European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 23, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Royally done Friday september 23, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 21 Kansas Gay clobbers Minnesota j 0-5, of Clinch at least a tie for Al West Crown by Bob Greene a sports writer i m going fishing and Hunting Kansas City manager Whitey Herzog said after his royals clinched at least a tie for the Amer ican league West title. The royals exploded for six runs in the seventh inning wednesday night to crush the Minnesota twins 10-5, and assure themselves of at least a share of the Divi Sion Crown. And Kansas City did it with a remarkable Streak of 31 victories in 35 games. I would say that s about the Best you could do Herzog said. You can t expect to do it too of  another Kansas City Victory or a loss by the Texas rangers would give the royals their second straight Al West Crown. Last year we kept hoping for someone else to lose said Kansas City first base Man John Mayberry. This year we did t Al Roundup mess around with that stuff. We d just go out and win. Seems like it s not As thrilling May Berry said. We re More relaxed. I guess the first time is always the Best but it s always a  while the royals were reducing their magic number to one the Al East race was getting tighter. The Boston red sox edged the Yankees 3-2, and the Baltimore orioles blanked the Toronto Blue jays 4-0. That moved Baltimore two games behind the Yankees while the red sox Are just 2v2 games Back with 11 Days left in the regular season. Does Herzog have a preference on which East division club he would like to play no i la just get someone mad at me if i say something the Kansas City manager said. In other Al games wednesday Oakland outlasted Chicago 8-6 Seattle bombarded sports Toronto outfielder Gary Woods is tagged out at Home plate in the third inning by Baltimore orioles Catcher Dave Skaggs As he tries to score from no scoring allowed third wednesday at Baltimore. Short Stop Mark Belanger fielded Bob bail or s grounder and fired to Skaggs in time to get Woods. Umpire Nick Bremigan makes the Call. The Blue jays could t manage to Cross the plate at All during the contest As they bowed to the Baltimore nine 4-0. A photo a i knocked Down twice hurts neck in session with sparring partner Ellis by Steve Wilstein Deer Lake a. Up Muhammad Ali stopped dancing laughing and Clown ing wednesday when a pair of rights by sparring partner Jimmy Ellis sent him crashing to the two worst knockdowns of his career. Ali whose neck was injured probably would have been knocked out if it had been a real fight. But the scariest part of it As Ali s Trainer Angelo Dundee said was that Ali whose mind is usually Swift and Sharp could t remember either Knock Down immediately afterwards or several hours later. Ali who weighed Only 225 pounds and had seemed in fairly Good condition de spite frequent Public appearances in recent weeks Felt his supreme Confidence shaken and thursday he intended to ignore Dundee s advice and go Back to sparring perhaps to prove to himself he s As great As Ever. Ali 35 years old and preparing for his 19th title defense sept. 29 against Earnie shavers in new York crumpled near the end of the fourth round of his sparring ses Sion with Ellis the 37-year-old former Aba world heavyweight Champion who has been a Friend and sparring partner of Ali s since their youth in Louisville. Shavers knocked out Ellis in one round four years ago and Ellis who has t fought professionally in two years has never been accused of having a deadly knockout punch. But Ellis caught Ali with a right uppercut to the jaw and a straight right on the Back of his neck and All went Down almost As hard As when Joe Frazier tagged him with a Hook to the Cheek in the 15th round of their first War. Ali s aides and cohorts Wally Young blood and Drew Bandini Brown thought like the other 150 spectators that the Champ was faking it. Youngblood who was keeping time went along with the gag and shouted "6, 7, 8, 8,8  Ali struggled to his feet after being Down about six to seven seconds and Ellis rushed Ali again in his own Corner. Ali turned his head and Ellis caught him with another right on his neck. Ali s legs folded under him As he went Down again the first continued on Page 24 Milwaukee 11-4, and Texas rolled Over California 9-1. Darrell Porter s 16th Home run of the season touched off Kansas City s six run seventh inning explosion that buried the twins. I was t expecting anyone to pull away like the royals did said Minnesota Man Ager Gene Mauch. My whole Contention was that the royals played to their full potential last year when they won 91 games. I had no idea that any team in this division would win 100 games. The royals have won 95 games so far this season. Orioles 4, Blue jays 0 i know one thing for certain said Baltimore manager Earl Weaver if we win our last 10 games the yanks have got to Al East at a glance w l. Pel. Go new York 93 59 .612 Baltimore 1 61 .599 2 Boston 0 61 .596 Zuj games remaining new York 10 Home 7 Cleveland 4 sept. 26 27-28 29 Detroit 3 sept. 30, oct. 12. Away 3 Toronto 3 sept. 23-24-25. Baltimore 10 Home 4 Toranto 1 sept. 22 Detroit 3 sept. 27-28-29. Away 6 Cleveland 3 sept. 23 24 25 Boston 3 sept. 30, oct. 1-2. Boston 11 Home 7 Toronto 4 sept. 26-272879 Baltimore 3 sept. 30, oct. 12. Away 4detroit 4 sept. 22-23 24-25. Win nine out of 10. Thai s a Large order so there s still something going  the orioles closed Ilie Gap on the Yan Kees when Lee May s two i Horner backed Ross a Rinsley s four hit pit hmm As Baltimore blanked Toronto Only one of the hits off . 14-. Made it to the Outfield. Red sox Yankees 2 we re still breathing said Boston manager Don Zimmer after his Hod sox edged new York. This is what we wanted three Days ago and now Well take our  the red sox completed a two game series sweep of the Yankees As George Scott s two out Homer in the sixth inning snapped a 2-2 tie. Lou pm Ella Hoirup re for Mew York. We re 2 games out in the standings. But Only two behind the Yankees in the loss column Zimmer said. We got 11 Gamos to go and i m hoping to win every one of them. Yankee manager Billy Martin took tin loss in stride. We re still two up in the loss column Over both the red sox and Baltimore he said. That does t sound like much. But. It s pretty big. It s not too bad at All. The pressure is on the  rangers 9, Angels 1 Dock Ellis s four hitter was backed by a Home run barrage by Toby Harrah Jim Sundberg Willie Horton and Dave May As Texas crushed California. The game was interrupted by an Brawl in the eighth inning after California s Baylor Moore hit Ken Henderson with a pitch following consecutive Home runs by Harrah and Horton. Moore and Henderson were both ejected from the game after both benches and bullpen emptied onto the Field. No one was injured in the Melee. A s 8, White sox 6 a two run Homer by Manny san Guillen snapped a 6-6 Dealoe and lifted Oakland Over Chicago. The loss eliminated the White sox from the Al West Pennant race Chicago had jumped out to a 4-0 Lead in the second inning Only to have Oakland tie it up with four runs in the third. The score was tied several times before san Guillen s Homer won the game for Oakland. Chicago s Eric soderholm and Lamar Johnson also homered. Mariners 11, Brewers 4 Seattle s Ray Fosse had four hits and drove in four runs pacing the mariners to an 11-4 Victory Over the Brewers Milwaukee s Sixto Lezcano first inning Home run the 3,430th Homer hit in the major leagues this season shattered the Al time single season Home run record of 3, 429 set in 1970