IN THE NEWS: The Dodgers retire former manager Walt Alston's uniform, #24, on Old-Timer's Day. Doug Rau then pitches the current Dodgers to a 4–2 win over the Padres.
IN THE NEWS: The White Sox select Harold Baines with the number-one pick in the draft. Bill Veeck had first seen Baines play Little League ball and had followed his career. P Bill Gullickson was taken with the 2nd pick by the Expos, and Milwaukee takes University of Minnesota infielder Paul Molitor with the 3rd pick. Danny Ainge, a potential pro basketball player, is picked in the 15th round. The Reds come up empty with the 8th pick in round 1, picking prep 3B Ted Venger.
IN THE NEWS: Nolan Ryan notches his 4th career 19-strikeout game, hurling the first 10 innings of a game against Toronto. Ryan has struck out 11 or more in five straight games, and will notch 10 and 14 in his next two starts, a record of 10+ strikeouts in seven straight games. For the record (as noted by Scott Flatow): May 19 vs. Minnesota—12 K in nine innings; May 24 vs. Detroit—12 K in nine innings; May 29 vs. Toronto—12K in nine innings; June six vs. Detroit—11 K in 7.2 innings; June eight vs. Toronto—19 K in 10 innings; June 12 vs. Cleveland—10K in 6.2 innings; June 16 vs. Minnesota—14K in 8.2 innings.
On the strength of a 9–2 victory by Mike Torrez over the Brewers, the Yankees move into first place.
IN THE NEWS: The Red Sox sweep their first doubleheader in two years, beating Texas 3–2 and 2–0, behind Reggie Cleveland and Luis Tiant. The two were the winners of the last twinbill sweep, on September 26, 1975, when Boston clinched a tie for the Eastern title.
IN THE NEWS: At Fenway, pitcher Boston Fergie Jenkins strikes out his 2,397th batter to move ahead of Sandy Koufax on the all-time list. Boston edges the White Sox, 5–4, in 10 innings.
The Reds keep trading today, sending P Gary Nolan to the Angels for INF Craig Henderson. Cincy also swaps P Rawly Eastwick to the Cardinals for P Doug Capilla. Then, a fine trade for the Brewers, Milwaukee snag P Mike Caldwell from the Reds for P Dick O'Keeffe and infielder Garry Pyka. Caldwell has had trouble regaining his form following arm surgery, but in 1978 he will be the American League's comeback player of the year. In a final deal, the Reds acquire infielder Rick Auerbach from the Texas Rangers.
IN THE NEWS: At Boston, the Sox jump on Yankee starter Catfish Hunter for four first-inning homers as Rick Burleson and Fred Lynn hit leadoff homers and Carlton Fisk, and George Scott follow suit later in the inning. Boston adds another homer enroute to an 11–1 win.
IN THE NEWS: New York's Reggie Jackson loafs after a Jim Rice bloop double during a 10–4 loss to Boston and is taken out by manager Billy Martin right after the manager removes starter Mike Torrez. Jackson and Martin nearly come to blows in the dugout as national television cameras watch. Boston connects for five homers in the game, two each by Carl Yastrzemski and Bernie Carbo. Fenway Park sees the largest Saturday afternoon crowd (34,603) in 20 years.
In his debut in a Reds uniform, Tom Seaver fires a 3-hit shutout as the Reds beat the Expos, 6–0.
At Fenway, Yankee pitchers help put the Red Sox in the record books when they serve up five gopher balls (Doyle, Carbo, Rice, Yaz, Scott) in an 11–1 pasting for the 3rd loss in a row. Yastrzemski's homer, served up by Dick Tidrow, is a towering drive down the RF line off the RF facade (to the right of the retired #'s) the only player to ever reach that height. No one else has ever come close to duplicating that feat. The Bosox hit a record 16 homers in three victories over the Yankees (six on the 17th; five on the 18th) It wasn't the wind, as New York goes homerless in the series.
