This Date In Royals History--1985 Edition: May 1

It might have been one of the ugliest games in Royals' history, and it felt even worse because it was a loss.

In what may be one of the ugliest games in Royals’ history, the Cleveland Indians prevailed 6-5 on Wednesday night at Royals Stadium. The match featured one crucial baserunning mistake, two wild pitches, seven errors, 14 walks, and 23 runners left on base, including 18 by the Indians. Who, again, won the game.

Royals starter Mark Gubicza allowed eight hits and six runs (five earned) in just 5 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out four. Cleveland tallied a single run in the first, two more in the second, one in the fifth, and two more in the sixth.

Cleveland starter Don Schulze was a little more effective, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk in six innings of work. He struck out five.

After the Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first on two singles and a walk, the Royals tied the score in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Pat Sheridan singled, stole second, and scored on a George Brett single.

But the Indians answered with two runs in the second. Brook Jacoby led off with a single. Chris Bando drew a walk. Tony Bernazard hit a grounder to shortstop Buddy Biancalana, but the shortstop mishandled it. Instead of a possible double play, the Indians had the bases loaded. Brett Butler’s groundout brought in one run. Julio Franco struck out but reached first when the ball got away from catcher Jim Sundberg. Next up, a Mel Hall grounder to Frank White. The usually sure-handed White bobbled that ball, and another run scored for a 3-1 lead.

The Royals got one run back in the fourth, as the Indians repaid the favor of bad defense. Brett led off with a double. With one out, Steve Balboni’s grounder to Jacoby at third turned into a run when the third baseman booted it.

However, Cleveland again answered, as two walks and a Butler single produced a run in the fifth. That increased the Indian lead to 4-2. The visitors tacked on two more in the sixth, thanks to three singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly.

The Royals had a great chance to catch up in the seventh. White began the inning with a walk. Darryl Motley’s grounder back to the mound bounced off pitcher Rich Thompson’s glove for an error. The next hitter, Sundberg, hit another grounder to the mound. Thompson caught this one but made a bad throw to first. Motley scored on the play, cutting the Royals’ deficit to 6-3. Pinch-hitter Dane Iorg drew a walk to load the bases. Dave Von Ohlen entered the game in relief, and got Willie Wilson to hit a sacrifice fly, making the score 6-4. Pinch-hitter Lynn Jones hit a fly ball to center. Sundberg tagged up and scored, but pinch-runner Onix Concepcion, who was running for Iorg, wandered too far off first base and was doubled up, ending the inning with the Royals still trailing, 6-5.

The baserunning misadventures weren’t quite done. Brett drew a walk to start the bottom of the eighth. A bunt moved him to second. Tom Waddell replaced Von Ohlen, and Steve Balboni singled, with Brett stopping at third. White hit a grounder to third, and Brett was caught in a rundown and eventually tagged out. Motley struck out, leaving runners at second and third, and the Royals went quietly in the ninth.

“Games like this, they just happen. You can’t do anything to stop them once they get started.”--Royals manager Dick Howser, quoted by the Associated Press, May 2, 1985

The Royals fell to 11-9 with the loss. They were in third place in the AL West, two games behind California.

Box score and play-by-play:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KCA/KCA198505010.shtml

Today’s birthdays: Jose Lind (1964), Phil Hiatt (1969), Lucas Erceg (1995)