Game 1 October 12, 1978 @ Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Kansas City 7
Los Angeles 5
Kansas City leads series 1-0
The Royals won this game in the later innings as they pulled away from the Dodgers for a 7-5 series opening win. The Dodgers had a 3-0 lead after two. But the Royals scored single runs in the 3rd, 4th and 5th to tie the game. Smith's sac fly put LA back on top 4-3 after five, but the Royals answered with a run in the 6th on a solo homer by Otis. Patek then gave KC the lead with a two run homer off of starter Sutton in the 7th. They plated another run in the 8th on a sac fly by Hurdle to make it 7-4. Lopes knocked in a run in the 9th, but Bird was able to close them out. Gura gets the win in relief, Bird the save. Sutton takes the loss. The Royals hit four homers off of Sutton (Cowens, Braun, Otis, Patek). Brett had three hits.
Game 2 October 13, 1978 @ Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Kansas City 1
Los Angeles 3
Series tied 1-1
Burt Hooten pitched a complete game allowing just one run and 4 hits as the Dodgers take game two and even the series. Gale goes all the way in the loss. Cey hit a homer in the win. Hooten also drove in a run as well.
Game 3 October 15, 1978 @ Royals Stadium, Kansas City
Los Angeles 8
Kansas City 9
Kansas City leads series 2-1
The Royals led this game 7-1 after four innings only to see the Dodgers score seven times in the 7th to take the lead 8-7. To Kansas City's credit. They regrouped and scored twice themselves in the bottom of the 7th to retake the lead 9-8. Pattin gets the win in relief. Bird the save. Forster takes the loss. In that seven run 7th, Ferguson knocked in three with a bases loaded double and Lopes hit a two run homer. It was RBI singles from Wathan and Silverio that put KC back on top.
Game 4 October 16, 1978 @ Royals Stadium, Kansas City
Los Angeles 4
Kansas City 5
Kansas City leads series 3-1
The Royals built up a 5-1 lead only to see the Dodgers mount a furious rally in the ninth before finally winning 5-4.McRae's single in the first put KC up 1-0. RBI doubles by Brett and LaCock in the third made it 3-0. Lopes hit a solo homer in the 6th to get Dodgers on the board. Single runs in the 7th and 8th put the Royals up 5-1. In the 9th, with starter Gura still on the mound, Ferguson hit a three run homer to pull the Dodgers within a run. Bird came on to get the last out and put the Royals one win away from being world champs.
Game 5 October 17, 1978 @ Royals Stadium, Kansas City
Los Angeles 6
Kansas City 5
Kansas City leads series 3-2
Facing elimination, the Dodgers jumped out to a 5-0 lead heading to the bottom of the third. The Royals got themselves right back in the game with a four run third inning. Hurdle hit a two run homer and Brett singled in two. Garvey singled in a run in the fourth to make it 6-4. Sutton then got into a groove and only allowed a solo homer to Porter in 8th inning the rest of the way. Sutton the win, Hough the save. Splitorff takes the loss. Cey had five hits, Garvey and North had three. The series heads back to LA.
Game 6 October 19, 1978 @ Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Kansas City 1
Los Angeles 7
Series tied 3-3
The Dodgers get an great pitching performance from Hooton and a big homer from Ferguson to beat KC and force a game seven. Hooton pitched a complete game four hitter and Ferguson's three run homer broke open a 1-1 tied ball game in the 7th. The Dodgers scored six runs in the 7th to pull away for the win.
Game 7 October 20, 1978 @ Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Kansas City 2
Los Angeles 3
Los Angeles wins series 4-3
The Dodgers jumped out to a 3-1 lead after three innings and starter John made that lead hold up. The Royals got one in the 9th off of reliever Welch, but he strikes out Brett and gets Hurdle to ground out to end the game and clinch the championship for LA. Cowens singled in a run in the top of the first for KC, but Smith's two run homer in the bottom half of the inning made their lead short lived. Smith doubled in a run in the 3rd as he accounted for all the scoring for LA. Leonard goes all the way, but takes the tough loss.
1978 World Series MVP - Burt Hooton, Los Angeles Dodgers
Burt Hooton of the LA Dodgers was named World Series MVP. Hooton was 2-0 with two complete games and didn't allow an earned run in 18 innings of work. He won games two and six.