The A's set a major league record for best season start, winning their 11th straight game, 6-1 over the Mariners in the opener of a doubleheader. The Mariners rebounded in the second game, 3-2, as Richie Zisk snapped a 2-2 tie with an eighth-inning homer. Rickey Henderson tripled home two runs in the third inning of the opener and Jeff Newman doubled home another pair in the fourth frame. After the A's jumped to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning of the second game on an RBI double by Tony Armas and run-scoring single by Shooty Babbit, the Mariners deadlocked the contest in the fifth on RBI singled by Bud Bulling and Gary Gray.

Each game was marked by player brawls. In the first game, Lenny Randle and A's catcher Newman tangled after Randle had words with pitcher Mike Norris over an inside pitch. In the second game, Randle put a hard tag on Armas during a rundown and Armas started toward Randle as the third baseman completed a double play. The benches cleared in both incidents. [The Sporting News]

Oakland Athletics 6, Seattle Mariners 1 (Game 1)

Game Played on Sunday, April 19, 1981 (Day game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Mariners 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 6 3 A's 0 0 2 3 0 0 1 0 x - 6 6 0 Mariners AB R H RBI BB SO AVG A's AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Cruz 2b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .237 Henderson lf 4 1 2 2 0 0 .333 Simpson cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .308 Murphy cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .350 Henderson ph,cf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .133 Revering 1b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .250 Bochte 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .176 Gross 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .192 Zisk dh 4 1 3 0 0 0 .382 Armas rf 3 1 2 0 1 0 .386 Gray lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .333 Page dh 2 1 0 0 2 0 .095 Paciorek rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .353 Babitt 2b 2 0 0 0 1 0 .333 Randle 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .133 Newman c 3 2 1 2 0 0 .125 Edler ph,3b 2 0 0 1 1 0 .143 Picciolo ss 4 1 0 0 0 0 .286 Auerbach ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 .158 Norris p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Bulling c 2 0 0 0 1 1 .000 Minetto p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Abbott p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Jones p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Drago p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 32 1 6 1 2 6 Totals 30 6 6 5 4 2 Time of Game: 2:28 Left on Base: Mariners 9, A's 6 DP: Mariners 1, A's 0 Errors: Edler 2, Auerbach Doubles: Newman (2), Armas (3), Henderson (3) Triples: Henderson (2) Stolen Bases: Cruz (7), Edler (2) Sacrifice Hits: Newman (1), Babitt (1) Sacrifice Flies: Edler (1) GIDP: Page (1) Hit by Pitch: Bochte (1,by Norris), Bulling (1,by Norris) Mariners IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Abbott L(0-3) 7 6 6 3 4 2 0 33 5.56 Drago 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4.15 Totals 8 6 6 3 4 2 0 36 A's IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Norris W(3-0) 6 5 1 1 1 3 0 26 1.50 Minetto 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 0.00 Jones 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 7 0.00 Totals 9 6 1 1 2 6 0 37 Hit by Pitch: Norris 2 (2) Umpires: HP - Nick Bremigan, 1B - Mike Reilly, 2B - Larry Barnett, 3B - Lou DiMuro MARINERS 1ST: Cruz singled to center; Cruz stole second; Simpson grounded out (second to first); Bochte was hit by a pitch; Zisk grounded out (third to first) [Cruz to third, Bochte to second]; Gray reached on a fielder's choice [Bochte out at third (third unassisted)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 0. ATHLETICS 1ST: Henderson flied out to center; Murphy flied out to right; Revering struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 0. MARINERS 2ND: Paciorek grounded out (shortstop to first); and tackled Randle; both benches cleared; Randle ejected by HP umpire Nick Bremigan; Norris was held down by teammate Dave McKay, who sat on the pitcher; EDLER BATTED FOR RANDLE; Edler walked; Auerbach flied out to left; Edler stole second; Bulling struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 0. ATHLETICS 2ND: EDLER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Gross flied out to right; Armas singled to center; Page grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Armas out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 0. MARINERS 3RD: Cruz grounded out (third to first); Simpson struck out; Bochte flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 0. ATHLETICS 3RD: Babitt walked; Newman reached on a fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Babitt to third (error by Edler)]; Picciolo reached on a fielder's choice [Babitt out at home (pitcher to catcher), Newman to second]; Henderson tripled to center [Newman scored, Picciolo scored]; Murphy popped to first in foul territory; Revering grounded out (first unassisted); 2 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 2. MARINERS 4TH: Zisk singled to right; Gray forced Zisk (shortstop to second); Paciorek flied out to left; Edler popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 2. ATHLETICS 4TH: Gross grounded out (third to first); Armas reached on an error by Edler; Page walked [Armas to second]; Babitt flied out to center; Newman doubled to left [Armas scored (unearned), Page scored (unearned)]; Picciolo reached on an error by Auerbach [Newman scored (unearned) (no RBI)]; Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first); 3 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 5. MARINERS 5TH: Auerbach flied out to center; Bulling was hit by a pitch; Cruz struck out; Simpson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 5. ATHLETICS 5TH: Murphy grounded out (second to first); Revering grounded out (first unassisted); Gross flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mariners 0, Athletics 5. MARINERS 6TH: Bochte grounded out (pitcher to first); Zisk singled to shortstop; Gray singled to left [Zisk to second]; Paciorek singled to center [Zisk to third, Gray to second]; Edler hit a sacrifice fly to center [Zisk scored]; Auerbach flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mariners 1, Athletics 5. ATHLETICS 6TH: Armas doubled to left; Page walked; Babitt out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Armas to third, Page to second]; Newman reached on a fielder's choice [Armas out at home (third to catcher), Page to third]; Picciolo made an out to first; Mike Norris left game due to numbness in his right hand and a stiff left shoulder; these injuries were suffered in the second inning brawl; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mariners 1, Athletics 5. MARINERS 7TH: MINETTO REPLACED NORRIS (PITCHING); Bulling walked; Cruz flied out to left; HENDERSON BATTED FOR SIMPSON; Henderson struck out; Bochte grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mariners 1, Athletics 5. ATHLETICS 7TH: HENDERSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Henderson doubled to left; Murphy struck out; Revering singled to center [Henderson scored]; Gross flied out to right; Armas walked [Revering to second]; Page flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mariners 1, Athletics 6. MARINERS 8TH: JONES REPLACED MINETTO (PITCHING); Zisk singled to right; Gray struck out; Paciorek struck out; Edler forced Zisk (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mariners 1, Athletics 6. ATHLETICS 8TH: DRAGO REPLACED ABBOTT (PITCHING); Babitt grounded out (shortstop to first); Newman popped to catcher in foul territory; Picciolo flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mariners 1, Athletics 6. MARINERS 9TH: Auerbach popped to catcher in foul territory; Bulling flied out to center; Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mariners 1, Athletics 6.

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