Visitor:  Kansas City Royals

Home:  Toronto Blue Jays

Date:  October 8, 1985

ALCS Game 1

 

Scoring:

Team                 1       2       3               4       5       6               7       8       9               R      H      E

KC                    0       0       0               0       0       0               0       0       1               1       5       1

TOR         0       2       3               1       0       0               2       0       x               6       11     0

 

Visitor playmakers:

CF Willie Wilson

 

Home playmakers:

C Ernie Whitt, SS Tony Fernandez, 3B Rance Mulliniks, LF George Bell

 

Network:  NBC

Announcers:  Bob Costas, Tony Kubek

 

Pregame:

Postgame:

Commercials:

 

Grade:

 

Notes:  The Blue Jays entered the series as heavy favorites and the opening contest pitted Dave Stieb against Charlie Leibrandt at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. And by the fourth inning, everyone knew why Toronto was such heavy favorites. Neither team scored in the first but in the second the Blue Jays went to work. Jesse Barfield singled and went to second when Willie Upshaw was hit by a pitch. Garth Iorg forced Barfield at third, but with Iorg on first and Upshaw on second, Ernie Whitt singled to score Upshaw with the first run of the series. Tony Fernández singled to shortstop scoring Iorg, and a single by Damaso Garcia loaded the bases with only one out. But Leibrandt induced a pop out by Lloyd Moseby and a ground out by George Bell.

 

After nearly breaking it open in the second, the Blue Jays expanded their lead in the third and sent Leibrandt to an early shower. A double by Cliff Johnson was followed by a walk to Barfield. The game was then delayed due to rain. Whether the rain ended Leibrandt's effectiveness or the Jays simply figured him out, Upshaw's single loaded the bases with nobody out and brought Steve Farr into the game. Rance Mulliniks then singled to score Johnson and keep the bases loaded. A walk to Whitt scored Barfield to make it 4-0. A sacrifice fly from Fernandez made it 5-0. Farr finally settled down and got the next two batters out, but KC was in a 5-0 hole en route to a 6-1 loss. The last Jays run scored when George Bell singled and scored on a throwing error by Steve Balboni on a fielder's choice to the next batter, Cliff Johnson.

 

Willie Wilson scored the Royals' only run in the ninth when he singled, moved to third on a George Brett single, and scored on a fielder’s choice ground out by Pat Sheridan. The Blue Jays scored six runs and left nine runners on base. Leibrandt got the loss while Stieb pitched eight for the win and Tom Henke closed it out in the ninth.

 

The victory gave the Jays a 1-0 lead in the LCS.

 

Thanks Paul!

 

Running time:  2:21 (2 discs)