A three-run first inning propelled the Cardinals to an 8-2 victory over the Mets. The Redbirds tallied in the opening canto on a two-run single by Ken Oberkfell and RBI double by Gene Tenace, and added another marker in the second on a run-scoring single by Keith Hernandez.

Mike Ramsey drove in a third-inning run and later stole home on the front end of a delayed double steal. St. Louis completed the scoring in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Tenace and RBI double by Jim Kaat. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 8, New York Mets 2
Game Played on Saturday, May       23, 1981 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Mets         0  1  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   2  9  2
Cardinals    3  1  2    0  0  0    2  0  x  -   8 12  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wilson cf             5   0   1   1     0   0   .216      Herr 2b               2   0   2   0     3   0   .265
Backman 2b            4   0   2   0     1   0   .273      Scott cf              5   1   0   0     0   0   .260
Youngblood rf         4   0   1   0     1   0   .355      Hernandez 1b          4   1   1   1     1   1   .323
Kingman 1b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .198      Hendrick rf           5   2   2   0     0   0   .273
Mazzilli lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .186      Lezcano lf            3   1   0   0     1   0   .256
Stearns c             4   1   1   0     0   0   .284      Oberkfell 3b          2   2   1   2     2   0   .296
Brooks 3b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .328      Tenace c              3   0   2   2     0   0   .245
Flynn ss              4   0   2   0     0   0   .303      Ramsey ss             4   1   3   1     0   0   .467
Falcone p             1   0   0   1     0   0   .000      Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .143
  Hausman p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Kaat p              1   0   1   1     0   0   .500
  Lynch p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .125
  Taveras ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .225
  Miller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Trevino ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .287

Totals               35   2   9   2     4   0             Totals               31   8  12   7     7   2

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance: 24,710
Left on Base: Mets 10, Cardinals 8
DP: Mets 0, Cardinals 1
Errors: Backman, Brooks, Herr
Doubles: Backman (1), Taveras (6), Tenace (6), Ramsey (1), Hendrick (8), Kaat (1)
Stolen Bases: Stearns (2), Herr 2 (5), Scott (10), Ramsey (2)
Caught Stealing: Mazzilli (3), Scott (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Forsch (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Tenace (1)
GIDP: Youngblood (4)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Falcone L(1-2)          1.2   4   4   4   4   1   0  13   2.70
Hausman                 0.1   0   1   1   1   0   0   2   2.48
Lynch                   4     4   1   1   1   1   0  15   2.73
Miller                  2     4   2   2   1   0   0  10   1.85
Totals                  8    12   8   8   7   2   0  40

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(4-2)           6     7   2   2   3   0   0  28   3.60
Kaat SV(3)              3     2   0   0   1   0   0  11   1.71
Totals                  9     9   2   2   4   0   0  39

Wild Pitches: Lynch (1), Miller (2)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Crawford, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Satch Davidson


METS 1ST: Wilson grounded out (second to first); Backman singled
to first; Youngblood singled to left [Backman to third,
Youngblood to second (on throw to 3b)]; Kingman lined to second;
Mazzilli grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Herr walked; Herr stole second; Scott flied to
right; Hernandez walked; Hendrick singled to right [Herr out at
home (right to catcher), Hernandez to third]; Lezcano walked
[Hendrick to second]; Oberkfell singled to left [Hernandez
scored, Hendrick scored, Lezcano to third]; Tenace doubled to
left [Lezcano scored, Oberkfell to third]; Ramsey grounded out
(third to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 3.

METS 2ND: Stearns singled to left; Stearns stole second; Brooks
walked; Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first) [Stearns to
third, Brooks to second]; Falcone grounded out (third to first)
[Stearns scored]; Wilson grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 2ND: Forsch was called out on strikes; Herr walked;
Scott forced Herr (shortstop to second); Scott stole second;
Hernandez singled to center [Scott scored]; Hendrick reached on
an error by Backman [Hernandez to second]; HAUSMAN REPLACED
FALCONE (PITCHING); Lezcano forced Hendrick (second to
shortstop); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Cardinals 4.

METS 3RD: Backman doubled to left; Youngblood walked; Kingman
flied to center; Mazzilli forced Youngblood (first to shortstop)
[Backman to third]; Mazzilli was caught stealing second (catcher
to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 3RD: Oberkfell walked; LYNCH REPLACED HAUSMAN
(PITCHING); Tenace grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Oberkfell to second]; Ramsey singled to center [Oberkfell
scored]; Forsch out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Ramsey to second]; Lynch threw a wild pitch [Ramsey to third];
Herr walked; Ramsey stole home and Herr stole second; Herr was
picked off second (catcher to shortstop); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 1, Cardinals 6.

METS 4TH: Stearns grounded out (shortstop to first); Brooks
grounded out (second to first); Flynn singled to left; Lynch
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1,
Cardinals 6.

CARDINALS 4TH: Scott reached on an error by Brooks; Scott was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); Hernandez flied to
right; Hendrick popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1,
Cardinals 6.

METS 5TH: Wilson grounded out (shortstop to first); Backman
grounded out (second to first); Youngblood flied to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Cardinals 6.

CARDINALS 5TH: Lezcano flied to center; Oberkfell grounded out
(pitcher to first); Tenace singled to left; Ramsey doubled to
right [Tenace out at home (right to second to catcher)]; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Cardinals 6.

METS 6TH: Kingman walked; Mazzilli flied to left; Stearns
reached on an error by Herr (assist by Oberkfell) [Kingman to
second, Stearns to first]; Brooks grounded out (third to first)
[Kingman to third, Stearns to second]; Flynn grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Cardinals 6.

CARDINALS 6TH: Forsch flied to center; Herr singled to left;
Scott forced Herr (second to shortstop); Hernandez struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Cardinals 6.

METS 7TH: TAVERAS BATTED FOR LYNCH; Taveras doubled to left;
Wilson singled to center [Taveras scored]; KAAT REPLACED FORSCH
(PITCHING); Backman flied to center; Youngblood grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Wilson out at second]; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 6.

CARDINALS 7TH: MILLER REPLACED TAVERAS (PITCHING); Hendrick
doubled to right; Lezcano grounded out (shortstop to first);
Miller threw a wild pitch [Hendrick to third]; Oberkfell was
walked intentionally; Tenace hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Hendrick scored]; Ramsey singled to right [Oberkfell to third];
Kaat doubled to right [Oberkfell scored, Ramsey out at home
(right to second to catcher)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2,
Cardinals 8.

METS 8TH: Kingman flied to left; Mazzilli flied to center;
Stearns flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2,
Cardinals 8.

CARDINALS 8TH: Herr singled to center; Scott popped to second;
Hernandez lined to left; Hendrick flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 8.

METS 9TH: Brooks grounded out (pitcher to first); Flynn singled
to right; TREVINO BATTED FOR MILLER; Trevino singled to left
[Flynn to second]; Wilson flied to center [Flynn to third];
Backman walked [Trevino to second]; Youngblood popped to second
in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 8.