August 15, 1981: Athletics defeat Angels on second extra-inning walk-off home run in two days

The California Angels and Oakland Athletics squared off for the second game of their three-game series on a sunny Saturday California afternoon. The previous evening, Dwayne Murphy’s 10th-inning two-run home run delivered walk-off heroics for Oakland. The Athletics remained 1 1/2 games ahead of the Texas Rangers for the AL West Division lead, while the Angels fell to 32–32, seven games behind Oakland. After a prolonged midseason strike, the second half of the 1981 season was not yet a week old.

The 1981 Athletics exploded when the season started, winning their first 11 games to establish a new American League record.1 They won six of their next seven games to build a 17–1 record—one of the fastest starts in baseball history. Oakland was led by future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson in his second full big-league season, slugging right fielder Tony Armas, and perennial defensive standout center fielder—and previous evening’s offensive hero—Murphy. The A’s pitching staff was guided by established veteran starting pitchers Steve McCatty and Rick Langford, with manager Billy Martin employing a bullpen-by-committee approach to closing games.

The 1981 Angels were anchored by star second baseman Bobby Grich and shortstop Rick Burleson, complemented by future Hall of Famer Rod Carew, slugging outfielders Dan Ford and Don Baylor, and Ken Forsch and Don Aase leading the pitching staff. The Angels overcame a slow start and played .500 ball throughout the summer. Less than two seasons removed from an AL Championship Series appearance, the Angels replaced Jim Fregosi with veteran manager and then-director of player personnel Gene Mauch in late May.2

Martin tabbed youngster Brian Kingman as his starting pitcher on August 15. He had a 3–4 record with a 2.72 ERA over 76 innings. Kingman primarily threw fastballs and curveballs.3 Kingman led the AL with 20 losses the previous season, though he still maintained an ERA below 4.00. The night’s start was his first action since facing the Baltimore Orioles back on June 9.

Mauch selected southpaw veteran Geoff Zahn to counter the Athletics. Zahn compiled a 7–6 record with a 3.90 ERA over 94 2/3 innings. Zahn’s key pitch was his sinking fastball, a pitch Mauch encouraged Zahn to throw to revive his career.4 He pitched the previous four seasons with the Minnesota Twins before signing as a free agent with the Angels. Zahn had been California’s starter when the season renewed five days earlier in Seattle.

The game started at the Coliseum at 1:38 P.M.

As Kingman delivered the opening pitch to California’s leadoff hitter, Burleson, few of the 20,101 attendees expected that a five-hour, 13-inning game had just begun. They also didn’t expect to notice the full moon that afternoon. California scored first. Burleson drew a leadoff walk and methodically worked around the bases, then scored on Fred Lynn’s one-out groundout to take an early lead. In a theme repeated on both sides throughout the afternoon, Oakland managed two hits and a walk to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning but walked away empty-handed after a lifeless groundout.

Burleson’s third-inning leadoff round-tripper increased the Angels’ lead to 2–0. Grich singled that inning, extending his hitting streak to 18 games. In the bottom of the third, Henderson displayed his baserunning prowess as he sparked Oakland’s offense. Henderson delivered a leadoff single to right field. He advanced to third on successive infield groundouts but was caught stealing with Armas at the plate.

Oakland tied the game during the following inning. With one out, Mike Heath walked. Mark Budaska hit a sharp grounder at shortstop John Harris that could’ve turned into an inning-ending double play, but the ball took a bad hop, allowing Budaska to get aboard and Heath to reach third.5 Shooty Babitt grounded out to the pitcher, scoring Heath. Dave McKay singled to drive home Budaska. The game was tied, 2–2.

The Angels quickly responded. Grich’s fifth-inning blast cleared the center-field fence and returned the lead to California. Grich’s tater resulted in Kingman’s exit as Dave Heaverlo entered; Heaverlo allowed an initial single but retired the next two hitters. Oakland matched California’s response. During the bottom half, Henderson singled, advanced on Murphy’s sacrifice bunt and Armas’ single, then scored on Heath’s fielder’s choice. After five innings, the game was tied, 3–3.

For the third time this afternoon, Burleson sparked an Angels run. During the California sixth, Butch Hobson walked. Burleson singled; Hobson was thrown out at third, but Burleson reached second on the throw. Harris plated Burleson as the Angels regained the lead. The visitors extended their lead in the next inning when Hobson singled home Brian Downing.

The Athletics opened their seventh inning with singles by Henderson and Murphy. Jesse Jefferson relieved Zahn. Jefferson’s wild pitch allowed Henderson and Murphy to advance one base, which proved costly. Cliff Johnson’s sacrifice fly scored Henderson while Murphy moved to third. Armas doubled home Murphy with the tying run. Jefferson loaded the bases with a hit batsman and walk, but McKay flied out as the visitors escaped the jam.

