Our celebration of Randy Johnson's 300th win continues with Part II. If you remember Part I that went up just a few hours ago, we had some quick biographies of the 24 members of the 300 win club. However, Randy Johnson is the central figure of the festivities and he will get a full biography in this post. I wrote a short biography back in 2009 (if you can call 7,000 words short), but there were a lot of elements of his life that I glossed over. I'm going to try to get into more depth in this one. And to add more excitement I'm planning on writing 300 words about each of his wins! I'll probably come to regret it by the time I'm done, but this is a big celebration!
Part I: The 300 Win Club
Part II: The Player (you are here)
Part III: The Game
Part IV: The Other Games
Part V: The Future (of the 300 Win Club)
The twenty-three pitchers that have won 300 games from 1888 through 2007 (that we profiled in Part I) cannot be easily classified in one category. There are those that had lived their careers as flamethrowers, striking out batters with high velocity, but more often the pitchers had to survive on guile, and even the strikeout pitchers have had to develop successful secondary pitches to maintain their success. There have been those that made their debut at the age of 20 and won the majority of their games before turning 30, but more often they get their start when they're closer or even past the age of 25, and maintain their success with remarkable consistency. There were those that missed significant time due to injury or even war, but more often than not they spend their careers free of injuries or any other serious time.
The 24th pitcher to reach the 300-win milestone is just as hardy as the others. Randall David Johnson had broken a Major League record even before throwing his first pitch, but nobody was thinking of a future where he would win 300 games. He had an electric fastball, which was actually quite rare for somebody with his height, but with a 6'10" frame he had difficulty with his mechanics and that led to poor control of his pitches. It would take a fellow 300-game winner to give him the advice he needed to smooth out his mechanics and become one of the most dominant and intimidating pitchers in the game. Even then he had to deal with back and knee issues that led him to miss most of three seasons. Even as he overcame these injuries and established himself as one of the best pitchers in the game, there were doubts that he could get to that 300-win plateau. These doubts would persist practically to the moment the last out was made in that milestone win. It was a long and arduous journey, one that began decades before his first pitch with the Montreal Expos.
Early Life (1963-1982)
It was to the East Bay where Rollen "Bud" Johnson and his wife Carol moved from Duluth, Minnesota. Rollen was a 6'6", tough-as-nails police officer who was the son of a Swedish immigrant. He had served in the Army in World War II where he had earned the rank of a sergeant. He married his wife Carol a few years after the war ended, and began to raise his family. He had five children when the family made the move from Minnesota to California, and his wife was pregnant with his sixth. They were in Walnut Creek when Bud's youngest son was born, on September 10, 1963. He was given the name Randall David.
By the time young Randy was young enough to get interested in sports, the Johnsons had moved to nearby Livermore, in the Tri-Valley region. The Kansas City Athletics had moved to Oakland in 1968, when Randy was only four years old, and they became contenders almost immediately. They were in second place in 1969 and 1970 before storming to an AL West title in 1971. Their star on that 1971 team was Vida Blue, the ace left-hander who won 24 games, posted a 1.82 ERA and struck out 301 batters on his way to the Cy Young and MVP. Seven-year-old Randy didn't care about those numbers. He had taken to throwing left-handed, and was glad to have another southpaw to emulate. He would stand in the driveway of their home and repeatedly throw tennis balls against the garage door. His arm strength eventually developed to the point where his throws would knock the nails loose. Initially his father Bud hammered them back in, but later left young Randy the hammer and told him to nail them in by himself. Bud would also play catch with his son, but Randy's long limbs made it difficult to control his throws, and he would frequently throw the ball over his father's head. It got to the point where Bud made Randy retrieve the balls that got away.
Randy started in Little League baseball when he was seven years old. He almost missed his first practice because he was expected to go on his own when his parents were at work. He was overwhelmed by the amount of people present, and had to wait until his mother came home from her job before his baseball career officially began. Randy soon made an impression on the baseball field. His repeated throws against the garage door allowed him to throw faster, and he stood a head higher than his teammates. He had already hit six feet by the time he was ready to graduate to Babe Ruth league at age 11. Besides baseball he also played soccer and football, and when he entered Livermore High at the age of 14 he picked up basketball, but baseball was his primary focus.
Besides sports, Randy discovered another interest while he was in high school: photography. His growth spurt continued while he was in middle school, and he stood at 6'8" by the time he was a high school freshman. His height made him a target while playing in Babe Ruth and American Legion ball, where he was taunted with names such as "Big Bird" or "Ichabod Crane." Even in day to day life people would stop and stare at him or ask him one of the tall jokes. Photography gave Randy a chance where he can view the world on his own terms, rather than the other way around.
Meanwhile, Randy continued his pitching style of terrifying velocity mixed with difficulties with control. He made the junior varsity baseball team in his freshman year and was on the varsity team the next three years. He was the team's primary pitcher, although he played a little bit of center field his senior year. Besides playing during the school year, Randy also took part in elite All-Star teams ran by Bercovich during the summer that also featured several other future Major Leaguers. His power potential became tantalizing for scouts as he neared his high school graduation. His statistics included over 121 strikeouts in 65.1 innings, an average of almost two strikeouts an inning. He gave them the biggest taste of what things would be like if he could hit the strike zone consistently in his final start for Livermore. On May 7, 1982 (only a day after Gaylord Perry won his 300th game), Randy started against rival Dublin. He ended up throwing a perfect game.
Randy figured that he would get drafted from all of the scouts that watched each of his games. That came to fruition when the Atlanta Braves picked him in the fourth round as the 89th overall pick. He was the first player to be drafted out of Livermore High in almost a decade. The Atlanta Braves were in the midst of their most successful season in a decade, one that would see them win the NL West, but they had a scrappy rotation highlighted by future 300-game winner Phil Niekro. However, Randy had already discussed things with his family and his coach, and he decided he wasn't ready for professional baseball. He was hoping to attend a college and get some additional training in his mechanics. Randy had gotten his fair share of scholarships including the University of Oklahoma, University of Hawaii, and St. Mary's College in nearby Moraga. He had also gotten a partial dual baseball/basketball scholarship from the University of South California, whose baseball program was by the legendary coach Rod Dedeaux and whose alumni include future 300-game winner Tom Seaver. Randy was just about ready to commit with the University of Hawaii, but his high school baseball coach Eric Hoff pulled some strings and gotten the USC scholarship upgraded to a full scholarship. With the full ride in the bag, Randy would become a Trojan.
USC (1982-1985)
USC's baseball program was legendary. They had won the College World Series 11 times by Randy's arrival, by far the most by any team, including a five-year streak from 1970-1974. However, they were in a bit of a slump since their last championship in 1978, having missed the NCAA tournament in each of the three succeeding years. Randy would join a pitching staff that included a sophomore from nearby La Verne by the name of Mark McGwire, and one of his catchers would be another sophomore named Jack Del Rio, who also played football for the Trojans. Randy spent most of the season as a reliever, making only four starts. He did well in the role, going 5-0 with three saves, but he continued to struggle with his control, walking 32 batters against 34 strikeouts in 47 innings. He kept the teams loose with his enthusiasm and shenanigans. He became somewhat of a class clown in high school, possibly a reaction to the attention he gets for his height, and kept it up in college. He also gained somewhat of a reputation of an airhead. In one game where he came in with a runner on third, but wanted to pitch out of the stretch because he mistook the opposing first base coach for another runner. Alas even with Randy's spirit, the Trojans missed the NCAA tournament again.
Hopes were high for USC in 1984. McGwire had transitioned out of the rotation and into a power-hitting first baseman, so a larger bulk of the pitching had fallen on Randy. He still pitched in relief, but he made a total of twelve starts. He went 5-3 with a decent 3.35 ERA and had two saves out of the bullpen. More importantly, he pitched 78 innings and walked only 52 batters, a slight improvement from the year before, and he kept his strikeout totals up at 73. USC made the NCAA tournament this time, but they were bounced early on, losing both games in the double-elimination tournament. Nevertheless, Dedeaux was tabbed to be the coach for the USA baseball team for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where baseball was to debut as a demonstration sport. Dedeaux was thinking of including his southpaw as the sole left-hander on the team, but ultimately cut Randy, going with an all-right-handed pitching staff. Instead Randy was given a less glamorous but ultimately more rewarding assignment: going up to Alaska to play in the Alaskan Summer League. Randy joined the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, where he spent the summer honing his skills as a starting pitcher and picking up a new nickname: "Giraffe."
Expectations were high going into the 1985 season. Baseball America ranked him as the fourth best college pitcher in baseball prior to the season. However, the entire season ended up being a disaster. Randy's workload increased to 19 starts, but most of them were disastrous. He set a school record with 104 walks in 118 and 1/3 innings, as he put up a 6-9 record with an ERA over 5.00. USC sank to a 22-44 record that was their worst since 1917, when the team was made up of primarily law students. Randy became eligible for the draft again, but after a season like that he figured there wouldn't be much interest in him. He made preparations to come back for a solid senior year and finish up his degree. However, he would have been wrong about there being no professional teams being interested in him. While there were scouts at almost every USC game, there were a few scouts who were there specifically to watch Randy Johnson pitch. Bob Fontaine was scout supervisor of the Southern California region for the Montreal Expos. The Expos had been trying but failing to get back into the playoffs since their appearance in the split-season post-season of 1981, and needed some young pitching, especially after the retirement of their longtime staff ace Steve Rogers in 1984. Fontaine was struck by Randy's power potential, and he and his team of scouts were there for his every game. When the 1985 draft came, the Expos drafted Oklahoma State slugger Pete Incaviglia in the first round, and then in the second round, with the 36th overall pick, the Expos drafted Randy Johnson out of the University of Southern California.
Randy was probably surprised to be drafted so high. However, he also knew he had been at USC for three years and his control was no better than it had been back when he was at Livermore . He was glad that there was a team that had enough faith in him to draft him in the second round, and he hoped that he could get the dedicated training in the professional ranks. So when Fontaine and scout Cliff Ditto came to him with a $64,000 bonus contract shortly after the draft on June 9, 1985, Randy signed it and officially became a professional baseball player.
Minors (1985-1988)
The Expos thought he had pitched well enough in the instructional leagues they assigned him to their A-level team at West Palm Beach. He became one of the starters for the West Palm Beach Expos, leading the team with 26 starts. He continued to struggle with his control, leading the entire Florida State League with 94 walks in 119 and 2/3 innings. However, he was able to harness his fastball and increased his strikeouts to 133, second in the league. When all was said and done he had gone 8-7 with a 3.16 ERA, and the Expos won their division.
After another off-season in the instructional league, Randy was invited to big league camp in 1987, where his most significant contribution was providing a funny story when he didn't recognize the name Hank Aaron. He was eventually reassigned to Class AA Jacksonville. It was there that he met with a mentor that would have a profound impact on his career, pitching coach Joe Kerrigan. Randy had the power fastball, but he lacked maturity. He still carried the goofball persona that he had with him at USC, and he was also known to lose his temper when things didn't go his way. Kerrigan taught him the importance of controlling his emotions, and also to use his body language to intimidate hitters. With Kerrigan's guidance Randy was able to pitch deeper into games. In the past he would lose his velocity quickly as he lost focus on the mound, but by keeping his cool he was able to take control of his mechanics and keep his velocity up late in the game. He pitched 140 innings in only 24 starts while at Jacksonville. His control left a lot to be desired, as he walked 128 batters, but his strikeouts went up as well to 163. He went 11-8 with a 3.73 ERA, and the Expos won their division as well.
In 1988 Randy advanced one more time to the AAA Indianapolis Indians, just one step away from the Major Leagues. He was delighted to be reunited with his pitching coach Kerrigan. He knew that with a strong start he stood a good chance of getting a Major League call-up. This seemed even more likely when the big league Expos suffered from some injuries to their pitching staff. When Randy made a start against the Richmond Braves on June 14, he knew that there were members of the Major League staff on hand to watch him pitch, and he knew that Expos starter Pascual Perez was down with an injury. During the game, Braves shortstop Jeff Blauser lined a comebacker back to the mound. Randy tried to make the play, but it hit his left wrist. The trainer came out and after a quick examination recommended that Randy get taken out of the game. Randy was frustrated his career might be coming to a close when he was so close to the big leagues, and punched a bat rack out of anger with his right hand on his way to the dugout. After the game, X-rays showed only a bruise but no break on his left wrist, but he had suffered a fracture of his fifth metacarpal bone in his right hand from punching the bat rack. Instead of getting a Major League call-up, Randy would be on the disabled list for weeks.
Since he broke his non-pitching hand, Randy was able to stay sharp by pitching simulated games while convalescing. He was also able to take part in some charity golf tournaments, during one of which he met a photo shop manager named Lisa Wiehoff. The two kept in touch, but nothing more came out of the meeting. Randy was eventually able to return to Indianapolis, when he went 8-7 with a 3.26 ERA and struck out 111 batters in 113 and 1/3 innings, but with 72 walks. He celebrated his 25th birthday on September 10, and then he got a call that he had been waiting for three days later. Expos staff ace Dennis Martinez had to miss a start due to a tender finger in his pitching hand, and the team needed somebody to pitch. With the rosters expanded in the final month of the season, Randy would finally be making the Major Leagues.
1988
Randy continued with the team as it finished out the season. He was supposed to start against the Cubs' 6'7" pitcher Rick Sutcliffe in Wrigley Field to form the tallest set of opposing pitchers in history, but the game was rained out and Randy had to settle for the 6'5" Calvin Schiraldi instead in the double-header the following day. Randy pitched well against the Cubs in Chicago and then again at Montreal. He got through six innings without walking a batter in his final start against the Philadelphia Phillies, although the Expos wound up losing. The 1988 season was somewhat of a lost season for the Expos, as they finished in third with a 81-81 record, 20 games behind the division-winning New York Mets. It was still a good season for Randy. Even with his self-inflicted hand injury he still made four starts in the big leagues, and showed his potential, going 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 26 innings against only seven walks. He returned to Livermore and his new girlfriend Laurel feeling good about where things were going.
The Wins of 1988
1. Expos 9, Pirates 4
September 15, 1988
Stade Olympique
Montreal, Quebec
Losing Pitcher: Dave LaPoint
5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 5 K
Randy Johnson made his Major League debut in the second game of a two-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was less than sharp, walking Gary Redus in the first with two outs then allowing a double to Bobby Bonilla, but Redus was cut down at home on a strong throw by Hubie Brooks. Randy allowed a home run to Glenn Wilson lead off the second, although he did get his first career strikeout against Orestes Destrade right after that. He got into more trouble in the third when John Cangelosi singled and stole his way to third. Jose Lind hit a comebacker to Randy that he was able to beat out for a single, but Randy was able to look Cangelosi back, then got out of the inning with a strikeout and a fly-out. The Expos gave Randy in the third the lead when Luis Rivera singled with one out. Randy tried to bunt him to second but struck out on a missed bunt. Otis Nixon picked up the rookie by singling, and then Tracy Jones sent both Rivera and Nixon home with a double, then scored on an error. Glenn Wilson brought the Pirates within one in the fourth with his second homer, but the Expos stretched it out again with a leadoff double by Brooks and then a two-out single by Randy's old roommate Rex Hudler. Randy was lifted for pinch-hitter Johnny Paredes having thrown 93 pitches in five innings, but the Expos continued to pound out runs and hold on for a 9-4 victory. Nobody knew it at the time, but Randy would be the first 300-game winner to debut in the 20th century to win his Major League debut. Only Tim Keefe, John Clarkson, Kid Nichols, and Cy Young accomplished that in the 19th century.
2. Expos 9, Cubs 1
September 20, 1988
Wrigley Field
Chicago, Illinois
Losing Pitcher: Calvin Schiraldi
9 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
With his Major League debut out of the way, Randy's next start was against the Cubs in Wrigley Field. He was originally scheduled to start the series opener, but rain pushed him to the second game of a day-night double-header. The Expos lost the first game, but Randy showed off his potential in Chicago in the nightcap. He struck out five in the first three innings with the only baserunner coming on his own throwing error in the third. The Expos took an early lead in the second on three straight singles by Tom Foley, Mike Fitzgerald, and Jeff Huson. Randy got into some trouble in the fourth when Ryne Sandberg singled, then Darrin Jackson did the same after a flyout. The two advanced on a double steal, and after a strikeout Randy walked Manny Trillo to load the bases, but got Rick Wrona to ground out to end the threat. The Expos continued to add runs for Randy. Otis Nixon singled on a bunt in the fifth, then after stealing second, Tracy Jones scored him on a single. Fitzgerald hit a two-run home run in the sixth, and then Jones added a three-run blast in the seventh. The Cubs finally got to Randy in the ninth when Jackson led off with a double for his second hit of the game, and then third baseman Dave Meier singled him home. Randy got the next two batters to fly out. He thought the game was over when Angel Salazar hit a grounder that shortstop Huson, another September call-up, flubbed. Expos manager Buck Rodgers elected to stay with his starter, and Randy rewarded his manager by getting pinch-hitter Jody Davis to fly out for his first Major League complete game. And his 11 strikeouts gave him his first game with double-digit strikeouts.
3. Expos 3, Cubs 2
September 26, 1988
Stade Olympique
Montreal, Quebec
Losing Pitcher: Mike Harkey
6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Randy was hoping to build on his last start when he met the Cubs again. He started out strong, striking out Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace in the first, then watched as the Expos scored a run when Andres Galarraga tripled, then Hubie Brooks followed with a single. Randy's control left him in the second. He walked the dangerous Andre Dawson leading off, and then the not-so-dangerous Vance Law. Darrin Jackson doubled to score Dawson to tie the game, with Law holding at third. Damon Berryhill hit a grounder to third baseman Tim Wallach, who made a heads up play by throwing home to nab Law. However, Randy unleashed a wild pitch to put runners on second and third again, and Jackson scored the go-ahead run when Shawon Dunston grounded out. Randy righted the ship after the second. The Expos tied the game in the fifth. Otis Nixon singled, stole second, then went to third on a groundout by Dave Martinez. Brooks grounded a ball to shortstop Dunston that looked it it would end the inning, but Dunston threw it away and Nixon scored. After a scoreless top of the sixth, the Cubs continued to gift Expos with errors in the bottom of the inning. Fitzgerald walked, but then Harkey made a bad throw on Huson's bunt trying to get pinch-runner Johnny Paredes. Tracy Jones hit for Randy and was able to get the bunt down. Cubs manager Don Zimmer ordered an intentional walk to set up a force at all bases. Martinez seemed to comply by grounding to the sure-handed Gold-Glove winner Sandberg, but Ryno surprisinglycouldn't make a play and Paredes came home with the go-ahead run. The Cubs would threaten in the eighth, but the Expos bullpen shut the door, and Randy picked up his third win.
1989
After a strong spring, Randy was slotted in as the number two starter behind the veteran Nicaraguan Dennis Martinez. He pitched well in his first start, against the same team for which he made his Major League debut the year before, the Pirates. He pitched eight innings and struck out nine, allowing three run, only one of which was earned. Nevertheless he was saddled with the loss when Pittsburgh starter Doug Drabek threw a complete game shutout. While the start seemed to go in line with his performance from the year before, there was a warning sign. Randy walked seven batters, as many as he had in his four 1988 starts combined. And things went downhill fast. In his next three starts he pitched nine and 2/3 innings, going into the sixth inning only once. He allowed 17 hits and walked nine, and struck out only five. He allowed 13 earned runs for an ERA of 12.10. He was dropped from the rotation and made a relief appearance on April 25 against the Cincinnati Reds, throwing one inning with only one hit. He was placed back into the rotation and had one decent start on May 2, but he was blown out again five days later. After seven appearances and six starts, Randy sported a 6.67 ERA and had 26 walks to 26 strikeouts. It was not what the Expos expected from their fireballing prospect.
