Yankees History

May 5, 1978 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 5, Rangers 2  (14-9)

The Yankees won their fifth straight game as Ron Guidry and Goose Gossage combined to shut down the Rangers.  Guidry improved to 3-0 and he gave up just one run on six hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.  Gossage gave up one run on three hits with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings and he picked up his second save in as many games.

Thurman Munson had a big day at the plate.  He went three for four with a double, two RBIs and a run.  Willie Randolph singled, drew a walk and scored twice in the win.

May 2, 1978 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 4, Royals 2  (12-9)

The Yankees made it three straight wins behind Catfish Hunter’s first win of the season.  He gave up just two runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in seven frames.  Sparky Lyle held the Royals scoreless in the final two innings and he picked up his fourth save of the season.

Lou Piniella brought the big bat in the win.  He went two for three with his first homer, two RBIs and two runs while Thurman Munson went two for four with a double, a run and an RBI.

April 18, 1978 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 4, Orioles 3  (5-5)

Reggie Jackson broke a 3-3 tie with a ninth inning walk off solo homer to win it for the Yankees.  Jackson also drew two walks and he finished the game with two runs.  Roy White and Thurman Munson each had two hits and an RBI in the win.

Ron Guidry gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings in a decent start.  Sparky Lyle gave up just a pair of hits in 2 1/3 innings and he improved to 1-0 on the season.

April 11, 1978 at County Stadium
Brewers 9, Yankees 6  (1-3)

The Yankees put six runs on the board and outhit the Brewers but still lost their for the third time in four games to open up the season.  Catfish Hunter made his season debut and it was a rough one as he gave up six runs on six hits in just two innings of work.  Rawley Eastwick and Ken Clay also gave up runs in the loss as well.

Willie Randolph had a big day at the plate.  He went two for five with a three run homer.  Thurman Munson went four for five with a double, a run and an RBI.

October 1, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Tigers 10, Yankees 7  (99-62)

The Yankees dropped their third straight game but they finally clinched the American League East after the Red Sox lost to the Orioles.  Mike Torrez was shelled for five runs in 2 2/3 innings and Larry McCall gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings of relief as he took his first career loss.

Elrod Hendricks belted a two run homer for the Yankees.  Thurman Munson went three for three with two doubles, two RBIs and a run.

September 28, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 10, Blue Jays 0  (99-59)

The Yankees won their sixth straight game and with the Red Sox loss, the Yankees magic number was now down to one.  Four Yankees went yard in the win.  Reggie Jackson had just one hit but it was a grand slam and Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles and Mickey Rivers all went yard in the game as well.  Rivers had a team high three runs while Munson had a team high three hits.

Don Gullett improved to 14-4 with seven shutout innings. He gave up just five hits and three walks with six strikeouts in the win.

September 27, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 2, Indians 1  (98-59)

The Yankees shaved their magic number down to three behind some solid pitching by Dick Tidrow and Sparky Lyle.  Tidrow gave up just one run in 7 1/3 innings in a no-decision start while Sparky Lyle improved to 13-5 with 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief.

Thurman Munson scored the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a wild pitch.  Lou Piniella and Cliff Johnson both had two hits in the win.

September 26, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 4, Indians 2  (97-59)

The Yankees shaved their magic number down to four with their with their fourth straight win.  Mike Torrez got the Yankees through the sixth inning and he picked up the win.  He gave up two runs on six hits and four walks with one strikeout in six innings of work.  Sparky Lyle picked up his 26th save with three innings of scoreless pitching.

Willie Randolph went three for five with a run in the win.  Thurman Munson singled twice, drew a walk, scored a run and drove in one.

September 19, 1977 at Fenway Park
Red Sox 6, Yankees 3 (93-58)

The Red Sox and Yankees kicked off their final series of the season as the Red Sox gave themselves some renewed hope by knocking around Ed Figueroa. He fell to 15-10 and he gave up six runs on eleven hits and one walk with four strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

Thurman Munson and Dave Kingman both belted solo shots in the loss. Munson finished the game with two RBIs and he and Lou Piniella were the only Yankees with two hits.

September 15, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Red Sox 7, Yankees 3  (90-57)

The almost always reliable Sparky Lyle was tagged for six runs in the sixth inning as the Red Sox salvaged the final game against the Yankees.  Lyle dropped to 12-5 after he came in to relieve Mike Torrez.

Thurman Munson belted a two run homer, his 15th of the season.  Reggie Jackson also went yard with a solo shot for his 27th homer of the season.

September 13, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 4, Red Sox 2  (89-56)

In what very well may have been the biggest series of the years, the Yankees got it done in the opener behind a solid start by Ron Guidry.  He gave up just two runs on five hits and three walks with nine strikeouts and the complete game win pushed his record to 14-6 on the season.

