September 18, 1969, San Diego: Padres 7, Reds 1 (box score)

Here’s the danger of small sample sizes, as illustrated by Jose Arcia. We’ve established that the guy couldn’t hit a lick, and yet, over a four-game period in mid-September, he went 9-for-18 with four doubles. In this one, Arcia collected four hits en route to a Padres win over Cincinnati.

Starters Clay Kirby and Jim Maloney kept the game scoreless until the fourth. Then the Reds parlayed four singles into a run, driven in by none other than Maloney. With the bases still loaded, Kirby retired Bobby Tolan and Alex Johnson to limit the damage.

San Diego scored its first run in the bottom half. Arcia led off with a double to left. After a Roberto Pena grounder moved him to third, another double by Ollie Brown brought Arcia home.

The next inning, the Padres had some fun. Jerry Morales walked to start the fifth but was promptly caught stealing. Cito Gaston struck out, and a once-promising rally appeared to be dead.

The home team had other ideas. Chris Cannizzaro singled and Kirby walked. Arcia’s second double plated Cannizzaro, and then Pena, Brown, Nate Colbert, and Ed Spiezio all singled to make the score 5-1. A bases-loaded walk to Morales and a passed ball made it 7-1 before Gaston struck out again to end the frame.

From there, the game was in Kirby’s capable hands. The rookie right-hander went the distance, allowing just the one run on nine hits. He walked three and fanned seven to improve his record to 6-19 on the season.

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