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
4/9vs HoustonW  2-0 1-0
4/11vs HoustonW  7-4 2-0
4/12vs HoustonW  3-2 3-0
4/13at San FranciscoW  4-3 4-0
4/14at San FranciscoW  7-1 5-0
4/15at San FranciscoW  4-2 6-0
4/17at San DiegoL  2-3
10
6-1
4/18at San DiegoW  2-0 7-1
4/19at San DiegoW  6-1 8-1
4/20at HoustonW  5-2 9-1
4/21at HoustonL  0-1 9-2
4/22at HoustonW  1-0 10-2
4/23vs San DiegoW  3-1 11-2
4/24vs San DiegoL  5-6 11-3
4/25vs San DiegoW  2-1
11
12-3
4/26vs San DiegoW  3-2 13-3
4/27vs San FranciscoW  5-0 14-3
4/28vs San FranciscoL  1-6 14-4
4/29vs San FranciscoL  2-3 14-5
5/1at MontrealL  8-9
13
14-6
5/2at MontrealW  4-0 15-6
5/3at MontrealW  6-1
10
16-6
5/4at MontrealL  3-4 16-7
5/5at PhiladelphiaL  7-8 16-8
5/6at PhiladelphiaW  2-1 17-8
5/7at PhiladelphiaW  2-1 18-8
5/8at NY MetsW  1-0 19-8
5/9at NY MetsL  4-7 19-9
5/10at NY MetsW  5-3 20-9
5/12vs MontrealW  5-0 21-9
5/13vs MontrealW  8-6 22-9
5/14vs MontrealW  3-2 23-9
5/15vs NY MetsW  6-5 24-9
5/16vs NY MetsW  9-0 25-9
5/17vs NY MetsW  6-1 26-9
5/18vs PhiladelphiaL  0-4 26-10
5/19vs PhiladelphiaL  2-3 26-11
5/20vs PhiladelphiaW  3-2
10
27-11
5/22at CincinnatiW  4-2
12
28-11
5/23at CincinnatiW  9-6
10
29-11
5/24at CincinnatiL  2-3 29-12
5/24at CincinnatiW  10-3 30-12
5/25at AtlantaW  7-1 31-12
5/27at AtlantaL  2-3 31-13
5/28at AtlantaL  4-9 31-14
5/29vs CincinnatiW  5-2 32-14
5/30vs CincinnatiL  1-9 32-15
5/31vs CincinnatiW  16-4 33-15
6/1vs AtlantaW  5-2 34-15
6/2vs AtlantaL  1-3
10
34-16
6/3vs AtlantaL  2-4 34-17
6/5at Chi. CubsL  3-4 34-18
6/6at Chi. CubsL  5-11 34-19
6/7at Chi. CubsW  7-0 35-19
6/9at StL CardinalsL  1-6 35-20
6/10at StL CardinalsW  4-1 36-20
6/11at StL CardinalsL  1-2 36-21
8/10vs CincinnatiW  4-0 37-21
8/11vs CincinnatiL  6-7 37-22
8/12vs CincinnatiW  8-5 38-22
8/13vs AtlantaL  1-9 38-23
8/14vs AtlantaW  5-0 39-23
8/15vs AtlantaL  4-6 39-24
8/16vs AtlantaW  6-5 40-24
8/17at Chi. CubsL  1-3 40-25
8/18at Chi. CubsW  5-0 41-25
8/19at Chi. CubsL  3-4 41-26
8/21at StL CardinalsW  4-0 42-26
8/22at StL CardinalsW  3-2 43-26
8/23at StL CardinalsL  7-11 43-27
8/24at PittsburghW  3-0 44-27
8/25at PittsburghW  9-7
11
45-27
8/26at PittsburghW  16-6 46-27
8/27vs Chi. CubsW  6-0 47-27
8/28vs Chi. CubsW  6-1 48-27
8/29vs Chi. CubsL  1-3 48-28
8/30vs Chi. CubsL  1-2 48-29
8/31vs PittsburghL  4-5
10
48-30
9/1vs PittsburghW  3-2
14
49-30
9/2vs PittsburghW  6-2 50-30
9/3vs StL CardinalsL  3-5 50-31
9/4vs StL CardinalsL  2-7 50-32
9/5vs StL CardinalsW  4-3
11
51-32
9/6vs StL CardinalsW  5-0 52-32
9/7vs San FranciscoW  5-1 53-32
9/8vs San FranciscoW  4-0 54-32
9/9vs San FranciscoL  3-6
11
54-33
9/11at CincinnatiL  2-3
10
54-34
9/12at CincinnatiL  5-6
11
54-35
9/13at CincinnatiW  4-2 55-35
9/14at San DiegoW  10-5 56-35
9/15at San DiegoL  2-8 56-36
9/16vs AtlantaW  3-2 57-36
9/17vs AtlantaW  2-0 58-36
9/18vs CincinnatiL  4-5 58-37
9/19vs CincinnatiL  3-7 58-38
9/20vs CincinnatiL  1-5 58-39
9/22at San FranciscoL  2-5 58-40
9/23at San FranciscoL  4-8 58-41
9/24at San FranciscoW  7-3 59-41
9/25at HoustonW  3-0 60-41
9/26at HoustonL  0-5 60-42
9/27at HoustonL  1-4 60-43
9/28at AtlantaL  1-2 60-44
9/29at AtlantaW  5-3 61-44
9/30vs San DiegoL  0-2 61-45
10/1vs San DiegoL  0-1 61-46
10/2vs HoustonW  6-1 62-46
10/3vs HoustonW  7-2 63-46
10/4vs HoustonL  3-5 63-47