Mickey Rivers went two for four and he had the big hit of the game with a two run homer in the fifth inning.  Thurman Munson was the other Yankee hitter with a pair of hits and Chris Chambliss doubled, drove in a run and scored.

September 9, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 2, Blue Jays 0  (87-54)

Mike Torrez improved to 16-12 with one of his best starts of the season.  He gave up just three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in a complete game shutout.

Cliff Johnson drove in one of the two Yankees runs with a solo homerun.  Thurman Munson was the only Yankee with two hits and he scored the other Yankees run.

Despite the win, the Yankees still lost a half game over the Red Sox, who swept their doubleheader over the Tigers.  Things would probably come to a head next week when the Yankees squared off against Boston at Yankeee Stadium for three games.

September 7, 1977 at Cleveland Stadium
Yankees 4, Indians 3  (85-54)

The Yankees went into the top of the ninth inning down 3-0 but they rallied to tie the game up and send it into extra frames.  Then Thurman Munson scored on Reggie Jackson’s single in the top of the tenth to complete the comeback.  Mickey Rivers had a big two run single in the ninth inning and Roy White was a perfect three for three with a run.

Ron Guidry pitched all ten innings and he improved to 13-6.  He gave up three runs on ten hits and four walks with five strikeouts.

August 27, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Rangers 8, Yankees 2  (76-52)

The Yankees four game winning streak came to an end as not one, but two pitchers were knocked around by the Ranger hitters.  Mike Torrez and Ken Clay combined to give up five homeruns and it was Torrez who fell to 15-11 with the loss.

Thurman Munson was a perfect three for three in the loss.  Graig Nettles drove in one of the two Yankees’ runs with a solo homer, his 31st of the season.

August 25, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 6, Twins 4  (75-51)

It was another game, another August win as the Yankees continued to tear up their opponents in the summer month.  Mickey Rivers played a role in three of the Yankees five runs and he went three for four with two RBIs and a run.  Thurman Munson singled, doubled and scored twice.

Dick Tidrow gave up three runs in seven innings but he didn’t pick up a decision as he left with the game tied.  Sparky Lyle picked up the win though and he improved to 9-4.  He gave up one run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings of relief.

August 17, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 7, Tigers 5  (68-50)

The Tigers scored four unanswered runs but the closest they could come is to within two runs as the Yankees won their fourth straight game.  Ed Figueroa improved to 12-8 but his start was hardly spectacular.  He gave up five runs on twelve hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings.  Sparky Lyle got the final two outs and he picked up his seventeenth save of the season.

Chris Chambliss tripled twice, drove in a run and scored two runs.  Thurman Munson went three for five with a double, a run and an RBI.  Mickey Rivers homered and drove in two runs.

August 12, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 10, Angels 1  (63-49)

The Yankees made it four straight with an impressive offensive performance by Chris Chambliss.  The first baseman homered twice and drove in three runs in the win.  Reggie Jackson went two for three with a walk, a double, a triple, three RBIs and a run and Thurman Munson had a team high three hits and two runs.

Catfish Hunter went the distance and he improved to 7-7 on the season.  He gave up one run on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

August 12, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 9, Angels 3  (64-49)

Reggie Jackson homered twice and he scored three runs as the Yankees not only swept their doubleheader over the Angels, they also won their fifth straight.  The homers brought his season total up to 21 on the season.  Lou Piniella also had a nice game and he went three for four with three runs.

Ed Figueroa improved to 11-8 on the season with a complete game.  He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

August 6, 1977 at the Kingdome
Mariners 9, Yankees 2  (59-49)

Catfish Hunter had one of his worst starts of the season in the Yankees third straight loss.  He fell to 6-7 and he gave up eight runs on nine hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. 

Mickey Rivers went three for four wth three doubles and a run.  Thurman Munson went two for three with two RBIs.

July 28, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 14, Orioles 2  (55-45)

The Yankees poured on the offense in a game where three different Yankees drove in three runs a piece.  Chris Chambliss went three for three with two walks, three RBIs and two runs.  Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles and Roy White all went yard in the win.

Mike Torrez picked up the win and he improved to 9-10 on the season.  He gave up two runs on four hits and four walks with six strikeouts in the complete game.

July 21, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 7, Brewers 0  (51-42)

Catfish Hunter got the Yankees off to a nice start at they opened up the second half with a shutout win over the Brewers in the first game of a doubleheader.  Hunter gave up just five hits and two walks with three strikeouts and the complete game shutout pushed his record to 6-4 on the season.

Graig Nettles provided a lot of the offense with a big three run homer.  It was his 21st homerun of the season.  Roy White went three for five with an RBI.  Chris Chambliss went two for four with a triple, an RBI and two runs.

July 21, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Brewers 5, Yankees 4  (51-43)

The Yankees blew a big lead and in the process, failed to sweep a doubleheader over the Brewers.  Up 4-0 for pretty much the entire game, the Brewers tagged Ed Figueroa and Sparky Lyle in the ninth for four runs to send the game into extra frames and then Dick Tidrow gave up a run in the tenth as the Brewers completed the comeback.  Tidrow took the loss and he fell to 6-4 on the season.

