A throwing error by New York catcher John Stearns opened the door to a four-run ninth inning that carried the Reds to an 8-4 victory over the Mets. After the Mets tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Ellis Valentine, who was making his first appearance after being acquired from Montreal, Ken Griffey opened the ninth with a walk and moved to second on a single by George Foster.

Neil Allen replaced Pete Falcone on the hill and Dave Concepcion bunted. Stearns fielded the ball but then threw into left field attempting to get the forceout at third, allowing Griffey to score. After Ray Knight walked, Dan Driessen singled home two runs and Joe Nolan capped the rally with a sacrifice fly. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 8, New York Mets 4
Game Played on Tuesday, June      9, 1981 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Reds         0  1  1    1  1  0    0  0  4  -   8 10  3
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  3    0  1  0  -   4  8  4


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Collins rf            4   0   0   0     1   0   .316      Wilson cf             3   1   0   0     2   0   .275
  Hume p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Taveras ss            2   0   0   0     0   0   .239
Oester 2b             5   0   0   0     0   1   .299        Staub ph            1   0   1   2     0   0   .317
Griffey cf            4   3   1   0     1   1   .288        Bailor pr,ss        2   1   1   0     0   0   .240
Foster lf             5   2   4   1     0   0   .300      Mazzilli lf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .215
Concepcion ss         4   1   1   0     0   2   .310      Kingman 1b            4   0   0   0     0   3   .211
Knight 3b             4   1   1   1     1   2   .251      Valentine rf          4   0   2   1     0   1   .217
Driessen 1b           4   1   3   3     1   0   .209      Stearns c             3   0   1   0     1   1   .274
Nolan c               2   0   0   1     2   1   .299      Brooks 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .309
Pastore p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .083      Flynn 2b              4   1   0   0     0   0   .247
  Moskau p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Harris p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Vail ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .176        Cubbage ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .241
  Mejias rf           1   0   0   0     0   1   .280        Hausman p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hodges ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .412
                                                            Falcone p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Allen p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Jorgensen ph        1   0   1   0     0   0   .243

Totals               37   8  10   6     6  11             Totals               34   4   8   3     4   6

Time of Game: 2:56   Attendance: 12,313
Left on Base: Reds 11, Mets 7
DP: Reds 2, Mets 0
Errors: Foster, Concepcion, Moskau, Mazzilli, Stearns, Brooks, Flynn
Doubles: Concepcion (19), Griffey (12), Knight (10), Foster (15), Driessen (8)
Triples: Foster (1)
Home Runs: Driessen (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Pastore (5), Concepcion (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Nolan (3)
GIDP: Brooks (6), Bailor (3)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pastore                 5     3   3   1   1   4   0  19   3.17
Moskau                  2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   4.46
Hume W(4-2)             2     4   1   1   2   1   0  11   3.71
Totals                  9     8   4   2   4   6   0  38

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Harris                  6     6   4   3   3   8   1  29   4.18
Hausman                 1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.18
Falcone L(1-3)          1     2   2   2   2   1   0   7   3.11
Allen                   1     1   2   1   1   2   0   6   3.16
Totals                  9    10   8   6   6  11   1  46

Umpires: HP - Dutch Rennert, 1B - Randy Marsh, 3B - Lee Weyer


REDS 1ST: umpire Harry Wendelstedt missed game ill;
Collins flied out to right; Oester grounded out (shortstop to
first); Griffey struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Mets
0.

METS 1ST: Wilson grounded out (third to first); Taveras flied
out to right; Mazzilli flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Mets 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster tripled to center [Foster scored (error by
Flynn) (no RBI)]; Mookie Wilson slammed into fence as he
tried to catch the ball; Concepcion doubled to left; Knight
struck out; Driessen grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Concepcion to third]; Nolan was walked intentionally; Pastore
flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Kingman struck out; Valentine struck out; Stearns
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1,
Mets 0.

REDS 3RD: Collins grounded out (second to first); Oester
grounded out (second to first); Griffey doubled to right; Foster
singled to left [Griffey scored]; Concepcion struck out; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Brooks grounded out (first unassisted); Flynn grounded
out (second to first); Harris struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 2, Mets 0.

REDS 4TH: Knight struck out; Driessen homered; Nolan walked;
Pastore out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Nolan to
second]; Collins grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Wilson grounded out (shortstop to first); Taveras
grounded out (shortstop to first); Mazzilli grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Mets 0.

REDS 5TH: Oester flied out to center; Griffey reached on an
error by Mazzilli [Griffey to second]; Foster reached on a
fielder's choice [Griffey stayed at second (error by
Brooks)]; Hubie Brooks mishandled throw on rundown;
Concepcion struck out; Knight doubled to left [Griffey scored
(unearned), Foster to third]; Driessen was walked intentionally;
Nolan struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 4, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: Kingman struck out; Valentine singled to left; Stearns
singled to right [Valentine to second]; Brooks grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Stearns out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Mets 0.

REDS 6TH: Pastore struck out; Collins grounded out (first
unassisted); Oester struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4,
Mets 0.

METS 6TH: Flynn reached on an error by Concepcion; CUBBAGE
BATTED FOR HARRIS; Cubbage singled to center [Flynn to third];
Wilson walked [Cubbage to second]; MOSKAU REPLACED PASTORE
(PITCHING); STAUB BATTED FOR TAVERAS; Staub singled to left
[Flynn scored (unearned), Cubbage scored, Wilson scored (error
by Foster) (error by Moskau) (unearned) (no RBI), Staub to
second]; George Foster overthrew 3B; Paul Moskau backed up
the play and did the same; BAILOR RAN FOR STAUB; Mazzilli
walked; Kingman popped to second; Valentine popped to shortstop;
Stearns struck out; 3 R (1 ER), 2 H, 3 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Mets 3.

REDS 7TH: HAUSMAN REPLACED CUBBAGE (PITCHING); BAILOR STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING SS); Griffey grounded out (second to first);
Foster doubled to right; Concepcion grounded out (third to
first); Knight lined to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4,
Mets 3.

METS 7TH: Brooks flied out to center; Flynn flied out to right;
HODGES BATTED FOR HAUSMAN; Hodges grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Mets 3.

REDS 8TH: FALCONE REPLACED HODGES (PITCHING); Driessen doubled
to left; Nolan grounded out (first unassisted) [Driessen to
third]; VAIL BATTED FOR MOSKAU; Vail struck out; Collins walked;
Oester grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Reds 4, Mets 3.

METS 8TH: HUME REPLACED COLLINS (PITCHING); MEJIAS REPLACED VAIL
(PLAYING RF); Wilson grounded out (first unassisted); Bailor
singled to right; Mazzilli singled to right [Bailor to third];
Kingman struck out; Valentine singled to center [Bailor scored,
Mazzilli to third]; Stearns walked [Valentine to second]; Brooks
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 4,
Mets 4.

REDS 9TH: Griffey walked; Foster singled to right [Griffey to
second]; ALLEN REPLACED FALCONE (PITCHING); Concepcion reached
on a fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Griffey scored (error
by Stearns) (no RBI), Foster to third, Concepcion to second];
Knight walked; Driessen singled to center [Foster scored,
Concepcion scored (unearned), Knight to third]; Nolan hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Knight scored, Driessen to second (on
throw to home)]; Mejias struck out; Hume struck out; 4 R (3 ER),
2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 8, Mets 4.

METS 9TH: Flynn grounded out (third to first); JORGENSEN BATTED
FOR ALLEN; Jorgensen singled to right; Wilson walked [Jorgensen
to second]; Bailor grounded into a double play (third to second
to first) [Wilson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 8,
Mets 4.