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games above .500 · final standings
1981 MLB NL East standings
The St. Louis Cardinals won the 1981 MLB NL East division race at 59-43, 2 games ahead of the Montreal Expos.
🏆How the 1981 playoffs went
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NL East standings, 1981
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | L10 | Streak |
|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals (STL) | 59 | 43 | .578 | - | 7-3 | W2 |
| Montreal Expos (MON) | 60 | 48 | .556 | 2 | 6-4 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Phillies (PHI) | 59 | 48 | .551 | 2.5 | 6-4 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates (PIT) | 46 | 56 | .451 | 13 | 3-7 | L2 |
| New York Mets (NYM) | 41 | 62 | .398 | 18.5 | 4-6 | W1 |
| Chicago Cubs (CHC) | 38 | 65 | .369 | 21.5 | 3-7 | L1 |
Final standings.
Turning points
- The lead changed hands 16 times.
- The St. Louis Cardinals trailed by as many as 2 games on June 2, 1981.
- The St. Louis Cardinals took first place for good on August 12, 1981.
- The St. Louis Cardinals won 8 games in a row from April 16, 1981 to April 26, 1981, the longest run of the race.
- The Philadelphia Phillies led by 2 games as late as June 10, 1981.
- The St. Louis Cardinals went 14-6 from August 11, 1981 to September 4, 1981, turning a deficit of 1.5 games into a lead of 5.5 games.
- The top two ended the day within one game of each other on 74 of the 116 days played.
- Six teams held first place.
- The St. Louis Cardinals spent 90 of the season's 181 charted days in first place.