Sept. 23, 1977 – Yankees 5, Blue Jays 3

TORONTO – The Blue Jays continued in their role of the annoying fly at the picnic, giving the Yankees another hard-fought battle, just as they’d done most of their first season of existence. But this time, the hammer of Graig Nettles squashed the little expansion fly with a game-winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth at chilly Exhibition Stadium.

Don Gullett was terrific as he struck out 12 batters, a season-high for a Yankee pitcher, in winning his 13th game. That was impressive in itself given that he’d missed several starts due to stints on the disabled list. The Blue Jays touched him for only five hits, though two were solo homers by Otto Velez and Dave McKay.

Meanwhile, the Yankees struggled much of the way to get much working against Blue Jays starter Jesse Jefferson. They scored twice in the first on a Reggie Jackson RBI double and a sacrifice fly by Chris Chambliss, but they managed only one more run, on a RBI double by Roy White in the third before Nettles’ heroics.

With the game tied 3-3, Jefferson walked Chambliss with two outs, and Nettles ripped his 36th homer of the season to right-center on a two-strike count. “The wind was blowing in pretty hard from the right,” said Nettles. “I hit some balls hard in batting practice and they didn’t go anywhere so I didn’t know if this one was going out.”

In the ninth, Billy Martin was rewarded for his decision to replace Reggie Jackson with Paul Blair in right field. Roy Howell singled with one out, and when he tried to stretch it into a double, Blair gunned him down.

“I never managed before,” Martin said sarcastically. “This is my first time in a pennant race.” Martin’s mood should have been jovial following the win, but because George Steinbrenner had joined the team in Toronto, he was on edge.

The Red Sox won, the Orioles lost, so the Yankees moved 2.5 ahead of Baltimore and stayed three up on the Red Sox.

“We won’t have a good year unless we win everything,” said Lou Piniella. “All the pressure is on us. Last year we had an easy race in the East and the playoffs had all the excitement. This year the race has all the excitement and we have to get back up for the playoffs and the Series.”

Confidence was never an issue for Sweet Lou.

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