1981 – In Game 3 of the 1981 NLCS, the Montreal Expos win, 4 – 1, over the Los Angeles Dodgers behind pitcher Steve Rogers. Jerry White’s three-run home run is the big blow in the four-run 5th inning. Montreal now leads the Series, 2 games to 1.
New York’s once legendary center fielders, Giant Willie Mays, Dodger Duke Snider, and Yankee Mickey Mantle, appear on the Warner Wolfe show. It is the first time all three Hall of Fame outfielders have appeared together on a television show.
1981 – In the last ML game at Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium, Kansas City clinches at least a tie for the American League West second-half title with a 5 – 2 win over the Twins. Next season, the Twins will play in the brand-new Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis, MN.
1981 – In the first game of a doubleheader with Chicago, Oakland ties an American League record with eight straight singles in the bottom of the 1st inning, but blows its 5 – 0 lead and loses, 9 – 5. The White Sox take the nightcap, 10 – 3.
1981 – The Phils drub the Cubs, 9 – 2, behind Mike Schmidt and Gary Matthews. Mathews drives in five runs while Schmidt adds his 11th homer in his last 12 games at Wrigley Field. He has hit 33 there.
1981 – Steve Carlton fans 12 Expos in 10 innings to break Bob Gibson’s National League strikeout record (Carlton now has 3,128), but the Phillies lose to the Expos, 1 – 0 in 17 innings. Montreal’s Bryn Smith retires just one batter, but picks up his first major league victory.
The Red Sox snap the Yankees’ nine-game winning streak at Fenway Park, finally beating the Bronx Bombers at home, 8-5. Trailing for most of the game, Boston explodes for seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, which includes Rick Miller’s three-run homer off New York reliever Dave LaRoche.
1981 – Reds reliever Joe Edelen allows just one hit in six innings of shutout relief as the Reds down the Dodgers, 7 – 3. Dodger 2B Jack Perconte ties the major-league record with 12 assists.
1981 – The Brewers top the Orioles, 5 – 1, to move into 1st place in the American League East by half a game.
1981 – Dodger rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela sets the National League rookie mark with his eighth shutout of the season. The record had been shared by Irv Young (1905), Grover Cleveland Alexander (1911) and Jerry Koosman(1968). He ties the major league mark of Russ Ford (1910) and Reb Russell (1913).
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