MINNESOTA 3, KANSAS CITY 1 IN KANSAS CITY

Date:  Tuesday, June 30.

Batting stars:  Kirby Puckett was 2-for-4 with a home run, his fourteenth.  Greg Gagne was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Dan Gladden was 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Pitching star:  Bert Blyleven pitched 8.2 innings, giving up an unearned run on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Kevin Seitzer was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Steve Farr struck out three in 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit.

The game:  With the bases loaded and one out in the second, a ground out, and a Gladden single put the Twins up 2-0.  Puckett added a home run in the third.  The Royals did not get on the board until the ninth.  Blyleven retired the first two batters, then gave up a pair of singles.  An error brought home a run and Blyleven, one assumes to his displeasure, was removed for Jeff Reardon.  Willie Wilson got an infield single to load the bases, but Seitzer grounded out to end the game.

Of note:  Al Newman was again at second base in place of Steve Lombardozzi and batted second.  He went 2-for-4...Puckett raised his average to .351...Charlie Liebrandt started for Kansas City, going 5.2 innings and giving up three runs on nine hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

Record:  The Twins were 43-34, in first place, two games ahead of Oakland.

Notes:  Gene Larkin was at first base in place of Kent Hrbek...Mark Davidson played center field, with Puckett at DH and Roy Smalley out of the lineup.