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