Opening Day - A's sweep Twins with 3 complete game shutouts from their young guns

Aug 10, 1981 - Metropolitian Stadium
Rick Langford vs Erickson
A's 1, Twins 0

Jim Spencer led off the top of the 3rd with a slicing double to the left center power alley.  Two batters later Rickey Henderson would single him in for the only run of the game.  Rick Langford would need nothing more than that lone run thanks to the tidy two hitter he tossed.  Roy Smalley and Greg Adams accounted for both of Minnesota's hits.  Rickey and Wayne Gross each had 2 knocks for the victorious Athletics.

Aug 11, 1981
Steve McCatty vs Pete Redfern
A's 6, Twins 0

A 5 run 6th inning for the visiting A's broke the ice in a scoreless tie.  Steve McCatty was almost as good as Langford was the day before, giving up just one more hit (3) in a complete game shutout.  Rickey Henderson continued his hot hitting by going 2 for 4 and scoring a run and knocking one in.  Veteran DH Cliff Johnson banged a 3 run shot in the 5th to break teh game open.

Aug 12, 1981
Mike Norris vs Brad Havens
A's 15, Twins 0

It went from bad to worse for the hometown Twins in this series.  Not only did they get shutout for the 3rd straight game, they gave up double digit runs this time.  The young stallion A's are now firing on all 8 cylinders.  Oakland scored early and often and didn't even need Norris to toss a 2 hitter, which he did.  Rickey Henderson once again was the hitting star, going 5 for 6 with 3 runs scored and 3 runs knocked in.  Shooty Babbit, hitting behind Rickey was 4 for 6 and also scored 3 runs.  Catcher Mike Heath was the only A's starter without a hit as the A's went on to sweep their opening series.  Twin Manager Marvin Sik was quoted as saying, "I don't think we'll score a run all year at this rate..."