Bud Black belied his 9-15 record coming in and shut down the California Angels 4-0 on Oct. 2, 1985, with a three-hitter, giving the Kansas City Royals a big push toward winning the American League West title.
By Phil Ellenbecker
Several players delivered key contributions for the Kansas City Royals in the final week of the 1985 regular season to help them claim the American League West title en route to their first World Series title.
But perhaps no one delivered more than a man somewhat forgotten that year.
As masterful as Bret Saberhagen had been two nights before, Bud Black was even more in command Wednesday, Oct. 2.
Saberhagen, who'd emerged as the league's top pitcher this year, had thrown a five-hitter at the California Angels and flirted with just a bit of trouble in a 3-1 victory.
Black, who'd been supplanted as the Royals ace by Saberhagen and slid back in the K.C. rotation, threw a three-hitter and was almost untouchable.
Saberhagen had allowed a homer and two other runners in scoring position. Only one runner reached scoring position against Black as he blanked the Angels 4-0, moving the Royals back into a tie with California atop the division with the help of George Brett's three-run first-inning homer.
While Saberhagen had dispatched of the Angels in 2 hours, 9 minutes, Black got it done one minute quicker.
And while Saberhagen's effort wasn't all that unexpected the way he was humming along on the year, Black outdid himself. He had gone 17-12 with a 3.12 ERA in '84, both sixth in the league as he led a young Royals pitching staff that carried the team to its first division title in four years. Black finished 1985 at 10-15, 4.33 and was fifth on the team in wins.
It hadn't started that way. After a third straight win on May 26, Black stood at 5-2, 2.48 ERA. He gradually lost form from there and was 1-4 in his past nine starts coming into Oct. 2. But on this night he again looked like the pitcher who had been one of the best in the league the year before.
He faced the minimum number of batters the first four innings, a Bobby Grich single canceled by a double play. From there on the best the Angels could muster were walks to Reggie Jackson in the fifth and Rod Carew in the ninth, and singles by Doug DeCinces in the seventh and Gary Pettis in the eighth. Pettis was the only runner to get as far as second.
Black struck out five and got 13 ground-ball outs in tossing his second shutout of the year and first since May 21.
The Royals and Black got all the runs needed in their first three batters. After Lonnie Smith led off with a single and stole second, Willie Wilson was hit by a pitch and Brett followed with his three-run clout.
Pat Sheridan singled in Jorge Orta in the eighth for the Royals' final run.
And with Kansas City and California squared away, the Royals kept on winning and won the West. Here's a look at what happened the next few nights:
Thursday, Oct. 3: The Royals moved ahead by one game with a 4-1 victory over the Angels behind Danny Jackson, who scattered 11 hits and carried a shutout into the ninth inning before having it spoiled by a Grich triple. K.C. got all its runs on homers by Frank White, Steve Balboni and Brett.
Friday: Out in Oakland, the Royals opened a two-game lead with a 4-2 win while California lost 6-0 at Texas. Mark Gubicza allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings, and Dan Quisenberry had 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief for his 37th save. Brett went 2 for 4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Saturday: The Royals clinched it with a 5-4 victory in 10 innings on a single by Willie Wilson that scored Sheridan. The A's took a 4-0 lead after five innings against Saberhagen, but K.C. rallied to tie on a two-run homer by Brett (him again!) and RBI singles in the seventh by White and Balboni. Quisenberry threw three innings of shutout relief to get the win, putting his record at 8-9.
And the Royals' heroics had just begun.
No comments:
Post a Comment