June 10, 1969, San Diego: Expos 7, Padres 4 (box score)
A season-low “crowd” of 3,194 gathered to witness the Montreal Expos’ first ever game in San Diego. Rookie right-hander Mike Wegener, who had yielded two unearned runs over nine innings against the Padres in Montreal 11 days earlier, got the call for the visitors. San Diego countered with Clay Kirby.
Down 1-0 headed to the bottom of the second, the home team flashed a rare power display. Nate Colbert led off with a home run. Then, after an Al Ferrara walk, Ed Spiezio knocked one out of the park to put the Padres up, 3-1. The next two batters reached base, but Wegener recovered to escape further damage.
In the fifth, still holding a two-run advantage, Kirby coughed up the lead. With one out, Rusty Staub knocked a double. Mack Jones followed with a homer to tie the game. After Ty Cline walked and Coco Laboy doubled, Kirby was yanked in favor of Gary Ross.
Ross, unfortunately, couldn’t find the plate. He intentionally walked Gary Sutherland to load the bases for light-hitting catcher Ron Brand. An unintentional walk to Brand forced home a run and gave the Expos a 4-3 lead.
The Padres came back, though. Spiezio led off the sixth with his second home run of the game to re-tie the score.
The score remained even until the eighth inning. With right-hander Gary Waslewski on the mound for Montreal, the Padres put runners at the corners with one out. Rookie left-hander Dan McGinn then came in to face Tony Gonzalez, who drew a walk to load the bases.
Enter 41-year-old Roy Face. A dominant reliever in the late-’50s and early-’60s, Face was on his last legs by the time he got to Montreal. On this day, though, those legs would be plenty strong to do the job. Face retired Roberto Pena on a ground out and John Sipin on an infield fly to end the threat.
Jack Baldschun and the Padres weren’t so lucky in the top of the ninth. With two out and nobody on, Baldschun issued a walk to Brand (his third of the contest). Three batters later, three runs had scored. Only a Maury Wills caught stealing with Staub at the plate brought the inning to a close.
The Padres managed a couple of singles around a double play in their half but came up empty. They had dropped their fourth straight and first ever to the Expos.