California threatened during the eighth inning, loading the bases on two singles, a sacrifice bunt, and an intentional walk. But a fly ball and foul popout preserved the tie. Oakland inched ahead during the bottom half. Henderson walked with one out. Angel Moreno, making his major-league debut after pitching the previous six seasons in Mexico, relieved Jefferson. Henderson stole second. After Murphy walked, Mike Witt relieved Moreno. Johnson flied out. Armas singled home Henderson as Murphy, representing a crucial insurance run, reached third. But Heath struck out, stranding Murphy.

Angels reliever Jeff Jones, entering his third full relief inning, allowed a leadoff single to Ed Ott. Speedster Bert Campaneris pinch-ran for Ott. He immediately stole second but was stalled when Jones struck out the next two Oakland hitters. Harris sent the game into extra innings when he drove home Campaneris but was thrown out at second base by the quick-thinking Heath, who took Murphy’s throw from center and immediately fired down to second.

California regained the lead on Grich’s 10th-inning two-out solo home run that landed halfway up the wide stairs in the left-field bleachers,6 his second home run that evening. Oakland responded with singles by Jim Spencer and Murphy. Pinch-hitter Keith Drumright lined an 0–2 Witt offering to left fielder Juan Beníquez. Rick Bosetti, pinch-running for Spencer and playing his first game for Oakland after he was purchased from the Toronto Blue Jays, slid head-first and beat Beníquez’s just-wide throw to the plate.7 The Athletics nearly broke through during the 11th when they loaded the bases with two outs. But a 6–4–3 double play dashed the hometown fans’ hopes.

Tom Underwood relieved Jones to start the 12th. Underwood allowed a Ford double around three strikeouts. Witt retired the Athletics in order with two groundouts and a strikeout. In the 13th, Underwood retired the Angels on a fly out, groundout, and lineout. With one out during the bottom half, Heath finally relieved the tension by blasting a solo home run into the left-field bleachers, giving Oakland an 8–7 victory, exactly five hours to the minute after Kingman threw the game’s first pitch.8

The full moon attracted Heath’s attention, “I love full moons. I usually get thrown out of games. At West Haven I used to get thrown out and after I’d cooled off I’d come back and look out and there would be a full moon.”9 On the defensive side, Martin criticized his pitch calling. “I was all over Heath today,” the volatile skipper said. “I didn’t like our command (read that calling) of pitches in certain situations. And then what does he do, hit a home run.”10

Underwood earned his second win with two scoreless relief innings. Witt took the loss, allowing two runs over five relief innings. The teams combined for 15 runs, 34 hits, and 30 stranded runners over the 13 innings. Missed opportunities abounded on both sides as each team twice left the bases loaded.

Martin, who used all four of his relievers, commented on the strike’s short-term player impacts. “A lot of things out there happened that shouldn’t have happened,” Martin said. “That long strike is really showing now. How many hours was that game? Five. It seemed like two weeks.”11

California’s double-play combination of Grich and Burleson combined for seven of the Angels’ 18 hits, although Grich acknowledged his team’s hitting deficiencies. “The whole team is frustrated,” he said. “It’s not just me. You win and lose as a team. We need to get four or five guys hot.”12

Oakland finished second behind the Kansas City Royals during the second half but first overall in the AL West Division. They swept the Royals in three games to win the AL Division Series, then lost three games to zero at the hands of the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series. California finished in the AL West basement during the second half.

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Carl Riechers for fact-checking, Abigail Miskowiec for her editing, and Lisa Gattie for her meaningful input.

Photo credit: Mike Heath, Trading Card Database.

Sources

Besides the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet.org, and the following:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK198108150.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B08150OAK1981.htm

Notes

1 The record stood until the 2023 Tampa Bay Rays began the 2023 season with 13 consecutive wins.

2 Ross Newhan, “Yankees Help Autry Decide: He Taps Mauch,” Los Angeles Times, May 29, 1981: Part III, 1.

3 Bill James and Rob Neyer, The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches (New York: Fireside Books, 2004), 266.

4 James and Neyer, 436.

5 Ross Newhan, “Angels Get 18 Hits and Lose – After 5 Hours,” Los Angeles Times, August 16, 1981: Part III, 1.

6 Glenn Schwarz, “A’s win wild one in 13th,” San Francisco Examiner, August 16, 1981: C2.

7 Schwarz, C2

8 Kit Stier, “A’s win five-hour battle,” Oakland Tribune, August 16, 1981: D-1.

9 Stier, D-7.

10 Schwarz, C2.

11 Stier, D-7.

12 Newhan, Part III, 12.