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.

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