May 7, 1977 - Yankees 11, A's 2

NEW YORK – How about this day for manager Billy Martin.

The Yankees routed the overmatched A’s to win for the 13th time in the last 15 games to move five games over .500 at 15-10;

With the victory, coupled with Milwaukee’s loss to Detroit, New York moved into first place in the AL East for the first time this year, overcoming the wretched 2-8 start that had George Steinbrenner on the brink of a meltdown;

The Yankees pounded out 12 hits including three home runs on their way to scoring a season-high 11 runs;

Don Gullett returned to the mound for the first time since April 25 when he hurt himself slipping on the mound and pitched a complete game with 10 strikeouts;

And lastly, Martin pocketed $150 by winning the clubhouse pool on the Kentucky Derby as Seattle Slew began his run at what would become the Triple Crown, just the 10th in horse racing history.

“The guys are happier now,” said Mickey Rivers, who had two hits including a three-run homer in the second inning that gave New York a 5-1 lead. “They’re going out there playing ball.”

For Gullett, this was an important start. He was under pressure to perform after signing a six-year $1.9 million contract, and in his first four outings he’d gone 1-2 with a 7.12 ERA and had been touched for 27 hits and 17 walks across the first 112 batters he had faced. Not good at all.

“That’s the best I’ve thrown so far,” said Gullett. “I was keeping the fastball and forkball down. Before, I was putting the ball in the hittters’ zone and they were putting the hurt on it.”

Gullet gave up a run in the first, but the Yankees answered with a pair as Willie Randolph, Rivers and Thurman Munson singled in succession for one run, then Reggie Jackson reached on an error when A’s left-fielder Mitchell Page let his routine pop fly drop which set up the second run which scored on a double play grounder by Roy White. Rivers’ home run in the second pretty much sealed the deal, but in the fifth White tacked on his second three-run homer in three days and Nettles followed with a solo shot.

This game featured a bizarre strategic move by A’s manager Jack McKeon, one that I’ve never heard of before. His starting lineup showed Tony Armas playing shortstop and batting leadoff. Armas led off the game with a walk, and then was replaced by pinch-runner by pinch-runner Matt Alexander. Alexander promptly stole second and scored on a Billy North single. When the inning ended, McKeon sent Rob Picciolo in to play short.

Afterward, McKeon said he’d planned to do this all along, and that he and A’s owner Charlie Finley had talked about it. “We throw ideas around all the time,” McKeon said. “We work as a team.”

Man, don’t we all miss owners like Charlie Finley and, for that matter, George Steinbrenner. What a different time it was.

The daily baseball report