The Yankees, after winning the first game of a doubleheader, 4-3, lost the second game to the Blue Jays, 6-4, with the result that their lead in the East Division was trimmed to 1½ games over the Red Sox and three games over the Orioles. The wildness of Jeff Byrd, plus a two-run homer by Reggie Jackson, enabled the Yankees to win the opener. Byrd walked two batters in the first inning and gave up a run on a single by Chris Chambliss. Jackson hit his homer after a pass to Graig Nettles in the third. Byrd walked two more batters in the fourth and, after an error by Tim Nordbrook, the Yankees scored what proved to be their deciding run on a single by Mickey Rivers. Ron Fairly hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays.

Tom Murphy, making his first start since 1973, pitched six innings for the Blue Jays in the nightcap and gave up only one run on a triple by Nettles and single by Jackson. However, Pete Vuckovich, who relieved, was knocked out in the eighth when the Yankees rallied for three runs, but Jerry Johnson came in to save the game. [The Sporting News]



New York Yankees 4, Toronto Blue Jays 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, September 11, 1977 (Day game) at Yankee Stadium I
Blue Jays    2  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   3  9  1
Yankees      1  0  2    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   4  6  0


Blue Jays            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Staggs 2b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .255      Rivers cf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .325
A. Woods lf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .283      Nettles 3b            3   1   0   0     1   0   .240
Howell 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .304      Munson c              3   1   0   0     1   0   .290
Fairly dh             4   1   1   2     0   0   .288      Jackson rf            3   1   1   2     1   1   .279
Ault 1b               3   0   2   1     0   0   .252      Chambliss 1b          4   0   1   1     0   1   .297
G. Woods cf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .226      Piniella dh           4   0   0   0     0   0   .322
Bowling rf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .197      White lf              3   0   2   0     1   0   .283
Ashby c               2   0   0   0     1   1   .205      Randolph 2b           3   1   1   0     1   0   .290
  Rader ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .251      Dent ss               3   0   0   0     0   0   .246
Nordbrook ss          3   0   0   0     0   0   .205      Tidrow p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Velez ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .245        Lyle p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Byrd p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Willis p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   3   9   3     1   1             Totals               30   4   6   4     5   2

Time of Game: 2:04   Attendance: 40,905
Left on Base: Blue Jays 6, Yankees 7
DP: Blue Jays 0, Yankees 1
Errors: Nordbrook
Doubles: Staggs (11), Ault (21)
Home Runs: Fairly (19), Jackson (25)
Stolen Bases: Randolph (13), White (17)
Caught Stealing: White (11)
Sacrifice Flies: Ault (3)


Blue Jays              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Byrd L(2-10)            3.1   4   4   3   5   0   1  19   5.64
Willis                  4.2   2   0   0   0   2   0  16   4.14
Totals                  8     6   4   3   5   2   1  35

Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Tidrow W(10-4)          7     6   2   2   1   1   1  28   3.32
Lyle SV(23)             2     3   1   1   0   0   0   8   1.78
Totals                  9     9   3   3   1   1   1  36

Umpires: HP - Don Denkinger, 1B - Larry McCoy, 2B - Dale Ford, 3B - Durwood Merrill


BLUE JAYS 1ST: Staggs doubled to left; A. Woods grounded out
(shortstop to first); Howell grounded out (first unassisted)
[Staggs to third]; Fairly homered [Staggs scored]; Ault doubled
to left; G. Woods grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Blue Jays 2, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Rivers flied out to center; Nettles flied out to
right; Munson walked; Jackson walked [Munson to second];
Chambliss singled to left [Munson scored, Jackson to third];
Piniella flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Blue Jays 2,
Yankees 1.

BLUE JAYS 2ND: Bowling grounded out (third to first); Ashby
grounded out (third to first); Nordbrook flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Blue Jays 2, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 2ND: White flied out to right; Randolph singled to
center; Randolph stole second; Dent flied out to center; Rivers
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Blue Jays 2, Yankees 1.

BLUE JAYS 3RD: Staggs flied out to left; A. Woods singled to
right; Howell flied out to left; Fairly grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Blue Jays 2, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 3RD: Nettles walked; Munson grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Nettles to second]; Jackson homered [Nettles scored];
Chambliss grounded out (shortstop to first); Piniella made an
out to third; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Blue Jays 2, Yankees 3.

BLUE JAYS 4TH: Ault flied out to left; G. Woods made an out to
catcher; Bowling flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Blue
Jays 2, Yankees 3.

YANKEES 4TH: White walked; White was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Randolph walked; Dent reached on an
error by Nordbrook [Randolph to second]; Rivers singled to
center [Randolph scored (unearned), Dent to second]; WILLIS
REPLACED BYRD (PITCHING); Nettles flied out to center; Munson
forced Rivers (second unassisted); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Blue Jays 2, Yankees 4.

BLUE JAYS 5TH: Ashby struck out; Nordbrook made an out to third;
Staggs grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Blue Jays 2, Yankees 4.

YANKEES 5TH: Jackson struck out; Chambliss grounded out (first
unassisted); Piniella flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Blue Jays 2, Yankees 4.

BLUE JAYS 6TH: A. Woods grounded out (second to first); Howell
singled to left; Fairly flied out to center; Ault singled to
right [Howell to second]; G. Woods forced Ault (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Blue Jays 2, Yankees 4.

YANKEES 6TH: White singled to pitcher; White stole second;
Randolph grounded out (shortstop to first); Dent flied out to
right; Rivers flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Blue
Jays 2, Yankees 4.

BLUE JAYS 7TH: Bowling made an out to second; Ashby walked;
Nordbrook forced Ashby (third to second); Staggs flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Blue Jays 2, Yankees 4.

YANKEES 7TH: Nettles grounded out (first unassisted); Munson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Jackson grounded out (pitcher
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Blue Jays 2, Yankees 4.

BLUE JAYS 8TH: LYLE REPLACED TIDROW (PITCHING); A. Woods singled
to center; Howell singled to left [A. Woods to second]; Fairly
forced Howell (first to shortstop) [A. Woods to third]; Ault
sacrifice flied into a double play to left [A. Woods scored,
Fairly out at second (left to second)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Blue Jays 3, Yankees 4.

YANKEES 8TH: Chambliss struck out; Piniella made an out to
catcher; White singled to left; Randolph flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Blue Jays 3, Yankees 4.

BLUE JAYS 9TH: G. Woods singled to right; Bowling flied out to
left; RADER BATTED FOR ASHBY; Rader made an out to second; VELEZ
BATTED FOR NORDBROOK; Velez flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Blue Jays 3, Yankees 4.