An error and a passed ball in the ninth inning helped the Indians score two runs and defeat the Royals, 4-2. The game was tied, 2-2, when Toby Harrah walked with one out in the ninth. After Dan Quisenberry replaced Paul Splittorff on the hill for K.C., a single by Bo Diaz sent Harrah to third.

Ken Brett then took over for Quisenberry and induced pinch-hitter Jorge Orta to hit a grounder that second baseman Rance Mulliniks misplayed, allowing Harrah to score and Diaz to take third, from where he eventually came across on a passed ball. [The Sporting News]

Cleveland Indians 4, Kansas City Royals 2

Game Played on Monday, April 20, 1981 (Night game) at Royals Stadium

Indians      0  0  1    1  0  0    0  0  2  -   4  9  2
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  6  2


Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Dilone lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .148      Wilson cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .167
  Manning cf          1   0   0   0     0   1   .091      McRae dh              4   0   0   0     0   0   .241
Bannister 2b          3   1   0   0     1   1   .160      G. Brett 3b           4   0   2   0     0   0   .259
Hargrove 1b           4   0   3   1     0   0   .308      Aikens 1b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .217
Thornton dh           4   1   2   1     0   1   .500      Otis lf               3   0   1   0     1   0   .167
Charboneau rf,lf      4   0   0   0     0   1   .208      Quirk c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Harrah 3b             3   1   1   0     1   1   .348      Mulliniks 2b          4   1   2   0     0   1   .500
Diaz c                4   1   2   0     0   0   .444      Geronimo rf           3   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Littleton cf,lf       3   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Washington ss         2   0   1   1     1   0   .348
  Orta ph,rf          1   0   0   1     0   0   .130      Splittorff p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Veryzer ss            3   0   1   0     0   0   .238        Quisenberry p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kelly ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        K. Brett p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Dybzinski ss        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Berenguer p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Denny p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Spillner p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   4   9   3     2   6             Totals               31   2   6   1     3   3

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 21,658
Left on Base: Indians 6, Royals 5
DP: Indians 2, Royals 2
Errors: Diaz, Veryzer, Mulliniks 2
Doubles: G. Brett (2)
Home Runs: Thornton (1)
Stolen Bases: Bannister (1), Hargrove (2)
GIDP: Diaz (1), Dilone (1), Aikens (1), Quirk (1)


Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Denny W(1-1)            8     6   2   0   3   3   0  31   2.30
Spillner SV(1)          1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.50
Totals                  9     6   2   0   3   3   0  34

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Splittorff L(0-1)       8.1   8   3   3   2   4   1  33   4.50
Quisenberry             0     1   1   0   0   0   0   1   2.25
K. Brett                0     0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.86
Berenguer               0.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   2   0.00
Totals                  9     9   4   3   2   6   1  37

Passed Balls: Quirk 2 (2)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Neudecker, 1B - Larry McCoy, 2B - Durwood Merrill, 3B - Dave Phillips


INDIANS 1ST: Dilone grounded out (shortstop to first); Bannister
flied out to center; Hargrove singled to left; Thornton singled
to center [Hargrove to second]; Charboneau forced Hargrove
(third unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Indians 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Wilson made an out to shortstop; McRae grounded out
(pitcher to first); G. Brett doubled to left; Aikens walked;
Otis walked [G. Brett to third, Aikens to second]; Quirk
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Indians
0, Royals 0.

INDIANS 2ND: On a bunt Harrah singled to shortstop; Diaz
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Harrah out at second]; Littleton flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Mulliniks struck out; Geronimo grounded out
(shortstop to first); Washington walked; Washington was picked
off first (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 0,
Royals 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Veryzer singled to right; Dilone grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Veryzer out at
second]; Bannister walked; Bannister stole second; Hargrove
singled to center [Bannister scored, Hargrove out at second
(center to catcher to second)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians
1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Wilson struck out; McRae grounded out (pitcher to
first); G. Brett grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Indians 1, Royals 0.

INDIANS 4TH: Thornton homered; Charboneau struck out; Harrah
grounded out (shortstop to first); Diaz singled to left;
Littleton forced Diaz (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Indians 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Aikens grounded out (pitcher to first); Otis
grounded out (pitcher to first); Quirk grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 2, Royals 0.

INDIANS 5TH: Veryzer grounded out (second to first); Dilone
flied out to center; Bannister flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Indians 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 5TH: Mulliniks singled to left; Geronimo forced Mulliniks
(first to shortstop); Washington forced Geronimo (shortstop
unassisted); Wilson grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Indians 2, Royals 0.

INDIANS 6TH: Hargrove reached on an error by Mulliniks; Thornton
made an out to second; Hargrove stole second; Charboneau lined
to shortstop; Harrah struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Indians
2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 6TH: McRae lined to first; G. Brett singled to left;
Aikens grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [G.
Brett out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 2, Royals 0.

INDIANS 7TH: Diaz popped to first in foul territory; Littleton
lined to right; Veryzer flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Indians 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 7TH: Otis singled to right; Quirk grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Otis out at second];
Mulliniks singled to right; Geronimo reached on an error by
Veryzer [Mulliniks to second]; Washington singled to left
[Mulliniks scored (unearned), Geronimo scored (error by Diaz)
(unearned) (no RBI), Washington to second (on throw to home)];
Wilson grounded out (second to first); 2 R (0 ER), 3 H, 2 E, 1
LOB.  Indians 2, Royals 2.

INDIANS 8TH: Dilone grounded out (shortstop to first); Bannister
struck out; Hargrove singled to left; Thornton struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Indians 2, Royals 2.

ROYALS 8TH: MANNING REPLACED DILONE (PLAYING CF); LITTLETON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); McRae grounded out (second to
first); G. Brett grounded out (second to first); Aikens struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 2, Royals 2.

INDIANS 9TH: Charboneau grounded out (pitcher to first); Harrah
walked; QUISENBERRY REPLACED SPLITTORFF (PITCHING); Diaz singled
to left [Harrah to third]; ORTA BATTED FOR LITTLETON; K. BRETT
REPLACED QUISENBERRY (PITCHING); Orta reached on an error by
Mulliniks [Harrah scored, Diaz to third]; KELLY BATTED FOR
VERYZER; BERENGUER REPLACED K. BRETT (PITCHING); Quirk allowed a
passed ball [Diaz scored (unearned), Orta to second]; Kelly
struck out; Quirk allowed a passed ball [Orta to third]; Manning
struck out; 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Indians 4, Royals 2.

ROYALS 9TH: DYBZINSKI REPLACED KELLY (PLAYING SS); ORTA STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING RF); CHARBONEAU CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF);
SPILLNER REPLACED DENNY (PITCHING); Otis flied out to left;
Quirk grounded out (pitcher to first); Mulliniks made an out to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 4, Royals 2.

The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet.
Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org".