Solo homers by Ken Singleton and Rick Dempsey provided the victory margin as the Orioles downed the Royals, 5-3, in the season opener for both teams. Singleton's shot came in the first inning and Dempsey's came in the sixth to give the Birds a 5-3 lead.

An error by Royals left fielder Amos Otis opened the gates for a two-run Baltimore rally in the fifth frame. After Al Bumbry drew a two-out walk, Otis dropped Rich Dauer's routine fly. Consecutve walks to Singleton, Eddie Murray and Doug DeCinces then forced home two tallies. [The Sporting News]



Baltimore Orioles 5, Kansas City Royals 3
Game Played on Friday, April     10, 1981 (Day game) at Memorial Stadium
Royals       0  2  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3 10  1
Orioles      1  1  0    0  2  1    0  0  x  -   5  6  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wilson cf             5   0   1   0     0   2   .200      Bumbry cf             4   1   1   0     1   0   .250
McRae dh              5   1   2   0     0   2   .400      Dauer 2b,3b           4   1   0   0     0   1   .000
G. Brett 3b           4   0   1   0     1   1   .250      Singleton rf          3   1   2   1     1   0   .667
Aikens 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .000        Dwyer pr,rf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Otis lf               4   0   1   1     0   0   .250      Murray 1b             3   0   0   1     1   0   .000
  Geronimo lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      DeCinces 3b           3   0   0   1     1   1   .000
Hurdle rf             4   1   3   1     0   1   .750        Sakata 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Wathan c              3   1   1   1     0   0   .333      Morales dh            1   1   1   0     1   0  1.000
  Quirk ph,c          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Crowley ph,dh       1   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Washington ss         3   0   1   0     1   0   .333      Dempsey c             4   1   2   1     0   0   .500
White 2b              2   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Roenicke lf           2   0   0   1     1   0   .000
  Phelps ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Belanger ss           4   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Mulliniks pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Stone p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Gura p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Stewart p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Martin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   3  10   3     5   8             Totals               29   5   6   5     7   4

Time of Game: 2:46   Attendance: 50,317
Left on Base: Royals 9, Orioles 8
DP: Royals 1, Orioles 2
Errors: Otis, DeCinces
Doubles: Dempsey (1), Singleton (1)
Home Runs: Hurdle (1), Wathan (1), Singleton (1), Dempsey (1)
Caught Stealing: Wilson (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Roenicke (1)
GIDP: White (1), Otis (1)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gura L(0-1)             4.2   3   4   2   5   1   1  23   3.86
Martin                  3.1   3   1   1   2   3   1  14   2.70
Totals                  8     6   5   3   7   4   2  37

Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Stone W(1-0)            5     8   3   2   2   4   2  24   3.60
Stewart SV(1)           4     2   0   0   3   4   0  15   0.00
Totals                  9    10   3   2   5   8   2  39

Umpires: HP - Bill Kunkel, 1B - Terry Cooney, 2B - Vic Voltaggio, 3B - John Shulock


ROYALS 1ST: Wilson grounded out (pitcher to first); McRae
singled; G. Brett singled to center [McRae to second]; Aikens
popped to shortstop; Otis forced G. Brett (third to second); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 1ST: Bumbry flied out to center; Dauer was called out on
strikes; Singleton homered; Murray flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Orioles 1.

ROYALS 2ND: Hurdle homered; Wathan homered; Washington flied out
to right; White struck out; Wilson singled; Wilson was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 2, Orioles 1.

ORIOLES 2ND: DeCinces grounded out (third to first); Morales
walked; Dempsey doubled [Morales to third]; Roenicke hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Morales scored]; Belanger grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 2, Orioles 2.

ROYALS 3RD: McRae singled to third [McRae to second (error by
DeCinces)]; G. Brett struck out; Aikens flied out to left; Otis
singled to left [McRae scored (unearned)]; Hurdle struck out; 1
R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Orioles 2.

ORIOLES 3RD: Bumbry flied out to left; Dauer made an out to
second; Singleton grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Royals 3, Orioles 2.

ROYALS 4TH: Wathan grounded out (second to first); Washington
grounded out (second to first); White walked; Wilson grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Orioles
2.

ORIOLES 4TH: Murray lined to third; DeCinces made an out to
shortstop; Morales singled; Dempsey lined to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Orioles 2.

ROYALS 5TH: McRae struck out; G. Brett walked; Aikens flied out
to left; Otis flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3,
Orioles 2.

ORIOLES 5TH: Roenicke grounded out (third to first); Belanger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Bumbry walked; Dauer reached
on an error by Otis [Bumbry to third]; Singleton walked [Dauer
to second]; Murray walked [Bumbry scored (unearned), Dauer to
third, Singleton to second]; DeCinces walked [Dauer scored
(unearned), Singleton to third, Murray to second]; MARTIN
REPLACED GURA (PITCHING); CROWLEY BATTED FOR MORALES; Crowley
flied out to center; 2 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Royals 3,
Orioles 4.

ROYALS 6TH: CROWLEY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Hurdle singled
to left; STEWART REPLACED STONE (PITCHING); Wathan flied out to
center; Washington walked [Hurdle to second]; White grounded
into a double play (third to first) [Hurdle out at third]; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Orioles 4.

ORIOLES 6TH: Dempsey homered; Roenicke walked; Belanger was
called out on strikes; Bumbry singled to center [Roenicke to
second]; Dauer lined into a double play (center to second)
[Roenicke out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3,
Orioles 5.

ROYALS 7TH: Wilson was called out on strikes; McRae flied out to
right; G. Brett lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals
3, Orioles 5.

ORIOLES 7TH: Singleton doubled to center; DWYER RAN FOR
SINGLETON; Murray flied out to center; DeCinces struck out;
Crowley was walked intentionally; Dempsey grounded out (pitcher
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 3, Orioles 5.

ROYALS 8TH: DWYER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); DAUER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); SAKATA REPLACED DECINCES (PLAYING 2B);
Aikens walked; Otis grounded into a double play (third to second
to first) [Aikens out at second]; Hurdle singled to right; QUIRK
BATTED FOR WATHAN; Quirk struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Royals 3, Orioles 5.

ORIOLES 8TH: QUIRK STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); GERONIMO
REPLACED OTIS (PLAYING LF); Roenicke made an out to first;
Belanger struck out; Bumbry grounded out (catcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 3, Orioles 5.

ROYALS 9TH: Washington singled to left; PHELPS BATTED FOR WHITE;
Phelps walked [Washington to second]; MULLINIKS RAN FOR PHELPS;
Wilson was called out on strikes; McRae struck out; G. Brett
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 3, Orioles 5.