Graig Nettles walked twice, doubled and scored both N.Y. runs as the Yankees edged the Royals, 2-1, behind the combined seven-hit pitching of Dave Righetti and Rich Gossage. Nettles walked to open the fifth inning and two outs later scored on a double by Willie Randolph. After the Royals tied the game in the sixth on an RBI single by Amos Otis, Nettles led off the seventh with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Dennis Werth and tallied on a sacrifice fly by Larry Milbourne. [The Sporting News]



New York Yankees 2, Kansas City Royals 1
Game Played on Saturday, September 5, 1981 (Day game) at Royals Stadium
Yankees      0  0  0    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   2  4  0
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   1  7  0


Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Randolph 2b           3   0   1   1     1   0   .237      Wilson lf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .288
Mumphrey cf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .309      White 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .257
Winfield lf           3   0   0   0     1   1   .299      G. Brett 3b           4   0   3   0     0   0   .291
Jackson rf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Otis cf               4   0   1   1     0   2   .257
Watson 1b             4   0   2   0     0   1   .223      McRae dh              4   0   0   0     0   1   .253
Cerone c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .233      Aikens 1b             3   0   0   0     1   2   .246
Nettles 3b            2   2   1   0     2   0   .220      Wathan c              3   0   1   0     1   0   .252
Werth dh              2   0   0   0     0   1   .091      Motley rf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .218
Milbourne ss          2   0   0   1     0   1   .326        Geronimo ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .223
Righetti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Washington ss         3   0   0   0     0   0   .202
  Gossage p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        May ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .308
                                                          Gura p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               28   2   4   2     4   4             Totals               33   1   7   1     3   5

Time of Game: 2:36   Attendance: 38,325
Left on Base: Yankees 5, Royals 8
DP: Yankees 0, Royals 1
Doubles: Randolph (11), Nettles (6), G. Brett (19)
Stolen Bases: Wilson (19), Wathan (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Werth (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Milbourne (1)


Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Righetti W(5-2)         8     7   1   1   1   5   0  31   1.62
Gossage SV(18)          1     0   0   0   2   0   0   5   0.68
Totals                  9     7   1   1   3   5   0  36

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gura L(9-6)             9     4   2   2   4   4   0  34   3.03
Totals                  9     4   2   2   4   4   0  34

Wild Pitches: Righetti (1)
Balks: Righetti (1)

Umpires: HP - George Maloney, 1B - Rocky Roe, 2B - Ken Kaiser, 3B - Russ Goetz


YANKEES 1ST: Randolph walked; Mumphrey flied out to center;
Winfield flied out to center; Jackson popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Wilson grounded out (first unassisted); White
grounded out (third to first); G. Brett singled to right [G.
Brett out at second (right to shortstop)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Yankees 0, Royals 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Watson singled to left; Cerone popped to shortstop;
Nettles walked [Watson to second]; Werth struck out; Milbourne
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Otis struck out; McRae struck out; Aikens struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Royals 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Randolph popped to first; Mumphrey flied out to
center; Winfield lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees
0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Wathan flied out to center; Motley grounded out
(second to first); Washington lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Yankees 0, Royals 0.

YANKEES 4TH: Jackson flied out to center; Watson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cerone flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Yankees 0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Wilson lined to center; White grounded out
(shortstop to first); G. Brett doubled to right; Otis struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Royals 0.

YANKEES 5TH: Nettles walked; Werth lined to left; Milbourne
flied out to left; Randolph doubled to left [Nettles scored];
Mumphrey grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 5TH: McRae grounded out (second to first); Aikens walked;
Wathan lined to center; Motley singled to shortstop [Aikens to
second]; Washington lined to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Yankees 1, Royals 0.

YANKEES 6TH: Winfield walked; Jackson hit into a double play
(right to shortstop) [Winfield out at second]; Watson singled to
left; Cerone flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees
1, Royals 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Wilson singled to center; Righetti balked [Wilson to
second]; White popped to catcher in foul territory; G. Brett
popped to shortstop; Wilson stole third; Otis singled to center
[Wilson scored]; Righetti threw a wild pitch [Otis to second];
McRae flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 1,
Royals 1.

YANKEES 7TH: Nettles doubled to center; Werth out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Nettles to third]; Milbourne hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Nettles scored]; Randolph flied out to
right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 2, Royals 1.

ROYALS 7TH: Aikens was called out on strikes; Wathan singled to
right; Motley grounded out (pitcher to first) [Wathan to
second]; Washington flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 2, Royals 1.

YANKEES 8TH: Mumphrey grounded out (shortstop to first);
Winfield struck out; Jackson popped to first in foul territory;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 2, Royals 1.

ROYALS 8TH: Wilson grounded out (third to first); White grounded
out (third to first); G. Brett singled to center; Otis popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 2, Royals 1.

YANKEES 9TH: Watson was called out on strikes; Cerone flied out
to center; Nettles flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Yankees 2, Royals 1.

ROYALS 9TH: GOSSAGE REPLACED RIGHETTI (PITCHING); McRae flied
out to right; Aikens grounded out (shortstop to first); Wathan
walked; Wathan stole second; GERONIMO BATTED FOR MOTLEY;
Geronimo walked; MAY BATTED FOR WASHINGTON; May popped to third
in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 2, Royals 1.