August 16, 1969, New York: Mets 2, Padres 0 (box score); Mets 2, Padres 1 (box score)
What could be better than playing a doubleheader after two off days? Why, facing Tom Seaver in the first game, of course.
Tommie Sisk threw one of his better games for San Diego, allowing just two runs over six innings. Unfortunately, against Seaver and the Mets, that was two runs too many.
The Mets scored their first run in the fifth on singles by Bud Harrelson and Tommie Agee, wrapped around a Seaver sacrifice bunt. Two innings later, light-hitting third baseman Bobby Pfeil singled home Jerry Grote to cap the scoring.
Seaver limited the Padres to three singles and a Larry Stahl double over eight innings en route his 17th victory of the season, with Ron Taylor working a perfect ninth for his 11th save. Sisk took the loss, dropping to 0-7.
The second game featured Dick Kelley and right-hander Jim McAndrew. Again, the Mets scored just two runs, and again, that was enough for a win.
The Padres took an early lead on a two-out solo homer off the bat of Stahl in the second. After that, they got just one runner as far as second base.
The Mets, meanwhile, tied the score on a leadoff home run by Cleon Jones in the fourth. They took the lead in the seventh thanks to the fielding of reliever Gary Ross, who, despite not allowing any of the four batters he faced to hit the ball out of the infield, surrendered an unearned run and took the loss, dropping him to 1-10 on the year.
San Diego’s record now stood at 35-83. They had fallen 31 games back of first-place Cincinnati, and an almost unfathomable 28 games behind the next closest team in their division. Assuming the Houston Astros could win 39% of their remaining games, the Padres were assured of finishing in last place.
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