May 11, 1969, St. Louis: Padres 4, Cardinals 2 (box score)
The Padres concluded their three-game set at Busch Stadium by sending Clay Kirby to the mound. The Cardinals countered with ex-Padre Dave Giusti.
Ex-Padre? Yes, that’s right; San Diego had selected Giusti from the Cardinals with the third pick in the 1968 expansion draft. Less than two months later, the Padres returned him to St. Louis in exchange for third baseman Ed Spiezio and spare parts.
The Cardinals jumped on Kirby early. With one out in the first, Julian Javier tripled to left. Lou Brock, batting third in Red Schoendienst’s lineup, followed with a single to give the home team a 1-0 lead. Brock then stole second, but neither Joe Torre nor Mike Shannon could get the ball out of the infield and the Cardinals were retired without doing further damage.
St. Louis added a second run in the fifth on a one-out single by Flood that scored Dal Maxvill. Meanwhile, Giusti stymied the Padres and the score remained 2-0 headed to the top of the seventh inning.
Then the Padres finally broke through. Ollie Brown led off the inning with a single to left. Nate Colbert followed with a game-tying home run, his sixth of the season. Giusti allowed two more singles but San Diego couldn’t capitalize.
After an uneventful eighth, Brown led off the ninth with a single to center. Colbert popped to second and Spiezio singled to center. With two on and two out, Chris Cannizzaro stepped to the plate and whacked a double to left, scoring both runners and giving the Padres a 4-2 lead.
Then, in a move that probably wouldn’t happen today, reliever Jack Baldschun batted for himself and struck out to end the frame. Baldschun had come in with one out in the eighth and now was in line for the victory.
The Cardinals, though, weren’t ready to go just yet. In the bottom of the ninth, they put runners on first and second with one out. Baldschun then got pinch-hitter Bob Johnson to ground to second baseman Jerry DaVanon for the second out. With Curt Flood due up, Preston Gomez brought in Tommie Sisk, who retired Flood on a line drive back to the box to end the game and preserve Baldschun’s fourth victory in as many decisions.
The Padres had taken the series in St. Louis and improved their record to 15-18. Next up, a trip to the Windy City for three games at Wrigley Field.
Elsewhere in the world: A plutonium fire broke out at the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant near Denver.
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