Pinch-hitting, Don Mincher smashed a grand-slam homer in the sixth inning, but the Senators failed to hold the lead and needed an unearned run in the ninth to defeat the Yankees, 6-5. In the sixth, a walk to Elliott Maddox, single by Frank Howard and passes to Jeff Burroughs and Dave Nelson forced in the Senators' first run to tie the score at 1-1. Roger Hambright, replacing Mike Kekich, got Paul Casanova on a popup, but Mincher then batted for Toby Harrah and hit his homer.

The Yankees rallied to tie the score in the eighth on an error, a hit batsman and four singles. However, in the ninth, Del Unser singled, moved to second on an infield out and scored the Senators' winning run when Frank Baker booted a grounder by Burroughs. [The Sporting News]



Washington Senators 6, New York Yankees 5
Game Played on Tuesday, August    31, 1971 (Night game) at Yankee Stadium I
Senators     0  0  0    0  0  5    0  0  1  -   6  6  1
Yankees      0  0  0    0  1  0    0  4  0  -   5 11  1


Senators             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Unser lf              5   1   2   0     0   1   .277      Kenney 3b             4   0   2   1     0   1   .252
Maddox cf             4   1   0   0     1   0   .206        Hansen ph,3b        1   0   0   0     0   1   .202
Howard 1b             4   1   1   0     1   1   .281      Gibbs c               3   0   1   0     0   0   .203
  McCraw pr,1b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .218        Swoboda ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .258
Burroughs rf          2   1   0   0     3   0   .271        McDaniel p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
Nelson 3b             4   1   0   1     1   2   .274      Murcer cf             4   1   0   0     1   2   .321
Casanova c            3   0   0   0     1   0   .203      White lf              3   1   1   0     2   0   .282
Harrah ss             2   0   0   0     0   1   .215      Blomberg rf           5   1   1   1     0   0   .333
  Mincher ph          1   1   1   4     0   0   .291      Alou 1b               3   1   2   0     1   0   .272
  Randle 2b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .226      Clarke 2b             5   0   1   1     0   0   .239
Cullen 2b,ss          4   0   1   0     0   0   .192      Michael ss            3   1   2   0     0   0   .244
Bosman p              3   0   1   0     0   2   .117        Munson ph,c         1   0   1   2     0   0   .259
  Pina p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Kekich p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .162
  Grzenda p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Hambright p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Cox p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .080        Cater ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .271
  Lindblad p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .200        Aker p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Ellis ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .234
                                                            Baker ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .109

Totals               34   6   6   5     7   8             Totals               36   5  11   5     4   4

Time of Game: 3:13   Attendance:  8,950
Left on Base: Senators 8, Yankees 11
DP: Senators 0, Yankees 0
Errors: Howard, Baker
Doubles: Unser (17), Kenney (8), Alou (16), Michael (14)
Home Runs: Mincher (11)
Stolen Bases: Burroughs (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Gibbs (2), Kekich (5)
Hit by Pitch: Alou (2,by Pina)


Senators               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bosman                  7     9   4   3   2   2   0  32   3.69
Pina                    0     0   1   1   0   0   0   1   3.74
Grzenda                 0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.11
Cox                     0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.24
Lindblad W(7-3)         1.2   0   0   0   2   2   0   7   2.99
Totals                  9    11   5   4   4   4   0  43

Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kekich                  5     3   4   4   5   5   0  23   3.58
Hambright               2     2   1   1   1   1   1   9   4.58
Aker                    1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.70
McDaniel L(5-10)        1     1   1   0   1   2   0   6   4.81
Totals                  9     6   6   5   7   8   1  41

Hit by Pitch: Pina (4)

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


SENATORS 1ST: Unser doubled to left; Maddox flied out to right;
Howard grounded out (third to first); Burroughs walked; Nelson
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Senators
0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Kenney doubled; Gibbs out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Kenney to third]; Murcer struck out; White
walked; Blomberg forced White (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Senators 0, Yankees 0.

