A two-run homer by Dave Winfield climaxed a three-run third inning that carried the Yankees to a 3-2 decision over the Indians and gave starting pitcher Dave Righetti his first major league victory. The Yankees scored their runs on a single by Dennis Werth, RBI double by Larry Milbourne and Winfield's circuit swat.

The Indians pulled an unusual triple play in the sixth inning. With Barry Foote on second and Graig Nettles on first, Bucky Dent grounded to third baseman Toby Harrah, who stepped on third to force Foote and relayed the ball to second baseman Alan Bannister for the second out. Umpire John Shulock then ruled that Nettles, in sliding into second, threw a rolling block at Bannister. Dent was called out at first on Nettles' interference to account for the third out and the completion of the third triple play of the A.L. season. [The Sporting News]

New York Yankees 3, Cleveland Indians 2

Game Played on Saturday, May 23, 1981 (Night game) at Yankee Stadium I

Indians      0  1  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  5  0
Yankees      0  0  3    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   3  9  0


Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Dilone lf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Milbourne 2b          4   1   2   1     0   0   .333
  Littleton lf        0   1   0   0     1   0   .000      Murcer dh             4   0   1   0     0   2   .288
  Kuiper 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .295      Winfield cf           4   1   1   2     0   1   .326
Bannister 2b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .269      Jackson rf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .203
  Orta ph,rf          1   0   1   0     0   0   .255      Piniella lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .233
Hargrove 1b           2   0   0   1     1   1   .238      Foote c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .181
Thornton dh           3   0   1   0     0   2   .213      Nettles 3b            3   0   0   0     0   1   .205
  Kelly ph,dh         1   0   0   0     0   0   .214      Dent ss               2   0   0   0     1   0   .218
Harrah 3b             3   1   0   0     1   1   .230      Werth 1b              1   1   1   0     0   0   .100
Diaz c                4   0   2   0     0   1   .346        Revering 1b         1   0   0   0     1   0   .217
Charboneau rf,lf      4   0   0   0     0   3   .228      Righetti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Manning cf            4   0   1   1     0   2   .196        Davis p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Veryzer ss            3   0   0   0     0   1   .261
Waits p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   2   5   2     3  11             Totals               31   3   9   3     2   5

Time of Game: 2:33   Attendance: 37,179
Left on Base: Indians 6, Yankees 7
DP: Indians 0, Yankees 0
Doubles: Diaz 2 (8), Thornton (2), Orta (4), Piniella (3), Milbourne (2), Jackson (7), Foote (2)
Home Runs: Winfield (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Nettles (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Hargrove (2)


Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Waits L(4-3)            8     9   3   3   2   5   1  34   2.60
Totals                  8     9   3   3   2   5   1  34

Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Righetti W(1-0)         7     4   2   2   3   7   0  28   2.57
Davis SV(4)             2     1   0   0   0   4   0   7   2.89
Totals                  9     5   2   2   3  11   0  35

Wild Pitches: Waits (3)

Umpires: HP - Bill Kunkel, 1B - Terry Cooney, 2B - John Shulock, 3B - Vic Voltaggio


INDIANS 1ST: Dilone lined to second; Bannister flied to center;
Hargrove walked; Thornton struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Indians 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Milbourne grounded out (shortstop to first); Murcer
singled to center; Waits threw a wild pitch [Murcer to second];
Winfield struck out; Jackson lined to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Indians 0, Yankees 0.

INDIANS 2ND: Harrah walked; Diaz grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Harrah to second]; Charboneau grounded out (third to first);
Manning singled to center [Harrah scored]; Veryzer struck out; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Indians 1, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Piniella doubled to left; Foote grounded out
(shortstop to first); Nettles flied to center [Piniella to
third]; Dent grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Indians 1, Yankees 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Dilone flied to left; Bannister grounded out
(second to first); Hargrove flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Indians 1, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Werth singled to right; Milbourne doubled to left
[Werth scored]; Murcer struck out; Winfield homered [Milbourne
scored]; Jackson doubled to right; Piniella lined to center
[Jackson to third]; Foote flied to center; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Indians 1, Yankees 3.

INDIANS 4TH: REVERING REPLACED WERTH (PLAYING 1B); Thornton
struck out; Dennis Werth injured leg while running the
bases; Harrah popped to catcher in foul territory; Diaz
doubled to right; Charboneau was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Indians 1, Yankees 3.

YANKEES 4TH: Nettles flied to left; Dent walked; Revering walked
[Dent to second]; Milbourne popped to second; Murcer grounded
out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Indians 1,
Yankees 3.

INDIANS 5TH: Manning struck out; Veryzer lined to left; Dilone
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 1,
Yankees 3.

YANKEES 5TH: Winfield grounded out (third to first); Jackson
struck out; Piniella lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Indians 1, Yankees 3.

INDIANS 6TH: Bannister grounded out (second to first); Hargrove
was called out on strikes; Thornton doubled to center; Harrah
popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Indians 1, Yankees 3.

YANKEES 6TH: Foote singled to left; Nettles reached on a
fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Foote to second]; Dent
grounded into a triple play (third to second to first) [Foote
out at third, Nettles out at second]; there was no throw to
1B; 2B umpire John Shulock ruled interference on Graig Nettles
as Alan Bannister tried to throw; Bucky Dent called out because
of the interference, turning this into a triple play; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 1, Yankees 3.

INDIANS 7TH: Diaz doubled to center; Charboneau was called out
on strikes; Manning grounded out (third to first); Veryzer
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Indians 1, Yankees 3.

YANKEES 7TH: LITTLETON REPLACED DILONE (PLAYING LF); Revering
flied to center; Miguel Dilone left with injured right
thumb; Milbourne singled to center; Murcer struck out;
Winfield grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Indians 1, Yankees 3.

INDIANS 8TH: Littleton walked; DAVIS REPLACED RIGHETTI
(PITCHING); ORTA BATTED FOR BANNISTER; Orta doubled to right
[Littleton to third]; Hargrove hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Littleton scored]; KELLY BATTED FOR THORNTON; Kelly grounded
out (catcher unassisted); Harrah struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Indians 2, Yankees 3.

YANKEES 8TH: KELLY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); ORTA STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING RF); CHARBONEAU CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF);
KUIPER REPLACED LITTLETON (PLAYING 2B); Jackson grounded out
(first to pitcher); Piniella grounded out (shortstop to first);
Foote doubled to left; Nettles struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Indians 2, Yankees 3.

INDIANS 9TH: Diaz struck out; Charboneau struck out; Manning was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Indians 2, Yankees
3.

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