IN THE NEWS: Rick Wise shuts out the O's, striking out 10 batters and allowing two hits, to win, 4–0. Butch Hobson homers for Boston, their 22nd home run in six games.
Reds pitcher Paul Moskau homers on his 2nd ML at bat, but gives up four runs in 4+ innings. The Reds prevail over the Phillies, 10–5, at Veterans Stadium.
IN THE NEWS: It's not a good year for Texas manager Frank Lucchesi, as Eddie Stanky takes over, leading the club to a 10–8 triumph over the Twins. The next day, the "homesick" Stanky will resign.
It's not easy but the Yankees stop their 5-game losing streak with a 12–11 win over Detroit. The Yankees are led by Graig Nettles, with a three run homer, and Reggie Jackson, who belts a 2-run triple.
The Red Sox bang five homers (Scott, Rice, Fisk 2, Hobson), all off Jim Palmer, to beat Baltimore, 5–4. The Sox have now won 12 of their last 13 games and set homer records for eight games (29), seven games (26), and six games (24). The Sox reach 100 homers, the earliest they ever have.
The Phillies outslug the Reds, 15–9, at Vets Stadium. Joel Hoerner makes his debut with the Reds, handing out an intentional walk and then a grand slam to Larry Bowa.
IN THE NEWS: At Baltimore, Boston wins their 7th game in a row, defeating the Orioles, 7–3. Butch Hobson's homer gives the Sox a major-league record 30 homers in nine games.
IN THE NEWS: Before 54,940 at Yankee Stadium, Roy White launches a dramatic 2-out 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th to give the Yanks a 5–5 tie with the Red Sox, and New York scores in the next inning on Reggie Jackson bases-loaded single to win, 6–5. White's key hit comes after Bill Campbell retires the first two Yankees in the 9th and then Willie Randolph triples to bring up Murcer. Sparky Lyle picks up the win, handing Boston their 1st loss in eight games. With homers from Yaz, Hobson and George Scott, the Sox set a major-league record of 33 homers in 10 games.
At Minnesota, Chicago's Ralph Garr hits a three-run homer in the 3rd, but Jim Essian, the base runner on 1B, watches the ball to see if it will be caught and Garr passes him. Garr gets a single and two RBIs. Minnesota still wins, 7–6.
Bob Watson hits for the cycle to lead Houston to a 6–5 win over the SF Giants. Joe Sambito is the winning pitcher.
IN THE NEWS: Mike Torrez outduels Luis Tiant to give the Yankees a 5–1 win over the Red Sox. Greg Nettles 3-run homer is the big blow. New York now trails the Sox by three games.
At Old-Timers Day in Chicago, the Cubs score four in the 9th inning to edge the Mets, 5–4. Larry Biittner doubles in two runs, and Bill Buckner's wind-blown fly eludes two outfielders for a 3rd double in the frame. With the sack full, Manny Trillo's hits a grounder to 3B and beats out the attempted DP for the winner.
IN THE NEWS: On Jersey Day in Minnesota, every fan receives a jersey with #29 on it, Rod Carew's number. Rod Carew responds by going 4-for-5, scoring four runs, and raising his average to .403. one of the hits is a grand slam and he will hit another slam on July 4. Teammate Glenn Adams drives in eight as the Twins beat the White Sox 19–12.
In front of 55,039 fans, the Yankees complete a 3-game sweep of the Red Sox, avenging the three losses last week to the Sox at Fenway. New York takes 4–1 lead into the 9th, but the Sox tie the game. In the bottom of the 9th, Paul Blair bounces a bases-loaded ball over the head of Butch Hobson at 3B to pin the loss on reliever Bill Campbell.
In a sweep of Texas, both by 4–3 scores, Angels 2B Jerry Remy has 26 chances, an American League record (4PO, 12A in 11 inning, game 1: five PO, 5A in g2). This comes two days after 2B Don Money ties the AL mark with 12 assists.
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