American League Notebook : K.C. Shifts to Gubicza for Game 6

In the lexicon of the game, there was no tomorrow for the Kansas City Royals Sunday. They had to win to stay alive in the American League’s Championship Series, and they did, 2-0.

In the process, while Danny Jackson shut out Toronto to leave the Blue Jays with a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, K.C. Manager Dick Howser had both Bud Black and Bret Saberhagen warming up in the bullpen.

Black, who had started Game 2 and pitched in relief in Game 3, was also scheduled to start Game 6 Tuesday night, if the Royals won Sunday.

Now, however, it will be 23-year-old right-hander Mark Gubicza (14-10) as a member of Kansas City’s regular-season rotation.

“Black was up twice today,” Manager Dick Howser said. “He’s thrown a lot of pitches in this series. He’s made himself available for relief while knowing it might cost him a start.

“We’re fortunate, however, in that we have a lot of people who can start.”

Gubicza, 8-5 after the All-Star break with a five-game win streak, has a 1-2 career record against Toronto. He started against the Blue Jays once this year and pitched only 2 innings, allowing five earned runs.

Doyle Alexander, the Friday night loser to the Royals, will pitch for Toronto. Dave Stieb and Bret Saberhagen will work Game 7, if there is one.

Dan Quisenberry, who has allowed two game-winning hits to Al Oliver in the series, has a 2-4 postseason record with 2 saves in 11 appearances. He has allowed 9 earned runs and 23 hits in 21 innings.

Of Oliver, Quisenberry finally said: “If you want to hear something nice about him, call his mother and father. I’m not going to stand here and deliver a documentary.”

Dr. Bobby Brown, the American League president, said he did not see the obscene gesture Stieb made at taunting fans when he left Saturday’s game, nor had the umpires mentioned it in their report.

“If there’s a formal complaint,” he said, “I’ll look into it then.”

Ernie Whitt’s fifth inning double was the 13th of the series for the Blue Jays, tying the playoff record.

Kansas City first baseman Steve Balboni, who had been 1 for 15, got two hits Sunday.

Said Howser when asked if he had been thinking of replacing Balboni: “Who was I going to replace him with? I mean, it’s not as if we have a Lou Gehrig sitting on the bench.”