Scattering six hits in a route-going performance, Mike Norris pitched the A's to a 5-1 opening day triumph over the the Twins. The A's tallied twice in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Tony Armas and run-scoring double by Jeff Newman. Mike Heath cracked a leadoff homer in the eighth and Armas drilled a bases-empty clout in the ninth. The crowd of 42,658 was an opening day record for Metropolitan Stadium. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 5, Minnesota Twins 1
Game Played on Thursday, April     9, 1981 (Day game) at Metropolitan Stadium
A's          0  0  0    2  0  1    0  1  1  -   5  9  0
Twins        0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  1


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Henderson lf          3   0   0   0     2   1   .000      Powell rf             4   0   1   1     1   1   .250
Murphy cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Wilfong 2b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Johnson dh            4   1   1   0     1   1   .250      Castino 3b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Armas rf              5   3   3   2     0   0   .600      Smalley ss            3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Heath c               3   1   1   1     1   0   .333      Adams dh              3   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Newman 1b             4   0   1   1     1   0   .250      Ward lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Babitt 2b             4   0   1   1     1   0   .250      Hatcher 1b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .500
McKay 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Johnston cf           4   1   1   0     0   0   .250
Picciolo ss           3   0   1   0     1   0   .333      Smith c               2   0   1   0     0   0   .500
Norris p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Goodwin ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Butera c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Sofield ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                          Koosman p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Cooper p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            O'Connor p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   5   9   5     7   3             Totals               33   1   6   1     4   3

Time of Game: 2:46   Attendance: 42,658
Left on Base: A's 11, Twins 9
DP: A's 0, Twins 0
Errors: Koosman
Doubles: Newman (1)
Home Runs: Heath (1), Armas (1)
Stolen Bases: Babitt (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Murphy (1), Heath (1)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norris W(1-0)           9     6   1   1   4   3   0  37   1.00
Totals                  9     6   1   1   4   3   0  37

Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman L(0-1)          7.1   8   4   4   4   3   1  34   4.91
Cooper                  0.1   0   0   0   2   0   0   3   0.00
O'Connor                1.1   1   1   1   1   0   1   6   6.75
Totals                  9     9   5   5   7   3   2  43

Wild Pitches: Norris 2 (2)

Umpires: HP - Don Denkinger, 1B - Jim McKean, 2B - Rich Garcia, 3B - Greg Kosc


ATHLETICS 1ST: Henderson struck out; Murphy grounded out
(shortstop to first); Johnson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 1ST: Powell grounded out (shortstop to first); Wilfong
walked; Castino forced Wilfong (pitcher to shortstop); Smalley
forced Castino (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 0, Twins 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Armas flied to center; Heath grounded out
(pitcher to first); Newman grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 2ND: Adams was called out on strikes; Ward flied to right;
Hatcher grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 0, Twins 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Babitt popped to first; Debut game for Shooty
Babitt; McKay flied to right; Picciolo flied to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 3RD: Johnston grounded out (second to first); Smith
grounded out (third to first); Debut game for Ray Smith;
Powell grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 0, Twins 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Murphy grounded out (pitcher to first); Johnson singled to left;
Johnson was picked off first but was safe on an error by Koosman
[Johnson to second]; Armas singled to left [Johnson scored];
Heath walked [Armas to second]; Newman doubled to left [Armas
scored, Heath to third]; Babitt grounded out (shortstop to
first); 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 4TH: Wilfong flied to center; Castino flied to center;
Smalley walked; Norris threw a wild pitch [Smalley to second];
Adams grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 2, Twins 0.

ATHLETICS 5TH: McKay grounded out (shortstop to first); Picciolo
singled to third; Henderson walked [Picciolo to second]; Murphy
out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Picciolo to third,
Henderson to second]; Johnson flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Athletics 2, Twins 0.

TWINS 5TH: Ward grounded out (third to first); Hatcher singled
to shortstop; Johnston forced Hatcher (third to second); Smith
singled to center [Johnston to second]; Powell singled to right
[Johnston scored, Smith to second]; Wilfong flied to right in
foul territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 2, Twins 1.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Armas singled to left; Heath out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to first) [Armas to second]; Newman lined to
shortstop; Babitt singled to right [Armas scored, Babitt to
second (on throw to home)]; McKay singled to shortstop [Babitt
to third]; Picciolo grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 3, Twins 1.

TWINS 6TH: Castino flied to center; Smalley flied to center;
Adams flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 3, Twins 1.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Murphy was called out on strikes; Johnson walked; Armas lined to
pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 3, Twins 1.

TWINS 7TH: Ward lined to left; Hatcher singled to shortstop;
Johnston singled to left [Hatcher to third]; GOODWIN BATTED FOR
SMITH; Goodwin reached on a fielder's choice [Hatcher out at
home (pitcher to catcher), Johnston to third]; Powell walked
[Goodwin to second]; Wilfong grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Athletics 3, Twins 1.

ATHLETICS 8TH: BUTERA REPLACED GOODWIN (PLAYING C ); Heath
homered; Newman lined to left; Babitt walked; COOPER REPLACED
KOOSMAN (PITCHING); Babitt stole second; Debut game for Don
Cooper; McKay flied to right; Picciolo walked; Henderson
walked [Babitt to third, Picciolo to second]; O'CONNOR REPLACED
COOPER (PITCHING); Murphy grounded out (first to pitcher);
Debut game for Jack O'Connor; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Athletics 4, Twins 1.

TWINS 8TH: Castino singled to center; Smalley flied to center;
Adams walked [Castino to second]; Norris threw a wild pitch
[Castino to third, Adams to second]; Ward struck out; Hatcher
flied to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 4, Twins 1.

ATHLETICS 9TH: Johnson grounded out (third to first); Armas
homered; Heath flied to center; Newman walked; Babitt forced
Newman (shortstop to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics
5, Twins 1.

TWINS 9TH: Johnston grounded out (pitcher to first); SOFIELD
BATTED FOR BUTERA; Sofield flied to center; Powell struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 5, Twins 1.