Thurman Munson went three for five with a run.  Paul Blair singled and he drove in two runs in the loss.

July 15, 1977 at Royals Stadium
Royals 7, Yankees 4  (50-40)

Ron Guidry had a tough time against the Royals and he fell to 6-5 with the loss.  He gave up six runs on eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Thurman Munson was the hitting star in the loss.  He went three for four wih two RBIs.  Mickey Rivers also had a nice game and he went three for five with a run and an RBI.

July 9, 1977 at Memorial Stadium
Orioles 6, Yankees 5  (48-36)

The Yankees made two key errors in the eighth inning that helped lead to three unearned runs as the Yankees blew a two run lead in a loss to the Orioles.  Sparky Lyle too the loss and he gave up those three unearned runs and Ron Guidry gave up three runs in six innings in his start.

Graig Nettles and Thurman Munson both hit homers in the loss.  Nettles finished with two runs and two RBIs.

July 8, 1977 at Memorial Stadium
Yankees 7, Orioles 5  (48-35)

The Yankees won their fourth straight and they did it on the back of their catcher, Thurman Munson.  He went two for four with a homerun and four RBIs.  Graig Nettles was the other hitting star and he went two for four with a homerun and three RBIs.

Don Gullett picked up the win and he improved to 7-3 on the season.  He gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits and six walks with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

July 4, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 7, Indians 5  (45-35)

The Yankees took care of the Indians on Independence Day and they did it with the long ball.  Graig Nettles, Roy White, Chris Chambliss and Lou Piniella all hit solo homeruns in the win while Thurman Munson doubled, singled and drove in two runs.

Ed Figueroa picked up the win and he improved to 8-6 on the season.  He gave up three runs on six hits and five walks with three strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

June 30, 1977 at Exhibition Stadium
Yankees 11, Blue Jays 5  (42-33)

The Yankees salvaged a split in their four game series with the Blue Jays behind the bit stick of Cliff Johnson.  He homered three times and drove in four runs to lead the way for the Yankees.  Thurman Munson homered and drove in four runs while Lou Piniella went three for five with a solo homerun and two runs.

Catfish Hunter improved to 4-3 on the season with the win. He gave up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts as he went the distance.

June 27, 1977 at Exhibition Stadium
Blue Jays 7, Yankees 6  (40-32)

The Yankees four game winning streak came to an end as Ron Guidry had a tough time against the expansion Blue Jays.  He gave up seven runs on seven hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

Mickey Rivers went two for five with two RBIs and a run.  Thurman Munson went two for four including his tenth homerun of the season.

June 26, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 5, Red Sox 4  (40-31)

The Yankees won their fourth straigth game despite blowing a three run lead in the ninth.  Don Gullett took a 4-1 lead into the top of the ninth and then he gave up three runs as the Red Sox tied it.  Fortunately, Paul Blair singled home Roy White in the bottom of the ninth to win it.

Sparky Lyle got just one batter out but it was good enough to pick up the win.  Mickey Rivers went three for five with three runs while Thurman Munson had three hits and two RBIs.

June 22, 1977 at Tiger Stadium
Yankees 13, Tigers 12  (37-31)

Pitching went out the window as the Yankees and Tigers combined for 25 runs on 30 hits but the Yankees eeked out a win with a five run eighth inning.  It’s hard to pick a hitting star but it was probably Thurman Munson.  He went three for four with a walk, a double, a triple, two RBIs and three runs.  Cliff Johnson and Graig Nettles both went yard in this one.

Sparky Lyle picked up the win although he was more in the right place at the right time.  He gave up three runs in 2 1/3 innings.  Ken Clay got the final batter of the game out and he picked up his first career save.

June 20, 1977 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 2, Yankees 1  (36-30)

The Yankees lost for the fourth straight time in a tough 2-1 loss to the Tigers.  Don Gullett was pretty good but Mark Fidrych was a touch better.  Gullett dropped to 6-3 and he gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in eight innings.

The lone Yankees run came in the fourth inning.  Reggie Jackson drove home Thurman Munson on a sac. fly.

June 5, 1977 at Comiskey Park
Yankees 8, White Sox 6  (29-23)

The Yankees made good use of the long ball as they won the rubber game in their series with the White Sox.  Five different Yankees belted homeruns and they accounted for seven of the eight Yankees runs.  Thurman Munson, Carlos May, Reggie Jackson, George Zeber and Bucky Dent all went yard for the Yankees.  For Zeber, it was the first homerun of his career.

Dick Tidrow picked up the win with 4 1/3 innings of mediocre relief.  He gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks with one strikeout and Sparky Lyle pitched three innings and gave up one run to earn his eleventh save.