A single by Carney Lansford drove home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Red Sox prevailed over the Royals, 4-3. The score was 3-3 when the Sox loaded the bases in the ninth on a two-out walk to Carl Yastrzemski, single by Jim Rice and walk to Tony Perez. Lansford then followed with a single to right to end the game.

The Sox had knotted the count in the fifth frame on a two-run homer by Dwight Evans and solo shot by Yaz. Mark Clear hurled 3 2/3 innings of one-hit relief to earn the victory. [The Sporting News]

Boston Red Sox 4, Kansas City Royals 3

Game Played on Friday, May 15, 1981 (Night game) at Fenway Park

Royals 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 3 7 3 Red Sox 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 - 4 9 1 Royals AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Red Sox AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Wilson lf 5 0 2 0 0 0 .269 Remy 2b 5 1 3 0 0 0 .347 Wathan c 5 0 1 0 0 1 .298 Evans rf 3 1 1 2 1 1 .354 McRae dh 4 0 0 0 1 0 .225 Yastrzemski dh 4 1 1 1 1 1 .189 Aikens 1b 5 1 1 1 0 1 .313 Nichols pr,dh 0 1 0 0 0 0 .300 Otis cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .207 Rice lf 5 0 1 0 0 0 .260 Quirk 3b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .280 Perez 1b 3 0 0 0 2 0 .232 White 2b 4 1 2 2 0 2 .226 Lansford 3b 5 0 1 1 0 0 .328 Geronimo rf 1 0 0 0 2 0 .195 Stapleton ss 3 0 2 0 1 0 .236 Washington ss 3 0 0 0 1 0 .210 Schmidt c 3 0 0 0 1 2 .217 Gale p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Miller cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .278 K. Brett p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Crawford p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Martin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Clear p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 33 3 7 3 6 5 Totals 35 4 9 4 6 6 Time of Game: 2:55 Attendance: 22,943 Left on Base: Royals 10, Red Sox 12 DP: Royals 0, Red Sox 0 Errors: Quirk 2, Gale, Rice Doubles: Quirk (5) Home Runs: White (2), Aikens (4), Evans (8), Yastrzemski (2) Stolen Bases: Geronimo (2), McRae (1) Sacrifice Hits: Geronimo (1), Evans (1) Royals IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Gale 6.1 7 3 3 3 5 2 29 4.66 K. Brett 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4.50 Martin L(0-1) 2 2 1 1 3 1 0 12 5.02 Totals 8.2 9 4 4 6 6 2 42 Red Sox IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Crawford 5.1 6 3 3 4 2 2 26 4.15 Clear W(3-0) 3.2 1 0 0 2 3 0 14 3.28 Totals 9 7 3 3 6 5 2 40 Umpires: HP - Dave Phillips, 1B - Jerry Neudecker, 2B - Larry McCoy, 3B - Durwood Merrill ROYALS 1ST: Wilson singled to left; Wathan grounded out (catcher to first) [Wilson to second]; McRae grounded out (third to first); Aikens grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Red Sox 0. RED SOX 1ST: Remy lined to second; Evans walked; Yastrzemski flied out to center; Rice made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 0, Red Sox 0. ROYALS 2ND: Otis grounded out (shortstop to first); Quirk doubled to left; White homered [Quirk scored]; Geronimo grounded out (shortstop to first); Washington walked; Wilson singled to left [Washington to third, Wilson to second (error by Rice)]; Wathan popped to first in foul territory; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Royals 2, Red Sox 0. RED SOX 2ND: Perez grounded out (second to first); 1 hour rain delay; Lansford flied out to left; Stapleton singled to left; Schmidt walked [Stapleton to second]; Miller was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Royals 2, Red Sox 0. ROYALS 3RD: McRae grounded out (third to first); Aikens flied out to left; Otis grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 2, Red Sox 0. RED SOX 3RD: Remy singled to center; Remy was picked off first but was safe on an error by Gale [Remy to second]; Evans was called out on strikes; Yastrzemski struck out; Rice grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Royals 2, Red Sox 0. ROYALS 4TH: Quirk walked; White singled to center [Quirk to second]; Geronimo out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Quirk to third, White to second]; Washington reached on a fielder's choice [Quirk out at home (third to catcher), White to third]; Wilson flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Royals 2, Red Sox 0. RED SOX 4TH: Perez walked; Lansford flied out to right; Stapleton flied out to right; Schmidt was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 2, Red Sox 0. ROYALS 5TH: Wathan was called out on strikes; McRae flied out to center; Aikens homered; Otis walked; Quirk lined to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 0. RED SOX 5TH: Miller grounded out (pitcher to first); Remy singled to left; Evans homered [Remy scored]; Yastrzemski homered; Rice grounded out (second to first); Perez popped to catcher in foul territory; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 3. ROYALS 6TH: White struck out; Geronimo walked; CLEAR REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); Geronimo stole second; Washington grounded out (first unassisted) [Geronimo to third]; Wilson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 3. RED SOX 6TH: Lansford made an out to second; Stapleton singled to left; Schmidt was called out on strikes; Miller forced Stapleton (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 3. ROYALS 7TH: Wathan lined to left; McRae walked; McRae stole second; Aikens struck out; Otis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 3. RED SOX 7TH: On a bunt Remy singled; Evans out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Remy to second]; K. BRETT REPLACED GALE (PITCHING); Yastrzemski popped to pitcher in foul territory; MARTIN REPLACED K. BRETT (PITCHING); Rice grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 3. ROYALS 8TH: Quirk made an out to shortstop; White struck out; Geronimo walked; Washington flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 3. RED SOX 8TH: Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Lansford reached on an error by Quirk [Lansford to second (error by Quirk)]; Stapleton was walked intentionally; Schmidt made an out to second; Miller struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 2 E, 2 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 3. ROYALS 9TH: Wilson grounded out (second to first); Wathan singled to left; McRae made an out to shortstop; Aikens grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 3. RED SOX 9TH: Remy grounded out (second to first); Evans grounded out (shortstop to first); Yastrzemski walked; NICHOLS RAN FOR YASTRZEMSKI; Rice singled to left [Nichols to second]; Perez walked [Nichols to third, Rice to second]; Lansford singled to right [Nichols scored, Rice to third, Perez to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Royals 3, Red Sox 4.

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