A crowd of 45,061 congregated in Washington and witnessed an 8-0 victory by the Senators at the expense of the A's in the American League's first game. The Senators, who had lost eight straight openers since the John F. Kennedy days of 1962, won this one with the rooting help of an Army master sergeant instead of President Nixon. Daniel Pitzer, a master sergeant and former prisoner of war in Vietnam, threw out the ceremonial first ball as a stand-in for the chief executive.

The victory also snapped a 14-game losing streak the Senators compiled in the final days of the 1970 season. Dick Bosman pitched a six-hitter and was in command thruout. He allowed only two runners to get as far as third and twice induced Oakland hitters to ground into double plays. He also drew walks that led to scoring innings. Errors by the A's also paved the way for Washington's victory. Two errors by shortstop Bert Campaneris led to a pair of runs in both the first and second innings. [ap]



Washington Senators 8, Oakland Athletics 0
Game Played on Monday, April     5, 1971 (Day game) at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
A's          0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  2
Senators     2  2  0    2  2  0    0  0  x  -   8  8  0


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Senators             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Campaneris ss         4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Harrah ss             4   2   2   0     1   0   .500
Alou lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Flood cf              3   2   1   0     2   1   .333
Jackson rf            4   0   1   0     0   2   .250        Unser rf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Mincher 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Howard lf             4   0   1   2     0   1   .250
Bando 3b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .000        McCraw lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Monday cf             3   0   2   0     1   0   .667      Epstein 1b            3   0   1   2     1   1   .333
Duncan c              4   0   2   0     0   0   .500      Foy 3b                2   0   0   1     1   0   .000
Green 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Maddox rf,cf          4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Blue p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Casanova c            4   1   2   1     0   0   .500
  Panther p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cullen 2b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .250
  Clark ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Ragland 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Roland p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bosman p              2   2   0   0     2   1   .000
  Hovley ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Mangual ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lindblad p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   0   6   0     3   2             Totals               30   8   8   7     7   5

Time of Game: 2:45   Attendance: 45,061
Left on Base: A's 7, Senators 8
DP: A's 1, Senators 2
Errors: Campaneris 2
Doubles: Jackson (1), Alou (1), Casanova (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Howard (1), Foy (1)
GIDP: Green (1), Duncan (1)
Hit by Pitch: Epstein (1,by Roland)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blue L(0-1)             1.2   3   4   1   4   2   0  13   5.40
Panther                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Roland                  2     1   2   2   2   0   0  10   9.00
Locker                  3     4   2   2   1   3   0  13   6.00
Lindblad                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
Totals                  8     8   8   5   7   5   0  40

Senators               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bosman W(1-0)           9     6   0   0   3   2   0  34   0.00
Totals                  9     6   0   0   3   2   0  34

Hit by Pitch: Roland (1)
Wild Pitches: Panther (1), Bosman 2 (2)

Umpires: HP - Nestor Chylak, 1B - Don Denkinger, 2B - Art Frantz, 3B - Bill Deegan


ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris grounded out (third to first); Alou
popped to first; Jackson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 0.

SENATORS 1ST: Harrah singled to left; Flood walked [Harrah to
second]; Howard struck out; Epstein singled to left [Flood to
second, Harrah scored]; Foy reached on an error by Campaneris
[Epstein to second, Flood to third]; Maddox struck out; Casanova
singled to right [Flood scored (unearned), Epstein out at home
(right to catcher), Foy to second]; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
 Athletics 0, Senators 2.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Mincher grounded out (second to first); Bando
grounded out (shortstop to first); Monday walked; Duncan singled
to left [Monday to second]; Green flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 2.

SENATORS 2ND: Cullen lined to center; Bosman walked; Harrah
flied out to left; Flood walked [Bosman to second]; Howard
reached on an error by Campaneris [Flood to second, Bosman to
third]; Epstein walked [Bosman scored (unearned), Flood to
third, Howard to second]; PANTHER REPLACED BLUE (PITCHING);
Panther threw a wild pitch [Howard to third, Flood scored
(unearned)]; Debut game for Jim Panther; Foy flied out to
left; 2 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 4.

ATHLETICS 3RD: CLARK BATTED FOR PANTHER; Clark flied out to
center; Campaneris flied out to left; Alou lined to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 4.

SENATORS 3RD: ROLAND REPLACED CLARK (PITCHING); Maddox grounded
out (third to first); Casanova grounded out (third to first);
Cullen popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Senators 4.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Jackson popped to first; Mincher grounded out
(first unassisted); Bando popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 4.

SENATORS 4TH: Bosman walked; Harrah walked [Bosman to second];
On a bunt Flood singled to third [Harrah to second, Bosman to
third]; Howard hit a sacrifice fly to right [Harrah to third,
Bosman scored]; Epstein was hit by a pitch [Flood to second];
Foy hit a sacrifice fly to left [Harrah scored]; Maddox forced
Epstein (shortstop to second); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics
0, Senators 6.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Monday singled to right; Bosman threw a wild
pitch [Monday to second]; Duncan singled to third [Monday stayed
at second]; Green grounded into a double play (third to first)
[Duncan to second, Monday out at third]; HOVLEY BATTED FOR
ROLAND; Hovley walked; Campaneris flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 6.

SENATORS 5TH: LOCKER REPLACED HOVLEY (PITCHING); Casanova
doubled to left; Cullen singled to center [Casanova scored]; On
a bunt Bosman struck out; Harrah singled to center [Cullen to
second]; Flood struck out; Howard singled to left [Harrah to
second, Cullen scored]; Epstein was called out on strikes; 2 R,
4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 8.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Alou flied out to center; Jackson doubled to
right; Mincher flied out to left [Jackson to third]; Bando
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 0, Senators 8.

SENATORS 6TH: Foy walked; Maddox lined into a double play
(second to first) [Foy out at first]; Casanova popped to first;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 8.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Monday singled to center; Duncan grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Monday out at second];
Green flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Senators 8.

SENATORS 7TH: Cullen lined to shortstop; Bosman grounded out
(third to first); Harrah grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 8.

ATHLETICS 8TH: RAGLAND REPLACED CULLEN (PLAYING 2B); MANGUAL
BATTED FOR LOCKER; Mangual flied out to right; Debut game for
Tom Ragland; Campaneris popped to second; Alou doubled to
left; Bosman threw a wild pitch [Alou to third]; Jackson struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 8.

SENATORS 8TH: LINDBLAD REPLACED MANGUAL (PITCHING); Flood flied
out to left; Howard popped to second; Epstein popped to first in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 8.

ATHLETICS 9TH: UNSER REPLACED FLOOD (PLAYING RF); MCCRAW
REPLACED HOWARD (PLAYING LF); MADDOX CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
CF); Mincher flied out to center; Bando walked; Monday flied out
to center; Duncan forced Bando (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Senators 8.