A bases-loaded walk proved to be decisive as the A's shaded the Angels, 7-6. The score was 6-6 when the A's filled the sacks in the bottom of the sixth inning on singles by Rob Picciolo and Dwayne Murphy and a walk to Wayne Gross.

Losing pitcher Ken Forsch had an 0-2 count on Tony Armas before serving four balls to force home a run. Rick Langford, who was victimized in the third inning when A's center fielder Murphy dropped Fred Lynn's long fly for a two-base error, earned the victory with his league-leading 12th complete game. [The Sporting News]

Oakland Athletics 7, California Angels 6

Game Played on Sunday, August 16, 1981 (Day game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Angels 0 1 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 - 6 9 0 A's 3 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 x - 7 12 2 Angels AB R H RBI BB SO AVG A's AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Burleson ss 5 1 0 0 0 0 .299 Henderson lf 5 2 3 0 0 0 .328 Harris 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Murphy cf 5 2 4 2 0 0 .269 Carew dh 3 1 0 0 1 0 .310 Gross 3b 3 1 1 1 1 0 .204 Lynn cf 4 2 1 0 0 0 .247 Armas rf 2 0 0 2 1 1 .283 Grich 2b 2 1 2 1 2 0 .304 Spencer 1b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .152 Ford rf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .278 Budaska dh 2 0 0 1 2 1 .185 Downing lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .258 Heath c 3 0 1 1 0 0 .246 Ott c 4 0 2 2 0 1 .229 Drumright 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .347 Hobson 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .280 Picciolo ss 2 1 1 0 0 0 .235 Forsch p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Stanley ss 1 0 0 0 0 1 .203 Aase p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Langford p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 34 6 9 3 3 2 Totals 30 7 12 7 5 3 Time of Game: 2:56 Attendance: 28,853 Left on Base: Angels 4, A's 8 DP: Angels 1, A's 3 Errors: Murphy, Gross Doubles: Ott (6) Triples: Murphy (2) Stolen Bases: Spencer (1), Henderson (37) Caught Stealing: Grich (3), Henderson (19) Sacrifice Hits: Picciolo (7), Gross (3) Sacrifice Flies: Armas (1), Heath (1) GIDP: Downing 2 (8), Hobson (3), Drumright (2) Angels IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Forsch L(9-5) 5.2 9 7 7 5 2 0 31 2.83 Aase 2.1 3 0 0 0 1 0 8 1.84 Totals 8 12 7 7 5 3 0 39 A's IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Langford W(6-8) 9 9 6 1 3 2 0 37 3.02 Totals 9 9 6 1 3 2 0 37 Umpires: HP - Ted Hendry, 1B - Jim Evans, 2B - Al Clark, 3B - Steve Palermo ANGELS 1ST: Burleson grounded out (third to first); Harris grounded out (second to first); Carew grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Angels 0, Athletics 0. ATHLETICS 1ST: Henderson singled to center; Murphy singled to right [Henderson to second]; Gross singled to second [Henderson to third, Murphy to second]; Armas hit a sacrifice fly to left [Henderson scored, Murphy to third, Gross to second]; Spencer was walked intentionally; Budaska walked [Murphy scored, Gross to third, Spencer to second]; Heath out on a sacrifice fly to first in foul territory [Gross scored, Spencer to third]; Drumright grounded out (third to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Angels 0, Athletics 3. ANGELS 2ND: Lynn singled to left; Grich singled to left [Lynn to second]; Ford singled to left [Lynn to third, Grich to second]; Downing grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Lynn scored, Grich to third, Ford out at second]; Ott struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Angels 1, Athletics 3. ATHLETICS 2ND: Picciolo lined to third; Henderson flied to center; Murphy grounded out (second to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Angels 1, Athletics 3. ANGELS 3RD: Hobson singled to center; Burleson forced Hobson (shortstop to second); Harris flied to left; Carew walked [Burleson to second]; Lynn reached on an error by Murphy [Burleson scored (unearned) (no RBI), Carew scored (unearned) (no RBI), Lynn to second]; Grich singled to left [Lynn scored (unearned)]; Ford grounded out (third to first); 3 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Angels 4, Athletics 3. ATHLETICS 3RD: Gross grounded out (second to first); Armas flied to left; Spencer singled to left; Spencer stole second; Budaska walked; Heath forced Spencer (third unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Angels 4, Athletics 3. ANGELS 4TH: Downing grounded out (third to first); Ott singled to pitcher; Hobson grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Ott out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Angels 4, Athletics 3. ATHLETICS 4TH: Drumright singled to center; Picciolo out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Drumright to second]; Henderson singled to second [Drumright to third]; Henderson stole second; Murphy tripled to center [Drumright scored, Henderson scored]; Gross out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Murphy scored]; Armas struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Angels 4, Athletics 6. ANGELS 5TH: Burleson grounded out (shortstop to first); Harris grounded out (second to first); Carew grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Angels 4, Athletics 6. ATHLETICS 5TH: Spencer popped to third in foul territory; Budaska struck out; Heath popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Angels 4, Athletics 6. ANGELS 6TH: Lynn flied to left; Grich walked; Ford singled to left [Grich to second]; Grich was caught stealing third but was safe at third (error by Gross; assist by Heath) [Ford to second]; Downing struck out; Ott doubled to left [Grich scored (unearned), Ford scored (unearned)]; Hobson flied to right; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Angels 6, Athletics 6. ATHLETICS 6TH: On a bunt Drumright grounded out (pitcher to first); Picciolo singled to center; Henderson popped to right; Murphy singled to center [Picciolo to second]; Gross walked [Picciolo to third, Murphy to second]; Armas walked [Picciolo scored, Murphy to third, Gross to second]; AASE REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Spencer flied to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Angels 6, Athletics 7. ANGELS 7TH: STANLEY REPLACED PICCIOLO (PLAYING SS); Burleson grounded out (shortstop to first); Harris singled to center; Carew flied to center; Lynn flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Angels 6, Athletics 7. ATHLETICS 7TH: Budaska popped to third in foul territory; Heath singled to pitcher; Drumright grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Heath out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Angels 6, Athletics 7. ANGELS 8TH: Grich walked; Ford flied to left; Downing grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Grich out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Angels 6, Athletics 7. ATHLETICS 8TH: Stanley was called out on strikes; Henderson singled to right; Henderson was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Murphy singled to center; Gross flied to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Angels 6, Athletics 7. ANGELS 9TH: Ott grounded out (second to first); Hobson grounded out (shortstop to first); Burleson popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Angels 6, Athletics 7.

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