Aided by first baseman Jason Thompson's error, the Reds scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Pirates, 4-1. The score was 1-1 when the Reds loaded the bases in the ninth on a single by George Foster, sacrifice by Johnny Bench, a wild pitch and a walk to pinch-hitter Larry Biittner.

Ron Oester then hit a grounder to Thompson, who booted the ball as Foster scored. Pinch-hitter Junior Kennedy followed with a sacrifice fly, and a single by Sam Mejias capped the scoring. [The Sporting News]
Cincinnati Reds 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 1

Game Played on Friday, May 15, 1981 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium

Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  3  -   4  7  2
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  5  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Collins rf            3   0   0   0     1   1   .347      Moreno cf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .209
  Mejias rf           1   0   1   1     0   0   .400      Foli ss               4   0   0   0     0   0   .219
Griffey cf            5   0   1   0     0   0   .259      Easler rf             4   0   2   0     0   1   .333
Concepcion ss         4   0   0   0     0   1   .311      Milner lf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .192
Foster lf             3   1   2   0     1   0   .296      Thompson 1b           4   0   0   0     0   2   .141
Bench 1b              3   0   0   0     0   2   .294      Garner 2b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .422
Nolan c               3   1   1   0     1   1   .267      Pena c                3   0   1   0     0   2   .316
  Driessen pr         0   1   0   0     0   0   .197      Berra 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .271
  Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Perez p               2   0   0   0     0   2   .000
Knight 3b             2   0   1   0     0   0   .234        Stargell ph         1   0   1   1     0   0   .190
  Biittner ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .357        Lacy pr             0   0   0   0     0   0   .304
  O'Berry pr,c        0   1   0   0     0   0   .185        Romo p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Oester 2b             4   0   1   1     0   1   .296        Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Pastore p             3   0   0   0     0   0   .154
  Price p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Spilman ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
  Kennedy ph,3b       0   0   0   1     0   0   .167

Totals               31   4   7   3     4   6             Totals               31   1   5   1     2   8

Time of Game: 2:46   Attendance: 10,592
Left on Base: Reds 7, Pirates 6
DP: Reds 1, Pirates 2
Errors: Concepcion 2, Thompson
Stolen Bases: Moreno (9), Lacy (7)
Caught Stealing: Pena (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Bench (1), Pena (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Kennedy (1)
GIDP: Griffey (4), Milner (1)
Hit by Pitch: Knight (2,by Perez)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pastore                 7.2   5   1   1   1   6   0  29   3.58
Price W(2-0)            0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   3.63
Hume SV(4)              1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   2.66
Totals                  9     5   1   1   2   8   0  34

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Perez                   8     5   1   1   2   6   0  30   1.13
Romo L(0-2)             0.1   1   3   0   2   0   0   5   5.21
Jackson                 0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.29
Totals                  9     7   4   1   4   6   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Perez (1)
Wild Pitches: Perez (1), Romo (1)

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Eric Gregg


REDS 1ST: Collins struck out; Griffey flied to left; Concepcion
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Moreno lined to right; Foli grounded out (third to
first); Easler grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster walked; Bench struck out; Nolan struck out;
Knight singled to left [Foster to second]; Perez threw a wild
pitch [Foster to third, Knight to second]; Oester struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Milner popped to shortstop; Thompson popped to
shortstop; Garner was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

REDS 3RD: Pastore flied to center; Collins flied to left;
Griffey grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Pena singled to center; Pena was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Berra flied to center; Perez
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

REDS 4TH: Concepcion flied to center; Foster singled to right;
Bench struck out; Nolan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Moreno flied to center; Foli lined to second;
Easler singled to center; Milner grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

REDS 5TH: Knight grounded out (third to first); Oester popped to
third; Pastore grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Thompson struck out; Garner grounded out (pitcher
to first); Pena struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Pirates 0.

REDS 6TH: Collins walked; Griffey grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Collins out at second];
Concepcion flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Berra popped to first; Perez struck out; Moreno
reached on an error by Concepcion; Moreno stole second; Foli
popped to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates 0.

REDS 7TH: Foster popped to shortstop; Bench grounded out (second
to first); Nolan singled to right; Knight was hit by a pitch
[Nolan to second]; Oester singled to center [Nolan scored,
Knight to third]; Pastore grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 7TH: Easler singled to right; Milner grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Easler out at
second]; Thompson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 1, Pirates 0.

REDS 8TH: Collins grounded out (second to first); Griffey
singled to left; Concepcion lined into a double play (shortstop
to shortstop to first) [Griffey out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 8TH: MEJIAS REPLACED COLLINS (PLAYING RF); Garner
singled to center; Pena out on a sacrifice bunt (first to
second) [Garner to second]; Berra flied to right [Garner to
third]; STARGELL BATTED FOR PEREZ; Stargell singled to center
[Garner scored]; LACY RAN FOR STARGELL; Lacy stole second;
Moreno was walked intentionally; Foli reached on an error by
Concepcion [Lacy to third, Moreno to second]; PRICE REPLACED
PASTORE (PITCHING); Easler struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Reds 1, Pirates 1.

REDS 9TH: ROMO REPLACED LACY (PITCHING); Foster singled to
shortstop; Bench out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher unassisted)
[Foster to second]; Romo threw a wild pitch [Foster to third];
Nolan was walked intentionally; DRIESSEN RAN FOR NOLAN; BIITTNER
BATTED FOR KNIGHT; Biittner walked [Driessen to second]; O'BERRY
RAN FOR BIITTNER; Oester reached on an error by Thompson [Foster
scored (unearned) (no RBI), Driessen to third, O'Berry to
second]; SPILMAN BATTED FOR PRICE; JACKSON REPLACED ROMO
(PITCHING); KENNEDY BATTED FOR SPILMAN; Kennedy hit a sacrifice
fly to left [Driessen scored (unearned)]; Mejias singled to left
[O'Berry scored (unearned), Oester to second]; Griffey grounded
out (first unassisted); 3 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4,
Pirates 1.

PIRATES 9TH: HUME REPLACED DRIESSEN (PITCHING); KENNEDY STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); O'BERRY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C );
Milner walked; Thompson flied to center; Garner forced Milner
(third to second); Pena was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Pirates 1.
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