A two-out, two-run rally in the top of the ninth inning enabled the Royals to outlast the Red Sox, 5-4. The game was tied, 3-3, with two out in the top of the ninth when Lee May stroked a pinch-hit single. Cesar Geronimo ran for May and raced to third on a single by Willie Wilson.

A single by U.L. Washington plated Geronimo, and a single by Willie Aikens drove in Wilson. The Sox got a run in the bottom of the frame on a one-out double by Jim Rice and two-out RBI single by Carney Lansford, his fifth hit of the game. K.C. had tied the contest at 3-3 in the eighth when Aikens and Hal McRae socked homers on successive pitches. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 5, Boston Red Sox 4
Game Played on Sunday, May       17, 1981 (Day game) at Fenway Park
Royals       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  2  2  -   5 11  0
Red Sox      1  1  0    0  1  0    0  0  1  -   4 17  1


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Red Sox              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wilson lf             5   1   3   0     0   2   .289      Remy 2b               5   0   3   0     0   0   .358
Washington ss         4   0   1   1     1   1   .213      Evans rf              4   1   0   0     1   2   .331
Aikens 1b             5   1   2   2     0   2   .319      Yastrzemski 1b        5   0   2   0     0   0   .198
McRae dh              5   1   2   1     0   0   .234      Rice lf               5   2   3   1     0   1   .274
Otis cf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .200      Perez dh              5   0   1   0     0   1   .240
Wathan rf,c           4   1   1   0     0   0   .283      Lansford 3b           5   1   5   2     0   0   .359
White 2b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .232      Stapleton ss          5   0   1   0     0   0   .259
Chalk 3b              4   0   1   1     0   0   .294      Gedman c              4   0   1   0     0   0   .200
Grote c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .217      Miller cf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .277
  May ph              1   0   1   0     0   0   .417      Tudor p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Geronimo pr,rf      0   1   0   0     0   0   .222        Burgmeier p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Leonard p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Stanley p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Quisenberry p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   5  11   5     2   6             Totals               42   4  17   4     1   4

Time of Game: 2:45   Attendance: 26,723
Left on Base: Royals 8, Red Sox 12
DP: Royals 2, Red Sox 1
Errors: Stapleton
Doubles: Chalk (1), McRae (5), Miller (9), Remy (1), Rice (4)
Home Runs: Aikens (6), McRae (2)
Stolen Bases: Wathan (4), Lansford (7)
GIDP: Chalk (1), Perez (4), Gedman (1)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Leonard W(4-4)          8    15   3   3   1   4   0  38   2.93
Quisenberry SV(3)       1     2   1   1   0   0   0   5   4.80
Totals                  9    17   4   4   1   4   0  43

Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Tudor                   7.2   7   3   3   1   6   2  31   4.14
Burgmeier L(2-2)        1     4   2   2   1   0   0   8   4.12
Stanley                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.63
Totals                  9    11   5   5   2   6   2  40

Wild Pitches: Tudor (1)

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


ROYALS 1ST: Wilson singled to right; Washington walked [Wilson
to second]; Aikens was called out on strikes; McRae flied out to
right [Wilson to third]; Otis struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Royals 0, Red Sox 0.

RED SOX 1ST: Remy singled to left; Evans forced Remy (third to
second); Yastrzemski singled to right [Evans to third]; Rice
singled to left [Evans scored, Yastrzemski to second]; Perez
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Rice
out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Red Sox 1.

ROYALS 2ND: Wathan singled to right; White flied out to right;
Wathan stole second; Chalk doubled to center [Wathan scored];
Grote made an out to first; Wilson was called out on strikes; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 1.

RED SOX 2ND: Lansford singled to right; Stapleton singled to
right [Lansford to second]; Gedman grounded into a double play
(first to shortstop to pitcher) [Lansford to third, Stapleton
out at second]; Miller doubled to center [Lansford scored]; Remy
singled to left [Miller to third]; Evans was called out on
strikes; 1 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 2.

ROYALS 3RD: Washington was called out on strikes; Aikens struck
out; McRae flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1,
Red Sox 2.

RED SOX 3RD: Yastrzemski singled to left; Rice struck out; Perez
struck out; Lansford singled to left [Yastrzemski to second];
Stapleton forced Lansford (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 2.

ROYALS 4TH: Otis flied out to right; Wathan grounded out (second
to first); White grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 2.

RED SOX 4TH: Gedman flied out to left; Miller flied out to
right; Remy lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1,
Red Sox 2.

ROYALS 5TH: Chalk flied out to left; Grote flied out to right;
Wilson singled to center; Washington made an out to second; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 2.

RED SOX 5TH: Evans struck out; Yastrzemski grounded out (first
to pitcher); Rice singled to right; Perez singled to right [Rice
to third]; Lansford singled to center [Rice scored, Perez to
third]; Stapleton grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 3.

ROYALS 6TH: Aikens grounded out (second to first); McRae doubled
to left; Otis flied out to right; Tudor threw a wild pitch
[McRae to third]; Wathan flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 3.

RED SOX 6TH: Gedman singled to right; Miller popped to catcher
in foul territory; Remy flied out to left; Evans walked [Gedman
to second]; Yastrzemski grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 3.

ROYALS 7TH: White grounded out (third to first); Chalk flied out
to left; Grote grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 3.

RED SOX 7TH: Rice grounded out (third to first); Perez grounded
out (pitcher to first); Lansford singled to left; Lansford stole
second; Stapleton grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Red Sox 3.

ROYALS 8TH: Wilson struck out; Washington grounded out (third to
first); Aikens homered; McRae homered; BURGMEIER REPLACED TUDOR
(PITCHING); Otis reached on an error by Stapleton; Wathan flied
out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Red Sox 3.

RED SOX 8TH: Gedman popped to third in foul territory; Miller
lined to right; Remy doubled to left; Evans grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 3, Red Sox 3.

ROYALS 9TH: White walked; Chalk grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [White out at second]; MAY
BATTED FOR GROTE; May singled to center; GERONIMO RAN FOR MAY;
Wilson singled to center [Geronimo to third]; Washington singled
to center [Geronimo scored, Wilson to third]; Aikens singled to
right [Wilson scored, Washington to third]; STANLEY REPLACED
BURGMEIER (PITCHING); McRae flied out to right; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Royals 5, Red Sox 3.

RED SOX 9TH: GERONIMO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); WATHAN
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); QUISENBERRY REPLACED LEONARD
(PITCHING); Yastrzemski grounded out (first to pitcher); Rice
doubled to right; Perez grounded out (shortstop to first);
Lansford singled to center [Rice scored]; Stapleton forced
Lansford (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 5,
Red Sox 4.