SENATORS 2ND: Casanova flied out to center; Harrah was called
out on strikes; Cullen singled to center; Bosman was called out
on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Alou doubled to right; Clarke flied out to left;
Michael grounded out (first unassisted) [Alou to third]; Kekich
grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators
0, Yankees 0.

SENATORS 3RD: Unser grounded out (pitcher to first); Maddox
flied out to center; Howard flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Senators 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Kenney struck out; Gibbs grounded out (first to
pitcher); Murcer walked; White grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 0, Yankees 0.

SENATORS 4TH: Burroughs grounded out (third to first); Nelson
struck out; Casanova walked; Harrah forced Casanova (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 4TH: Blomberg popped to second; Alou grounded out
(second to first); Clarke grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 0, Yankees 0.

SENATORS 5TH: Cullen grounded out (third to first); Bosman
struck out; Unser struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 0,
Yankees 0.

YANKEES 5TH: Michael singled to right; Kekich out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to second) [Michael to second]; Kenney singled to
center [Michael scored, Kenney out at second (center to
shortstop)]; Gibbs singled to center; Murcer grounded out (first
unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 0, Yankees 1.

SENATORS 6TH: Maddox walked; Howard singled to center [Maddox to
third]; Burroughs walked [Howard to second]; Nelson walked
[Maddox scored, Howard to third, Burroughs to second]; HAMBRIGHT
REPLACED KEKICH (PITCHING); Casanova made an out to second;
MINCHER BATTED FOR HARRAH; Mincher homered [Howard scored,
Burroughs scored, Nelson scored]; Cullen popped to shortstop;
Bosman singled to center; Unser flied out to right; 5 R, 3 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Senators 5, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 6TH: RANDLE REPLACED MINCHER (PLAYING 2B); CULLEN
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); White grounded out (first to
pitcher); Blomberg grounded out (second to first); Alou singled
to left; Clarke flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Senators 5, Yankees 1.

SENATORS 7TH: Maddox grounded out (shortstop to first); Howard
struck out; Burroughs walked; Nelson forced Burroughs (second
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 5, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 7TH: Michael doubled to center; CATER BATTED FOR
HAMBRIGHT; Cater reached on a fielder's choice [Michael out at
third (pitcher to third)]; Kenney forced Cater (shortstop to
second); Gibbs grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Senators 5, Yankees 1.

SENATORS 8TH: AKER REPLACED CATER (PITCHING); Casanova grounded
out (third to first); Randle grounded out (first unassisted);
Cullen lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 5,
Yankees 1.

YANKEES 8TH: Murcer reached on an error by Howard [Murcer to
first]; White singled to right [Murcer to third]; Blomberg
singled to right [Murcer scored (unearned), White to second];
PINA REPLACED BOSMAN (PITCHING); Alou was hit by a pitch [White
to third, Blomberg to second]; GRZENDA REPLACED PINA (PITCHING);
Clarke singled to center [White scored, Blomberg to third, Alou
to second]; MUNSON BATTED FOR MICHAEL; COX REPLACED GRZENDA
(PITCHING); Munson singled to center [Blomberg scored, Alou
scored, Clarke to third]; ELLIS BATTED FOR AKER; Ellis made an
out to third; LINDBLAD REPLACED COX (PITCHING); HANSEN BATTED
FOR KENNEY; Hansen struck out; SWOBODA BATTED FOR GIBBS; Swoboda
grounded out (pitcher to first); 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Senators 5, Yankees 5.

SENATORS 9TH: MCDANIEL REPLACED SWOBODA (PITCHING); MUNSON
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); BAKER REPLACED ELLIS (PLAYING SS);
HANSEN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Lindblad was called out on
strikes; Unser singled to right; Maddox grounded out (third to
first) [Unser to second]; Howard was walked intentionally;
MCCRAW RAN FOR HOWARD; Burroughs reached on an error by Baker
[Unser scored (unearned) (no RBI), McCraw to third, Burroughs to
first]; Burroughs stole second; Nelson struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 6, Yankees 5.

YANKEES 9TH: MCCRAW STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Murcer was
called out on strikes; White walked; Blomberg flied out to
center; Alou walked [White to second]; Clarke forced Alou
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 6,
Yankees 5.