SERIES #50. TWO GAMES. WON ONE, LOST ONE. KANSAS CITY VS CHICAGO
OAKLAND A’S CLINCH AMERICAN LEAGUE WESTERN DIVISION
With their magic number down to 2, heading into their series with the Minnesota Twins, the Oakland A’s defeated Minnesota, 1-0 and 2-1, in a September 27th double header. Chicago split with Kansas City, therefore, Oakland has locked up the division crown.
The White Sox dropped their opener, in a low scoring, 1-0 game. Steve Busby held Chicago to just three hits. Losing pitcher, Eddie Fisher(11-12) faded badly down the stretch, with five losses and two no decisions in his last seven starts. In a span of 22.2 innings, he has allowed 21 earned runs.
With the A’s taking the opening game of their twinbill, any chance for the Division title was gone and perhaps, with the pressure off, Chicago returned to the kind of ball they had played for most of the summer, by pasting the Royals, 12-1. Luis Alvarado(3) belted a first inning grand slam; Pat Kelly, Dick Allen, Carlos May and Mike Andrews all had two hits. The White Sox feasted on 12 walks from K.C. pitching, seven of those coming around to score. Stan Bahnsen started and won, to improve to (15-8).
Chicago’s September swoon was just too much to overcome. The last time they were in first place was on Sept. 11. They dropped 9 of 12 games after that, to quickly fall out of contention.
The Division title may be gone, but some individual players still have milestones to shoot for, as the string is played out. Chicago will finish out the season on the road, with three games at Texas, then the final series of three at Minnesota.
American League Western Division Standings(September 27, 1972)
* Oakland/149/90/59/.604/—
Chicago/148/82/66/.554/7.5
Minnesota/147/77/70/.524/12
Kansas City/148/77/71/.520/12.5
California/150/69/81/.460/21.5
Texas/149/56/93/.376/34
*-clinched division title
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