[1][2][3] New York played home games at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx and was managed by Billy Martin, Dick Howser, and Bob Lemon.
[8] In 35 starts in the regular season (including the playoff game), he pitched 273+2⁄3 innings, compiled a 25–3 record with 248 strikeouts, 1.74 ERA, and nine shutouts.
[13][14][15] The Yankees traveled to Fenway Park and defeated the Red Sox 5–4 in the one-game playoff for the AL East title; the Monday afternoon game featured light-hitting shortstop Bucky Dent's famous three-run go-ahead home run in the seventh inning.
[18][19] The previous weekend, the Yankees swept a four-game series at Fenway, dubbed "The Boston Massacre" by the sports press;[20] it left the teams tied at 86–56 (.606) with three weeks remaining.
Infielders Other batters Coaches The defending World Series champions got off to a slow start in 1978, prompting owner George Steinbrenner to put pressure on manager Billy Martin.
With the score tied in the bottom of the tenth inning and Thurman Munson on first, Martin sent Jackson to the plate with orders to lay down a sacrifice bunt.
Martin then removed Jackson from the game and suspended him (owner Steinbrenner limited it to five days, Tuesday through Saturday), but Kansas City won in eleven innings and swept the three-game series.
[29][30] Jackson returned to the team in Chicago on Sunday, July 23; he did not take batting practice and remained on the bench as the Yankees swept the White Sox for their fifth consecutive win.
The next day in Kansas City, Martin appeared on live television and tearfully announced his resignation as Yankees manager,[32][33][34][35][36] but most sources believed he was actually fired by Steinbrenner for the "convicted" comment.
In his first appearance since the bunting incident ten days earlier, Jackson started in right field on Thursday, July 27, and went three-for-three, with a home run, a walk, and three RBI.