Royals Bullpen Still Shaky in Opening Day Win

Arlington, TX - Al Cowens doubled and homered as the Royals built up a 7-3 lead on the Rangers. The bullpen would nearly surrender the advantage but Lindy McDaniel would eventually record the final two outs to secure the victory. Kansas City led the majors with 124 quality starts a season ago but were undone by a lack of offensive depth and a very leaky bullpen. The Rangers meanwhile find strength in their bullpen duo of Sparky Lyle and Jim Kern and are hopeful new additions like Mike Cubbage and Richie Zisk - acquired in offseason trades with Minnesota and Pittsburgh respectively - can give their offense a boost in 1976.





Kansas City 7, Texas 6

4/5/1976, KCR76-TEX76, Arlington Stadium
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
1976 Kansas City       1  0  1  1  3  0  1  0  0     7 12  1     9  0
1976 Texas             1  1  0  0  1  0  3  0  0     6 10  0    12  1
 
Kansas City          AB  R  H BI   AVG    Texas                AB  R  H BI   AVG
Cowens            rf  5  2  2  1  .400    Rivers            cf  4  2  2  0  .500
McRae             lf  3  1  0  0  .000    Flynn             2b  5  0  2  1  .400
Brett             3b  4  1  3  1  .750    Porter            c   2  1  0  1  .000
Otis              cf  5  2  2  1  .400    Grubb             1b  5  1  2  2  .400
Mayberry          1b  5  0  1  1  .200    Zisk              lf  3  0  0  0  .000
White             2b  4  1  1  1  .250     Moates           pr  0  0  0  0  .000
Stinson           c   4  0  1  1  .250    Cubbage           3b  4  1  2  1  .500
 McDaniel         p   0  0  0  0  .000    Howell            rf  4  0  1  0  .250
Patek             ss  3  0  1  0  .333    Campaneris        ss  3  0  0  1  .000
Leonard           p   3  0  1  1  .333     Perznowski       p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Lahoud           ph  1  0  0  0  .000     Roberts,L        ph  1  0  0  0  .000
 Hall             p   0  0  0  0  .000     Lyle             p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Pattin           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Ellis            ph  0  0  0  0  .000
 Hood             p   0  0  0  0  .000     Fahey            ph  1  0  0  0  .000
 Martinez         c   0  0  0  0  .000    Hands             p   1  0  0  0  .000
                     37  7 12  7           Moret            p   1  1  1  0 1.000
                                           Mason            ss  2  0  0  0  .000
                                                               36  6 10  6
 
Kansas City                      INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Leonard          W 1-0           6.0  6  3  2  2  5  94  61  3.00
Hall             H 1             0.2  2  3  3  1  2  20  12 40.50
Pattin           H 1             1.0  2  0  0  1  1  25  13  0.00
Hood             H 1             0.2  0  0  0  3  0  23   8  0.00
McDaniel         S 1             0.2  0  0  0  0  1  11   7  0.00
                                 9.0 10  6  5  7  9 173 101 
 
Texas                            INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Hands            L 0-1           4.0  9  6  6  2  3  98  62 13.50
Moret                            2.0  2  1  1  1  2  35  20  4.50
Perznowski                       2.0  1  0  0  1  0  27  18  0.00
Lyle                             1.0  0  0  0  0  2  15   8  0.00
                                 9.0 12  7  7  4  7 175 108 
 
KCR: Lahoud batted for Leonard in the 7th
     Martinez inserted at c in the 9th
TEX: Mason inserted at ss in the 7th
     Roberts,L batted for Perznowski in the 8th
     Moates ran for Zisk in the 9th
     Ellis batted for Lyle in the 9th
     Fahey batted for Ellis in the 9th
 
E-Stinson. 2B-Cowens, Brett, Flynn 2, Grubb, Howell. HR-Cowens(1). 
SB-Otis(1), Rivers(1). K-McRae, Mayberry, White 3, Stinson, Leonard, Flynn 2, 
Porter, Grubb, Zisk, Cubbage, Howell, Mason 2. BB-McRae 2, Stinson, Patek, 
Rivers, Porter 2, Zisk, Cubbage, Howell, Mason. SF-Brett, White, Porter. 
HBP-Zisk. HB-Pattin. WP-Moret. BALK-Hood. 
GWRBI: Leonard