K.C. Puts Away Yankees, 4-2; Astros Shut Out Phillies, 1-0

George Brett last night provided all the fireworks needed to end the New York Yankees season. His three-run homer in the seventh inning catapulted Kansas City to a 4-2 win, culminating a three-game sweep of the Yankees and capturing the first pennant ever for the Royals.

New York threatened to rally from the 4-2 deficit in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases with none out. First baseman Bob Watson, who earlier had singled and doubled, opened with a triple off reliever Dan Quisenberry. The K.C. bullpen ace then walked Reggie Jackson on a three-two count and Oscar Gamble on four pitches.

Great Escape

But Quisenberry escaped from the jam unscathed. Yankee catcher Rick Cerone lined out to shortstop U.L. Washington who then doubled an unwitting Jackson off second base. Pinch-hitter Jim Spencer ended the inning by grounding out to first.

The Royals opened the scoring when Frank White homered off of Tommy John in the fifth. But the Yankees came back to take the lead in the sixth, when Jackson led off with a double, chasing K.C. starter Paul Splittorf from the game.

Gamble then whacked a Quisenberry pitch up the middle which White snared but overthrew at third, allowing Jackson to score and Gamble to advance to third. Cerone promptly drilled an RBI single into left field for the go-ahead run.

The Yankees' ace reliever, Rich Gossage, took over for John in the seventh and met with nothing but trouble. With two out and Willie Wilson and Washington on the basepaths, Gossage faced the fearsome Brett. Matching power for power, Brett connected with a Gossage fastball and sent a towering shot over the right field wall.

It was sweet revenge for K.C. After losing in the playoffs to New York in 1976, '77,' and '78, Kansas City will finally head to the World Series.

In the N.L., another squad with a shot at its first-ever pennant moved one step closer.

The Astrodome, packed with 44,000 screaming fans, nearly blew its top yesterday afternoon.

Houston's veteran second baseman Joe Morgan lashed a 390-ft. triple in the 11th inning and minutes later Denny Walling brought home pinch runner Rafael Landestoy with a sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Astros a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Vault

The dramatic win vaulted the Astros to a 2-1 advantage in the best-out-of-give National League playoff. They need only one more victory to earn a ticket to their first World Series in the team's 19-year history.

Houston knuckleballer Joe Niekro, with help from fireman Dave Smith in the eleventh, silenced the big bats of Schmidt, Luzunski & Co. in allowing only seven hits.

Houston's triumph was diminished by the dislocated ankle suffered by centerfielder Cesar Cedeno while grounding into a double play in the sixth inning. Cedeno will be lost to the Astros for the remainder of post-season play.