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
4/9at MinnesotaW  5-1 1-0
4/10at MinnesotaW  6-3 2-0
4/11at MinnesotaW  3-0 3-0
4/12at MinnesotaW  1-0 4-0
4/13at CaliforniaW  3-2 5-0
4/14at CaliforniaW  5-2 6-0
4/15at CaliforniaW  5-3 7-0
4/16at CaliforniaW  5-1 8-0
4/17vs SeattleW  16-1 9-0
4/18vs SeattleW  8-0 10-0
4/19vs SeattleL  2-3 10-1
4/19vs SeattleW  6-1 11-1
4/20vs MinnesotaW  3-0 12-1
4/21vs MinnesotaW  4-3
10
13-1
4/22vs MinnesotaW  2-1 14-1
4/24at SeattleW  6-2 15-1
4/25at SeattleW  7-4 16-1
4/26at SeattleW  9-4 17-1
4/27vs CaliforniaL  2-3 17-2
4/28vs CaliforniaL  1-3 17-3
4/29vs CaliforniaW  6-4 18-3
5/1vs NY YankeesW  8-6 19-3
5/2vs NY YankeesW  6-3 20-3
5/3vs NY YankeesL  2-3
10
20-4
5/3vs NY YankeesL  0-2 20-5
5/5vs DetroitW  6-2 21-5
5/6vs DetroitL  2-3 21-6
5/7vs DetroitW  5-3 22-6
5/8vs MilwaukeeW  2-0 23-6
5/9vs MilwaukeeW  6-5
12
24-6
5/10vs MilwaukeeL  5-13 24-7
5/12at NY YankeesL  1-4 24-8
5/13at NY YankeesW  5-4 25-8
5/14at NY YankeesL  5-9 25-9
5/15at MilwaukeeL  0-3 25-10
5/16at MilwaukeeL  5-6 25-11
5/17at MilwaukeeL  2-6 25-12
5/18at BaltimoreL  1-5 25-13
5/19at BaltimoreL  5-6 25-14
5/20at BostonL  3-5 25-15
5/21at BostonL  0-3 25-16
5/22vs TorontoW  6-2 26-16
5/23vs TorontoW  3-2
15
27-16
5/24vs TorontoW  5-0 28-16
5/24vs TorontoW  6-5
12
29-16
5/25vs Chi. White SoxW  5-2 30-16
5/26vs Chi. White SoxL  1-4 30-17
5/27vs Chi. White SoxL  0-3 30-18
5/29at TorontoL  3-6 30-19
5/30at TorontoL  5-6 30-20
5/31at TorontoW  6-5 31-20
6/2at Chi. White SoxW  6-2 32-20
6/3at Chi. White SoxW  8-3 33-20
6/4at Chi. White SoxL  2-4 33-21
6/5vs BostonL  1-4 33-22
6/6vs BostonW  6-2 34-22
6/7vs BostonW  4-3
11
35-22
6/9vs BaltimoreW  4-2 36-22
6/9vs BaltimoreW  3-2 37-22
6/10vs BaltimoreL  1-3 37-23
8/10at MinnesotaL  2-6 37-24
8/11at MinnesotaW  6-5 38-24
8/12at MinnesotaL  3-4 38-25
8/14vs CaliforniaW  4-2
10
39-25
8/15vs CaliforniaW  8-7
13
40-25
8/16vs CaliforniaW  7-6 41-25
8/18vs BostonW  3-2
15
42-25
8/19vs BostonW  4-2 43-25
8/20vs BostonL  4-6 43-26
8/21vs BaltimoreL  2-4 43-27
8/22vs BaltimoreW  2-0 44-27
8/23vs BaltimoreL  4-7 44-28
8/24vs ClevelandW  16-4 45-28
8/25vs ClevelandL  0-2 45-29
8/27at BostonL  5-6 45-30
8/28at BostonL  5-12 45-31
8/29at BostonL  6-7 45-32
8/30at BostonW  5-3 46-32
8/31at ClevelandW  5-3 47-32
9/2at ClevelandL  4-10 47-33
9/2at ClevelandL  0-2 47-34
9/3at BaltimoreW  10-0 48-34
9/4at BaltimoreW  5-4
11
49-34
9/5at BaltimoreL  3-5 49-35
9/6at BaltimoreL  4-8 49-36
9/7vs TexasW  2-1 50-36
9/8vs TexasW  3-0 51-36
9/9vs TexasL  4-9 51-37
9/11vs Kansas CityW  6-1 52-37
9/12vs Kansas CityL  0-4 52-38
9/13vs Kansas CityL  5-6
12
52-39
9/14at TexasW  5-2 53-39
9/15at TexasL  2-12 53-40
9/16at TexasW  2-1 54-40
9/18at Chi. White SoxW  10-5 55-40
9/19at Chi. White SoxW  2-1 56-40
9/20at Chi. White SoxL  3-11 56-41
9/22at TorontoW  4-2 57-41
9/22at TorontoW  3-2
13
58-41
9/23at TorontoW  6-0 59-41
9/25vs Chi. White SoxL  2-6 59-42
9/26vs Chi. White SoxW  5-1 60-42
9/27vs Chi. White SoxL  5-9 60-43
9/27vs Chi. White SoxL  3-10 60-44
9/29vs TorontoW  5-1 61-44
9/30vs TorontoW  3-0 62-44
10/2at Kansas CityL  0-3 62-45
10/3at Kansas CityW  8-4 63-45
10/4at Kansas CityW  4-3 64-45