Randy was sent back down to Indianapolis. He found AAA battles to be more manageable. He made three starts with the Indians, allowing only five runs (four earned) in 18 innings for a 2.00 ERA. He also struck out 17 batters against only nine walks. While Randy was regaining his confidence, the Montreal front office was making sure his days north of the border was numbered. In spite of Randy's troubles, the Expos found themselves within striking distance in a weak National League East. They felt that an ace pitcher could help them get over the top and make the playoffs for the first time since 1981. The one starting pitcher that attracted the most attention was Mark Langston. Langston was the left-handed ace in Seattle, and led the league in strikeouts three times in his five seasons, including as a rookie in 1984. He was also due to become a free agent at the end of the 1989 season, and the chances of him getting an extension was slim. While Mariners owner George Argyros hemmed and hawed about a long-term extension, Seattle general manager Woody Woodward was trying to find takers for the Langston. He had two deals with the New York Mets in the off-season, but they were both rejected by Argyros. Woodward tried a three-team trade with the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves, but Argyros killed that deal as well. When Seattle finally offered a three-year contract extension to Langston he took little time to reject it. Shortly after the rejection, Seattle finalized a trade with the Montreal Expos. The Expos would get Langston, while Seattle would get Gene Harris, Brian Holman, and the man that Sports Illustrated once praised but now called a "space cadet," Randy Johnson.
The sports media tore into Seattle for making the trade when they rejected better options earlier in the season. The three pitchers they got combined for a 2-7 record and a 5.53 in the first two months of 1989. Randy probably wasn't feeling much better. The Seattle Mariners were in their 13th season in the Majors since debuting as an expansion team in 1977. Their best showing came in 1987 when they went 78-84 and finished in fourth place. Their ballpark the Kingdome was a dump and they usually placed near the bottom in league attendance. Still, Randy made the most of his change in environment. Manager Jim Lefebvre inserted Randy into the rotation, and he responded by winning his first three starts, going 20.2 innings and allowing four runs (three earned, for a 1.31 ERA) and 19 strikeouts. He still struggled with his control, walking 10. The league eventually caught up to him as he continued to be plagued by walks, as he went 4-9 in his remaining starts with a 4.98 ERA and 60 walks in 110.1 innings. He was also dealing with some personal issues as well. His relationship with his girlfriend had deteriorated and the two eventually separated. In spite of these personal matters, Randy still showed signs of his power potential. He struck out 12 batters in a start against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 23, and finishing the season with 10 and 11 strikeouts. The Mariners still finished sixth with a 73-89 record. It was not a terrific season, but Randy was starting to gain some confidence in knowing he can get American League hitters out.
The Wins of 1989
4. Mariners 3, Yankees 2
May 30, 1989
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Jimmy Jones
6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
The Mariners gave their new left-hander a start against the New York Yankees, who were uncharacteristically bad in 1989. Randy went to a full count on the first batter he faced as a Mariner, Rickey Henderson, but struck him out swinging. It was a good start in a Seattle uniform. Then touted rookie Ken Griffey Jr. provided the lead in the second by homering on the first pitch thrown by Yankees starter Jimmy Jones. The Mariners followed with two more singles to put runners on the corner, but neither Omar Vizquel nor Harold Reynolds could drive them home. The Yankees tried to rattle the lanky young rookie. Randy allowed a single to Jesse Barfield in the second inning, but Barfield was thrown out trying for a double. Alvaro Espinoza singled in the third, but was caught stealing. New York pulled through in the fourth. Rickey lined a full count single to right. He promptly stole second on Randy's second pitch to Steve Sax. Sax struck out, but Don Mattingly singled and Rickey scored easily. Randy got out of the inning, but he was clearly rattled in the fifth. He loaded the bases on two walks and a single. However, he got Sax to line to third baseman Jim Presley. Briley singled in the sixth, and then Griffey blasted his second home run of the game to give Randy a 3-1 lead. The breathing room was helpful, as Randy walked Barfield, who went to second on a wild pitch, and then scored on a ground-rule double by Don Slaught. That was as close as the Yankees could get. Randy left in favor of Tom Niedenfuer, who shut New York down for two innings. And then closer Mike Schooler came in to get the save and Randy's first win as a Mariner.
5. Mariners 2, Rangers 1
June 4, 1989
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Charlie Hough
7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Randy wanted to build upon the successes of his first start, especially in his first start in the Kingdome, but that required facing the Texas Rangers. The Rangers were normally dismal, but this time they were directly ahead of Seattle in the standings. The Mariners almost gave Randy a lead in the bottom of the first as they loaded the bases against knuckleballer Charlie Hough, but Hough got out of the inning with a strikeout of Jim Presley. The Rangers did the same in the top of the second, but Randy also got out of the jam with a strikeout. Seattle finally took the lead in the fourth on a leadoff home run by Presley. They then got runners on base for the next three innings, and even loaded the bases again in the sixth, but Hough kept the Mariners at bay. The Rangers finally got to Randy in the seventh when Ruben Sierra singled, only the second he's allowed. Randy tried to pick off the baserunner, but threw the ball away to allow Sierra to make it to third. Julio Franco tied the game on a sacrifice fly. The lead only lasted as long as the seventh inning stretch, as rookie Ken Griffey Jr. homered with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Randy left the game in the eighth. He watched as it took a parade of three relievers to finally secure the three outs in the eighth. Manager Jim Lefebvre had to bring in Mike Schooler to get the last out in the eighth. Schooler came back out in the ninth. He allowed a one-out single to catcher Jim Sundberg, but Schooler managed to get the last two outs, ending with a strikeout of pinch-hitter Rick Leach. His four-out save secured the win for Randy.
6. Mariners 3, Indians 1
June 10, 1989
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland, OH
Losing Pitcher: John Farrell
7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
Randy was going for his third consecutive win, but the Mariners themselves had been struggling, getting only one win since Randy's last start six days earlier. Their struggles extended into the first when they got runners to second and third on a walk and an error with two outs, but then Ken Griffey Jr. lined out to end the two-out rally. The Indians took advantage of Randy's wildness to take an early 1-0 lead, when Jerry Browne singled, and then Randy walked the next two hitters with a balk in between. That loaded the bases and allowed Cory Snyder to drive home a run on a sacrifice fly. Randy walked one more batter before getting out of the inning on a strikeout. Randy settled down after that, walking only one more batter and allowing two more hits. Meanwhile the Mariners tied the game in the sixth when Jeffrey Leonard singled with two outs. After Griffey walked, Jim Presley singled to drive in Leonard to tie the game. Henry Cotto gave the Mariners a lead with a leadoff home run in the eighth. Randy pitched into the eighth inning and allowed another leadoff single to Jerry Browne. Randy was able to get two outs on a sacrifice bunt and a flyout, after which manager Jim Lefebvre went with closer Mike Schooler to face the right-handed Indians slugger Joe Carter. Randy had gotten Carter out twice, but Lefebvre wanted Schooler for the platoon advantage. The move worked when Carter popped out. Presley added another insurance run with a homer to lead off the ninth. Schooler got into trouble in the bottom half when he walked two batters with one out, but he struck out pinch-hitter Oddibe McDowell, and got another pinch-hitter in Mark Salas to fly to left to get the win.
7. Mariners 5, Blue Jays 2
July 23, 1989
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Jimmy Key
9 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 12 K
Randy struggled somewhat following his third straight win after the trade. He posted a 4.86 ERA in the six starts right after it and had an 0-2 record. He also walked 20 against only 16 strikeouts. Randy did well in the first two innings of his start against Toronto, allowing a baserunner on a walk that was erased on a double play. The Mariners had a two-out rally in the second when two singles put runners on the corner, but catcher Dave Valle popped out. The Blue Jays scored in the third when Lloyd Moseby hit a leadoff double, and Manny Lee bunted him to third. With two outs, Tony Fernandez singled to drive in the game's first run. The Mariners came back in the bottom half when three straight singles led to one run with runners on first and second. Alvin Davis followed a triple to give the Mariners a 3-1 lead, and Davis himself scored on a Darnell Coles single. The Blue Jays got one more run in the fourth when George Bell walked. Randy had Bell picked off, but an errant throw led to Bell taking third, and he scored on Fred McGriff's sacrifice fly. After that Randy shut the door on the Blue Jays. He ended the inning with a strikeout, then struck out a pair in four of the next five innings. The Mariners were also able to get him an insurance run when light-hitting, slick-fielding rookie shortstop Omar Vizquel hit his first Major League home run in the bottom of the seventh. Randy tied his career high with 11 strikeouts by striking out George Bell in the ninth, and then passed it with a strikeout of McGriff. The next batter didn't strike out, but he grounded out to get Randy the complete game win.
8. Mariners 14, Athletics 6
July 29, 1989
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Oakland, CA
Losing Pitcher: Storm Davis
6 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 5 K
The Mariners were on a four-game losing streak when Randy took his turn pitching to the defending AL Champion Oakland Athletics. Seattle was determined not to let the losing streak hit five, and they came out swinging. The Mariners scored a total of eight runs in the first. Randy was eager not to let the run support go to waste. However, he walked the first batter he faced in the bottom of the first, Rickey Henderson, who had been traded to Oakland. Rickey then stole second and third on consecutive pitches. Then he scored when Carney Lansford hit a comebacker that Randy threw away. Lansford himself stole second and third, but Randy was able to keep him stranded at third with a pair of strikeouts. The Mariners scored two more runs in the third, but Oakland answered in the bottom of the inning. Rickey walked on a full count for the second time, and stole third for a second time. Lansford drove him in again with a double. Randy walked his old USC teammate Mark McGwire but that was all for Oakland that inning. Seattle scored four more times in the fourth inning to make it 14-2. Randy continued to have trouble with Rickey Henderson, walking him in the fifth and the sixth. Both times he stole second, and both times he came around to score. He scored on an error by Presley in the fifth, and on Lansford's second double in the sixth. Randy was finally lifted when he walked McGwire in the seventh, his seventh walk. Bill Swift came in and got a double play. He then pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, allowing only a single to Dave Henderson with two outs in the ninth. It was an ugly game, but Randy came away with the win.
9. Mariners 7, Brewers 3
August 30, 1989
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee, WI
Losing Pitcher: Jeff Peterek
6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 2 K
Randy went on another losing streak, going 0-3 with a 6.26 ERA in the five starts since win against Oakland. The Mariners were also falling apart, putting together a 12-game losing streak that mercifully ended the day before Randy's start. Randy allowed a single to the first batter Mike Felder, but then picked him off. The pickoff proved to be quite a blessing as Paul Molitor homered two batters later. Ken Griffey Jr. answered with a home run of his own in the top of the second. The Brewers took the lead again when Glenn Braggs singled then stole second, and Billy Spiers drove him home. The lead didn't last long as Omar Vizquel and Harold Reynolds led off the third with back to back singles. After a strikeout, Alvin Davis drove Vizquel home with a double, and then Griffey drove in both Reynolds and Davis with a single. Seattle was able to add to the lead in the fourth when Darnell Coles walked, and then singles by Jay Buhner and Dave Valle drove him home. Randy was able to get into more of a rhythm, getting through the sixth while facing the minimum. He did walk Braggs in the fourth, but erased him in a double play. Randy got into trouble in the seventh. Braggs doubled with one out. After getting a groundout, Randy walked Charlie O'Brien, and that was the end of his day. Mike Jackson came out in relief. He allowed Braggs to score on a single by Greg Brock, but shut Milwaukee down thereafter. Seattle was able to add insurance runs in the eighth as Davis walked, and then Jeffrey Leonard homered. Jackson struck out the first two batters in the ninth, and then got B.J. Surhoff to fly out to center to end the game.
10. Mariners 8, Rangers 3
September 21, 1989
Arlington Stadium
Arlington, TX
Losing Pitcher: Jamie Moyer
8 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 10 K
Randy went on another three-game losing streak where he pitched poorly before finally facing the Rangers again deep in the heart of Texas. Randy's first start in Arlington was a tough-luck loss where he allowed only one run but the Mariners were shut out. Randy allowed more than just one run in the first, when Jeff Kunkel and Pete Incaviglia hit back-to-back doubles, and then Ruben Sierra singled to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. They made it 3-0 when Chad Krueter homered in the second. Meanwhile the Mariners couldn't do anything against the Rangers' own southpaw Jamie Moyer. That changed in the fourth. Harold Reynolds singled, and then Henry Cotto drove him home with a double. Cotto went to third on a fly ball, and then scored on a sacrifice fly. The Mariners then loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, and that brought up catcher Scott Bradley. Bradley lined a single to left center. Darnell Coles and Ken Griffey Jr. scored easily. Then Texas's rookie center fielder Juan Gonzalez threw the ball away, allowing rookie third baseman Edgar Martinez to score. Randy responded to the barrage of run support by striking out the side in the bottom of the inning. The Mariners added insurance runs in the fifth, when they put runners on the corner allowing Alvin Davis to drive in a run with a double play, and in the sixth, when Mario Diaz drove in Edgar with a single and then a wild pitch scored another run. Randy was not quite as dominant as he was in the fourth, but he did get double digits strikeouts for the second time in 1989 when he struck out Incaviglia in the eighth. Mike Schooler came in and got two strikeouts of his own to end the game.
1990
There was little excitement going into a home game against the Detroit Tigers on June 2, the second game of a three-game series. Only 20,014 fans paid for tickets, less than half of the Kingdome's seating capacity. Randy got the start. He had made only one start against the Tigers the year before and gotten a no-decision. The Tigers were once a powerhouse in the mid-1980s, but had fallen to being 59-103 in 1989. They were slightly better in 1990 but still terrible, with a 21-29 record after beating the Mariners in the first game of the series. They did have a strong lineup featuring the likes of the future Hall of Fame shortstop Alan Trammell and slugger Cecil Fielder, who would finish the season with 51 home runs. Randy struggled with his control, as he did in most of his starts. He walked a batter in the second, and another in the third. In the sixth, he issued three walks to load the bases. However, two of those walks came with two outs, and he struck out right fielder Chet Lemon to end the threat. He walked one more batter in the eighth to give him six on the day. However, fans keeping score noticed that Randy had yet to allow a hit. They had seen Brian Holman take a no-hitter into two outs of the bottom of the ninth against the A's on April 20 before allowing a home run against pinch-hitter Ken Phelps. Randy made sure there would be no ninth-inning heartbreak this time. He struck out Fielder, and got Lemon to pop out. The next batter was Mike Heath, a catcher who was having an unusually strong start to the 1990 season, with a .360 average going into this game. Randy got the count to 0-2, and then threw a high fastball Heath swung through. Randy had the first complete game shutout of his career, and it was the first no-hitter in Mariners history. He was so excited that he called back home to California to tell his dad. After hearing his son excitedly talk about his milestone, Bud Johnson interrupted and asked why Randy walked six batters.
Nevertheless the no-hitter sparked one of the most productive months in Randy Johnson's young career. In five additional starts that June, he went 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 36 innings. After another solid start and a win on July 4, Randy was rewarded when A's manager Tony La Russa placed him on the All-Star team. Randy spent the entire game on the bench at Wrigley Field, but he felt a sense of accomplishment being among the best players in the game. Baseball quickly gave him a dose of reality as he lost his next four starts despite pitching well, with a 3.41 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched. He righted ship with a solid month of August (4-1, 2.74 ERA, 41 strikeouts and 22 walks in 46 innings) before an inconsistent September. Randy ended the season with a 14-11 record and an above-average 3.65 ERA. He threw 219 and 2/3 innings and struck out 194 batters, sixth in the league. His league-leading 120 walks was evidence that he still had work to do.
Randy still made one more All-Star team before the year was over. The biennial MLB Japan All-Star Series was held that year in Japan, and Randy was selected as one of the pitchers to travel to Japan to face the best players from the Nippon Professional Baseball, Japanese pro-leagues. It was a tremendous honor, but the series turned out to be a sobering experience. The MLB All-Stars won the previous series in 1986 and 1988, but they dropped the first four of the eight games games, and when the two teams tied Game 6, that ensured that the hosts would win the series. The two teams finished the series in the Tokyo Dome. Chuck Finley, ace of the California Angels, got the start. He pitched five innings and struck out three, but kept the Japanese hitless. Randy got the call out of the bullpen in the sixth. He hadn't made a relief appearance since his one inning with the Expos on April 25, 1989. Still, he kept the hitters off balance with his fastball. He got through the last four innings and walked two, but also kept the opposition hitless. The two left-handers had teamed up for a combined no-hitter to end the season on a high note.
The Wins of 1990
11. Mariners 6, Twins 3
April 16, 1990
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: David West
7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 6 K
Randy and the Mariners were not off to a good start in 1990. They went on a five-game losing streak after winning Opening Day, during which Randy lost his first start. And to make things worse, the Minnesota Twins scored in the top of the first on a single by Dan Gladden and a double by Kirby Puckett. The Mariners responded with an Alvin Davis single followed by a home run by Jeffrey Leonard. However, the Twins tied the game with Greg Gagne's home run in the second, and they went ahead with Gary Gaetti's home run in the third. Seattle went ahead once again in the bottom of the third when Harold Reynolds walked, and then Ken Griffey Jr. blasted the first pitch off of David West into right field for a go-ahead home run. Thereafter Randy did whatever he took to keep Minnesota from tying the game again. He wasn't sharp, but he was effective when he had to be. Kent Hrbek walked in the fourth, but the next batter Fred Manrique hit into a double play. Gladden singled in the fifth, but he was forced by Gene Larkin, who was caught stealing. Hrbek walked again in the seventh, after which Marique hit into his second double play. He retired the three batters in order only in the sixth inning. Bill Swift replaced Randy in the eighth, but closer Mike Schooler came in when Larkin singled with two outs. The Mariners scored two crucial insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth on three singles by Reynolds, Griffey, and Leonard and then a sacrifice fly by Pete O'Brien. Schooler allowed two baserunners on a walk by Randy Bush and a single by Hrbek, but struck out pinch-hitter Jim Dwyer to secure Seattle's second win of the 1990 season.
12. Mariners 6, Yankees 2
April 26, 1990
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Andy Hawkins
6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Things had settled down somewhat, but the Mariners were still closer to the bottom of the division than the top as they went into the rubber game of the three-game series against the Yankees, who were in unfamiliar territory known as last place. Randy walked one in the first, but got out of the inning with no damage. Seattle rewarded him with a five-run second inning. Ken Griffey Jr. singled with one out. After a second out, Edgar Martinez walked. Scott Bradley drove both Griffey and Edgar home with a double, and scored himself when Mike Brumley singled. Harold Reynolds followed with his first home run since September 30, 1988, and it was 5-0. Randy celebrated the lead by striking out the Yankees' big slugger Dave Winfield, but then allowed a booming home run to Jesse Barfield. Bob Geren followed with a two-out double, but Randy got out of the inning. Randy shut New York down with one-two-three innings in the third and fourth. The Mariners got another run in the fifth on the Yankees' bumbling play. Greg Briley and Alvin Davis reached on errors by Steve Sax and Don Mattingly respectively, and then Jeffrey Leonard drove home Briley with a double play. The Yankees got two runners on in the bottom of the inning when Geren walked and Mike Blowers singled, but Randy held them there. After another one-two-three inning in the sixth, Randy allowed a second home run to Barfield to lead off the seventh. That was the end of his day as Seattle manager Jim Lefebvre took him out in favor of Bill Swift. Swift was dominant, striking out four. He allowed a pair of two-out singles to Barfield and Roberto Kelly in the bottom of the ninth, but shut the door to get the three-inning save.
13. Mariners 14, Blue Jays 6
May 17, 1990
SkyDome
Toronto, Ontario
Losing Pitcher: Jimmy Key
7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 7 K
The Mariners had climbed back into respectable territory following their awful start to the 1990 season, and was working on a road sweep of the formerly first-place Toronto Blue Jays, which would also put Seattle back at a .500 record. Randy had been the first pitcher to strike out Wade Boggs three times in a game, but had been mediocre in May. The Blue Jays loaded the bases against him in the first on a walk and two singles. However, Randy got George Bell to pop out, and Fred McGriff to ground into a double play. The Mariners erupted for nine runs in the third inning on six hits and two walks. They sent twelve men to the plate. Jeffrey Leonard had a two-run single and Edgar Martinez had a two-run double. The big blow was a three-run home run by Brian Giles, the former Mets infielder. Randy responded by striking out the side in the bottom of the inning. The Mariners added insurance runs on Henry Cotto's solo shot, and Giles's second home run, a grand slam. The Blue Jays tagged Randy for two runs on a double by Pat Borders and a home run by Glenallen Hill in the bottom of the fifth, and then another run in the seventh on singles by Borders and Hill and a Manny Lee double play in the seventh. Nevertheless, the game was effectively over. Randy gave way to rookie reliever Brent Knackert in the eighth, who allowed a run on a double by Mookie Wilson and a single by Bell. Randy's trade partner Gene Harris came in the ninth and allowed two runs on a single by Carlos Diaz and Hill's second two-run home run, but he was still able to get the last three outs needed for the dominating win.
