This Date In Royals History--1985 Edition: August 17

Lonnie Smith singles in the eighth to put the Royals in front for good as KC beats Toronto.

Lonnie Smith’s two-run single broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth and lifted the Royals to a 4-2 win over the Blue Jays at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto on Saturday afternoon.

Toronto starter Doyle Alexander had outdueled Royals starter Danny Jackson through seven innings. Kansas City came to bat in the eighth trailing 2-1 after the Blue Jays had scored twice in the bottom of the seventh. Frank White led off with a single. One out later, Jorge Orta delivered a pinch-hit single. With two outs, Willie Wilson singled to tie the score at 2-2. Smith fought off an Alexander pitch, dropping a blooper into center field just out of the reach of Toronto center fielder Lloyd Moseby. Orta scored easily, and the speedy Wilson also raced around the bases with the Royals’ fourth run.

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first. Wilson started the game with a single, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch. George Brett’s sacrifice fly brought Wilson home.

Jackson kept the Blue Jays off the scoreboard for six innings; in fact, he retired the first 14 hitters he faced, including a string of six straight strikeouts. Cecil Fielder was the only Toronto hitter to reach base in the first six innings, with a two-out single in the fifth.

But Moseby led off the seventh with a single. Next, Jeff Burroughs hit a sinking line drive into left field. Smith charged it but couldn’t catch it; worse yet, the ball bounced over his head and rolled all the way to the wall. Moseby scored to tie the game, while Burroughs reached third with a triple.

“I was hoping to get it but it took a big bounce over my head. I was thinking of holding their runner at second.”--Smith, quoted by the Associated Press, August 18, 1985

George Bell’s single brought pinch-runner Lou Thornton home with the go-ahead run. Jackson pulled a magic act to get out of the inning without any further damage, though. Jesse Barfield doubled, and Toronto had runners at second and third with no outs. Fielder grounded out, and after an intentional walk of Garth Iorg loaded the bases, Jackson struck out the last two hitters of the inning.

So Smith’s go-ahead hit was a bit of redemption, and a bit of luck to balance out the bad luck he experienced in the outfield just minutes earlier.

“I hit it right on the ring (handle). I hadn’t seen anything inside all day. I finally saw one and the rest was God-given.”--Smith, quoted by the Associated Press, August 18, 1985

Dan Quisenberry retired six straight hitters to pick up his league-best 28th save.

The Royals improved to 63-50 with the win. 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/TOR/TOR198508170.shtml

Today’s birthdays: Brad Wellman (1959), Jim Converse (1971)