struck out the first two hitters he faced. But he walked George Brett, and Frank White followed with his 22nd home run of the year for a 2-0 lead.
The Royals added to their lead when Steve Balboni led off the fourth with a home run. The blast was Balboni’s 36th of the season, which would stand as the franchise record for more than three decades.
Brett gave the Royals another insurance run with a solo home run in the fifth. That was Brett’s 28th of the season, and it put the Royals in front 4-0.
From there, it was up to Jackson, who improved to 14-12 on the season, as he held the Angels to 11 hits—10 singles—and no walks in 8 2/3 innings. He struck out three hitters, surviving by making key pitches in crucial situations. He was helped by two double plays.
The Angels had two runners on in the first, but Bob Boone struck out to end the inning. In the fourth, Bobby Grich struck out with two men on. And California started the eighth with singles from Darrell Miller and Juan Beniquez. Rod Carew’s grounder moved the runners to second and third. But Jackson struck out Brian Downing and got Doug DeCinces to fly out, with Willie Wilson making an outstanding running catch to end the inning.
Jackson retired the first two hitters of the ninth, but Rufino Linares singled to right and advanced to third when Pat Sheridan misplayed the ball. Grich tripled to put the Angels on the board, and the Royals turned to closer Dan Quisenberry. He walked pinch-hitter Reggie Jackson but struck out Beniquez to end the game and move the Royals into first place.
After taking three of the four games in the series, the Royals were 89-70 and held a one-game lead with three games left. Kansas City remained home to face Oakland, while California headed south to face the last-place Texas Rangers.
“If we can’t stay excited and pumped up for Oakland, we don’t have the makings of champions. I’ll be very surprised if we go flat against the A’s. We have a one-game lead with three to play. It’s way too early to celebrate.”--Quisenberry, quoted by the Associated Press, October 4, 1985
Box score and play-by-play:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KCA/KCA198510030.shtml
Today’s birthdays: Steve Foucault (1949), Kerry Robinson (1973)