14. Mariners 2, Tigers 0
June 2, 1990
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Jeff Robinson
9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 8 K, SHO
The Mariners came back down to earth somewhat following the otherworldly series in Toronto, while Randy had one decent start and one bad start. He was only 13-16 in his career and hadn't yet had a single start where he didn't allow at least a run. Facing off against an aging Tigers team, Randy got off to a good start by retiring the side in order in the first. The Mariners got a run on the board when Harold Reynolds and Alvin Davis walked, then advanced on a wild pitch. Reynolds was able to score on a groundout. Randy walked Detroit slugger Cecil Fielder in the second, but Mike Heath hit into a double play. Randy walked Ed Romero in the third, and Gary Ward reached on an error in the fourth, but neither were able to come around to score. Mike Brumley's double, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly got a second run on the board for Seattle. Randy got into the most serious trouble in the sixth. He walked the bases loaded, the latter two of which came with two outs, and had to face Chet Lemon, who was still a dangerous hitter even at 35 and in the final season of his career. Randy reached deep in his reserve and got Lemon to strike out. Randy got through the seventh with no damage. He walked Tony Phillips in the eighth, but kept him from scoring. Randy was allowed to go out in the ninth despite having thrown 125 pitches. He struck out Fielder on three pitches. Lemon popped out on a full count. Randy then struck out Mike Heath on a 98-mph heater to lock down his first career shutout. Even more impressively, the Tigers didn't get a single hit, the first no-hitter in Mariners history.
15. Mariners 2, White Sox 1
June 7, 1990
Comiskey Park
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Donn Pall
9 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 10 K
Randy figured it was hard to top a complete game shutout and a no-hitter, but after getting an earful from his father for walking six batters, he knew he still had room for improvement. The White Sox, who had the second best record in the AL, would prove to be a difficult task. Randy started out well, striking out two batters even though he allowed a single to their rookie third baseman Robin Ventura. The Mariners scraped together a run when Jeffrey Leonard and Ken Griffey Jr. singled, then advanced on a groundout, and Leonard scored on a sacrifice fly. Randy struggled in the second, allowing singles to veteran catcher Carlton Fisk and Carlos Martinez and walking Scott Fletcher to load the bases. However, he got a force at home, and struck out the next two. Former Mariner Ivan Calderon tagged Randy for a full-count home run to tie the game. Ron Kittle followed with a double, but Randy was able to strand him there. Both Randy and Chicago starter Adam Peterson were airtight after that. Peterson showed a few more cracks. He walked three batters, and then left in the seventh after Edgar Martinez singled. Donn Pall came in and kept Seattle from scoring in the seventh inning, but allowed a single to Brian Giles in the eighth. Harold Reynolds bunted Giles to second, after which Henry Cotto singled to put runners on the corners. Reliever Barry Jones tried to pick Cotto off, but first baseman Martinez flubbed the catch, and Giles scored. Meanwhile Randy had retired 17 straight since Kittle's double. He got two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and then struck out Martinez to make it 20 straight. It was also his second straight complete game win, and his first 10-strikeout game of the season.
16. Mariners 5, White Sox 2
June 12, 1990
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Adam Peterson
6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
Adam Peterson and the Chicago White Sox showed up for revenge, this time on the road in the Pacific Northwest. They had flexed their muscle and won their four games since the last one. Robin Ventura doubled this in the first this time, but even he couldn't overcome Randy's two strikeouts. Carlos Martinez singled in the second, but Chicago could not get him around to score. Randy finally allowed a run to the White Sox in the fourth when momentarily lost his control. Ivan Calderon led off with a walk. Ron Kittle followed with a single to put runners on the corner. Randy walked Carlton Fisk and the bases were loaded. Randy bared down and got Martinez to ground into a double play, and Chicago was only able to get one run in the inning. Then the Mariners pounded Peterson for three runs in fourth. Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. had back to back doubles, and Alvin Davis singled. Davis was forced by Jay Buhner, who still advanced to third on a wild pitch and a single by Jeffrey Leonard. Buhner was able to score on Scott Bradley's popup to shallow right in a daring basrunning attempt. The Mariners added another run in the sixth when Buhner doubled, and Bradley singled him home. Randy continued to have control problems. He walked Calderon in the sixth but left him stranded him there, and then walked Scott Fletcher and Craig Grebeck in the seventh. That was enough for manager Jim Lefebvre. Mike Jackson came in and allowed the inherited runner Fletcher to score on Dan Pasqua's single, but Jackson allowed no more Chicago runs to score in the seventh or eighth. Buhner's homer made it 5-2, after which closer Mike Schooler came in to protect the three-run lead for the save.
17. Mariners 6, Rangers 3
June 17, 1990
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Bobby Witt
8 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 K
Facing the dismal Texas Rangers must seem like a vacation for Randy after the two starts against the powerful Chicago White Sox. However, the Rangers didn't make it easy on Randy in the first. Randy walked the leadoff batter Cecil Espy, who went to second on a groundout and stole third. Julio Franco singled to give the Rangers an early lead. Franco was caught stealing, but the next two Rangers also singled before Randy was able to escape the exhausting first inning. Things didn't get much better in the second. Jack Daugherty hit an infield single. Randy had Daugherty picked off, but he was safe on an error. Afterwards, Randy walked Steve Buechele. Jeff Kunkel bunted the runners to second and third, but Randy left them there. The Mariners went ahead in the second when Ken Griffey Jr. was safe on Franco's error, and then Darnell Coles homered. Randy allowed a single to Franco and hit Pete Incaviglia with a pitch in the third, but the Rangers couldn't score. Seattle added to the lead in the next few innings. Coles singled in the fourth and went to second on a wild pitch, after which he scored on Scott Bradley's double. Harold Reynols singled and stole second in the fifth. Alvin Davis drove him in with a single. Jeffrey Leonard walked, and after a wild pitch Griffey drove them both in with a single. Randy got stronger as the game went on, but the Rangers scratched out another run on three straight singles in the seventh. He still successfully completed eight innings. Mike Schooler came in the ninth. The Rangers scored a run when Franco tripled with two outs and Ruben Sierra singled, but Schooler still nailed down the win, the fourth straight win in four consecutive starts for Randy Johnson.
18. Mariners 4, Brewers 2
June 29, 1990
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Chuck Crim
7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Randy had a mediocre start deep in the heart of Texas, but came back home to face the Milwaukee Brewers, who were in fifth despite a potent offense even with future Hall of Famer Paul Molitor on the disabled list. Randy walked the leadoff batter Mike Felder, but kept him from scoring. The Mariners got a lead when Milwaukee starter Ron Robinson walked Harold Reynolds. Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a double. Reynolds was held at third, but still scored on Jeffrey Leonard's sacrifice fly. Milwaukee got the run back to tie the game in the third when Charlie O'Brien and Edgar Diaz singled and ended up on second and third on Griffey's rare error. Griffey made amazing plays on the next two line drives, but the second one was deep enough to score O'Brien. Seattle had a multitude of runners aboard, even loading the bases in the fourth, but could not get the go-ahead run to score. The Brewers ended up getting ahead in the sixth when Robin Yount, Dave Parker, and Rob Deer all singled. Seattle's futility despite getting runners on board continued in the sixth, but there was a glimmer of hope when Leonard reached on an error by Milwaukee's young third baseman Gary Sheffield with one out. LOOGY Paul Mirabella came in to retire Pete O'Brien for the second out, after which righty Chuck Crim came in. He walked Edgar Martinez, and then allowed a two-run double to Randy's former Montreal teammate Tracy Jones, recently acquired from Detroit. Randy left in favor of Mike Jackson in the eighth who pitched a perfect inning. The Mariners scored another insurance run on Henry Cotto's triple and a wild pitch, after which closer Mike Schooler came in to get the save despite allowing a two-out single to B.J. Surhoff.
19. Mariners 3, Indians 2
July 4, 1990
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland, OH
Losing Pitcher: Charles Nagy
6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 4 K
As the Mariners' most explosive pitcher, Randy had the honor of getting the Fourth of July start in the Mistake by the Lake. Seattle got Randy Johnson a run in the first even after the leadoff single was erased in a double play. Ken Griffey Jr. doubled with two outs, and Jeffrey Leonard singled him home. Randy allowed baserunners in the first two innings, but the Indians were not able to drive any of them home. They finally got a run in the third when Jerry Browne hit a leadoff triple. He was able to score easily on Mitch Webster's groundout. The game would not remain tied for long. Leonard doubled to lead off the fourth. He went to third and scored on two straight groundouts. Tracy Jones then brought back some Montreal memories by hitting his first home run in a Seattle uniform, just as he did in Randy's second start back on September 20, 1988. Chris James led off the home half of the fourth with a home run for the Huge Run. The Indians got another walk and a single, but couldn't get the tying run home. Cleveland continued to nick Randy for baserunners, but to no avail. Webster was hit by a pitch to lead off the fifth, but he was picked off. Browne walked to lead off the seventh to end Randy's day. Keith Comstock came in and flubbed the throw on a sacrifice bunt, and another sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, but Mike Jackson came in to quench the rally. After Jackson threw a perfect eighth, closer Mike Schooler came in for the ninth. He allowed a single to Browne, but then got Webster to pop out, and struck out Cleveland rookie Carlos Baerga to end the game with a win.
20. Mariners 4, Red Sox 1
August 10, 1990
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Dana Kiecker
8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 10 K
Randy had won Pitcher of the Month honors in June and was named to his first All-Star Game, but he suffered four straight losses coming out of the break despite not pitching all that poorly, with a 3.41 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 29 innings. After a no-decision he faced off against he first place Red Sox, who had beaten him handily in May. Randy allowed a leadoff single, but struck out the next two batters, including Wade Boggs to keep the Sox scoreless. The Mariners manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning when they loaded the bases on a walk, a single, another walk, and a groundout. They poured it on in the second. Edgar Martinez led off with a double and went to third on a groundout. Omar Vizquel singled him home. Then Harold Reynolds reached on an error by Boston shortstop Tim Naehring, and the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Vizquel scored on a sacrifice fly by Greg Briley, and Ken Griffey Jr. tripled to drive in Reynolds. Randy walked the first two batters in the third, with Tony Pena stealing second and third. However, he also got two strikeouts to keep them from scoring. Boston finally scored a run by hitting three straight singles. After Naehring's RBI single, Randy responded by striking out three straight batters, getting Boggs for the second time. Randy wasn't able to reproduce his feat of striking out Wade Boggs three times, but he did retire 12 straight after the RBI single. Jim Lefebvre let Randy go out to go for the complete game, but when Mike Greenwell walked, the task for finishing the game went to closer Mike Schooler. Schooler allowed a single to Tom Brunansky, but was still able to record the save.
21. Mariners 2, Orioles 0
August 15, 1990
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Pete Harnisch
9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, SHO
The third place Orioles probably seemed like easier opponents than the first place Red Sox, and Randy responded well by retiring the side in order in the first. He got into some trouble in the second by walking Cal Ripken Jr. and allowing a double to Bob Melvin, but Ripken was held at third. Randy was able to get out of the inning with no further damage. The Mariners gifted Randy with a lead in the third. Greg Briley and Ken Griffey Jr. led off the inning with back to back singles to put runners on the corner, and Briley scored on Alvin Davis's sacrifice fly. Griffey was caught wandering too far off first and was picked off. The next two batters walked, but Seattle couldn't put another run on the board. Randy was still sharp, getting one-two-three innings in the third and fourth and striking out the first two batters in the fifth. He then allowed a single and a walk, but Baltimore couldn't get a run out of it. Alvin Davis blasted a home run in the bottom of the inning to get that second run on the board. The next two batters singled, but once again no runs came out of it. Randy allowed a double to Ripken with two outs in the sixth, but left him there. The Mariners loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but couldn't score. Randy soldiered on, getting three groundouts in the seventh, and working around a leadoff single in the eighth. The Mariners loaded the bases again in the eighth, but couldn't get any run across. Nevertheless Randy already had all of the runs he needed. He retired the side in order on three groundouts in the ninth, and recorded the second complete game shutout of his career.
22. Mariners 4, Rangers 3
August 21, 1990
Arlington Stadium
Arlington, TX
Losing Pitcher: Charlie Hough
7.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 5 K
The Mariners had gone on a four-game losing streak since Randy's win against the Orioles, and Randy knew they needed him to pitch well to keep their season afloat. Randy didn't pitch all that well in his last Texas start, but he knew he had to be better. He allowed the Rangers to score in the second. Pete Incaviglia and John Russell led off with singles to put runners on the corner, and Incaviglia was able to score on Gary Green's groundout. The Mariners came alive against knuckleballer Charlie Hough in the third to grab the lead. Minor league call-up Jeff Schaefer singled and stole second. Hough walked Greg Briley and Alvin Davis. Then minor league call-up Tino Martinez contributed with a two-run single. Julio Franco tied the game in the fourth. He singled, then stole second and third on strikeouts. Jeff Kunkel drove him in with a double. Catcher Dave Valle didn't look good allowing the stolen bases, but he redeemed himself with a home run to lead off the sixth for another lead. The Mariners scraped together an insurance run in the seventh on a walk and two singles. The Rangers loaded the bases against Randy in the seventh, but he kept the door shut. He eventually allowed the Huge Run in the eighth when Ruben Sierra homered. Randy got Franco to groundout, and Lefebvre took him out for closer Mike Schooler. Schooler got out of the eighth. Seattle couldn't capitalize on a bases loaded situation in the ninth. Schooler allowed a leadoff single to rookie Jeff Huson. After two outs, Kevin Reimer hit a fly ball that center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. couldn't reach. Huson tried to score the tying run, but cutoff man Omar Vizquel threw a strike to nail Huson. The losing streak was over.
23. Mariners 5, Royals 2
August 31, 1990
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Storm Davis
7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 K
The Kansas City Royals had spent most of 1990 in the basement, but they had climbed out and had even beaten Randy in Kansas City. Randy and the Mariners were determined the rematch at home would end differently. Seattle scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, with the Griffeys leading the way. Ken Griffey Sr. was playing in his first game as a Mariner after signing mid-season. The Griffeys both singled, and Alvin Davis singled to score Sr. Jr. went to third and scored on a wild pitch. Edgar Martinez drove in Davis with a single. The Royals responded in the second. Two-sport star Bo Jackson walked, stole second, and went to third on a wild pitch. Jim Eisenreich drove in Bo with a sacrifice fly, and Bill Pecota homered for the Huge Run. Frank White singled, but Randy kept the lead intact. The Mariners loaded the bases on three walks in the second, but couldn't add to the lead. They finally did in the fifth when Royals starter Storm Davis did his best Randy Johnson impersonation and walked Davis and Pete O'Brien. Buhner's double drove in Davis. Davis was involved in another run in the seventh when he led off with a single. After advancing to third on two groundouts, he scored when Jeff Schaefer doubled. Randy was not sharp, but he allowed only one more walk after the Pecota home run, a walk to Danny Tartabull in the sixth. Schaefer's throwing error on Kevin Seitzer's grounder in the eighth heralded the end of Randy's day, which officially happened after rookie Brian McRae singled. Bill Swift came in and got the double play. The next two innings also featured one-out singles followed by a double play, the latter of which ended the game with a Seattle victory.
24. Mariners 13, White Sox 4
September 28, 1990
Comiskey Park
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Alex Fernandez
9 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 11 K
The Mariners fell into another slump in September that would doom them to another losing season. Randy didn't pitch all that well. He lasted only one inning against the Chicago White Sox in Seattle. The White Sox had won 90 games, but still lost the division to the Oakland Athletics. They were hoping to take their frustrations on Randy again, but Randy held them scoreless in the first. Then the Mariners scored three runs against rookie Alex Fernandez on four hits. Randy allowed a home run to rookie Frank Thomas in the second, but he made sure he would last longer than his previous start by striking out September call-up Matt Stark. Chicago scored another run in the fourth. Carlton Fisk led off with a single. Randy struck out the next two batters, but then Sammy Sosa singled as well to put runners on the corner. A throwing error by Harold Reynolds on Robin Ventura's grounder allowed Fisk to score the Huge Run. Reynolds made up for the error in the fifth by keying a rally that would culminate in Alvin Davis's grand slam. The White Sox were not ready to give up. They scored two runs in the fifth when a two-out walk to Phil Bradley was followed by a double and a pair of singles. Seattle regained those two runs in the sixth when they scored on a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly. Randy was determined to make the lead hold. He retired the side in order in the sixth, and watched as the Mariners scored four more runs in the seventh. He had two more one-two-three innings before Ventura and Fletcher led off the ninth with singles. Randy got Craig Grebeck to fly out, and then struck out the last two batters for the win.
1991
However, Randy was also improving on some of his pitches. He had the high-90s fastball as always, but he was starting to develop his breaking ball, in particular a hard-breaking slider. The slider is one of the nastiest pitchers. It starts out on a path similar to a fastball, but the ball's spin causes it to "slide" down and towards the side instead of the slight drop expected of most fastballs. Steve Carlton rode the slider to 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts, and Randy went with the slider instead of a traditional breaking ball. His slider was getting to the point that it allowed him to put up some impressive strikeout totals. He broke double digits seven times in 1991, including a season high of 12 on August 14 against the Athletics. That day he also took a no-hitter to the ninth inning before allowing a single to the light-hitting second baseman Mike Gallego. He still finished up the one-hit complete game shutout.
The 1991 season came to a close as sort of a mixed bag. The Mariners did end up with their first winning record, 83-79, but they still finished a distant fifth to the surprising Minnesota Twins, who had finished last the year before. Randy tied for the team lead in wins with 13 and innings pitched with 201.1. His 228 strikeouts not only led the team, it was also second in the American League behind the Boston Red Sox ace Roger Clemens. However, his 3.98 ERA was only barely above average. And he also walked a gruesome 152 batters. It was 24 more than any other pitcher in baseball, and it was the most by any pitcher since 1977, when Phil Niekro walked 164 and Nolan Ryan walked 204. They also threw 330 and 1/3 and 299 innings respectively. Randy knew he had to improve his control, but he was running out of ideas.
The Wins of 1991
25. Mariners 8, Twins 4
April 15, 1991
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Allan Anderson
9 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 6 K
The Mariners were off to an abysmal start in 1991, having lost their first six games. Randy's previous start in the second game of the season was mediocre, when he allowed five runs in five and 1/3 innings. The Twins were trying to shake off a last place finish in 1990. The Mariners struck first in this game when Harold Reynolds and Tracy Jones led off with singles, and the Edgar Martinez blasted a home run to left field. Randy allowed a single in the first two innings, but no other damage. He erased a walk in the third with a double play, but then rookie Chuck Knoblauch doubled, and Shane Mack hit a home run to put the Twins within one. The Mariners pulled ahead in the bottom of the inning with Tracy Jones's leadoff home run, and then scored two more when Edgar singled and Ken Griffey Jr. walked. Pete O'Brien and Dave Valle both singled to drive them both in. The Twins got two more runs against Randy in the fourth. Chili Davis led off with a walk, and Brian Harper singled him to third. Davis scored on a groundout, which moved Harper to second. Harper went to third on a balk, and then scored on Dan Gladden's foul popup. Randy shut down the Twins after that. He walked a few batters, but kept them from scoring. Meanwhile the Mariners scored a few insurance runs in the sixth when Valle and Jeff Schaefer both singled, and then Harold Reynolds doubled them home. Randy was still out in the ninth going for the complete game win. Harper led off with a single, but then Randy retired the next three batters to end the game. Randy and the Mariners both recorded their first wins of the 1991 season.
