The New York Yankees took the lead in the first inning last night and never looked back as they began the 1981 World Series with a 5-3 victory over Los Angeles in Yankee Stadium.

Bob Watson's home run brought in Jerry Mumphrey and Lou Piniella in the bottom of the first. Los Angeles starter Jerry Reuss lasted only two-and-a-half innings as Piniella drove in another run in the third and Bob Castillo came in to pitch for the Dodgers.

Castillo walked Dave Winfield with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, bringing in Willie Randolph and making the score 5-0, New York.

Yankee starter Ron Guidry kept the Dodgers scoreless until Steve Yeager's home run in the fifth. However, the Dodgers did not threaten the Yankee's lead until the eighth inning, when Ron Davis replaced Guidry.

After Davis walked two Dodgers in a row, Bob Lemon sent in Yankee reliever Rich Gossage. A base hit by Jay Johnstone and a sacrifice fly from Dusty Baker cut the Yankees' advantage to two, but a diving catch by New York's third baseman Graig Nettles held the Dodgers at 5-3.

Out

The Dodgers' fifth pitcher of the night, Dave Stewart, brought the Yankees down in order in the bottom of the eighth, but Gossage allowed no hits in the ninth, striking out Pedro Guerro and Rick Monday.

The two teams play again tonight at 8 p.m. in Yankee Stadium and will travel on Thursday to Los Angeles for Game #3 on Friday.