August 24, 1969, Philadelphia: Phillies 6, Padres 4 (box score)
The Padres, who had lost the first two of a three-game series in Philly, sent Tommie Sisk out to the mound for the finale on a Sunday afternoon. Sisk entered the contest with an 0-7 record, so he didn’t fit the classic definition of “stopper,” but maybe today would be different.
The Phillies countered with left-hander Woodie Fryman. In his last start against the Padres, on June 15, Fryman had recorded a season-high 12 strikeouts en route to a 5-4 victory in San Diego.
Philadelphia got to Sisk early in this one. Four batters into the game, he had allowed two singles, a double, a walk, and two runs. Things could have been even worse, but Tony Taylor was gunned down at third on a Larry Hisle base hit for the first out.
One out later, Rick Joseph singled in a third run and Dave Watkins walked. Sisk’s day was done. Dave Roberts came in to get the final out and keep the score 3-0. With Roberts still on the mound, the Phillies added three more in the third to push their lead to 6-0.
San Diego came back the next inning. With one out, Ollie Brown, Al Ferrara, and Nate Colbert each singled to load the bases. Ed Spiezio then drew a walk, scoring Brown for the Padres’ first run.
Cito Gaston’s bloop single to right plated Ferrara to make the score 6-2. Yet another walk, this one to Chris Cannizzaro, cut the deficit to three runs and brought Roberts’ spot to the plate.
Manager Preston Gomez, perhaps sensing opportunity, lifted Roberts for a pinch-hitter. Unfortunately, that hitter was Ramon Pena, who entered the contest with a .238/.281/.294 line and promptly killed the rally by rapping into a 6-4-3 double play.
The Padres scored again in the eighth on a leadoff homer off the bat of Brown, but for the most part Fryman was in control the rest of the way. It may not have been his finest work of the year, but he went the distance and his Phillies again beat the Padres, 6-4.
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