1977 ALCS G5 • New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals - Radio Broadcast
The decisive Game 5 of the 1977 American League Championship Series featured the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals at Royals Stadium. The Yankees were on the brink of another World Series appearance under the leadership of manager Billy Martin, while the Royals, managed by Whitey Herzog, were determined to break through to their first-ever World Series. The Yankees sent left-hander Ron Guidry to the mound, who had been reliable throughout the season, while Kansas City countered with their veteran southpaw Paul Splittorff. Both teams were in fine form, with Kansas City relying heavily on George Brett and Hal McRae, and New York banking on their power-laden lineup, led by Thurman Munson and Reggie Jackson.
The Royals took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, courtesy of a triple by George Brett that scored Hal McRae. Kansas City added another run in the third, with Al Cowens driving in McRae to make it 3-1. The Yankees battled back, with a key RBI single from Thurman Munson in the third inning and a clutch RBI from Reggie Jackson in the eighth inning to close the gap to 3-2. In the ninth inning, New York rallied for three runs, capitalizing on a defensive error by Brett and a critical single from Mickey Rivers. Sparky Lyle came in to shut down Kansas City's final attempts, and the Yankees secured the victory to advance to the World Series.
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