This Date In Royals History--1985 Edition: October 15
Hal McRae and George Brett help the Royals force a Game Seven in the ALCS as KC wins in Toronto.
Hal McRae drove in two runs and George Brett homered to lead the Royals past the Blue Jays, 5-3, at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto on Tuesday night. With the win, the Royals forced a Game Seven in the ALCS.
The Royals took advantage of two walks in the first inning to grab the lead. Toronto starter Doyle Alexander walked Willie Wilson and Brett with one out, and McRae’s single scored Wilson.
The Blue Jays tied the score in the bottom of the inning, as Damaso Garcia led off with a double and took third on Lloyd Moseby’s single. But Royals starter Mark Gubicza got Rance Mulliniks to ground into a double play to halt a potential big inning. Garcia scored on the play but that was all Toronto could muster.
Kansas City retook the lead in the third. Wilson singled and took second on a Brett groundout. McRae picked up his second RBI with a double for a 2-1 lead.
Again Toronto promptly tied the score in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Tony Fernandez doubled and took third on a wild pitch. He scored on Moseby’s groundout.
Brett homered with one out and no on one in the fifth, his third of the series and the ninth postseason home run of his career, for a 3-2 Royals lead. This time, Kansas City would not surrender the advantage.
“You always have a good chance to score with George on your side, and he helps you defensively, too. He’s great to have on your side.”--Gubicza, quoted by the Associated Press, October 16, 1985
The Royals added two more runs in the sixth. Jim Sundberg walked and Frank White bunted him to second. Buddy Biancalana doubled to drive in Sundberg. Lonnie Smith greeted reliever Dennis Lamp with another double, driving in Biancalana for a 5-2 lead.
Gubicza had retired seven straight batters, but allowed a leadoff single to Moseby in the sixth. With one out, Willie Upshaw walked and the Royals changed pitchers. Bud Black, originally expected to start this game before warming up twice in case he was needed in relief in Game Five, gave up a single to Cliff Johnson that scored Moseby, but then retired George Bell and Ernie Whitt on foul popups to end the inning with the Royals still in front, 5-3.
Black worked around an error and two walks in the seventh, thanks to a Fernandez double play. He worked through the eighth and into the ninth. But when Fernandez singled with one out and Moseby singled with two outs, Royals closer Dan Quisenberry entered the game. Twice before in this series, Quisenberry had allowed the winning run to score, but not this time. He struck out Garth Iorg to end the game, and the series was tied at 3-3.
“We’re having fun right now, but I’m sure they’re not having too much fun 100 yards down the hall (in the Blue Jays clubhouse). They’re not choking, though. They played a good game tonight. They didn’t give us the game. We had to earn it.”--Brett, quoted by the Associated Press, October 16, 1985
The Royals had recovered from a 3-1 deficit to tie the series, and set up a delicious pitching matchup in the deciding seventh game. For the Blue Jays, Dave Stieb, who won the AL ERA title in the regular season, would take the mound. For the Royals, 20-game winner Bret Saberhagen would get the start.
“Momentum? I don’t know. I really don’t know what to expect. They’ve got their best guy going, and I’ve got a 20-game winner. That’s probably exactly what you’d want to see in the seventh game of a series like this.”--Royals manager Dick Howser, quoted by the Associated Press, October 16, 1985
Box score and play-by-play:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TOR/TOR198510150.shtml
Today’s birthdays: Scott Northey (1946), Mendy Lopez (1973), Juan Cruz (1978)