May 9-15, 1977
Games:
May 9: Angels 4 Royals 0
WP: Nolan Ryan (5-2), LP: Dennis Leonard (4-2)
HR: (CAL) Andy Etchebarren (1)
PoG: (CAL) Nolan Ryan pitched a 5 hit shutout allowing 1 walk and 8 strikeouts.
May 10: Angels 2 Royals 0
WP: Wayne Simpson (3-1), LP: Marty Pattin (3-2), SV: Gary Ross (7)
HR: (CAL) Tony Solaita (4)
PoG: (CAL) Wayne Simpson pitched 8.1 innings allowing 0 ER, 2 hits, 6 walks and 3 strikeouts.
May 11: Angels 4 Orioles 0
WP: Frank Tanana (4-3), LP: Dennis Martinez (1-4)
HR: (CAL) Joe Rudi (8)
PoG: (CAL) Frank Tanana pitched a 3 hit shutout allowing 1 walk and 9 strikeouts.
May 12: Orioles 6
Angels 4
WP: Mike Flanagan (4-2), LP: Jesse Jefferson (2-3), SV: Tippy Martinez (8)
PoG: (BAL) Rick Dempsey went 3 for 4 with a triple, run and 3 RBI.
May 13: Angels 7 Yankees 6
WP: Don Kirkwood (3-0), LP: Gil Patterson (1-1)
HR: (CAL) Tony Solaita (5)
PoG: (CAL) Tony Solaita went 1 for 1 with a walk off PH grand slam.
May 14: Angels 6 Yankees 5
WP: Mike Barlow (1-0), LP: Dick Tidrow (1-2)
HR: (NYY) Chris Chambliss (6), Graig Nettles (8), (CAL) Don Baylor (12), Bobby Bonds (1), Joe Rudi (9)
PoG: (NYY) Chris Chambliss went 2 for 4 with a homer, run and 2 RBI.
May 15: Angels 4 Yankees 2
WP: Wayne Simpson (4-1), LP: Dick Tidrow (1-3)
HR: (NYY) Mickey Rivers (1), (CAL) Bobby Bonds (2), Jerry Remy (1)
PoG: (CAL) Wayne Simpson pitched a complete game allowing 2 ER, 9 hits, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.
Players of the Week
AL - MILWAUKEE: LF Von Joshua [29](.327 4-16) went 12 for 27 (.444) with 1 HR and 5 RBI.
NL - PITTSBURGH: LF Bill Robinson [33](.336 6-26) went 13 for 29 (.448) with 2 HR and 9 RBI.
Comments and Team News
On May 9
Nolan Ryan [30](5-2 2.89) shutout the Royals on 5 hits, 1 walk and 8 strikeouts.
During the same game
Don Baylor [27](.282 11-27) took a pitch to the knee and missed three days with a contusion.
On May 11,
Frank Tanana [23](4-3 2.78) shutout the Orioles on 3 hits, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts. Even more impressively, through eight innings Tanana and Baltimore's
Dennis Martinez [21](1-4 3.59) combined to allow only three hits.
Joe Rudi [30](.285 8-28) ended it with a walk off grand slam.
May 12 saw Bonds return, May 13: Baylor.
Tony Solaita [30](.200 5-16) hit a walk off grand slam to win that one.
Bonds saw his average slip to .040, and I was seriously considering demoting him, 'star' or no. He seems to be getting his act together though with two homers in two games. His average has jumped to .132.
After taking two from the first place Royals, splitting with Baltimore then sweeping the Yanks, we're back in first. We're also first in the power rankings, up from 4th. 2-3 are Houston and the Yankees.
League News
Baltimore: LF Pat Kelly [32](.167 1-3) suffered a setback recovering from a sprained wrist and will need another four days.
Boston: C Carlton Fisk [29](.330 9-29) will miss 4 weeks with a strained groin.
Milwaukee: SS Robin Yount [21](.299 2-10) currently enjoys a 20 game hitting streak.
Minnesota: SS Roy Smalley [24](.258 2-8) will be out 5 weeks with a strained shoulder.
Texas: 2B Bump Wills [24](.372 4-24), like Yount, currently enjoys a 20 game hitting streak.
Cincinnati: LF George Foster [28](.281 6-19) will miss 3-4 weeks after fracturing a rib on a defensive play. This is Foster's second injury of the year: He also missed 2-3 weeks of spring training with a sore shoulder.
Pittsburgh: 2B Rennie Stennett [26](.352 1-14) announced he's reupped with the Pirates for a year at $160K. He's currently making $150K.
Standings
| AL West | W | L | PCT | GB |
| California Angels | 24 | 12 | 0.667 | --- |
| Kansas City Royals | 20 | 13 | 0.606 | 2.5 |
| Oakland Athletics | 18 | 15 | 0.545 | 4.5 |
| Texas Rangers | 18 | 15 | 0.545 | 4.5 |
| Chicago White Sox | 15 | 18 | 0.455 | 7.5 |
| Seattle Mariners | 17 | 21 | 0.447 | 8 |
| Minnesota Twins | 14 | 19 | 0.424 | 8.5 |