Sparky Lyle finished four 1977 playoff games in five days: 9 innings, 2 wins.

Sparky Lyle won the American League Cy Young award in 1977, pitching 137 innings, about twice what Mariano Rivera typically pitched.

Game log:

Lyle finished three games in 1977 pitching at least five innings: 6.66, 5.66, 5.  In those Lyle entered in innings 9,7,7.

1977 League Championship Series (3-2): New York Yankees (100-62) over Kansas City Royals (102-60)

Lyle finished 4 of 5 games in 5 days.
1. Entered in 9th down 7-2.  What the heck?  Faced and retired only one batter in New York.
2. Ron Guidry pitched a complete game victory 6-2 in New York.
3. 2.33 innings.  Yanks down 6-1.  Yanks lost 6-2 in Kansas City.  What the heck?
4. 5.33.  Yanks up 5-4.  Yanks won 6-4 in Kansas City.
5. 1.33.  Yanks down 3-2.  Yanks won on 5-3 in Kansas City.

Lyle pitched 9.33 innings in five days and won games 4 and 5.

Yankee manager Billy Martin used and abused Lyle in a way that is unimaginable today.

This series against Kansas City is a forgotten gem even among Yankee fans.  Game five featured heroics by Reggie Jackson, Roy White and Paul Blair.  Martin had benched Jackson in game five because Reggie was not hitting.  Martin knew that move would get him fired if the Yankees lost game five.

With the Yanks trailing 3-1 in the 8th Jackson pinch hit for DH Cliff Johnson and singled in Willie Randolph.

Down 3-2 the Yanks rallied in the top of the ninth and scored three runs.

Blair singled having started in place of Jackson in right field.
White walked.
Mickey Rivers singled in Blair.  Tie game.
Randolph lined a sacrifice fly to center scoring White.  Yanks lead.
Thurman Munson gounded out to short.
Lou Piniella reached on an error by George Brett scoring Rivers with an insurance run.
Jackson grounded out to third.

Then Lyle held one last time.  Yanks won 5-3.

The Yankees went on to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

1977 World Series (4-2): New York Yankees (100-62) over Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64)

Two days after the end of the Kansas City series Lyle relieved starter Don Gullett in Yankee Stadium in game one in the 9th inning with one out and runners on first and second, Yanks leading 3-2.  Lyle allowed a single to Lee Lacey that drove in Dusty Baker with the tieing run.  Lyle then held the Dodgers through the top of the 12th.  In the Yankee 12th Randolph doubled, Munson was walked intentionally and Blair, who had replaced Jackson in right in the ninth, singled in Randolph.  Lyle was the winning pitcher going another 3.66 innings.

That made it 13 innings finishing five games in seven days.

Lyle made his final appearance of 1977 in game two the next day.  With the Yanks trailing 5-1 Billy Martin brought in Lyle to start the 9th.  Steve Garvey was the first Dodger up and he homered.  Lyle then retired the next three but the Yankees lost 6-1.

What the heck was Martin thinking?  Lyle had 14 innings finishing six games in eight days.

In Los Angeles:
3. Yankees won 5-3; Mike Torres pitched a complete game victory
4. Yankees won 4-2; Guidry pitched a complete game victory
5. Dodgers won 10-4; Don Sutton pitched a complete game victory; Munson and Jackson homered back-to-back in their final times up.

Yankee Stadium:
6. Yankees won 8-4; Mike Torres pitched a complete game victory; Jackson walked then homered in his final three times up.  I attended.

Billy Martin never liked Reggie Jackson more than he did after that game.

Billy didn't seem to need Lyle after game two.  We can only wonder if Lyle had anything more to give.