This Date In Royals History--1985 Edition: July 31

Steve Balboni hits a three-run homer in the ninth to give the Royals a win in Detroit.

Steve Balboni’s three-run home run in the ninth inning broke a 2-2 tie, lifting the Royals to a 5-2 win over the Tigers at Tiger Stadium in Detroit on Wednesday afternoon.

The winning rally began when Tigers starter Walt Terrell walked George Brett to start the ninth inning. The Royals perhaps caught a break when Hal McRae tried a sacrifice bunt. Catcher Lance Parrish quickly picked up the ball and threw to second, seemingly in time to get the force out. But home plate umpire John Hirschbeck ruled that Parrish had tagged McRae, meaning the play at second was a tag play. Second base umpire Tim Welke ruled that shortstop Alan Trammell had not tagged Brett, so he was safe. Detroit intentionally walked Frank White, but Balboni jumped on Terrell’s first pitch, slamming it into the upper deck for a 5-2 lead.

“It’s all the breaks. Detroit probably deserved to win that game, but we got the breaks. If we hadn’t gotten that call, Detroit would have walked Balboni and then I’d have had to pinch-hit for Darryl Motley. I guarantee you that was a big play.”--Royals manager Dick Howser, quoted by the Associated Press, August 1, 1985

The home run was Balboni’s 21st of the season, and sixth in seven games. It was a much-needed hot streak from the first baseman, and it probably was not a coincidence that the Royals were now 10-2 during his 12-game hitting streak.

“Steve strikes out a lot, I know, and he always has. I’m always getting people telling me I ought to rest him against certain pitchers. But the thing about Balboni is that he never lets the strikeouts bother him. That’s what he does best–hit home runs and drive in runs. I’ve stayed with him. I know that if I do, at the end of the season his numbers will be there.”--Howser, quoted by the Associated Press, August 1, 1985

The ninth-inning outburst made a winner out of starter Danny Jackson, who set a career high with 10 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings. Jackson allowed eight hits and two walks, and one of Detroit’s runs was unearned. It was Jackson’s 10th win of the year.

“This might be the best I’ve ever thrown. I was in command of all my pitches.”--Jackson, quoted by the Associated Press, August 1, 1985

The Royals scored first, picking up a run in the first inning. With one out, Lonnie Smith doubled. McRae singled with two outs to score Smith.

Detroit answered in the fifth. Chet Lemon led off with a single, but after a sacrifice bunt and strikeout, was at second with two outs. Trammell hit a grounder to Brett at third base, but Brett made a bad throw to first. Lemon scored the tying run on the play.

Smith and McRae again teamed up to produce a run, as the Royals answered with a run in the top of the sixth. Smith doubled to start the inning, took third on Brett’s fly ball to center, and scored when McRae grounded out.

The Tigers tied it up in the eighth. With one out, Parrish doubled. One out later, Larry Herndon singled to tie the score at 2-2.

But Balboni’s home run quickly untied it, and after Jackson allowed two one-out singles in the bottom of the ninth, closer Dan Quisenberry got two harmless fly balls to end the game.

The Royals, after winning 12 of their last 15 games, stood at 54-45 on the season. They were in second place in the AL West, 2.5 games behind California.

Box score and play-by-play:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET198507310.shtml

1985 baseball news: The company that owned the Learjet that buzzed Tiger Stadium during Tuesday night’s game said they had suspended the pilot and co-pilot, pending an FAA investigation into the incident. Bard Air Corp., based at Detroit City Airport, said the plane was returning from St. Louis without any passengers and had been cleared for a visual landing, but unfortunately was near the stadium on a rainy night and dropped below the clouds

1985 baseball news: With just days remaining before the Players’ Association strike deadline date of August 6, negotiators for both sides didn’t even have a meeting scheduled. Players union head Don Fehr and Player Relations Committee chair Lee MacPhail were scheduled to have a call to discuss whether there was any reason to meet. The two sides were in disagreement about funding the players’ pension plan and how much of the network TV money should be allocated to players.

Today’s birthdays: Scott Bankhead (1963)