Yankees History

April 19, 1977 at Yankee Stadium

Blue Jays 8, Yankees 3  (2-8)

It’s never fun to lose and it’s even less fun to get blown out.  But to get blown out by an expansion team is even worse.  The Yankees dropped their fifth straight and they lost for the eighth time in nine games.  It wasn’t a good start for the defending American League champions.

Rookie Gil Patterson made his major league debut and it didn’t go well.  He gave up four runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work.  Ron Guidry was also bombed in his relief appearance.

Jim Wynn had a solid game at the plate.  He had two hits and he scored two runs in the loss.

April 11, 1977 at Royals Stadium

Royals 5, Yankees 4 (1-3)

The Yankees dropped their third straight game in a back and forth affair with the Kansas City Royals.  The Yankees scored in the top of the first when Thurman Munson scored on Jim Wynn’s RBI single but the Royals rattled off three runs in their first two innings to take a 3-1 lead.  The Yankees tied cut if to 3-2 with a run in the fourth then took the lead in the fifth with two runs before the Royals tied it up in the bottom of the fifth with a single run.

Then neither team scored the next seven innings.  The Yankees went down in the top of the thirteenth but John Mayberry’s RBI single off of Dick Tidrow finished the game up.

Reggie Jackson hit his first homerun of the season.  Thurman Munson also had a good game at the plate.  He went two for five with a double, an RBI and a run.

April 9, 1977 at Yankee Stadium

Brewers 3, Yankees 2  (1-1)

A three run fifth inning that started with an error by Reggie Jackson cost the Yankees the win in this one.  Ed Figueroa threw a nice game but those three unearned runs came back to haunt him.  He gave up seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

Mickey Rivers tripled and drove in a run for the Yankees.  Jim Wynn continued to hit the ball well and he had two hits and a run.

April 7, 1977 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 3, Brewers 0  (1-0)

The Yankees won their home and season opener behind a strong pitching performance by Jim “Catfish” Hunter.  The righthander held the Brewers to just three hits in seven shutout innings and he struck out five.  Sparky Lyle pitched the final two frames and he picked up his first save without giving up a run.

Reggie Jackson singled twice and scored two runs to lead the way with the bat for the Yankees.  Designated hitter Jim Wynn homered and singled.