A three-run homer by Dwayne Murphy keyed a four-run outburst in the fifth inning that carried the A's to a 5-3 victory over the Indians, ending the Tribe's winning skein at five games. Dave McKay opened the fifth with a single but was forced at second by Fred Stanley, who reached third on a single by Rickey Henderson. Murphy then delivered his homer. A walk to Wayne Gross and RBI double by Tony Armas capped the rally. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 5, Cleveland Indians 3
Game Played on Monday, August    31, 1981 (Night game) at Cleveland Stadium
A's          0  0  0    0  4  0    0  0  1  -   5 11  2
Indians      0  0  0    1  1  1    0  0  0  -   3  9  1


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Henderson lf          5   1   2   0     0   0   .324      Dilone lf             5   1   2   0     0   0   .309
Murphy cf             4   1   2   4     1   2   .266      Orta rf               3   0   0   0     1   1   .287
Gross 3b              3   1   0   0     1   1   .194      Hargrove 1b           2   0   1   0     1   1   .317
  Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .249      Hassey c              2   0   0   0     1   0   .244
  Picciolo ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .227        Bando ph,c          1   0   0   0     0   0   .227
Armas rf              5   0   1   1     0   1   .276      Harrah 3b             4   1   2   0     0   1   .268
Davis dh              4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Kelly dh              3   1   2   2     0   0   .238
Spencer 1b            4   0   2   0     0   1   .189        Charboneau ph,dh    1   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Heath c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .246      Manning cf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .242
McKay 2b,3b           3   1   2   0     0   1   .216      Kuiper 2b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .294
Stanley ss,2b         4   1   2   0     0   0   .208        Rosello ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .264
Langford p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Veryzer ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .249
  Underwood p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Diaz ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .352
                                                          Blyleven p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Monge p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Spillner p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   5  11   5     2   7             Totals               33   3   9   2     3   4

Time of Game: 2:43   Attendance:  8,442
Left on Base: A's 8, Indians 7
DP: A's 2, Indians 2
Errors: Heath, Stanley, Veryzer
Doubles: Armas (19), Kelly (2)
Home Runs: Murphy (11), Kelly (1)
Stolen Bases: Dilone (22)
GIDP: Henderson (5), Kuiper (1), Bando (1)
Hit by Pitch: McKay (2,by Blyleven), Hargrove (3,by Langford)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Langford W(8-8)         6.1   9   3   2   2   2   1  29   2.87
Underwood SV(1)         2.2   0   0   0   1   2   0   8   3.92
Totals                  9     9   3   2   3   4   1  37

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven L(9-6)         8.1  10   5   5   2   7   1  37   2.82
Monge                   0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.52
Spillner                0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.33
Totals                  9    11   5   5   2   7   1  40

Hit by Pitch: Langford (1), Blyleven (5)

Umpires: HP - Don Denkinger, 1B - Rich Garcia, 3B - Dan Morrison


ATHLETICS 1ST: Henderson grounded out (second to first); Murphy
struck out; Gross grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Dilone flied out to center; Orta struck out;
Hargrove singled to right; Hassey flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Indians 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Armas reached on an error by Veryzer; Davis
forced Armas (shortstop to second); Spencer singled to left
[Davis to second]; Heath lined into a double play (shortstop to
second) [Davis out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics
0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 2ND: On a bunt Harrah singled to third; Kelly flied out
to left; Manning flied out to left; Kuiper flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Indians 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: McKay struck out; Stanley singled to right;
Henderson flied out to right; Murphy walked [Stanley to second];
Gross struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Veryzer lined to shortstop; Dilone singled to right
[Dilone out at second (right to shortstop)]; Orta grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0,
Indians 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Armas struck out; Davis flied out to left;
Spencer singled to left; Heath forced Spencer (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 4TH: Hargrove struck out; Hassey grounded out (first to
pitcher); Harrah singled to center; Kelly doubled to left
[Harrah scored]; Manning grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Indians 1.

ATHLETICS 5TH: McKay singled to center; Stanley forced McKay
(third to second); Henderson singled to center [Stanley to
second]; Murphy homered [Stanley scored, Henderson scored];
Gross walked; Armas doubled to center [Gross scored]; Davis
grounded out (second to first) [Armas to third]; Spencer struck
out; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 4, Indians 1.

INDIANS 5TH: Kuiper singled to right; Veryzer forced Kuiper
(third to second); Dilone forced Veryzer (third to second);
Dilone stole second [Dilone to third (error by Heath)]; Orta
reached on an error by Stanley [Dilone scored (unearned) (no
RBI)]; Hargrove was hit by a pitch [Orta to second]; Hassey
walked [Orta to third, Hargrove to second]; Harrah forced
Hargrove (third unassisted); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 3 LOB.
Athletics 4, Indians 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Heath flied out to center; McKay singled to
second; Stanley singled to right [McKay to second]; Henderson
grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Stanley out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 4,
Indians 2.

INDIANS 6TH: Kelly homered; Manning singled to center; On a bunt
Kuiper grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to
second) [Manning out at second]; Veryzer grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 4, Indians 3.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Murphy struck out; Gross flied out to left; Armas
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 4, Indians
3.

INDIANS 7TH: Dilone singled to center; Dilone was picked off
first (pitcher to first); Orta walked; Rick Langford and
Athletics Manager Billy Martin ejected by HP umpire Don
Denkinger; UNDERWOOD REPLACED LANGFORD (PITCHING); Hargrove
walked [Orta to second]; BANDO BATTED FOR HASSEY; Bando grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Hargrove out
at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 4, Indians 3.

ATHLETICS 8TH: BANDO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Davis struck
out (catcher to first); Spencer popped to second; Heath grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 4,
Indians 3.

INDIANS 8TH: Harrah struck out; CHARBONEAU BATTED FOR KELLY;
Charboneau grounded out (pitcher to first); Manning flied out to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 4, Indians 3.

ATHLETICS 9TH: CHARBONEAU STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); McKay was
hit by a pitch; Stanley popped to first; Henderson singled to
left [McKay to second]; MONGE REPLACED BLYLEVEN (PITCHING);
Murphy singled to center [McKay scored, Henderson to second];
JOHNSON BATTED FOR GROSS; SPILLNER REPLACED MONGE (PITCHING);
Johnson forced Murphy (second to shortstop) [Henderson to
third]; Armas forced Johnson (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 5, Indians 3.

INDIANS 9TH: PICCIOLO REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING SS); STANLEY
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); MCKAY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
3B); ROSELLO BATTED FOR KUIPER; Rosello struck out; DIAZ BATTED
FOR VERYZER; Diaz flied out to right; Dilone flied out to right;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 5, Indians 3.