Ken Griffey hit a two-run, inside-the-park homer to highlight a three-run third inning that carried the Reds to their sixth straight triumph, 4-3 over the Pirates. Griffey's round-tripper occurred when Bucs' left fielder John Milner failed to catch a sinking liner and the ball bounced into the corner. Dave Collins, who had doubled home Ron Oester, also scored on the play. The Reds' final tally came on a leadoff homer by Ray Knight in the seventh stanza. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Sunday, May       17, 1981 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Reds         0  0  3    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   4  9  1
Pirates      0  1  0    0  0  0    0  2  0  -   3  7  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Collins rf            4   1   1   1     0   1   .336      Moreno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .203
  Mejias rf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .385      Foli ss               4   1   2   0     0   0   .231
Griffey cf            4   1   2   2     0   0   .264      Easler rf             4   1   1   2     0   0   .316
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   0   .308      Madlock 3b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .342
Foster lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .293      Milner lf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .212
Bench 1b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .286      Garner 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .365
Nolan c               4   0   1   0     0   1   .266      Thompson 1b           3   0   1   0     1   1   .143
  O'Berry c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .194      Pena c                1   0   0   0     0   0   .310
Knight 3b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .242        Nicosia c           1   0   0   0     0   0   .175
Oester 2b             3   1   2   0     0   0   .311        G. Alexander ph     1   0   0   0     0   1   .462
Soto p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .059      Solomon p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bevacqua ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .222
                                                            Cruz p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Stargell ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .190
                                                            M. Alexander pr     0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   4   9   4     0   4             Totals               33   3   7   2     2   6

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance: 11,775
Left on Base: Reds 3, Pirates 6
DP: Reds 1, Pirates 1
Errors: Knight
Doubles: Collins (7), Oester (6)
Home Runs: Griffey (1), Knight (3), Easler (3)
Stolen Bases: Foli (2)
Caught Stealing: Nolan (1), M. Alexander (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Soto (3)
GIDP: Thompson (1)
Hit by Pitch: Pena (1,by Soto)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Soto W(3-5)             9     7   3   2   2   6   1  36   2.78
Totals                  9     7   3   2   2   6   1  36

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Solomon L(2-3)          7     9   4   4   0   4   2  28   2.40
Cruz                    2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   1.00
Totals                  9     9   4   4   0   4   2  34

Hit by Pitch: Soto (2)
Balks: Solomon (1)

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


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

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

REDS 2ND: Foster flied to right; Bench grounded out (shortstop
to first); Nolan struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Madlock popped to first in foul territory; Milner
singled to left; Garner struck out; Thompson walked [Milner to
second]; Pena reached on an error by Knight [Milner scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Thompson to second]; Solomon grounded out
(second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Pirates
1.

REDS 3RD: Knight popped to shortstop; Oester singled to right;
Soto out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Oester to
second]; Collins doubled to right [Oester scored]; Griffey hit
an inside the park homer to left [Collins scored]; Concepcion
singled to left; Foster struck out; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Moreno flied to center; Foli singled to left; Foli
stole second; Easler flied to center; Madlock struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Pirates 1.

REDS 4TH: Bench flied to right; Nolan singled to left; Nolan was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Knight flied to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Milner flied to center; Garner grounded out (second
to first); Thompson singled to right; Pena was hit by a pitch
[Thompson to second]; Solomon grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Pirates 1.

REDS 5TH: Oester doubled to right; Soto grounded out (third to
first); Solomon balked [Oester to third]; Collins struck out;
Griffey flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Pirates
1.

PIRATES 5TH: Moreno flied to right; Foli popped to first; Easler
popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Pirates 1.

REDS 6TH: Concepcion flied to center; Foster grounded out
(shortstop to first); Bench singled to left; Nolan grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 6TH: Madlock singled to left; Milner singled to right
[Madlock to second]; Garner popped to third; Thompson grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Milner out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Pirates 1.

REDS 7TH: NICOSIA REPLACED PENA (PLAYING C ); Knight homered;
Tony Pena left with bruised right wrist; Oester grounded out
(second to first); Soto struck out; Collins grounded out (first
unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 7TH: MEJIAS REPLACED COLLINS (PLAYING RF); Nicosia
grounded out (third to first); BEVACQUA BATTED FOR SOLOMON;
Bevacqua struck out; Moreno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 4, Pirates 1.

REDS 8TH: CRUZ REPLACED BEVACQUA (PITCHING); Griffey flied to
center; Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first); Foster
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4,
Pirates 1.

PIRATES 8TH: Foli singled to center; Easler homered [Foli
scored]; Madlock grounded out (shortstop to first); Milner
grounded out (second to first); Garner flied to center; 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Pirates 3.

REDS 9TH: Bench grounded out (third to first); Nolan flied to
center; Knight grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 4, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 9TH: O'BERRY REPLACED NOLAN (PLAYING C ); Thompson
struck out; G. ALEXANDER BATTED FOR NICOSIA; G. Alexander was
called out on strikes; STARGELL BATTED FOR CRUZ; Stargell
walked; M. ALEXANDER RAN FOR STARGELL; M. Alexander was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 4, Pirates 3.