26. Mariners 7, Athletics 2
April 21, 1991
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Dana Allison
8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 K
The Mariners went on a roll since they nailed down their first win. They won the next four games, and they had a chance to sweep the defending AL champion Oakland Athletics and pull back to a .500 record. He allowed a single to leadoff man Mike Gallego in the first, but got out of the inning on a pair of strikeouts. The Mariners went down in the first, but they took the lead in the second. Edgar Martinez led off with a double. He tagged and went to third on a fly ball, then scored on Tracy Jones's single. Randy walked two batters in the third and two more in the sixth, but kept Oakland from scoring. Meanwhile Seattle added to their lead in the sixth when Ken Griffey Jr. homered. Randy was going strong besides the walks, but in the eighth the smooth turned rough. He walked Gallego with two outs. Dave Henderson followed with a double with Gallego holding up at third. Jose Canseco was next. He hit a double of his own, and quickly the game was tied. Randy struck out Terry Steinbach to end the inning. Rookie reliever Dana Allison came in to pitch the eighth. He allowed singles to the first two batters he faced to put runners on the corner. Griffey hit a sacrifice fly to score Harold Reynolds with the go-ahead run. Edgar followed with another single. Alvin Davis popped up and it seemed like that was all Seattle would get, but Pete O'Brien doubled in two runs. Seattle would score twice more before the carnage was over. Mike Jackson came in to pitch the ninth. He walked Mark McGwire, but then McGwire was forced out, and the next batter hit into a double play, and Seattle came away with another win.
27. Mariners 1, Yankees 0
May 17, 1991
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Tim Leary
7 IP 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
The Mariners were riding high and found themselves in second place just a half a game behind the Oakland A's going into a road series against New York, with a chance to possibly take over first place. Randy wasn't doing too well. He had two losses and two no-decisions with 22 walks against 22 strikeouts in 20 and 1/3 innings. The sixth-place Yankees seemed to be a good antidote for Randy's troubles. He struggled in the first inning, allowing a leadoff double to Roberto Kelly, and then walking Kevin Maas, but he was still able to get out of the inning without allowing a run. The Mariners took a lead in the second when Ken Griffey Jr. walked, and Edgar Martinez and Pete O'Brien both followed with singles. Alvaro Espinoza became the second Yankee to lead off an inning with a double when he did so in the third, but Randy kept him standing on second. Randy seemed to get stronger as the game went on. He allowed a walk to Espinoza in the fifth and to Jesse Barfield in the sixth and the only other hit he allowed with a single to Hensley Meulens in the sixth. He struck out the side in the seventh. However, Yankees starter Tim Leary was holding his own, retiring 17 straight Mariners after O'Brien's RBI single. Bill Swift came out in the eighth and allowed a single to Steve Sax, but then Maas hit into a double play. The Mariners got runners on second and third in the top of the ninth, but couldn't score the insurance runs. Swift made sure that was enough and got the Yankees in order for the save. Meanwhile Oakland lost to Cleveland and the Seattle Mariners were a first place team in the middle of May.
28. Mariners 15, Tigers 2
June 15, 1991
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Ritz
6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 7 K
The Mariners' reign on top of the AL West only lasted for four days, and a seven-game losing streak sent them tumbling back into fifth. Randy was still struggling with his control, going 0-3 and walking 28 against 25 strikeouts in 20 and 2/3 innings. He was hoping a home start against the Tigers can solve his pitching woes. The Mariners got him a four-run lead on just one hit as Detroit starter Kevin Ritz had control problems of his own, walking four batters and hitting Jay Buhner with a pitch. Randy struck out two in the second, but he walked Mickey Tettleon and allowed a home run to Travis Fryman in between the strikeouts. The Mariners pounded Cerutti for three more runs in the third, and another in the fourth. Randy was still struggling with control. He got through a flawless third, but walked two batters in the fourth and two more in the fifth, although Detroit was unable to score a run in both instances. Randy only walked one in the sixth, but it was sandwiched in between singles by Cecil Fielder and Fryman and the bases were loaded, but Randy was able to get a strikeout and a double play. The Mariners surged ahead with six runs in the sixth on just one hit, as they worked Detroit pitchers Steve Searcy and Mike Dalton for six walks, three of them with the bases loaded. With Seattle ahead 14-2, Randy was relieved of his duties by manager Jim Lefebvre. Bill Swift came in and retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth. The Mariners added another run in the bottom of the eighth. Swift allowed a one-out single to Rob Deer in the ninth, but got the last two outs for the Wes Littleton Save.
29. Mariners 5, Brewers 1
June 21, 1991
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee, WI
Losing Pitcher: Chris Bosio
8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 10 K
Randy's Detroit start wasn't pretty, but it was still a win, and he hoped that he could add on its success as the Mariners went on the road. They started out with a sweep in Boston against the Red Sox, and then went on to face the Brewers. The Mariners helped the cause by battering Chris Bosio to the tune of two runs in the first. Harold Reynolds had led off with a double, and Greg Briley drove him home. Briley stole second, and then scored on Pete O'Brien's single. Randy didn't want to led the lead go to waste, and sent a message by striking out the side in the bottom of the first. Even then his control problems still hadn't gone away, but he was able to limit the damage. He walked Dante Bichette in the second and Dale Sveum in the third, but Bichette was caught stealing second, and Sveum was erased in a double play. Meanwhile the Mariners rewarded Randy with a few more insurance runs in the sixth. Ken Griffey Jr. doubled with one out, and scored when O'Brien singled. Alvin Davis's double scored O'Brien, and then Davis scored himself when Dave Cochrane singled. Randy walked Bill Spiers in the sixth, then allowed a single to Willie Randolph, but he got out of the inning. He walked Robin Yount in the seventh, but retired the next three batters. The Mariners loaded the bases in the eighth, but could not get an insurance run home. Randy decided that wasn't needed, and after Spiers singled in the eighth, he struck out the next two batters to give him ten on the day. Dave Burba came out to pitch the ninth. He allowed a home run to Franklin Stubbs, but was still able to finish off the win.
30. Mariners 5, White Sox 4
June 26, 1991
Comiskey Park
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Ramon Garcia
6.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 9 K
The Mariners road trip took them to Chicago. The White Sox had fallen from their second place finish in 1990 to sixth place even behind Seattle, but they had won the first two games of the series. Seattle made sure things would turn out differently by scoring a run in the first. Edgar Martinez led off with a double. He was sacrificed to third, and scored on Ken Griffey Jr.'s sacrifice fly. Chicago tied the game in the second on a home run by Cory Snyder, but Edgar answered with a home run of his own in the third. Randy let the lead slip away in the bottom of the inning when he walked Robin Ventura, and allowed a home run to Carlton Fisk. The Mariners tied the game again in the fifth when Scott Bradley doubled and Omar Vizquel singled him home. Randy was determined not to lose the lead and retired the White Sox in order in the fifth, getting the last two on strikeouts. The Mariners took the lead in the sixth. Alvin Davis singled with one out, and Dave Cochrane followed with a double. After a pitching change, Jay Buhner singled in Davis, and Henry Cotto did the same for Cochrane. Randy ran into some trouble in the seventh. He hit Scott Fletcher with a pitch, and walked Ventura for the second time. Bill Swift came in and ended the inning, and pitched the eighth. Russ Swan came in to pitch the ninth, but he allowed a batter to reach on an error followed by a walk and a single to score the Huge Run and put runners on first and second with two outs. Mike Jackson came in. He walked Frank Thomas to load the bases, but then struck out Fisk to end the game.
31. Mariners 7, Indians 0
July 12, 1991
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Rod Nichols
7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Randy didn't make the All-Star team like he did in 1990, but he was pitching better in his last two-starts before the All-Star break, including his walk-free start. His first post-break start was against the last-place Indians at home. The Indians had the worst record in baseball, and Randy toyed with them, striking out the first two batters of the game. The Mariners took the lead in the second. Jay Buhner singled with one out, and went to third on Dave Cochrane's double. Omar Vizquel's sacrifice fly drove him in. Randy almost gave away the lead in the third. He walked Brook Jacoby, then allowed a double to Felix Ferman. Another walk loaded the bases, but a strikeout and flyout got him out of the inning. The Mariners added to the lead immediately afterward. Edgar Martinez singled, then advanced on productive outs. Pete O'Brien drove him home with a double, and O'Brien scored when Alvin Davis singled. Randy got into a groove the next two innings, and Seattle scored another run in the bottom of the fifth when Ken Griffey Jr. doubled and Alvin Davis drove him home. Randy ran into some trouble in the sixth and seventh with a walk and three hits, but was he able to make the pitches to get out of the innings. Seattle added three more runs on home runs by Edgar and O'Brien with a Harold Reynolds double nestled in between. Armed with a 7-0 lead, Randy was lifted in the eighth in favor of Mike Schooler, the former closer who missed the entire first half due to a right triceps injury. Schooler allowed a single to Carlos Baerga, but he was otherwise sharp in his triumphant return. Mike Jackson and Rob Murphy combined to pitch the ninth and nail down the victory.
32. Mariners 6, Yankees 1
July 23, 1991
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Scott Kamieniecki
8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Randy was hoping to build upon his successful start against the Indians on a long road trip, but his first start in Milwaukee was an unmitigated disaster, with ten walks. Randy hoped things would be better against the Yankees, who were in third but with a .500 record. The Yankee struck first, as Steve Sax walked, and Don Mattingly followed with a double. Things didn't seem to get much better in the second. Hensley Meulens was hit by a pitch on a 3-0 count. Randy got the next two batters, but then Pat Kelly singled, and rookie Bernie Williams walked to load the bases. Randy got Sax to ground into a forceout to end the inning. Randy went into a groove in the third and fourth, while the Mariners took the lead in the fifth. Greg Briley and Scott Bradley led off with singles. Omar Vizquel bunted them out, then Edgar Martinez walked to load the bases. Harold Reynolds singled to drive in two runs, but Reynolds was thrown out at second trying to advance on the throw home, and Seattle couldn't get any additional runs. Randy allowed a single and a walk in the sixth, but he had three strikeouts in between to keep the Yankees from scoring. New York got a runner to third in the seventh when Pat Kelly singled then stole second, and advanced on a wild pitch. However, he was unable to get any further, and Randy threw a one-two-three eighth inning. The Mariners put an exclamation point on the game when Ken Griffey Jr. hit a grand slam in the top of the ninth. Bill Swift came in to pitch the bottom of the inning. He allowed two singles, but was still able to retire the side without a run to complete the win.
33. Mariners 6, Indians 5
July 28, 1991
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland, OH
Losing Pitcher: Mike York
6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 7 K
The Indians still had the worst record in baseball when Randy came in to pitch the rubber match of a three-game series. The Mariners grabbed an early lead Pete O'Brien hit a two-run single. Randy allowed a walk and a single in the bottom of the inning but kept the Indians from scoring. He didn't have the same luck in the second. Chris James singled and Sandy Alomar walked. After a popup, Randy hit Jerry Browne with a pitch to load the bases. Alex Cole singled to drive in two runs and tie the game. Felix Fermin followed with a bloop single and the bases were loaded again. The Indians took the lead when Carlos Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to score Browne. Randy struck out Albert Belle to end the inning but the damage was done. Seattle came back in the third to tie the game on two singles and a sacrifice fly. Randy worked out of trouble in the third, but he allowed a double to Martinez and a home run to Belle in the fourth to put Cleveland ahead. The Mariners came back in the fifth when Harold Reynolds singled and Ken Griffey Jr. reached on a two-base error. O'Brien hit a sacrifice fly, and Alvin Davis singled to tie the game. Randy shut down the Indians in the fifth and sixth, and Seattle went ahead in the seventh. Tracy Jones doubled with one out. He went to third on Jay Buhner's single and scored when Alonzo Powell singled. Mike Jackson came in to pitch the seventh and eighth. Rob Murphy started out the ninth, but allowed a single and walk. Bill Swift came in instead and walked Belle to load the bases, but kept the Indians from tying the game to nail down the eventful win.
34. Mariners 9, Angels 3
August 3, 1991
Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, CA
Losing Pitcher: Kirk McCaskill
7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Randy made his fourth straight start on the road as the Mariners embarked on another road trip following a breather at home, but he hoped he could do better than the game against Cleveland, even if it was the win. The Angels were in sixth, but had a winning record. The Mariners grabbed an early lead in the second. Pete O'Brien singled, then Alvin Davis homered. Greg Briley followed with another single, then went to third on a stolen base and a fly ball, and Omar Vizquel drove him home on a safety squeeze. The Angels got a run back in the third. Shawn Abner doubled with one out, and scored when Vizquel made a throwing error on Dick Schofield's grounder. California followed with a single and a walk, but Randy got the veteran Dave Winfield to ground into a double play. Randy then cruised, striking out the side in the fifth and the sixth. The Mariners added three more runs in the sixth when Jay Buhner hit a two-run home run, after which Greg Briley doubled and scored on a fielding error by Angels second baseman Luis Sojo. Randy ran into some more trouble in the seventh. Gary Gaetti led off with a double, and scored on Dave Gallagher's single. Left fielder Briley made a terrible throw from the outfield, and Gallagher advanced all the way to third. He would score on Schofield's single. Schofield would make it all the way to third, but Randy kept him there. The Mariners added three more insurance runs in the ninth on Harold Reynolds's RBI single and Ken Griffey Jr.'s two-run home run. Bill Swift had come in to pitch for Randy in the eighth when the score was still 6-3, and he pitched two perfect innings to record the six-out save.
35. Mariners 4, Athletics 0
August 14, 1991
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Joe Slusarski
9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 12 K, SHO
Randy was feeling stronger when he went into the home start against the Oakland Athletics. The A's had fallen to fourth, but they were still dangerous, even if the Mariners had won the first two games of the series. Randy had pitched decently against the first-place Minnesota Twins in his previous start, but suffered a loss. He started out strong, retiring the side in order in the first five innings. He had struck out the side in the third. Oakland starter Joe Slusarki was also pitching well through the first three innings, but Harold Reynolds led off the fourth inning with a triple. Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a home run to give the Mariners a two-run lead. Randy went into the sixth inning having retired 15 straight. However, he ended all thoughts of a perfect game when he walked minor league call-up Scott Brosius on four pitches leading off the sixth. Brosius stole second and went to third on an error on first baseman Pete O'Brien. He tried to score, but O'Brien threw to catcher Dave Valle to nail the rookie at the plate. The Mariners scored another run in the bottom of the inning on two singles and a double play. Randy got through the seventh and the eighth without allowing another baserunner. The Mariners added another insurance run on a walk, two hits batsmen, and a forceout, but all eyes were on Randy as he went out in the ninth. He had yet to allow a hit. He walked Brosius for the second time to lead off the inning, and then Mike Gallego hit Randy's first pitch for a clean single to end the no-hitter. Randy walked Rickey Henderson to load the bases, but he struck out the side to preserve the shutout and the Mariners victory.
36. Mariners 7, Angels 1
August 19, 1991
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Kirk McCaskill
8 IP 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 8 K
The Mariners had finished off the four-game sweep against Oakland, but they went 1-2 in the first three games of the four-game series against the Angels. They needed a victory just to get a split against the last-place team in the AL West. Randy was hoping to add on to his near-no-hitter against Oakland. He allowed a single to the second batter of the game to end the drama, but kept the Angels from scoring. The Mariners grabbed a lead in the bottom of the inning when Ken Griffey Jr. singled and Pete O'Brien homered. The Angels loaded the bases in the second on two singles and a walk, but couldn't get a run home. The Mariners scored again when Omar Vizquel doubled home Greg Briley. They loaded the bases later in the inning, but couldn't get another run home. Seattle scored again in the third when O'Brien doubled and went to third on Briley's single. He scored on Alvin Davis's sacrifice fly. Omar Vizquel led off the fourth with his first home run since July 24, 1990 for another run. The Mariners made it five straight innings with a run when Briley doubled home Griffey. Buoyed by runs in five straight innings, Randy pitched well, but he made a bad pitch and allowed a home run to Wally Joyner in the sixth. Dave Gallagher followed with a double, but Randy struck out Luis Sojo to end the inning. The Mariners didn't score in the sixth, but they scored in the seventh when Harold Reynolds doubled, Griffey singled, and O'Brien grounded out to first base. Mike Jackson came in to pitch the ninth after Randy had retired the side in order in the eighth. Jackson didn't have any trouble disposing of the last three batters to nail down the win.
37. Mariners 2, White Sox 1
September 29, 1991
Comiskey Park
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Charlie Hough
7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 10 K
The Mariners had went into free-fall since the Angels series and found themselves falling into sixth place in the ultra-competitive AL West division. Randy had found himself going over a month without finding the win column. He had a few awful starts against Detroit and Boston but also had several good starts where he didn't have any run support. He found himself on the road pitching against the White Sox who had climbed back into second. Both Randy and Chicago's starter, knuckleballer Charlie Hough, were sharp in the early goings in the game. The only baserunners either man had allowed in the first three innings were on walks. The Mariners finally scratched together a run in the fourth thanks to some shoddy White Sox defense. Harold Reynolds hit a ground ball to Chicago second baseman Joey Cora, who threw the ball away. Reynolds stole second, and an error throw by White Sox catcher Ron Karkovice led him to go to third. He scored easily when Ken Griffey Jr. hit a sacrifice fly. Frank Thomas got Chicago's first hit in the fourth with a double, but Randy responded by striking out the side. The Mariners scored another run off Hough in the sixth. Dave Valle walked, and Greg Briley singled him to third. Valle scored when Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly. The White Sox scored in the bottom of the inning. Randy's old Expos buddy Tim Raines singled, after which Robin Ventura walked. Thomas hit another single to score Raines, but Randy kept Chicago from scoring again. Randy pitched into the eighth, but he was taken out after walking Thomas, his fourth walk. A parade of three relievers came in. They allowed two more singles, but they were still able to get the last four outs to preserve the Mariners victory.
1992
However, Randy Johnson's day job was to be a pitcher for the Seattle Mariners, and they had great expectations for him to help them build upon their first winning season a year earlier. They offered him a $1.3 million contract to avoid arbitration, and he got the ball as their Opening Day starter for the first time in his career. He would be facing the Texas Rangers and their Opening Day starter, the legendary Nolan Ryan. Randy only lasted five and 2/3 innings, allowing three runs, walking four, and striking out as the Rangers wound up on top 12-10. The rest of April would be good for Randy, as he ended the month 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 29 and 1/3 innings against only 10 walks. His performance caught the attention of Sports Illustrated once again, who did another profile of the Mariners' enigmatic pitcher. This one focused on his goofy personality, one that eats a whole stack of pancakes at IHOP before starts and pranks both teammates and and fans. They complimented him on only walking ten batters. And then before the article went to print, Randy went and doubled his walk totals by walking ten batters against the Baltimore Orioles. He then went into a freefall where he went 2-11 with a 5.00 ERA and 71 walks against 74 strikeouts in 77 and 1/3 innings. Nobody could doubt Randy's intensity or talent. In a start against the Rangers on June 10, he clenched his teeth so hard throwing a pitch that a tooth filling came loose. He walked six and was saddled with the loss. He struck out 13 batters against the Detroit Tigers on July 21. He also walked four and allowed six runs and got another loss.
The Rangers came into town against in early August 1992. He had started against the Milwaukee Brewers two days before Texas arrived and had a typically frustrating start: five innings, six walks, six strikeouts, eight runs, and of course a loss. He wouldn't be making a start in the three-game series. Nevertheless, he was approached by Rangers pitching coach Tom House, another USC alumnus, to see if he wanted to watch Nolan Ryan throw a bullpen session. Nolan Ryan was a living legend. He had 319 wins and 5,630 strikeouts, almost 1,500 more than second place Steve Carlton. Ryan had struck out a dozen Oakland Athletics the day before the Rangers arrived. However, he had also dealt with control problems early in his career. His 2,733 walks were the most in baseball history, but he had cut his walk rate down dramatically in the 1980s. So when House asked if Randy wanted to watch Ryan pitch, Randy could not say no. Randy watched the Rangers great throw, and then he was asked to throw as well. After watching Randy throw a few pitches, the two veterans noted that he was landing on his heel with every pitch. This sent a jolt throughout Randy's body, and made it difficult to maintain consistent mechanics. They suggested that Randy start landing on the ball of his foot. That way the medial longitudinal arch would absorb most of the impact, and he can complete a smooth follow-through.
