Blasting off the 1981 season with a bases loaded homer by Brian Downing in the first inning, the Angels went on to a 6-2 triumph over the Mariners. Downing's clout off Glenn Abbott came with two out and a 3-2 count. Abbott had allowed a single by Fred Lynn and walks to Don Baylor and Dan Ford to load the sacks for Downing. The Angels added markers in the sixth, on an RBI triple by Bobby Grich, and in the eighth on a solo round-tripper by Ford. [The Sporting News]



California Angels 6, Seattle Mariners 2
Game Played on Thursday, April     9, 1981 (Night game) at Kingdome
Angels       4  0  0    0  0  1    0  1  0  -   6  7  0
Mariners     0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  6  1


Angels               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mariners             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Carew 1b              5   0   1   0     0   0   .200      Cruz 2b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Burleson ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Henderson cf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Lynn cf               3   1   1   0     1   0   .333      Bochte 1b             3   1   1   0     1   2   .333
Baylor dh             3   1   0   0     1   1   .000      Zisk dh               4   0   2   0     0   1   .500
Ford rf               3   2   1   1     1   0   .333      Burroughs rf          4   1   1   2     0   0   .250
Downing c             4   1   2   4     0   0   .500      Paciorek lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Brunansky lf          4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Edler 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Grich 2b              4   0   1   1     0   1   .250      Anderson ss           2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hobson 3b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Gulden ph,c         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Campaneris pr,3b    0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bulling c             2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Zahn p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Gray ph             1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000
  Aase p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Auerbach pr,ss      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                          Abbott p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Andersen p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   6   7   6     3   3             Totals               32   2   6   2     1   5

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance: 33,317
Left on Base: Angels 4, Mariners 4
DP: Angels 1, Mariners 0
Errors: Anderson
Doubles: Downing (1)
Triples: Grich (1), Gray (1)
Home Runs: Downing (1), Ford (1), Burroughs (1)
Stolen Bases: Lynn (1), Brunansky (1)
GIDP: Burroughs (1)
Hit by Pitch: Hobson (1,by Andersen)


Angels                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Zahn W(1-0)             7     4   2   2   1   4   1  25   2.57
Aase                    2     2   0   0   0   1   0   8   0.00
Totals                  9     6   2   2   1   5   1  33

Mariners               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Abbott L(0-1)           8     7   6   6   3   2   2  34   6.75
Andersen                1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9     7   6   6   3   3   2  37

Hit by Pitch: Andersen (1)

Umpires: HP - Jim Evans, 1B - Steve Palermo, 2B - Al Clark, 3B - Ted Hendry


ANGELS 1ST: Carew flied out to center; Burleson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Lynn singled to center; Lynn stole second;
Baylor walked; Ford walked [Lynn to third, Baylor to second];
Downing homered [Lynn scored, Baylor scored, Ford scored];
Brunansky reached on an error by Anderson; Debut game for Tom
Brunansky; Brunansky stole second; Grich grounded out
(second to first); 4 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 4, Mariners 0.

MARINERS 1ST: Cruz singled to center; Henderson grounded out
(third to first) [Cruz to second]; Debut game for Dave
Henderson; Bochte struck out; Zisk singled [Cruz to third];
Burroughs grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Angels 4, Mariners 0.

ANGELS 2ND: Hobson struck out; Carew flied out to center;
Burleson flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 4,
Mariners 0.

MARINERS 2ND: Paciorek grounded out (shortstop to first); Edler
grounded out (shortstop to first); Anderson flied out to right;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 4, Mariners 0.

ANGELS 3RD: Lynn grounded out (second to first); Baylor flied
out to right; Ford grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Angels 4, Mariners 0.

MARINERS 3RD: Bulling grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
flied out to right; Henderson made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Angels 4, Mariners 0.

ANGELS 4TH: Downing doubled to left; Brunansky grounded out
(shortstop to first); Grich made an out to first; Hobson
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels
4, Mariners 0.

MARINERS 4TH: Bochte walked; Zisk struck out; Burroughs grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Bochte out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 4, Mariners 0.

ANGELS 5TH: Carew singled to right [Carew out at second (right
to shortstop)]; Burleson flied out to center; Lynn walked;
Baylor was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels
4, Mariners 0.

MARINERS 5TH: Paciorek grounded out (third to first); Edler
grounded out (pitcher to first); Anderson flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 4, Mariners 0.

ANGELS 6TH: Ford lined to left; Downing grounded out (shortstop
to first); Brunansky singled to center; Grich tripled to center
[Brunansky scored]; Hobson grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Angels 5, Mariners 0.

MARINERS 6TH: Bulling struck out; Cruz popped to first;
Henderson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 5,
Mariners 0.

ANGELS 7TH: Carew grounded out (third to first); Burleson flied
out to right; Lynn grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Angels 5, Mariners 0.

MARINERS 7TH: Bochte singled to left; Zisk made an out to
second; Burroughs homered [Bochte scored]; Paciorek struck out;
Edler flied out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 5,
Mariners 2.

ANGELS 8TH: Baylor flied out to left; Ford homered; Downing
grounded out (shortstop to first); Brunansky grounded out
(pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Angels 6, Mariners 2.

MARINERS 8TH: AASE REPLACED ZAHN (PITCHING); GULDEN BATTED FOR
ANDERSON; Gulden made an out to second; GRAY BATTED FOR BULLING;
Gray tripled to right; AUERBACH RAN FOR GRAY; Cruz flied out to
center; Henderson flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Angels 6, Mariners 2.

ANGELS 9TH: GULDEN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); AUERBACH STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING SS); ANDERSEN REPLACED ABBOTT (PITCHING); Grich
struck out; Hobson was hit by a pitch; CAMPANERIS RAN FOR
HOBSON; Campaneris was picked off first (pitcher to first);
Carew grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Angels 6, Mariners 2.

MARINERS 9TH: CAMPANERIS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Bochte
struck out; Zisk singled to right; Burroughs flied out to
center; Paciorek made an out to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Angels 6, Mariners 2.