A single by Ray Knight in the bottom of the ninth inning delivered the winning run as the Reds edged the Expos, 9-8. Ron Oester stroked a one-out single and reached second on a single by pinch-hitter Mike Vail. Knight then blooped a single to right and Oester scored. The Expos had tied the game in the top of the ninth on a solo homer by Andre Dawson, his second circuit shot of the game. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Montreal Expos 8
Game Played on Monday, August    31, 1981 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Expos        2  0  0    1  0  0    1  3  1  -   8 12  2
Reds         2  1  1    0  4  0    0  0  1  -   9 14  1


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Raines lf             5   1   2   3     0   1   .305      Collins rf            4   2   1   1     0   0   .276
Scott 2b              4   1   1   1     0   1   .210        Mejias rf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .318
  Mills ph,2b         1   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Griffey cf            4   1   2   2     1   0   .312
Dawson cf             3   2   3   3     1   0   .326      Concepcion ss         5   0   3   2     0   0   .299
Carter c              4   0   0   0     1   1   .249      Foster lf             5   0   0   0     0   1   .292
Cromartie rf          5   0   2   0     0   0   .298      Driessen 1b           5   1   2   1     0   0   .211
Milner 1b             4   1   1   1     1   0   .245      Oester 2b             3   2   2   0     2   0   .265
Parrish 3b            5   0   1   0     0   1   .219      Kennedy 3b            3   1   1   1     0   0   .219
Speier ss             3   2   0   0     1   1   .231        Hume p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Burris p              1   0   0   0     1   0   .160        Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000        Bench ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .337
  Hutton ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .111      O'Berry c             4   1   0   0     0   0   .178
  Fryman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500        Vail ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .182
  Francona ph         1   1   1   0     0   0   .350      Soto p                2   1   1   0     0   0   .075
  Lee p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .364        Knight 3b           2   0   1   1     0   0   .261

Totals               37   8  12   8     5   5             Totals               39   9  14   8     3   1

Time of Game: 2:55   Attendance: 20,506
Left on Base: Expos 8, Reds 10
DP: Expos 1, Reds 1
Errors: Parrish 2, Driessen
Doubles: Raines (13), Griffey (15), Driessen (11)
Triples: Scott (3), Collins (6)
Home Runs: Dawson 2 (19), Milner (5)
Stolen Bases: Raines (62), Collins (23)
Sacrifice Hits: Soto (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Dawson (4), Kennedy (2), Collins (2)
GIDP: Foster (8)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Burris                  4.2   9   8   4   3   1   0  29   3.11
Sosa                    1.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   5   4.62
Fryman                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.00
Lee L(2-4)              1.2   4   1   1   0   0   0   8   2.53
Totals                  8.2  14   9   5   3   1   0  45

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Soto                    6.1   6   4   3   3   5   1  28   3.53
Hume                    1.1   4   3   3   1   0   1   9   3.55
Bair W(2-1)             1.1   2   1   1   1   0   1   6   5.55
Totals                  9    12   8   7   5   5   3  43

Wild Pitches: Burris (4)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Ed Montague


EXPOS 1ST: Raines reached on an error by Driessen; Raines stole
second; Scott tripled [Raines scored (unearned)]; Dawson hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Scott scored]; Carter walked; Cromartie
lined into a double play (center to first) [Carter out at
first]; 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Collins tripled to right; Griffey doubled to right
[Collins scored]; Concepcion popped to second; Foster flied to
right [Griffey to third]; Driessen doubled [Griffey scored];
Burris threw a wild pitch [Driessen to third]; Oester walked;
Kennedy popped to right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Reds 2.

EXPOS 2ND: Milner grounded out (first unassisted); Parrish
popped to shortstop; Speier popped to first in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Reds 2.

REDS 2ND: O'Berry flied out to left; Soto singled to center;
Collins forced Soto (second to shortstop); Collins stole second;
Griffey was walked intentionally; Concepcion singled to right
[Collins scored, Griffey to second]; Foster flied out to right;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Reds 3.

EXPOS 3RD: Burris flied out to center; Raines flied out to
center; Scott struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Reds 3.

REDS 3RD: Driessen singled to center; Oester singled to right
[Driessen to third]; Kennedy hit a sacrifice fly to left
[Driessen scored]; O'Berry reached on a fielder's choice [Oester
to second]; Soto out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Oester to third, O'Berry to second]; Collins popped to second;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Reds 4.

EXPOS 4TH: Dawson homered; Carter struck out; Cromartie grounded
out (first unassisted); Milner popped to third in foul
territory; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3, Reds 4.

REDS 4TH: Griffey flied out to right; Concepcion grounded out
(shortstop to first); Foster struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 3, Reds 4.

EXPOS 5TH: Parrish struck out; Speier struck out; Burris walked;
Raines struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 3, Reds 4.

REDS 5TH: Driessen flied out to center; Oester walked; Kennedy
singled to left [Oester to second]; O'Berry reached on an error
by Parrish [Oester scored (unearned), Kennedy to third, O'Berry
to second]; Soto reached on an error by Parrish; Collins hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Kennedy scored (unearned), O'Berry to
third]; Griffey singled to right [O'Berry scored (unearned),
Soto to third]; SOSA REPLACED BURRIS (PITCHING); Concepcion
singled to right [Soto scored (unearned), Griffey to third];
Foster flied out to center; 4 R (0 ER), 3 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Expos
3, Reds 8.

EXPOS 6TH: Scott grounded out (second to first); Dawson singled
to left; Carter flied out to left; Cromartie singled to center
[Dawson to third]; Milner flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Expos 3, Reds 8.

REDS 6TH: Driessen grounded out (first to pitcher); Oester
grounded out (second to first); Kennedy grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3, Reds 8.

EXPOS 7TH: Parrish flied out to left; Speier walked; HUTTON
BATTED FOR SOSA; Hutton singled to right [Speier to third];
Raines singled to right [Speier scored, Hutton to second]; HUME
REPLACED KENNEDY (PITCHING); KNIGHT REPLACED SOTO (PLAYING 3B);
Scott grounded out (second to first) [Hutton to third, Raines to
second]; Dawson walked; Carter grounded out (third to first); 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 4, Reds 8.

REDS 7TH: FRYMAN REPLACED HUTTON (PITCHING); O'Berry flied out
to left; Knight flied out to center; Collins grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 4, Reds 8.

EXPOS 8TH: MEJIAS REPLACED COLLINS (PLAYING RF); Cromartie
grounded out (pitcher to first); Milner homered; Parrish singled
to left; Speier forced Parrish (second to shortstop); FRANCONA
BATTED FOR FRYMAN; Francona singled to left [Speier to second];
Raines doubled [Speier scored, Francona scored]; BAIR REPLACED
HUME (PITCHING); MILLS BATTED FOR SCOTT; Mills grounded out
(second to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 7, Reds 8.

REDS 8TH: LEE REPLACED FRANCONA (PITCHING); MILLS STAYED IN GAME
(PLAYING 2B); Griffey grounded out (third to first); Concepcion
singled to right; Foster grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Concepcion out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 7, Reds 8.

EXPOS 9TH: Dawson homered; Carter flied out to center; Cromartie
singled to right [Cromartie out at second (right to shortstop)];
Milner walked; Parrish popped to first; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 8, Reds 8.

REDS 9TH: Driessen flied out to right; Oester singled to third;
BENCH BATTED FOR BAIR; Bench flied out to right; VAIL BATTED FOR
O'BERRY; Vail singled to left [Oester to second]; Knight singled
to right [Oester scored, Vail to second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Expos 8, Reds 9.