Randy mused over the advice of the two baseball sages. He tried to make the necessary corrections through bullpen sessions and within the games. He found that not only was he able to hit the strike zone more consistently, he was able to maintain his velocity later into games, and his slider was sharper. He struck out 10 batters in his next start, and followed that up with strikeout totals of 13 and 11. The walks were still there, as he walked seven in the 13-strikeout game. He later had an eight-walk start against Oakland on September 10. However, on September 16 against the California Angels he struck out a career high 15 batters with only one walk. After a 12-strikeout game, he faced the Rangers in Arlington on September 27. The last time he pitched in Texas he lost a tooth filling. This time, he mowed down the opposition with surgical precision. By the time his night was done after eight innings, he had tied the American League strikeout record with 18 strikeouts. The Big Unit had finally arrived.
It was a dismal year for the Mariners. They had the worst record in the American League at 64-98. Randy went 12-14 with a 3.77 ERA that was once again barely above average. His 144 walks led the league for the third straight year, joining his mentor Nolan Ryan and Tommy Byrne, the old Yankees pitcher from the 1940s and 1950s, as the only pitchers to have a three-peat. However, his walk-rate went down and his strikeout rate went up in the second half, largely after the meeting with Nolan Ryan and Tom House. He finished with 241 strikeouts, the most in the American League. It was a promising sign as he went into the off-season.
On Christmas Day 1992, Randy was preparing to fly from Seattle to California to celebrate the holiday with his family. On his way there he heard some devastating news: his beloved father Bud Johnson was in the hospital with an aortic aneurysm. The aorta is the main blood vessel carrying blood to the lower half of the body including virtually all the vital organs. An aneurysm is a ballooning of the vessel, and while the aneurysm itself isn't life-threatening, it carries with it a risk of rupture, which is a medical emergency. By the time Randy arrived in the hospital, his father had already passed. It was a tragic moment, but one that would strengthen his resolve. One virtue that Bud had instilled in his son was determination. There had been times during the previous few seasons that Randy had given thought of quitting the game. However, he knew that the best way to honor his father's memory would be to set out to become the best pitcher that he could be.
The Wins of 1992
38. Mariners 1, Royals 0
April 11, 1992
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Appier
9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, SHO
The Mariners finished with their first winning record in franchise history in 1991, and were looking to build upon that in 1992. Randy was given his first Opening Day start, but he struggled against the Rangers and only pitched into the sixth inning, and the Mariners ended up getting swept in the four-game series. Randy hoped his next start against the Royals, who finished sixth in 1991, would be better. Randy allowed a double to the second batter Gregg Jefferies, but was able to keep him from scoring. Terry Shumpert doubled in the third with one out and stole third base, but Randy finished striking out the side to leave him stranded. Meanwhile Kevin Appier retired the Mariners in order in the first three innings. Seattle nicked Appier for two doubles in the fourth, but a fielder's choice erasing the lead runner kept a run from scoring. Randy allowed a single and a balk in the fifth, but was able to keep the run from scoring. He walked Mike Macfarlane in the seventh, but Macfarlane was caught stealing. Appier was also stingy with runners on base, allowing singles in the fifth and sixth but no runs. Appier finally blinked first, as Pete O'Brien hit his first pitch over the center field fence in the seventh to give Seattle a 1-0 lead for Randy to protect. Randy allowed a single to pinch-hitter Curt Wilkerson in the eighth but got Shumpert to ground into a double play. Harold Reynolds tried to add an insurance run in the eighth when he singled and stole second, but he couldn't come around to score. Nevertheless, Randy was still around to preserve the 1-0 lead in the ninth. He walked Brian McRae, but was able to get the next three outs to complete the shutout victory.
39. Mariners 2, Twins 0
April 20, 1992
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Tapani
9 IP 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, SHO
The Mariners were close to getting back to .500 by the time Randy made his next start, against the defending World Series champion Minnesota Twins. The Twins went from last to first to win a tight AL West, then knocked off the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves to win the title. They were off to a rough start and were closer to last place than first, but they still gave Randy a rough time in the first when Rookie of the Year Chuck Knoblauch singled and stole second. Randy got out of the inning, and the Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the first when Harold Reynolds doubled and went to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Randy allowed a baserunner in the next three innings on two singles on a walk, but he was able to get out of the inning each time. He then went on to retire the side in order in both the fifth and the sixth. The Mariners scratched out another run in the bottom of the sixth. Reynolds led off with a triple, and after Twins pitcher Kevin Tapani intentionally walked Ken Griffey Jr., Pete O'Brien hit a sacrifice fly to score Reynolds. Tapani walked the next two batters to load the bases, but the Mariners couldn't get another run in. The Twins got runners on in the seventh and eighth innings, but they got no further than second base. The Mariners were unsuccessful in scoring another insurance runs as they hit into two double plays, but Randy had a 2-0 lead to protect in the ninth. He made it look easy by getting Kirby Puckett to ground out, struck out Chili Davis, and got Brian Harper to ground out. Randy had two straight complete game shutouts.
40. Mariners 10, Angels 6
April 25, 1992
Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, CA
Losing Pitcher: Joe Grahe
5.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 4 K
Randy's two straight shutouts were impressive, but his chances of a third ended early against the Angels. Rookie Chad Curtis reached on an error by shortstop Jeff Schaefer in the first, then Junior Felix singled. Curtis was caught trying to steal third on an attempted double steal, but Hubie Brooks singled to drive in Felix and gave the Angels an early 1-0 lead. The lead didn't last long as the first three Mariners batters reached in the second, then Tino Martinez blasted a grand slam. The Angels loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a walk and two singles, but couldn't get a run home. The Mariners added to the lead in the fourth when Harold Reynolds hit a two-run double after Jay Buhner had walked and Tino had singled. They scored again in the fifth when Ken Griffey Jr. walked and stole second, then scored on Pete O'Brien's single. Randy had settled down after the early struggles, but the Angels got to him again in the sixth. Gary Gaetti doubled, then Rene Gonzales homered. After an out, Ron Tingley doubled and Gary Disarcina reached on Schaefer's second error. Randy struck out Curtis for the second out, but then Felix hit a three-run home run to move the Angels within one. It also ended Randy's day as he was replaced by rookie reliever Jeff Nelson, got got out of the inning. The Mariners added two more insurance runs in the eighth on RBI singles by Reynolds and Rich Amaral. Nelson got in some trouble in the eighth when he hit Disarcina and walked pinch-hitter Von Hayes. Mike Schooler came in to get out of the inning. O'Brien homered in the ninth to make it ten runs for Seattle. Schooler piched a perfect ninth for the five-out save.
41. Mariners 3, Blue Jays 2
May 17, 1992
SkyDome
Toronto, Ontario
Losing Pitcher: Jimmy Key
8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 4 K
The Mariners went into free-fall in May and found themselves well below .500. Meanwhile Randy had some awful starts after Sports Illustrated had written a profile on him, including a game where he walked ten. The Mariners did win two of three against the Blue Jays, who had the second-best record in baseball. Randy went in to try to give Seattle the win in the four-game series. Randy wasn't sharp early on, but he was effective when he needed to be and pitched around baserunners in each of the first six innings. The most dangerous inning came in the fourth. He had gotten two quick outs, but then Pat Tabler singled, and Derek Bell hit a double. Tabler was held at third before Randy was able to get the third out. The Mariners had also gotten some baserunners against Toronto starter Jimmy Key, but he was even more stingy, but Edgar Martinez homered with one out in the sixth to give the Mariners an early lead. Randy got out of a jam in the bottom of the inning when Dave Winfield doubled and Tabler walked. Winfield advanced to third on a passed ball, but that was as far as he got. The Mariners tagged key for two more runs when Henry Cotto and Edgar hit back to back homers in the eighth. Randy had a chance for another shutout in the ninth, but he walked the first three batters he faced. Closer Mike Schooler came in and allowed a run on a forceout. Then Roberto Alomar singled to drive in another run. Schooler got Joe Carter to pop out, then intentionally walked Winfield to load the bases and set up for the force at home. Kelly Gruber flied out and the Mariners were able to breathe a sigh of relief.
42. Mariners 2, Indians 1
May 22, 1992
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Scott Scudder
8.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K
The excitement of getting the series win against the Blue Jays was short-lived as the Mariners and got swept in Boston. They limped home to face the Indians, who were the last place team in the AL East. However, they had a lineup of solid young hitters. Randy worked carefully to them and ended up walking Carlos Baerga in the first and Kenny Lofton in the third, but he was able to keep the Indians from scoring. Indians starter Scott Scudder worked in and out of trouble himself. He allowed a double to Ken Griffey Jr. in the fourth, and Kevin Mitchell followed with a walk, but there were two outs and Pete O'Brien hit a harmless fly ball to end the inning. The Indians struck first when they scored a run in the sixth. Kenny Loften singled with one out for the first hit Randy allowed. He then stole second and then third as Randy struck out Thomas Howard. Carlos Baerga grounded a single to left and Lofton was able to trot home. Randy got out of another jam in the seventh when Mark Whiten singled and stole second, but was thrown out trying to get to third. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Kevin Mitchell reached on an error by Indians shortstop Mark Lewis. O'Brien walked, and Jay Buhner bunted them forward. Kevin Wickander came in to pitch, but Tino Martinez stroked a two-run single for the lead. Randy pitched into the ninth to protect the one-run lead. He struck out Albert Belle for the first out, but then Whiten singled for the second time, and Sandy Alomar was hit by a pitch. Closer Mike Schooler came in, and he was able to get the last two outs to end the losing streak.
43. Mariners 8, Yankees 5
July 26, 1992
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Melido Perez
6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 8 K
Randy had gone into an extended slump following the game against the Indians. He made eight starts and lost each one. The Mariners had also sank into last place. Randy was trying to straighten things out against the Yankees, although he had walked nine in his previous start against the Yankees. The Yankees nicked Randy for a double and a walk in the first, but no runs were scored. The Mariners took a three-run lead in the bottom of the inning when Kevin Mitchell hit a three-run home run following a single by Omar Vizquel and a double by Ken Griffey Jr. The Yankees responded quickly in the second. Randy loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch, a single, and a walk. Randy Velarde followed with another single to score two runs. The Mariners scored three more in the third when an error by second baseman Pat Kelly led to a run, followed by RBI singles by Jay Buhner and Shane Turner. Randy was unable to keep the Yankees at bay, when a walk, a single, a double, and another single led to two more runs in the fifth. Randy was able to keep New York at bay in the fifth and sixth despite allowing a walk and a double. Lance Parrish homered in the bottom of the sixth to give Seattle another run. Manager Bill Plummer took Randy out for Rich DeLucia in the seventh, who quickly allowed another run on a double and a single. Kerry Woodson came in to get the last outs in the seventh, and pitched a scoreless eighth. Kevin Mitchell's second home run gave Seattle another run. Russ Swan was tasked with the ninth as Schooler was out with another injury. He allowed Dion James to get to third but held on for the save.
44. Mariners 6, White Sox 3
July 31, 1992
Comiskey Park
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Charlie Hough
7.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
The Mariners split a series with the Angels in Anaheim before moving on to face the White Sox, and Randy was matched up with his old friend, the knuckleballer Charlie Hough. Hough was holding his own as a 44-year-old, but he had a losing record. The Mariners roughed him up in the top of the first. Omar Vizquel singled, and scored on Ken Griffey Jr.'s double. Griffey moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored when Edgar Martinez singled. Seattle scored again in the third. Edgar walked with two outs, and moved to third on Pete O'Brien's single. That allowed him to score when Hough threw another wild pitch. Randy had allowed only a walk in the first two innings, but he hit Craig Grebeck with a pitch in the third. Grebeck was able to score when Tim Raines hit a double. Afterwards both Randy and Charlie Hough settled into a routine of allowing baserunners on hits or walks, but getting out of the inning without a run. That changed when Hough faced Lance Parrish with two on and two outs in the seventh. Parrish blasted a three-run home run. Randy was still pitching when the game moved into the eighth inning. Things fell apart for him after he got Steve Sax to ground out. Raines and Frank Thomas both singled, then George Bell doubled to score Raines. Thomas went to third and scored on Robin Ventura's double. After Randy walked Shawn Abner, Bill Plummer lifted him for Russ Swan. Swan got out of the eighth. After Seatlle couldn't score despite two hits and a walk in the eighth, Swan allowed singles to Ron Karkovice and Carlton Fisk to lead off the ninth. However, he was able to steady himself and got the last three outs for the save.
45. Mariners 3, Royals 1
August 10, 1992
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Luis Aquino
9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 10 K
Randy made his first start after the chance bullpen meeting with Nolan Ryan and Tom House. He strove to make the mechanical adjustments the two veteran baseball men had suggested, figuring things couldn't get worse than the eight runs and six walks he allowed against the Milwaukee Brewers. The fifth-place Royals were as good as any team to try. Randy still walked the first batter he faced in Gregg Jefferies and also walked Curtis Wilkerson in the second. Then he allowed a run in the third when Bob Melvin singled and David Howard doubled. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the inning when Dave Valle and Harold Reynolds hit back-to-back doubles, and Edgar Martinez drove in Reynolds with a single. Randy continued to struggle with walks in the fourth and in the sixth, and he also allowed a single to Jefferies in the sixth. However, he got stronger as the game went into the seventh. He retired the side in order and struck out two. The Mariners loaded the bases in the seventh on a double and two walks, but they couldn't score. They were able to load the bases again in the eighth when Omar Vizquel led off with a walk, then with one out Ken Griffey Jr. singled and Pete O'Brien walked. There was only one out and Jay Buhner hit a sacrifice fly to score Vizquel with the insurance run. Randy was still in the game in the ninth inning to try to secure the win. He got the first two outs before coming face to face with the Royals' future Hall of Famer George Brett, called on to pinch hit. Brett lifted a fly ball to deep right field, but Buhner caught it at the warning track, and Randy had a complete-game win.
46. Mariners 3, Twins 2
August 15, 1992
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Tom Edens
9 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 13 K
Randy felt pretty good with the new mechanics and took it with him to his next start, against the Minnesota Twins. The Twins had fought back into second place after their slow start. Randy had some difficulties in the first and walked the first two batters, but the lead runner Shane Mack was caught stealing, and Randy struck out the next two batters. He walked the first two batters again in the third, but then Mack bunted them to second and third. Randy went and struck out the next two batters. The Mariners scored a run in teh third when John Moses doubled, and went to third on Omar Vizquel's single. Moses was able to score on a wild pitch. Randy walked only one batter from the fourth to the sixth, getting four strikeouts. Gene Larkin walked with two outs in the seventh, then stole second. Scott Leius followed with a double and the game was tied at one apiece. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the inning on Lance Parrish's home run. Randy struck out two in the eighth, the latter of which helped him tie a career high with 13 strikeouts in the game. He was still out in the ninth to go for another complete game win. He got two flyouts, but then Pedro Munoz singled. Randy walked Larkin again, after which Leius singled to score Munoz with the tying run. Randy was still able to get the last out of the ninth, but the game was tied. The Mariners set out to untie the game. Lance Parrish singled against reliever Tom Edens and was replaced by pinch-runner Henry Cotto. Jeff Schaefer bunted Cotto to second. Then Dave Valle lined a single against new reliever Mark Guthrie and the Mariners had a walk-off victory.
47. Mariners 5, Red Sox 2
August 21, 1992
Fenway Park
Boston, MA
Losing Pitcher: Frank Viola
7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
The seven walks against the Twins were somewhat disappointing, but Randy was encouraged with the way he was able to maintain his velocity and pitch deep into the game, and also recorded 13 strikeouts. He continued his experimentation to the road against the last-place Red Sox. Randy didn't walk a batter in the first inning this time, and also got two strikeouts, including against Wade Boggs. Jody Reed doubled with two outs in the second, but Randy struck out Eric Wedge to end the inning. The Mariners banged out two runs in the third as they loaded the bases with three singles. Lance Parrish flied out too shallow to score the run, but Jay Buhner worked a bases-loaded walk. Tino Martinez followed with another single to drive in the second run. Randy didn't allow his first walk until the fourth inning, but the walk didn't do any damage. Reed hit another double to lead off the fifth, but Randy was still able to leave him stranded with two strikeouts. The Mariners did some more damage in the sixth inning. They had three straight singles again, the latter of which scored a run and put runners on first and second. The lead runner Omar Vizquel stole third, and scored on Edgar Martinez's sacrifice fly. A wild pitch sent trailing runner Henry Cotto to second, and Cotto scored when Ken Griffey Jr. doubled. Randy allowed baserunners in the sixth and seventh, but Boston couldn't score. Shawn Barton came out to pitch the eighth. He held Boston scoreless in the eighth inning, but in the ninth Barton walked Jack Clark with one out, and after another out, allowed a two-run home run to Wedge. Jeff Nelson came in to pitch, and struck out Cooper to get the final out and secure the victory.
48. Mariners 15, Red Sox 2
August 31, 1992
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Frank Viola
7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR 4 BB, 8 K
Randy had a reasonably successful start against the Indians that ended a no-decision before Frank Viola the Red Sox came in for their revenge match in the Kingdome. Randy struggled somewhat in the first, as he walked the first two batters who were Billy Hatcher and Jody Reed. Bob Zupcic singled to score Hatcher and the Red Sox went out to an early 1-0 lead. The lead didn't last long as Randy got out of the inning without further damage. Then Seattle made Viola pay for walking two batters when Jay Buhner blasted a three-run home run. Randy settled down in the second while the Mariners continued to pound Boston pitching. They scored four runs on two singles and a sacrifice bunt,a sacrifice fly, a double by Edgar Martinez, and a two-run home run by Ken Griffey Jr. Dave Valle added a home run of his own in the fifth, and three hits and a walk led to two more runs in the sixth. Randy was cruising along. He walked batters and allowed a double to John Valentin in the fourth, but he was able to get out of the inning by getting key strikeouts. Boston finally tagged Randy for another run in the seventh when Mo Vaughn homered on an 0-2 count. The home run was merely a drop in a bucket, and the Mariners piled on with five more runs in the bottom of the inning, all coming with two outs. Edgar homered, and then the Mariners loaded the bases on two walks and a single, which set up two-run doubles by Pete O'Brien and Valle. Mike Schooler came in to pitch a perfect eighth. Shawn Barton got the ninth. He allowed a two-out single to Vaughn, but then John Marzano grounded out to end the game.
49. Mariners 7, White Sox 2
October 3, 1992
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Kirk McCaskill
7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 8 K
Randy struggled off and on to perfect his new mechanics in September, but he turned it on with three straight starts when he struck out 45 batters, which propelled him to the league lead in strikeouts. However, the Mariners lost all three games as they solidified their grasp on last place. Randy got the ball in the penultimate game to avoid 100 losses. Randy walked two in the first, but got out of the innings without a run. The Mariners bats came alive in the second and scored five runs. Dann Howitt walked with one out. Lance Parrish grounded to shortstop Esteban Beltre, who tried to force Howitt at second but threw the ball away. Howitt scored and Parrish went to second. Greg Briley, Rich Amaral and Omar Vizquel all followed with singles to score two more runs with two on. Ken Griffey Jr. cleared the bases with a triple. The Mariners scored two more runs in the fourth. Vizquel and Harold Reynolds led off with singles, and Tino Martinez drove them both in with a double. Randy was pitching fairly well, but walks were still an issue. They became an issue in the fifth when Scott Hemond walked. Beltre made up for his error with a single. Joey Cora singled to drive in Hemond, and Frank Thomas doubled to drive in Beltre. There were runners on second and third, but Randy struck out Chris Cron to end the inning. The White Sox mounted one more rally against Randy in the seventh when Hemond singled, and Cora walked, but Randy got out of the inning without a run. Rich DeLucia came in for Randy in the eighth, and he threw two perfect innings, getting four strikeouts, to secure the win. And Seattle got to avoid the ignominy of 100 losses.
1993
Opponents weren't sure which Randy Johnson was going to show up when the regular season started. The Mariners started the season against the defending champion Toronto Blue Jays and their Opening Day starter, future Hall of Famer Jack Morris. Randy dissected the Blue Jays in a way that showed American League hitters that they were going to have a bad time against him. He pitched eight innings and allowed only one run, walking only two. He struck out 14 batters. He quickly proved that wasn't a fluke when he struck out 14 batters again in a complete game shutout against the Athletics on May 16, walking only three. It was already his second shutout of the game. Randy continued his dominance in June, reaching double digits strikeouts in five of the six starts that month including 15 against the Kansas City Royals on June 14.
