Combined seven-hit hurling by Tommy John and Rich Gossage, who earned his 11th save, enabled the Yankees to edge the Royals, 2-1. K.C. took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a double by Amos Otis and RBI single by Frank White, the Bronx Bombers tied the contest in the third when Bucky Dent and Dennis Werth drilled consecutive doubles.

Dave Winfield and Reggie Jackson opened the N.Y. sixth with consecutive singles and, after both runners advanced on a sacrifice by Lou Piniella, Graig Nettles delivered a sacrifice fly. K.C. had a runner on third with fewer than two out in the third and fourth frames and failed to score. [The Sporting News]



New York Yankees 2, Kansas City Royals 1
Game Played on Monday, May       18, 1981 (Night game) at Yankee Stadium I
Royals       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  0
Yankees      0  0  1    0  0  1    0  0  x  -   2  6  0


Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wilson lf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .297      Randolph 2b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .217
Washington ss         4   0   0   0     0   0   .204      Murcer dh             4   0   0   0     0   1   .302
Aikens 1b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .319      Winfield cf           4   1   1   0     0   1   .333
  Garcia pr,1b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .091      Jackson rf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .218
McRae dh              3   0   1   0     1   0   .237      Piniella lf           1   0   1   0     1   0   .220
Otis cf               4   1   1   0     0   1   .202      Nettles 3b            1   0   0   1     1   1   .206
Wathan rf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .274      Foote c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .139
White 2b              3   0   1   1     0   0   .236      Dent ss               3   1   2   0     0   1   .214
  Quirk ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .300      Werth 1b              2   0   1   1     0   0   .077
Chalk 3b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .300      John p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Grote c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .192        Gossage p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Splittorff p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   1   7   1     3   1             Totals               25   2   6   2     2   5

Time of Game: 2:11   Attendance: 21,853
Left on Base: Royals 6, Yankees 5
DP: Royals 1, Yankees 1
Doubles: Otis (6), McRae (6), Chalk (2), Dent (6), Werth (1)
Triples: Wilson (2)
Caught Stealing: White (1), McRae (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Randolph (4), Werth (2), Piniella (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Nettles (1)
GIDP: Washington (1), Foote (5)


Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Splittorff L(0-4)       8     6   2   2   2   5   0  31   5.20
Totals                  8     6   2   2   2   5   0  31

Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
John W(5-3)             7.2   7   1   1   3   0   0  30   2.87
Gossage SV(11)          1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.46
Totals                  9     7   1   1   3   1   0  34

Umpires: HP - Joe Brinkman, 1B - Dale Ford, 2B - Derryl Cousins, 3B - Marty Springstead


ROYALS 1ST: Wilson singled to left; Washington grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Wilson out at
second]; Aikens walked; McRae forced Aikens (third to second); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Randolph flied to center; Murcer struck out;
Winfield struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 0, Yankees 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Otis doubled to left; Wathan grounded out (second to
first); White singled to center [Otis scored]; White was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Chalk flied to center; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Jackson flied to left; Piniella singled to left;
Nettles walked [Piniella to second]; Foote grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Nettles out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Grote flied to left; Wilson tripled to left;
Washington grounded out (second to first); Aikens grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Dent doubled to left; Werth doubled to left [Dent
scored]; Randolph out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Werth to third]; Murcer grounded out (second to first);
Winfield popped to catcher in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 1.

ROYALS 4TH: McRae doubled to left; Otis flied to right [McRae to
third]; McRae was caught stealing home (catcher to third to
catcher to shortstop); Wathan walked; White grounded out
(pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 4TH: Jackson grounded out (second to first); Piniella
walked; Nettles struck out; Foote flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 1.

ROYALS 5TH: Chalk grounded out (third to first); Grote flied to
center; Wilson flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1,
Yankees 1.

YANKEES 5TH: Dent singled to right; Werth out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Dent to second]; Randolph grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Dent to third]; Murcer lined to left; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 1.

ROYALS 6TH: Washington grounded out (pitcher to first); Aikens
grounded out (first unassisted); McRae walked; Otis forced McRae
(third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 6TH: Winfield singled to right; Jackson singled to left
[Winfield to second]; Piniella out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
first) [Winfield to third, Jackson to second]; Nettles hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Winfield scored]; Foote flied to left;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 2.

ROYALS 7TH: Wathan grounded out (shortstop to first); White
grounded out (third to first); Chalk doubled to left; Grote
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals
1, Yankees 2.

YANKEES 7TH: Dent was called out on strikes; Werth grounded out
(third to first); Randolph lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 1, Yankees 2.

ROYALS 8TH: Wilson grounded out (shortstop to first); Washington
flied to center; Aikens singled to left; GARCIA RAN FOR AIKENS;
GOSSAGE REPLACED JOHN (PITCHING); McRae grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 2.

YANKEES 8TH: GARCIA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Murcer flied to
right; Winfield lined to shortstop; Jackson struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Royals 1, Yankees 2.

ROYALS 9TH: Otis struck out; Wathan flied to center; QUIRK
BATTED FOR WHITE; Quirk flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Royals 1, Yankees 2.