May 12, 1977 – Mariners 8, Yankees 6

SEATTLE – A pretty ugly end to a short two-game set in the Pacific Northwest as Catfish Hunter was knocked out inside three innings, his earliest departure in six years spanning about 200 starts, and the expansion Mariners beat the Yankees for the second night in a row.

Hunter clearly had nothing in his second start back after missing a month with a foot injury as he gave up eight hits and three walks in just 2.1 innings. However, he wasn’t solely to blame - only two of the seven runs he was charged with were earned as the Yankees looked like the Bad News Bears in making five errors, running their total to seven in the two games at the Kingdome.

Thurman Munson’s solo homer in the first gave New York a quick lead, but after Hunter retired the first two men in the bottom half, Graig Nettles booted a Carlos Lopez grounder and Dan Meyer took advantage by hitting a two-run homer. Bill Stein then went back-to-back for a 3-1 lead.

The teams traded runs in the second before Seattle blew it open with four in the third to chase Hunter to the showers.

Hunter was touched for two singles and a walk and Ron Guidry was called in from the bullpen with men on first and second and one out. Steve Braun reached on Chris Chambliss’ error to load the bases, and Lopez hit a ball to Willie Randolph at second which could have resulted in an inning-ending double play had Randolph not misplayed it. One run scored, and the bases remained loaded. Meyer followed with another infield grounder which Chambliss fielded but proceeded to throw too high to second allowing another run to score. Stein grounded to Nettles who threw him out at first, and after the fourth run scored, Lopez was thrown out unwisely trying to advance to third. Still, the damage was done and it was 8-2.

Guidry and Gil Patterson blanked the Mariners the rest of the way, and the Yankees made it close with a three-run eighth, but 8-6 was as close as they’d get.

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