By the All-Star break Randy was 10-5 with a 3.30 ERA. He also had 171 strikeouts against only 58 walks in 144.2 innings. He had gotten to 58 walks by June 1 two years earlier when he ended the season with 152. Randy was rewarded with a spot on the All-Star team, being played at Baltimore's sparkling new stadium at Camden Yards. Randy began the game in the bullpen as the start went to none other than Mark Langston, now pitching for the California Angels. He got the call to go in for the third after Langston allowed two runs in two innings. Randy had no problems dispatching the reigning National League MVP and batting champions Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield. Up next was John Kruk, the Phillies' portly first baseman who was a pretty good hitter despite his physique. However, he had never faced Randy before, but as a left-handed batter facing a left-handed pitcher he couldn't feel comfortable at the plate. This discomfort became abject terror when Randy unleashed his first pitch up over Kruk's head. And then Randy threw three perfect strikes. Kruk swung meekly at the last two and was able to return to the safety of the National League dugout. Randy got through the fourth with no damage, and the American League rallied to win.
Randy continued his domination of American League hitters in the second half of the season. He did have one troublesome start on July 23 when he allowed eight runs to the Cleveland Indians while walking four and getting only four outs, only one of which was a strikeout. However, he quickly showed that was a fluke by getting double digit strikeouts in two of the next four starts. He showed he was willing to help the team by coming out of the bullpen as well. On August 16, he came marching out of the bullpen in a game against the Baltimore Orioles only two days after striking out ten in eight innings. The Orioles had whittled down an 8-2 lead to 8-4, and had the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth. Randy allowed two of the inherited runners to score on a single by Brady Anderson, but then came back to strike out Mark McLemore to limit the damage. He came back out in the ninth and walked Cal Ripken Jr., but he struck out the side for his first save since he was with the USC Trojans.
Randy got three more double digit strikeout games in his first four September starts. After a three-hit shutout against the Texas Rangers on September 21, he was 18-8 and had 288 strikeouts with only 96 walks in 236.1 innings pitched. For once he was not leading the league in walks. Instead, he was focused on becoming the first pitcher since his mentor Nolan Ryan to reach 300 strikeouts in a season. Ryan's own Major League career came to an ignominious end a day after Randy's shutout. He loaded the bases and walked in a run, then allowed grand slam to Dann Howitt. While pitching against the next hitter Dave Magadan, Ryan felt a pop in his right arm followed by a burning pain. His ulnar collateral ligament had finally given away. Randy was witness to the carnage. He knew how Nolan had helped turn his career around. So before his last home start four days later, Randy asked for and received permission to don Nolan Ryan's number 34 to pay tribute the 46-year-old living legend. Number 34 with the Mariners was taken by rookie reliever Erik Plantenberg, and who was he to deny Randy Johnson? Randy went into the start against the Athletics with his intense concentration. He faltered slightly in the second and seventh, allowing home runs to Dave Henderson, but he had 11 strikeouts going into the ninth. When he struck out Ruben Sierra in the ninth he had himself 300 strikeouts. However, the game was still tied 2-2. Randy pitched the tenth to try to secure the win, but alas reliever Kevin King went out to pitch the 11th and Randy watched as the Mariners went on to lose in 12. Still, he won his last start on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers to put him at 19-8.
Randy was likely disappointed to have missed out on 20 wins, but he was still pleased with his performance. His 308 strikeouts were 81 more than any other pitchers, and he finished the season with only 99 walks in a career high 255.1 innings. He posted a career best 3.24 ERA, although he finished eighth in the American League in that department. There were some writers that felt Randy should have won the Cy Young, such as Tim Kurkjian of Sports Illustrated, but when the votes were tabulated and the results were announced Randy finished second, behind Jack McDowell of the Chicago White Sox who had a higher ERA and barely half the strikeouts. However, Black Jack won 22 games for a division winner, so he gets the hardware. Randy wasn't terribly concerned. He and Lisa were getting married. And when the Mariners offered him a four year, $20.25 million contract with an option for a fifth year, he didn't hesitate to sign. Randy would have been a free agent after the 1994 season and had been the subject of trade rumors all year. He was linked to the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies at times, but Randy liked being in Seattle, and he appreciated the commitment that would keep him through Seattle at least through 1998. He had turned 30 years old, but his career was finally looking up.
The Wins of 1993
50. Mariners 8, Blue Jays 1
April 6, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Jack Morris
8 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 14 K
Randy had all off-season to tinker with his mechanics. He also fostered a renewed sense of determination after the loss of his father on Christmas Day. Randy got the Opening Day assignment against the defending World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays nicked him for a run in the first when Roberto Alomar singled, and then Joe Carter followed with a triple. However, the Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the inning when Ken Griffey Jr. blasted a three run home run. Seattle scored again in the second on back-to-back doubles by Rich Amaral and Mike Felder. They added two more runs in the third on a walk, a single, and a two-run double by Amaral. Meanwhile the Blue Jays were starting to get a sense that facing Randy Johnson would be different than it had been in the past. The Blue Jays were still able to get baserunners, but they found it hard to advance them when they go down swinging. Randy struck out one in the first and second, two in the third, and he struck out the side in the fourth. Toronto got runners on the corner in the fifth on a double and single, but Randy escaped the inning without a run. The Mariners did score in the fifth on an RBI single by Omar Vizquel. Randy struck out the side for the second time in the sixth following a walk to former teammate Darnell Coles. When Toronto's big free agent acquisition Paul Molitor struck out in the eighth, Randy had 14 strikeouts, and had allowed only the run in the first. Tino Martinez homered in the bottom of the inning to wrap up the scoring, as Rich DeLucia came out and retired the Blue Jays in order for the Opening Day victory.
51. Mariners 5, Red Sox 0
April 21, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Danny Darwin
9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, SHO
Randy struggled to reproduce the domination of his Opening Day performance during his following two starts. His walks went up and his strikeouts went down. Still, Randy had the utmost confidence in his abilities and wasn't going to let a few bad games get him to doubt himself. The first place Red Sox came to Seattle and took the first game behind Roger Clemens, another fireballer that idolized Nolan Ryan and baseball's best pitcher since 1986. Randy knew he had that kind of talent, and showed it off. He allowed a single to Carlos Quintana in the first, but kept Boston from scoring. Meanwhile the Mariners took an early lead when Omar Vizquel singled and stole second, then scored on Pete O'Brien's single. Randy shut down the Boston lineup from then on. He walked Luis Rivera in the third, but got the next batter to hit into a double play. He allowed solitary singles to Bob Melvin and Ivan Calderon in the sixth and seventh respectively, as well as a double to Rivera in the eighth, but the Red Sox were never able to capitalize on those opportunities. Meanwhile Seattle got a pair of home runs by Ken Griffey Jr., a two-run blast in the third after Rich Amaral singled, and a solo shot in the fifth. They also scored when Dave Valle grounded into a double play after leadoff singles by Jay Buhner and Tino Martinez put runners on the corner. Randy was still the story of the day when he pitched into the ninth inning without having given up a run. He struck out Quintana, and then disposed of the next two batters without any difficulties to wrap up the complete game shutout. It was a statement performance that suggested there was another ace in the American League.
52. Mariners 6, Indians 3
April 26, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Tom Kramer
9 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 7 K
The dominating win against the Red Sox lit a spark in the Mariners as they won the next two games, but that spark went out against the Yankees and they lost two straight. They turned to Randy to get them back on a right track against the Cleveland Indians. The Indians were still near the bottom of the division after having suffered a terrible tragedy in spring training, but they struck first in the game. After Randy set Cleveland down in the first, he hit Albert Belle to lead off the second inning. Belle responded by stealing second, and then went to third when Carlos Martinez singled. He scored when Paul Sorrento grounded out to the right side. Reggie Jefferson's single sent Martinez to third, and then Martinez scored when Glenallen Hill hit a fly ball to left. Randy stopped the Indians there, but the Mariners were unable to capitalize on baserunners against former ace Matt Young. Randy got out of a jam in the fifth when Kenny Lofton doubled and stole third, and the Mariners were finally able to score some runs. Omar Vizquel and Mike Felder singled, and then singles by Ken Griffey Jr. and Jay Buhner tied the game. Cleveland took the lead in the sixth when Belle homered, but Seattle responded in the bottom of the inning. Rich Amaral led off with a double, and Young departed the game in favor of rookie reliever Tom Kramer. Kramer threw a pitch that Dave Valle hit out of the park for a go-ahead home run. The Mariners got insurance runs in the seventh and the eighth, but Randy got all the runs he needed. He retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth, and calmly allowed a double play in the ninth after Carlos Martinez singled.
53. Mariners 9, Indians 5
May 6, 1993
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland, OH
Losing Pitcher: Jose Mesa
8 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 7 K
Randy struggled mightily against the Yankees on the road before heading into Cleveland for a rematch against the Indians. The Indians got to Randy early on once again. Thomas Howard hit an infield single with one out, then he stole second. Randy hit Carlos Baerga with the next pitch, and the two baserunners combined for a double steal. Albert Belle's grounder to short forced Baerga at third, but Howard came home for the game's first run. The Mariners got runners on second and third in the second inning, but couldn't get a run through. They were more successful in the third. Singles by Omar Vizquel, Mike Felder, Pete O'Brien, Jay Buhner, and Rich Amaral plus a throwing error by Indians catcher Junior Ortiz led to four runs scoring. The Mariners added to the lead in the fifth when Ken Griffey Jr. singled and O'Brien hit a home run. Randy pitched well in the third and fourth having been given a lead, but he struggled with the long ball when he allowed leadoff home run to Alvaro Espinoza in the fifth. The Indians scored two more runs in the sixth inning. Baerga led off with a triple, and then Belle walked. Carlos Martinez singled to score Baerga, and then Belle scored when third baseman Wally Backman made a throwing error on Reggie Jefferson's grounder. The Mariners pulled ahead when Buhner homered in the seventh and Griffey did the same in the eighth. Belle managed a solo home run in the eighth, but Tino Martinez hit the Mariners' fourth home run of the day. Rich DeLucia came in and managed to retire the Indians in order for a rare one-two-three inning. It wasn't Randy's sharpest start, but he did last long enough for the Mariners to get him nine runs of support.
54. Mariners 4, White Sox 3
May 11, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Dave Stieb
7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 HR, 9 K
The Mariners returned home where they faced off against the Chicago White Sox, who had climbed to the top of the AL West division after a strong start. Randy got the start in the middle game opposite Dave Stieb, the longtime Toronto ace who had signed with Chicago in an attempt to revive his career after back injuries. Randy did well in the first inning, getting two strikeouts, but allowed a home run to Ellis Burks with two outs in the second. The Mariners responded in the bottom of the second. Jay Buhner singled, and then Tino Martinez worked a full-count walk. Dave Valle bunted the two to second and third, and they both scored when Mike Blowers singled. Stieb got out of the inning, but ran into more trouble in the third after he had gotten two outs. Pete O'Brien singled, and then Buhner drove him home with a triple. Tino's single scored Buhner. Stieb managed to right his performance after that, but Randy had gotten a lead and made sure to hold it. He struck out a pair in the third and fifth, and in the fourth he got Frank Thomas to line into a double play after Lance Johnson singled and stole second. Randy walked the pair in the seventh, but he struck out the last two batters to get out of the inning. That was enough for him as manager Lou Piniella went to the bullpen for the eighth. Rich DeLucia got things done, but things got hairy when former Cincinnati Red Nasty Boy Norm Charlton came in to get the save. Lance Johnson reached on third baseman Blowers's error, and then Thomas homered to put Chicago behind by just one run. Charlton bore down and struck out the last two batters to save the game.
55. Mariners 7, Athletics 0
May 16, 1993
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Oakland, CA
Losing Pitcher: Bobby Witt
9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 14 K, SHO
The Mariners went on the road to face Oakland, who had all of a sudden fallen onto hard times after dominating the AL West for five years. They occupied last place, but won the first two games of the series on walk-offs. Randy got the ball to avoid the sweep. The Mariners helped him out by scoring a run in the first. Rich Amaral singled, and Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a double. Amaral scored when Pete O'Brien grounded out. Randy was on the top of his game from the start. He retired the side in order the first time through the lineup. Jay Buhner tacked on another run in the fourth with a home run. In the sixth A's starter Bobby Witt loaded the bases with two outs on a trio of walks. He faced Mike Blowers, who hadn't homered in 1993. Yet Blowers hit the second pitch to the left field stands for a grand slam. Randy had none of Witt's issues. He got through the seventh without allowing having allowed a baserunner. Any thoughts of history went out the window when Kevin Seitzer worked a full-count walk with one out in the eighth. Randy got out of the inning with a double play. The Mariners gave him one more run in the ninth, but all eyes were on Randy to see if he can complete a second no-hitter. Randy walked Mike Bordick, but got pinch-hitter Terry Steinbach to force Bordick. Then Lance Blankenship hit a clean single to right and the no-hitter was gone. Randy then walked Rickey Henderson to load the bases. He still had a chance to preserve the shutout, and he did just that by striking out the last two hitters. It was the dominating performance the Mariners were waiting for since Opening Day.
56. Mariners 6, Brewers 1
June 9, 1993
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee, WI
Losing Pitcher: Bill Wegman
8 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 11 K
Randy had pitched well in his three starts following the near no-hitter, but his run support dried up as the Mariners went into free-fall. Seattle had a five-game losing streak by the time they gave Randy the ball in the final game of a three-game series against the Brewers. The Brewers were in sixth place just like the Mariners. Seattle scored the first run in the top of the second. Jay Buhner walked, and went to third on Pete O'Brien's single. Mike Blowers hit a sacrifice fly to score Buhner. Randy had done well in the first inning, but had control problems in the second. He hit Kevin Reimer with a pitch Reimer stole second and scored on Tom Brunansky's single. Brunansky went to second on the throw home, and stole third as Randy walked B.J. Surhoff. Surhoff also stole second before Randy walked the unfortunate Joe Kmak. He left the bases loaded, and Brewers found they could no longer score more runs. Dickie Thon doubled and went to third on a wild pitch in the third, but couldn't score. The Brewers loaded the bases again in the fourth, but Randy held them there. Meanwhile Seattle took the lead in the seventh. Blowers led off with a double, but he was out at third on a fielder's choice. Greg Litton followed with a single, and Omar Vizquel's double scored a run. Mackey Sasser drove both runners home with a single. Randy got through the eighth inning having had only one one-two-three inning, but allowed just the one run in the second. The Mariners added two more runs in the ninth. Norm Charlton came on in the ninth. He allowed a single to William Suero and walked pinch-hitter Juan Bell, but a double play ended the game and Seattle's losing streak.
57. Mariners 6, Royals 3
June 14, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Mark Gardner
8 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 15 K
The Mariners limped home from their disastrous June road trip where they won only three games, and they found themselves having to face the Kansas City Royals. The Royals had rebounded from a sixth-place finish in 1992 to lead the AL West. Randy got the ball, but he allowed back-to-back doubles by Brian McRae and Harvey Pulliam gave the Royals an early lead. Randy then hit Mike Macfarlane with a pitch, but he got his former Expos teammate Hubie Brooks to hit into a double play. Randy seemed to settle down afterwards. He struck out the side in the second, and then struck out a pair in the third. Meanwhile the Mariners fought back to take the lead in the fourth. Ken Griffey Jr. doubled, and Jay Buhner walked. Tino Martinez lifted a three-run home run to right to give Seattle the lead. Randy took things to another gear now that he had the lead, and he struck out the side once again in the fifth. Jay Buhner hit a solo home run in the sixth for another run. Macfarlane got revenge for the hit-by-pitch earlier in the game by leading off the seventh with a home run, but then Randy struck out the side for the third time in the game. McRae and Pulliam repeated their back-to-back doubles with two outs in the eighth to give the Royals the Huge Run, but then Randy struck out Wally Joyner to end the inning. It was his 15th strikeout of the game to set a new season high. The Mariners added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth on Tino's bases-loaded sacrifice fly and Mike Felder's single. Then Norm Charlton came out and stuck out to more Royals hitters in a perfect ninth inning to record the save.
58. Mariners 6, Rangers 5
June 19, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Todd Burns
6.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 10 K
The Mariners took two out of three from the Royals, and then welcomed the Texas Rangers, who was their usual disappointing selves. Seattle took the first game of the three-game series, and Randy started the middle game. The Mariners took an early lead in the first when Rangers starter Todd Burns walked Omar Vizquel and Pete O'Brien. Jay Buhner doubled to score both runners. Randy struggled in the second, allowing a leadoff double to Juan Gonzalez. Gonzalez went to third on a balk, and then Randy walked Gary Redus. However, he struck out the side in between all the action. The Mariners added to the lead in the fourth. Burns continued his control issues by walking Mike Blowers and Rich Amaral. Seattle then came a home run short of the cycle when Vizquel singled, Mackey Sasser tripled, and Ken Griffey Jr. doubled, and four runs went on the board. Randy was perfect from the third through the sixth, but things fell apart in the seventh. Jose Canseco singled, and Gonzalez followed with a home run. Randy struck out Dean Palmer, but then he walked Ivan Rodriguez. Redus and Doug Strange singled and another run came home. Dennis Powell came in to pitch for Randy, but he wasn't much better. Billy Ripken singled to score a run, and then Butch Davis walked to load the bases. Manager Lou Piniella turned to Jeff Nelson next. Nelson allowed the Huge Run to score on a sacrifice fly by Julio Franco, but then Canseco grounded out and the disastrous inning was finally over. Nelson walked Rodriguez in the eighth, but maintained the one-run lead. Norm Charlton came in to pitch the ninth. He got two quick outs before Davis singled. Charlton came back to strike Franco out to end the Rangers' hopes of winning.
59. Mariners 5, Twins 3
June 30, 1993
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, MN
Losing Pitcher: Scott Erickson
8 IP, 4 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Randy struck out 14 batters in his last start of the homestand, but also walked eight to suffer a loss. He then had to go on the road to the Metrodome in Minnesota, where he had never won a game. The Mariners hitters provided some relief by scoring two runs before Randy even took the mound. Omar Vizquel and Dave Magadan led off with singles, and Ken Griffey Jr. walked to load the bases. Pete O'Brien drove in one run with a sacrifice fly. Jay Buhner walked to load the bases again, and allowed another run to score on a sacrifice fly by Tino Martinez. Randy overcame the roar of the crowd of 21,196 and got through the sixth having allowed just two baserunners. The Mariners added an insurance run in the seventh. Rich Amaral singled with two outs and then stole second, and scored when Vizquel singled. Things got hairy for Randy in the bottom of the inning. Puckett led off with a double, and then Dave Winfield blasted a home run for his 2,924th hit. The next two batters followed with a single and a double and all of a sudden the go-ahead run was in scoring position. Randy gritted his teeth and struck out the next two batters Pedro Munoz and Dave McCarty, and then got pinch-hitter extraordinaire Lenny Webster to pop up to end the inning. The Mariners added another insurance run in the eighth on Tino's RBI single, and yet another in the ninth on Greg Litton's RBI single. Norm Charlton got the ball for the ninth. However, the Twins worked the bases loaded on two singles and a walk. Munoz followed with a double play. A run scored on the play, but with two outs, Charlton struck out Dave McCarty to end the game.
60. Mariners 5, Athletics 4
August 3, 1993
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Oakland, CA
Losing Pitcher: Ed Nunez
8 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 12 K
July was a disastrous month for Randy, outside of a memorable appearance in the All-Star game. He made five starts and had an ERA of 7.36, as the Mariners lost four of the five games. Randy was hoping a match-up against the last place Oakland Athletics can solve his pitching woes. The offense helped by getting a two-run lead before Randy even took the mound. Rookie Bret Boone walked, then Ken Griffey Jr. slammed a two-run home run. Boone added a home run of his own in the third. Meanwhile Randy went back to dominating Oakland hitters. He struck out the side in the second and third. Seattle added another run in the fourth when an error by rookie Oakland third baseman Craig Paquette scored Edgar Martinez from third base. Paquette made up for his error in the bottom of the inning by blasting a two-out, three-run home run after Ruben Sierra and Terry Steinbach singled. Randy got out of the fourth, but Scott Hemond hit a home run in the fifth inning to tie the game. The A's threatened to take the lead frequently over the next few innings. Lance Blankeship walked then Sierra singled again after the home run in the fifth. Hemond walked then went to third on an error and a fly ball in the seventh. Then Jerry Browne singled and Mike Bordick walked in the eighth. The game remained tied into the ninth. Ed Nunez had come to pitch for Oakland. Edgar led off the inning with a single. Mike Blowers bunted him to second, then Dave Valle singled to give the Mariners a lead. The Mariners didn't get any more insurance runs, but Ted Power came in and got the save. It wasn't a pretty start, but Randy was back in the winners circle.
