Due to a mid-season players' strike, the season was divided into a first half and a second half. The division winner of each half played each other in a five-game divisional series. The Cincinnati Reds, despite having the best overall record during the season, finished 2nd in both halves, so did not qualify for the post-season.

1981 Regular Season Results

Date    OpponentResultScoreRecord
4/10at BostonW  5-3 1-0
4/12at BostonL  4-5 1-1
4/14vs MilwaukeeW  9-3 2-1
4/15vs MilwaukeeW  5-4 3-1
4/17vs BostonL  5-8 3-2
4/18vs BostonW  2-1 4-2
4/19vs BostonL  4-9 4-3
4/21vs BaltimoreW  2-1 5-3
4/23vs BaltimoreW  5-3 6-3
4/23vs BaltimoreW  18-5 7-3
4/24at DetroitW  3-2
10
8-3
4/25at DetroitW  4-0 9-3
4/26at DetroitW  5-4 10-3
4/27at BaltimoreL  2-5 10-4
4/28at BaltimoreW  8-6 11-4
4/29at BaltimoreL  0-3 11-5
4/30at ClevelandL  2-3 11-6
5/1at ClevelandL  2-10 11-7
5/2at ClevelandL  1-3 11-8
5/3at ClevelandW  6-0 12-8
5/5at TexasL  1-6 12-9
5/6at TexasL  2-4 12-10
5/7at TexasL  4-9 12-11
5/8vs Kansas CityW  9-5 13-11
5/9vs Kansas CityW  3-0 14-11
5/11vs ClevelandL  1-3 14-12
5/12vs ClevelandW  7-4 15-12
5/13vs ClevelandL  3-4
16
15-13
5/15vs TexasL  1-2 15-14
5/16vs TexasW  9-1 16-14
5/17vs TexasW  9-0 17-14
5/18at TorontoW  7-2 18-14
5/19at TorontoL  5-9 18-15
5/20at TorontoW  6-5 19-15
5/22at CaliforniaW  9-5 20-15
5/23at CaliforniaW  15-4 21-15
5/24at CaliforniaW  10-2 22-15
5/25at OaklandL  2-5 22-16
5/26at OaklandW  4-1 23-16
5/27at OaklandW  3-0 24-16
5/30vs CaliforniaW  9-0 25-16
5/31vs CaliforniaL  4-7 25-17
5/31vs CaliforniaW  2-1
10
26-17
6/2vs OaklandL  2-6 26-18
6/3vs OaklandL  3-8 26-19
6/4vs OaklandW  4-2 27-19
6/5at NY YankeesL  5-6
12
27-20
6/6at NY YankeesL  0-2 27-21
6/7at NY YankeesL  1-3 27-22
6/8vs TorontoW  6-2 28-22
6/9vs TorontoW  3-0 29-22
6/10vs NY YankeesW  6-5 30-22
6/11vs NY YankeesW  3-2 31-22
8/10at BostonW  7-1 32-22
8/11at BostonW  4-2 33-22
8/12at BostonL  1-8 33-23
8/13at BostonL  6-9 33-24
8/14at BaltimoreW  5-3 34-24
8/15at BaltimoreL  0-4 34-25
8/16at BaltimoreW  8-7
10
35-25
8/17at NY YankeesW  4-1 36-25
8/18at NY YankeesL  0-4 36-26
8/19at NY YankeesW  6-5 37-26
8/21at TorontoL  4-5 37-27
8/22at TorontoW  8-0 38-27
8/23at TorontoW  13-2 39-27
8/24at MilwaukeeL  4-5 39-28
8/25at MilwaukeeW  5-1 40-28
8/27vs NY YankeesW  3-1 41-28
8/28vs NY YankeesL  1-6 41-29
8/29vs NY YankeesL  2-12 41-30
8/30vs NY YankeesL  1-5 41-31
8/31vs DetroitL  1-3 41-32
9/1vs DetroitL  1-2 41-33
9/2vs DetroitL  4-5
10
41-34
9/3vs TorontoW  4-3 42-34
9/4vs TorontoL  2-6 42-35
9/5vs TorontoL  1-3 42-36
9/6vs TorontoL  2-3 42-37
9/7vs SeattleL  5-9 42-38
9/8vs SeattleW  5-3 43-38
9/9vs SeattleL  1-3 43-39
9/10at MilwaukeeW  12-6 44-39
9/11at MinnesotaL  3-4 44-40
9/12at MinnesotaL  1-3 44-41
9/13at MinnesotaL  6-7 44-42
9/14at SeattleW  5-2 45-42
9/15at SeattleL  4-8 45-43
9/16at SeattleW  3-1 46-43
9/18vs OaklandL  5-10 46-44
9/19vs OaklandL  1-2 46-45
9/20vs OaklandW  11-3 47-45
9/21at CaliforniaL  3-6 47-46
9/22at CaliforniaL  0-1 47-47
9/23at CaliforniaL  3-7 47-48
9/24at CaliforniaW  4-1 48-48
9/25at OaklandW  6-2 49-48
9/26at OaklandL  1-5 49-49
9/27at OaklandW  9-5 50-49
9/27at OaklandW  10-3 51-49
9/28vs CaliforniaL  0-6 51-50
9/29vs CaliforniaL  1-5 51-51
9/30vs CaliforniaW  10-3 52-51
10/2vs MinnesotaL  2-3 52-52
10/3vs MinnesotaW  5-4 53-52
10/4vs MinnesotaW  13-12 54-52