61. Mariners 7, Angels 2
August 14, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Mark Langston
8 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Randy had another poor start against the Rangers in Texas where he lasted three innings, but went back home to face the California Angels. The game held somewhat of a special meaning, as Randy was facing Mark Langston, the man he had traded for. The Angels roughed Randy up with doubles in the first three innings. The first two by Rod Correia in the first and Rene Gonzales didn't affect the scoring at all. However, the one in the third by Chili Davis was damaging, as it followed a single by Correia and a walk to Chad Curtis and a double steal. Two runs came home on the play. Meanwhile Langston was being very stingy with baserunners. Randy eventually settled down and was able to get his strikeouts. The Mariners finally broke through for a run in the bottom of the fifth. Mike Blowers hit a double with one out. Greg Litton was unable to advance Blowers on a groundout, but Dave Valle's single scored Blowers for the Huge Run. The bottom fell out for Langston in the sixth. Brian Turang led off with a double, after which Bret Boone bunted him to third. Langston walked Edgar Martinez, and then Jay Buhner singled to score Turang. A young first baseman named Greg Pirkl playing in only his second Major League game was next. He blasted a three-run home run to right for his first Major League home run, and the Mariners took the lead. Seattle loaded the bases again after that, but couldn't score again. Randy didn't need those extra runs as he kept the Angels from scoring again. Buhner did hit a home run in the seventh to get those extra runs anyways. Steve Ontiveros pitched a scoreless ninth, and Randy felt things are finally falling back in place.
62. Mariners 4, Blue Jays 1
August 20, 1993
SkyDome
Toronto, Ontario
Losing Pitcher: Pat Hentgen
9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 11 K
The Mariners embarked on another road trip after a successful homestand. They started out in Toronto, where they faced the Blue Jays who were back in first place. They were itching to get another chance at facing Randy, who had so thoroughly trounced them on Opening Day. The Mariners struck in the first inning. Brian Turang led off the game with a triple. Bret Boone walked, and then Ken Griffey Jr. popped up, but then Jay Buhner hit a fly ball deep enough to score Turang. Randy went out in the bottom of the inning and showed the Blue Jays that it was still just as difficult to hit him by striking out the side. Seattle added another run in the third. Omar Vizquel led off with a single, and then Griffey walked after two outs. Buhner came through again with a single to score Vizquel. Randy struck out the first two batters in the fourth, but then Joe Carter reached out and hit the first pitch out to left for a home run. Randy walked Roberto Alomar after that, but then kept Toronto from scoring any more runs. The Mariners went to work and put some more distance in the sixth. Buhner led off with a home run. Then Dave Magadan singled, and went to third on a pair of errors by future Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Alomar. Mike Blowers followed with another single to give the Mariners another run. Molitor tried to atone for his error by doubling in the bottom of the inning, but Randy kept him from scoring. Ed Sprague doubled in the eighth, but Randy struck out two and got out of the inning. He was still on the mound in the ninth, and retired the side in order to secured the win.
63. Mariners 6, Blue Jays 3
August 26, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Dave Stewart
8 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
The Blue Jays rolled into town upon the conclusion of the Mariners' road trip for the grudge match. They felt the third time would be the charm against Randy Johnson. Randy struck out the side in the first around Devon White's one-out double. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the inning when Bret Boone walked, and then Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 38th home run. Seattle added another run an inning later when Dave Valle worked a full-count walk. Brian Turang singled him to third, and then Bret Boone drove him home. Toronto finally got to Randy in the third. They loaded the bases on singles by Pat Borders, Paul Molitor, and Joe Carter, the latter two with two outs. Roberto Alomar followed with an infield single and Borders scored. That was all they had gotten, and then Mike Blowers got that run back in the bottom of the inning with a home run. The Blue Jays struck again in the fifth, this time for two runs. Rickey Henderson led off with a walk, and then Devon White's double sent him to third. Randy got Molitor and Carter out without letting either runner home. He had an 0-2 count on Alomar, but Alomar drove a single and both runs scampered home. Griffey then hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the inning. Then Randy increased the pressure on the Blue Jays from the sixth through the eighth, allowing only a harmless two-out single to Molitor in the seventh. Blowers joined Griffey by hitting his second home run in the eighth. Ted Power came out to pitch the ninth. Ed Sprague singled, but after pinch-hitter John Olerud popped up, Power got a double play to end the game. Randy had bested Toronto again.
64. Mariners 3, Brewers 2
September 5, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Angel Miranda
9 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 13 K
Randy went into September with 241 strikeouts in 1993, already matching his league leading figure from the year before. Some felt he may have a chance at 300 strikeouts, but he would have to step things up. Facing the last-place Brewers may be a good start, especially as he struck out the leadoff hitter, defending Rookie of the Year Pat Listach. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the first. Rich Amaral led off with a walk, and then went to third with Brian Turang's double. Ken Griffey Jr. grounded out, but that was enough to advance both baserunners including Amaral with the game's first run. Two walks loaded the bases, but the Mariners couldn't capitalize. Randy initially did well without that extra run, striking out a pair in the second and third, but he ran into some trouble in the fifth. John Jaha led off with a single, and then Randy walked Matt Mieske. A single by Alex Diaz loaded the bases. Randy struck out the next two batters, but Listach singled and two runs scored. The Brewers had taken the lead all of a sudden. The Mariners went down in order in the fifth, and things looked bleak when Brewers pitcher Angel Miranda retired the first two batters of the sixth. Then Dave Magadan worked a walk, and Dave Valle followed with a single. Greg Litton followed with a double to right, and the Mariners had recaptured the lead. Randy responded by striking out the side in the seventh to give him ten on the day. He was still out in the ninth to protect the one-run lead. He responded by striking out the side for the second time to give him 13 on the day. More importantly for him, he helped Seattle get the win.
65. Mariners 7, Brewers 3
September 11, 1993
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee, WI
Losing Pitcher: Cal Eldred
7.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
Randy celebrated his 30th birthday on September 10, then took the mound the next day. He was facing the Brewers again, this time in Milwaukee. The Brewers hitters were more aggressive this time around. They didn't strike out at all in the first three innings. Randy hadn't had a start where he didn't strike out a batter since he was an Expo. The Mariners still took a 1-0 lead in the third. Omar Vizquel walked, and then Brian Turang hit a ground rule double. Vizquel had to stop at third, but then he scored when Bret Boone singled. Randy finally got his first strikeout in the fourth inning, with John Jaha the victim. He got one more in the fifth, and two in the sixth. The Mariners added to the lead in the seventh. They loaded the bases on two singles and a hit-by-pitch with one out. Ken Griffey Jr. drove in Vizquel with a sacrifice fly. And then Jay Buhner's single scored Turang for another run. The Mariners scored again in the eighth when Dave Valle and Turang both walked. Bret Boone's single scored Valle. Randy had been pitching well, but the Brewers came through in the bottom of the eighth. Alex Diaz singled and stole second, after which Juan Bell walked. Randy struck out the next two batters and was hoping to get out of the inning, but then Kevin Seitzer doubled to score two runs. After Jaha walked, Dickie Thon singled and Seitzer scored. Brad Holman had to come in to get the last out. The Mariners got the three runs back with Greg Litton's RBI single and Turang's two-run double. Holman was still out in the ninth. He allowed a B.J. Surhoff single with two outs, but then still got the last out for the save.
66. Mariners 14, Royals 1
September 16, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Chris Haney
7.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 15 K
The Mariners finished off the road trip and returned home to face the Royals, one game ahead of Seattle in third place. Randy got the ball for the series' first game, and he didn't mess around. He struck out the leadoff batter then got another strikeout in the first. He struck out the side in the second. The Mariners were also not messing around. They scored three runs in the second. Mike Blowers and Greg Litton both walked. Royals starter Chris Haney got two outs, but then Omar Vizquel singled to load the bases. Rich Amaral tripled to clear them. Haney loaded the bases again on two walks, but then Jay Buhner didn't have the same magic and flied out. Randy struck out two in the third before Seattle added three more runs with a single, two doubles, and another single. Randy only got one strikeout in the fourth inning, but the Mariners continued their streak of innings with three runs. Walks to Ken Griffey Jr., Buhner, and Mike Blowers loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly and a Litton double cleared it. Randy added one more strikeout in the fifth and two in the sixth. The Mariners didn't score in the fifth, but scored two in the sixth on three singles and an intentional walk. Randy struck out the side in between a pair of walks in the seventh, while Seattle went back to scoring three runs. The Royals had struck out 14 times and hadn't gotten a hit. Greg Gagne did strike out in the eighth, but Keith Miller walked and Brian McRae then doubled Miller home for the Royals' first hit. Once Randy walked McReynolds, Jeff Nelson came out to finish the eighth. Steve Ontiveros pitched a scoreless ninth, and the homestand was off to a striking start.
67. Mariners 8, Rangers 0
September 21, 1993
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Charlie Leibrandt
9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, SHO
Randy was up to 277 strikeouts with 36 strikeouts in three games, and 300 was getting to be a distinct possibility. He did have to face the Rangers, who had battered Randy for eight runs in nine and 1/3 innings in two previous starts. Randy did get off to a strong start, striking out two. The veteran starter Charlie Leibrandt retired the Mariners in order in the first, but then the Mariners scored in four straight innings. In the second, Jay Buhner singled and went to third on an error by Rangers left fielder Doug Dascenzo. Mike Blowers singled him home. In the third, Brian Turang singled, and two walks loaded the bases. Blowers' single scored Turang. In the fourth, Omar Vizquel and Rich Amaral hit back-to-back doubles to score another run. In the fifth, Ken Griffey Jr. blasted his 42nd home run, and the Mariners successfully scored in four straight innings. Randy was still carving up Rangers hitters, getting a strikeout in the fourth and fifth. He struck out Chris James in the sixth, but catcher Dave Valle couldn't corral the ball and James made it to first. Randy went ahead and struck out Dascenzo. He got two more strikeouts in the seventh. The Mariners hadn't scored in the sixth and the seventh, and they were getting hungry. It helped that reliever Brian Bohanon walked the bases loaded. Valle doubled and all of a sudden the Mariners scored three runs. After Vizquel walked, Turang hit a single with two outs. Valle scored, but then Vizquel was caught trying to advance to third. Valle's run counted, and Randy went out for the ninth. He struck out Julio Franco on a wild pitch. Franco made it to first, but the last two batters went down helplessly to secure the shutout.
68. Mariners 8, Twins 2
October 1, 1993
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, MN
Losing Pitcher: Mike Trombley
9 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Randy got the 13 strikeouts he needed to get to 300 for the season in his last start, but the Mariners lost the game. It eliminated Randy's chances of getting to 20 wins, but he still went into his final start looking to finish the season strong. The Mariners scored one run to lead off the game. Bret Boone singled with one out, and went to second on a passed ball. Boone was only able to go to third with Ken Griffey Jr.'s double, but he scored on Jay Buhner's sacrifice fly. Randy did allow Kirby Puckett to single and then steal second base. Puckett went to third when catcher Dave Valle messed up the throw, but Randy struck out Dave Winfield to end the inning. The game progressed smoothly to the fourth, when Randy got into trouble. Puckett walked, and then Winfield singled. Pedro Munoz followed with another single to score a run and tied the game. The lead only lasted half an inning, when Dave Valle's double and Omar Vizquel's triple gave Seattle a lead. Boone's single scored Vizquel for another run. That run would loom important in the bottom of the fifth when Jeff Reboulet singled and Winfield walked. Brian Harper's single scored Reboulet, but Randy was able to stem the scoring. The Mariners added three insurance runs in the eighth when Griffey's two-run home run was followed by back-toback doubles by Buhner and Larry Sheets. Two more runs scored in the ninth when Boone, Griffey, Buhner and Rich Amaral alternated singles and doubles. Randy had practically stopped the Twins offense other than a Harper double in the eighth. He came out in the ninth, and needed only 11 pitches to retire the side in order. His breakout 1993 season would indeed end on a high note.
1994
Randy got the ball in Opening Day once again. This time the Mariners were facing the Cleveland Indians in the Indians' brand new ballpark Jacobs Field. Randy's last start against the Indians was the 1.1 inning, eight run embarrassment on July 23, 1993. He pitched significantly better this time, throwing eight innings and allowing only two hits and two runs, although the Mariners lost in the eleventh. However, there was some warning signs, as he walked five and struck out only two. And Randy was annihilated by the defending champion Toronto Blue Jays in his next start, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) in 2.1 innings. He settled down and had a few good starts, but by May 20 he still had a 5.72 ERA in nine starts and walked 35 batters against 52 strikeouts in 56.2 innings. The Mariners were in third place, although within striking distance of the under-performing Texas Rangers. Nevertheless it seemed as though 1993 was a fluke. Randy Johnson was not having any of it. From May 25 through June 4, Randy turned it on. He threw three consecutive complete game shutouts against the Athletics, Minnesota Twins, and Blue Jays. He got 9, 10, and 15 strikeouts in each of those games. Randy continued to dominate in June and made the All-Star team again, although he allowed a home run to Atlanta Braves center fielder Marquis Grissom in his one inning of work.
Yet while Randy Johnson was re-establishing his place as one of the top pitchers in baseball, trouble was brewing. The owners were allied to force the issue of a salary cap in the negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement. The Players Association strongly against the cap, and two weeks after the All-Star game the players set a strike date for August 12. Randy shut down the Athletics in a dominant complete game on August 11, striking out 15 while walking only one. Then when word came out that the owners would not budge, the team disbanded and went their separate ways. Negotiations continued, but neither side were willing to make concessions. As August turned to September, acting commissioner Bud Selig eventually made the call that the rest of the season, including the playoffs, were canceled. Randy Johnson's complete game win over the Athletics would be the last game played in 1994.
Randy ended up with a solid season in spite of his poor start. He went 13-8 and lowered his ERA to 3.19, fifth in the league. He stayed under the 100-walk plateau once again with 72, although it was done in 172 innings. He struck out 204 batters to once again lead the American League. Awards were handed out even with the abbreviated season. Randy took third place in the Cy Young award voting. While the future of the game was in question, Randy settled into the family life. He and his wife Lisa welcomed their first child on December 28, a daughter Samantha. That would keep him busy in the midst of the most bitter work stoppage in the history of baseball.
The Wins of 1994
69. Mariners 9, Brewers 1
April 15, 1994
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Teddy Higuera
9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
Randy did not get off to a good start in the 1994 season. His control problems returned as he walked 11 against only four strikeouts, and the defending champion Blue Jays finally got their revenge with 11 runs in 2 and 1/3 innings. The Mariners limped into Randy's next start with just two wins. Randy struggled again in the first. Pat Listach led off the game with a single, and it took nine pitches before Kevin Seitzer grounded into a double play. That loomed large when Turner Ward doubled then stole third, but Randy struck out John Jaha. The Mariners rewarded Randy with the lead in the bottom of the inning, when Ken Griffey Jr. singled, and then Jay Buhner homered. After a quiet second inning, the Brewers came out swinging in the third. Randy got two outs before Listach singled for the second time. He stole second, and then scored when Seitzer singled. Seattle got that run back when Rich Amaral homered in the bottom of the inning. They pulled ahead in a big way in the fourth. Buhner led off with a double, then he scored when Brewers third baseman Seitzer fumbled Mike Blowers's grounder. Felix Fermin and Tino Martinez both singled to score Blowers. Seitzer flubbed another grounder to load the bases, then Edgar Martinez worked a bases-loaded walk. Griffey finally put an exclamation point on the inning with a triple. The Mariners were unable to get him home, but those nine runs were more than enough for Randy. He went through the rest of the game allowing just two more baserunners when he hit Matt Mieske with a pitch in the eighth and walked Jose Valentin in the ninth. He also struck out six in the last four innings to finish the complete game victory.
70. Mariners 4, Red Sox 2
April 25, 1994
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Roger Clemens
9 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 9 K
Randy felt better in his next start, even if he ended up with a no-decision. He then found himself having to face the first-place Boston Red Sox and their longtime ace Roger Clemens. The two had faced each other back in 1992, but that was before the meeting with Nolan Ryan and Randy got the loss. Randy got off to the hotter start, picking up to strikeouts in the first. He allowed a two-out triple to John Valentin in the second, but a strikeout got him off the inning. Clemens was struggling with his control, loading the bases with two walks in the second. He got out of the inning, but wasn't so lucky in the third. Rich Amaral led off with a single, then stole second. Clemens then walked Reggie Jefferson. Ken Griffey Jr. hit an infield single and the bases were loaded. Clemens got Jay Buhner to pop out, but then flubbed Eric Anthony's comebacker to allow Amaral to score. Then his catcher Dave Valle, Randy's old backstop, made a throwing error on Tino Martinez's grounder to allow another run to score. Clemens stopped the bleeding there, but having the lead was important for Randy, especially after he allowed a solo home run to Andre Dawson in the fourth. Griffey homered himself in the fifth. That proved to be important when Scott Fletcher led off the sixth with a home run. The two aces then went on to pitch to the top of their abilities. Tony Fossas came into pitch in the eighth, and the Mariners got another run when Buhner and Tino both hit doubles after the hitters ahead of them struck out. Randy was still out in the ninth. He retired the side in order, and he came out on top in this showdown of aces.
71. Mariners 9, Angels 5
May 15, 1994
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Joe Magrane
5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
The Mariners took hold of first place of the new four-team AL West even with their putrid 7-11 record, but they eventually lost it as Randy made two more poor starts. The Mariners took an early lead against the Angels in the first when Ken Griffey Jr. homered, but that lead didn't last long as Randy's struggles continued. He had allowed a Chad Curtis triple in the first, but stranded him there. Then Eduardo Perez and Chris Turner led off the second with singles. Perez was picked off second by catcher Dan Wilson, but Randy ended up walking Spike Owen. Longtime teammate Harold Reynolds forced Owen, but he beat out the double play, then stole second. Gary Disarcina followed with a single to score turner. Then Randy's old minor league buddy Rex Hudler doubled to clear the bases, and the Angels had a 3-1 lead. Perez and Turner got aboard again in the third but couldn't score, so the Mariners struck back in the bottom of the inning. Rich Amaral singled then went to third when Jay Buhner doubled. A wild pitch scored Amaral, and Buhner scored on Mike Blowers's single. The Angels went ahead again in the top of the fifth when reigning Rookie of the Year Tim Salmon walked then Bo Jackson singled. Turner hit a grounder ball that third baseman Blowers flubbed and Salmon scored. That lead was short-lived as Buhner walked, then Blowers hit a two-run home run for the lead. Randy's day was over when he allowed a single to Hudler with two outs in the sixth. The Mariners offense then came alive, as they scored a run in the seventh and then three more in the eighth. That allowed them to survive a ninth-inning home run by Salmon against Seattle's new closer Bobby Ayala
72. Mariners 19, Rangers 2
May 20, 1994
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Roger Pavlik
6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 K
Randy knew he had to pitch better, especially with the first-place Texas Rangers coming into town. The Rangers made things a little bit easier as they played like a last-place team. The Mariners put up a five-spot in the first. Eric Anthony walked, then Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a home run. Jay Buhner followed with a double, and he scored when Edgar Martinez singled. Tino Martinez scored both of the Mariners Martinezes with a home run. If that wasn't enough they scored four more in the second. Seattle loaded the bases on singles by Felix Fermin and Luis Sojo and an intentional walk to Griffey. Buhner hit a sacrifice fly, then Reggie Jefferson blasted a three-run home run. Randy had struggled somewhat in the first two innings, but he clamped down in the third and fourth. The Mariners added five more runs in the fourth. A Sojo single, a Griffey double, and a Buhner single led to one run. Reggie Jefferson then hit an infield single to load the bases as Griffey held at third. The Mariners Martinezes came through with back-to-back doubles both of which scored two runs each. The Mariners had a 14-0 lead and Chris James's home run in the fifth was meaningless. The Rangers scraped together another run in the sixth. Jose Canseco doubled then stole second. Then the red-headed rookie Rusty Greer, playing in his only fifth Major League game, singled Canseco home. Randy left after the sixth, but the runs continued for Seattle in the seventh. Torey Lovullo homered. Then Sojo, Griffey, and Buhner repeated their single-double-single combination to score a run. Blowers' groundout scored Griffey, and Edgar's home run put a stamp on the scoring. The 19 runs scored were the most in franchise history, and the win was a foregone conclusion.
73. Mariners 1, Athletics 0
May 25, 1994
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Oakland, CA
Losing Pitcher: Ron Darling
9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, SHO
Randy felt better after the big blowout. He knew the Mariners offense had the potential to pick him up. He was also facing the one AL West team not in the race. Even with the first-place teams below .500, the A's were seven and a half games behind. Randy struck out two in a one-two-three first inning. The Mariners then took the lead in the second. Tino Martinez led off with a walk, and then Mike Blowers singled him to second. Felix Fermin's sacrifice bunt sent the runners to second and third, and then Dan Wilson's single scored Tino. Rich Amaral hit into a double play, but one run was all Randy needed. He retired the side in order in the second, again with two strikeouts. Scott Hemond singled with one out in the third, but he was caught stealing and Randy had faced the minimum through three. The Athletics threatened again in the fourth. Brent Gates and Geronimo Berroa both singled with one out. Ruben Sierra struck out, but Randy walked Terry Steinbach and the bases were loaded. Scott Brosius battled Randy, but on the ninth pitch he grounded out harmlessly to third and the Mariners still had that 1-0 lead. Randy walked Fausto Cruz in the fifth and then in the seventh Brosius singled and stole second, but both times the A's were held scoreless. The Mariners were never close at adding another run. Luis Sojo came close when he tripled in the seventh, but it was with two outs, and he didn't score. Randy just bore down harder on the Athletics. He retired the side in order in the eighth, and then came out in the ninth. He got three easy outs, and Randy was able to erase six weeks of frustration with a complete game shutout.
74. Mariners 12, Twins 0
May 30, 1994
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, MN
Losing Pitcher: Carlos Pulido
9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, SHO
The Mariners were briefly in a three-way tie for first after the Oakland game, but then they lost three straight to find themselves back in third. They looked to Randy to stop the bleeding against the Twins, tied for third in the brand new AL Central. Randy continued his road dominance with a one-to-three first inning. The Mariners picked up a pair of runs in the second. Mike Blowers singled, and then Keith Mitchell hit his first home run since 1991. Randy struck out the side in the second. The Twins threatened in the third when Scott Leius led off with a single. Second baseman Luis Sojo then dropped Derek Parks's pop fly, but Randy got three fly balls to end the inning. The Mariners were able to get more insurance runs. In the fourth, Jay Buhner walked, then Edgar Martinez singled him to second. Mike Blowers singled to score Buhner. After Mitchell walked to load the bases, Felix Fermin was able to beat out a double play ball and Edgar scored. Randy allowed a second hit to Leius in the fifth, but held Minnesota scoreless. In the sixth, Mitchell and Fermin doubled, then Dan Wilson singled and Rich Amaral tripled on four straight pitches to score three more runs. In the seventh, Keith Mitchell hit his second home run of the game, a three-run blast to make it 10-0. Randy was still on top of his game. He walked Winfield in the seventh, then Parks in the eighth, but neither time Minnesota was able to get a run home. Two more Mariners runs came home in the ninth. Edgar homered to make up for an earlier error, then Blowers doubled and Wilson singled. Randy didn't need those runs, as he got a one-two-three ninth, but he appreciated the support.
75. Mariners 2, Blue Jays 0
June 4, 1994
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Todd Stottlemyre
9 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 15 K, SHO
Back-to-back shutouts were an amazing accomplishment, but now he had to face the Blue Jays team that battered him for 11 runs in April. Toronto had fallen to last, but their 25-27 record was better than Seattle's. Devon White led off the game with a single, but was caught stealing and Randy extended his scoreless innings streak to 19 and 2/3. Luis Sojo led off the bottom of the first with a home run to give Seattle an early lead. Edgar Martinez followed with a single and Ken Griffey Jr. walked, but Seattle couldn't get any more runs. The scoreless innings streak was threatened in the second when Darnell Coles doubled, and a wild pitch sent him to third, but Toronto couldn't get him home. The Blue Jays continued to put runners on, but they couldn't come around to score. Dick Schofield singled in the third but couldn't get any further. Ed Sprague walked, then Pat Borders singled in the fifth, but Randy stopped them there. Toronto's biggest threat came in the sixth. Roberto Alomar and Paul Molitor both walked. Randy struck out the next two batters, but Ed Sprague hit an infield single and the bases were loaded, but then Randy struck out Mike Huff to end the threat. Jay Buhner followed with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning and the Mariners could breathe a sigh of relief. The Blue Jays continued their barrage of baserunners in the seventh and eighth. Borders singled in the seventh and Molitor walked in the eighth, but Randy's scoreless streak had continued into the ninth. Any thoughts the Blue Jays had of ending it came to a screeching halt when Randy struck out the first two batters, then got Schofield to ground out for his third straight shutout.
76. Mariners 5, Rangers 2
June 15, 1994
The Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Brown
8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 12 K
Randy's scoreless innings streak ended in Oakland at 30 and 1/3, barely halfway to Orel Hershiser's all-time record, and he had gotten a no-decision. Now he had to travel to face the first-place Texas Rangers in their brand new state-of-the-art ballpark. The Rangers were hoping to extend Randy some "Southern Hospitality" but Randy wasn't having any of it. The Mariners scored in the second when Edgar Martinez led off with a double, and Eric Anthony followed with a single. Ken Griffey Jr. added another run in the third with a solo shot, and they scored another insurance run in the seventh. Luis Sojo singled and was bunted to second. He then scored when Reggie Jefferson doubled. Randy had allowed several baserunners in the first four innings, but kept the Rangers from scoring, then got in a groove, retiring ten straight from the fourth to the seventh. Randy finally allowed another baserunner when Esteban "I'm not Adrian" Beltre struck out on a wild pitch and made it all the way to first. Randy kept him stranded there, but then Texas finally came through in the eighth. The Rangers led off with three straight singles by Oddibe McDowell, Billy Ripken, and Jose Canseco to score a run. After Juan Gonzalez struck out, Ivan Rodriguez singled to score another run. Canseco was caught trying to steal third after Dean Palmer struck out to end the rally. The Mariners added two more insurance runs in the ninth on RBI singles by Felix Fermin and Mike Blowers. Tim Davis came out to pitch the ninth. He was shaky, allowing a leadoff walk to Rusty Greer then a single to Beltre. A wild pitch put the Huge and tying run in scoring position, but he struck out two, then got Will Clark to pop out.
77. Mariners 5, Angels 0
June 20, 1994
Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, CA
Losing Pitcher: Joe Magrane
9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, SHO
Seattle's road trip sent them to California to face another division rival. The Angels had fallen behind the Mariners in the standings, and Randy was intent to keep them there. The Mariners were close to getting him a run in the first. Rich Amaral led off with a single, but then Felix Fermin grounded into a double play. That loomed large when Angels starter Joe Magrane walked the bases loaded. Mike Blowers then struck out swinging. Seattle finally got their run in the third when Fermin atoned for his double play with a double. Jay Buhner then hit a two-run home run. Randy allowed a single to Gary Disarcina in the third, but the Mariners got a double play of their own to keep the Angels off the scoreboard. Seattle added two more runs in the fifth. Amaral led off with another single. Fermin tried to bunt him to second but struck out on a foul bunt, then Ken Griffey Jr., swung and missed. Magrane's control issues came back and walked the bases loaded again. Blowers then drove in two more runs with a single. In the eighth Keith Mitchell hit yet another home run to make it 5-0. Randy had settled down and gotten into the groove. He retired 14 straight starting with the double play in the third. He finally allowed another hit to Bo Jackson in the eighth, but Chad Curtis grounded into a double play. J.T. Snow followed with a walk, but the next batter struck out. The Mariners had the bases loaded in the ninth on a single and a double and an intentional walk, but couldn't add another runs. Randy had all the runs he needed for the day and finished off his fourth complete game shutout of the season with a one-two-three ninth.
78. Mariners 4, Red Sox 3
July 7, 1994
Fenway Park
Boston, MA
Losing Pitcher: Ken Ryan
9 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Randy had a few good starts end in a loss and a no-decision as the Mariners fell back to third place as they stumbled into Boston. The Red Sox had also fallen to third, but still had a better record than Seattle. Both Randy and Boston starter Aaron Sele were sharp. The Red Sox finally got through with runs in the fourth. Tim Naehring singled with one out, and then John Valentin doubled him to third. Randy intentionally walked future Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, then got Tom Brunansky to fly out too shallow to score the run. However, Wes Chamberlain's single and an error by left fielder Mike Blowers led to two runs. The Red Sox made it 3-0 in the sixth when Lee Tinsley singled, then stole second and third, and scored with ease on Dan Wilson's throwing error as Tinley was stealing third. Sele was successful in keeping the Mariners off the scoreboard until Ken Griffey Jr. led off the seventh with a home run. Randy had settled down, but he was still down 3-1 in the ninth. The Red Sox had brought in closer Ken Ryan to finish off the Mariners. However, the Mariners did not go down swinging. Bruan Turang led off with a single. He was forced by Felix Fermin, then Griffey doubled. The Mariners Martinezes then singled to tie the game. Ryan stopped the bleeding there. Randy came out to pitch the ninth, and he struck out the side with a walk to Brunansky in between. Ryan was still out in the tenth, but that ended up hurting the Red Sox as Marc Newfield doubled, then scored on Turang's single. Bobby Ayala came in for the save. He walked Berryhill, but got a strikeout and a double play to secure the comeback win.
79. Mariners 6, Red Sox 3
July 22, 1994
Fenway Park
Boston MA
Losing Pitcher: Aaron Sele
6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K
The rumblings of the labor dispute was getting louder, but Randy was more focused on making up for a terrible start against the Yankees three days before several ceiling tiles fell in the Kingdome, canceling several games and sending the Mariners on a long road trip. Therefore Aaron Sele and the Red Sox's revenge match would take place in Boston instead of Seattle as originally scheduled. The change in venue didn't do the fading Red Sox any good. The Mariners hadn't played in four days, but they battered Sele around for four runs in the third. Alex Rodriguez, Seattle's #1 pick a year earlier who was called up the day after the first game against Sele, singled then stole second. Felix Fermin singled him home. Eric Anthony walked and Ken Griffey Jr. reached on an error by Boston second baseman Scott Fletcher to load the bases. Jay Buhner singled home two runs, and then Griffey scored on a sacrifice fly. The Mariners got another in the fifth when Anthony walked and then Buhner doubled him home. Randy was sharp. Through the first five innings he allowed only a hit and two walks. Boston finally got him to him in the sixth. Fletcher led off with a double. Randy hit Valentin with a pitch, and then a run scored when third baseman Edgar Martinez made an error on Tim Naehring's grounder. A-Rod's error allowed Lee Tinsley to reach to lead off the seventh. Randy struck out two, but then Tinsley stole second before Valentin walked. Tom Brunansky doubled in two runs, and that was the end of Randy's day. The Mariners added an insurance run in the ninth when A-Rod scored again. Bobby Ayala came in and got the save to get the extended road trip off to a good start.
80. Mariners 10, Angels 2
August 2, 1994
Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, CA
Losing Pitcher: Phil Leftwich
8 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
The strike date was set and looming large as the Mariners limped into Anaheim. They had come off a seven-game losing streak where even Randy had gotten a loss and had fallen into last place. Randy struggled in the first, allowing singles to Chad Curtis and J.T. Snow, but Curtis was caught stealing and that allowed Randy to get out of the inning scoreless. Jay Buhner gave the Mariners a lead with a home run in the second. Randy allowed another single in the second, but kept the Angels from scoring, and the Mariners extended their lead in the third. Felix Fermin singled and advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw by Angels starter Phil Leftwich. Ken Griffey Jr. was walked intentionally, but Buhner made the Angels pay with an RBI double. Tino Martinez then hit a three-run home run to give the Mariners a dominating lead. That was important as the Angels finally came through against Randy. In the third, Curtis hit a ground-rule double, and then Spike Owen singled him home. Another ground-rule double in the fourth, this time by Jim Edmonds, led to another run when Chris Turner walked and Damion Easley singled. The Mariners got one of those runs back in the fifth when Fermin reached second on another throwing error by Leftwich. Edgar Martinez doubled him home. Randy went back to being his old dominating self as the Mariners added to their lead with a pair of two-run home runs by Griffey in the seventh and Edgar in the ninth. Bobby Ayala came in to pitch the ninth even though it wasn't a save situation. He allowed a single to minor league call-up Garret Anderson playing in only his fifth game, but a double play and strikeout ended the game and the losing streak.
81. Mariners 8, Athletics 1
August 11, 1994
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Oakland, CA
Losing Pitcher: Ron Darling
9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 15 K
The Mariners had gone on a roll to win five straight, but it may end up being futile as the strike date was only a day away. There was still a game to be played and Randy was focused on the task at hand retiring Oakland in order in the first. The Mariners exploded for six runs in the second. Tino Martinez singled, then Mike Blowers walked. Eric Anthony bunted them over, but then Dan Wilson flied out shallow. Luis Sojo walked to load the bases, and then Felix Fermin singled in two runs. Edgar Martinez was hit by a pitch, and then Ken Griffey Jr. contributed with a grand slam, his 40th home run of the season. The Athletics tried to get a run back in the second. The first two batters struck out, but then Scott Brosius was hit by a pitch. Mike Bordick reached on an error by shortstop Sojo. Jim Bowie scored and Brosius tried to score, but was caught in a rundown. Former A's starter Bob Welch came in the fourth, and he allowed another run in the fifth when Griffey walked, advanced all the way to third on groundouts, and then Blowers drove him in with a single. Randy continued to dominate, but he allowed a run in the sixth when Ruben Sierra doubled with two outs. Terry Steinbach followed with a single to score Sierra. The Mariners quickly got the run back when Anthony homered in the seventh. The game moved quickly into the ninth. Randy Johnson was still on the mound having gotten 13 strikeouts. He got Sierra to fly out, then struck out pinch-hitter Fausto Cruz and Ernie Young, the latter on three pitches. It secured the victory. And then the teams went to wait on word from the Players Association.
1995
Randy joined the rest of his teammates in spring training. The Mariners were hoping to put a disappointing 1994 season behind them. In spite of all of the promise as the season began, Seattle was at 49-63 when the strike began. The AL West was historically bad in 1994, with the "division-leading" Texas Rangers an embarrassing 52-62. Even then the Mariners were in third. Randy got the ball for Opening Day, and he blew away the Detroit Tigers, throwing six shutout innings with eight strikeouts and only two walks. In fact, he was overpowering like he had never been. He won his first six decisions, and after 10 starts he was 6-0 with a 1.91 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 66 innings against only 19 walks. He lost his first game on June 16 with an uncharacteristic start against the Minnesota Twins (eight runs in six innings, four walks, eight strikeouts.) And then he went on to win his next five decisions.
However, after starting out in first place for the first few weeks, the Mariners found themselves mired in no man's land. They were hurt significantly when superstar center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. injured his wrist making a catch in a game Randy started. The Mariners won the game, but Griffey would miss almost three whole months. By the time Junior made his return on August 15, the Mariners were 51-50 and in third place, 12.5 games behind the California Angels. Randy kept the team afloat in Griffey's absence. He was 12-2 with a 2.88 ERA and and 206 strikeouts in 146.2 innings, against only 41 walks. He already had three starts of at least six innings and no walks, as many as the six previous seasons combined. He was fully invested in his reputation of an intimidator, getting into a zone of ferocious intensity on start days, and batters no longer had the luxury of waiting out a walk. He was rewarded with the start at the All-Star Game that year deep in the heart of Texas, and he was dominant, throwing two hitless innings with one walk and three strikeouts.
With Griffey back and Randy at the helm and Edgar Martinez making a run at the batting title and Jay Buhner becoming a folk hero, the Mariners began making a concerted run at the division. From August 21 through September 26, Seattle went 23-10. Randy alone went 4-0 in six starts with a 1.22 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. The team climbed back from a 12.5 game deficit to take a 3-game lead. However, Seattle faltered at the end, losing three of five, with Randy getting one of the two wins. They found themselves in a dead-even tie with the Angels at 78-66. The Yankees had already clinched the Wild Card spot with a 79-65 record, so a winner-take-all tie-breaking game must be held to determine the AL West champions. Mariners manager Lou Piniella had no trouble choosing a starter for the deciding game. Randy Johnson would be coming in to pitch the Mariners to their first post-season. Angels manager Marcel Lachemann went with none other than Mark Langston, the man Randy had been traded for six years earlier. Langston pitched valiantly, allowing one run in the fifth, but then things fell apart in the seventh as the Mariners tagged him for four runs. That was more than enough for Randy. He struck out twelve batters and held the Angels to only three hits. Only a Tony Phillips home run in the ninth when the game was already on ice kept him from a complete game shutout. When Randy struck out Tim Salmon to end the game, Seattle went into pandemonium. After 19 seasons of mostly futility, the Seattle Mariners were finally going into the playoffs.
Their opponents in the newly established Division Series was the first ever Wild Card team, the New York Yankees. Having pitched the tie-break game, Randy was relegated to the bench for the first two games of the series, held in New York. Randy watched from the dugout as the Mariners dropped both games, the latter in heartbreaking fashion when Yankees catcher Jim Leyritz blasted a walk-off home run in the 15th inning. The Mariners had "home field" advantage, but given the 2-3 playoff format they were one loss away from elimination. Randy got the ball for his first post-season start in Game 3. He wasn't sharp, allowing two runs in seven innings and walking four, but he struck out 10, and the Mariners pounded 1993 Cy Young winner Jack McDowell to keep their series alive. Edgar was a one-man wrecking crew in Game 4, going 3 for 4 with seven RBIs and drilling a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth. The Division Series would be going to the limit.
Game 5 pitted the Mariners' trade deadline acquisition Andy Benes against the 1994 Cy Young winner David Cone, now with the Yankees. Benes had put up a 5.86 ERA in 12 starts after arriving in Seattle but went 7-2, then started the marathon Game 2. He pitched into the seventh inning of Game 5, but could not hold onto a 1-0 lead and found himself down 4-2. Former Cincinnati Red Nasty Boy Norm Charlton came in and shut down the Yankees for one and 1/3 innings, giving the Mariners a chance to rally against Cone to tie the game. However, when Charlton allowed a double and a walk in the top of the ninth, an unexpected figure came strolling out of the bullpen. It was Randy Johnson, only two days removed from his Game 3 victory. He came and got out of the jam. The Mariners mounted a rally against the Yankees' fireballing rookie reliever Mariano Rivera, but then Jack McDowell came out to pitch on short rest as well to end the inning. The two warriors traded blow in the tenth, with Randy striking out the side. The Yankees got to Randy in the top of the 11th when walks came back to haunt him. Catcher Mike Stanley walked, then was sacrificed to second. Second baseman Randy Velarde singled him home to give the Yankees a lead. The Mariners were three outs away from elimination, but they had adopted "Refuse to Lose" as a motto, and they refused to lose. Joey Cora and Griffey led off with singles. Then Edgar Martinez came in and hit a line drive down the left field line. Cora scored easily, while Griffey came racing around third and slid in with the winning run. The Mariners had come back in the game and the Series, and had a date with destiny as well as the Cleveland Indians.
The Cleveland Indians were baseball's best team. They had won 100 games even with the shortened season, and their .694 winning percentage worked out to between a 112.5-49.5 record in a 162-game season. No American League team had ever won 112 games to that point. They also swept the AL East winning Boston Red Sox. After pitching twice in three days, Randy found himself on the bench again. This time Seattle was able to win Game 1 before dropping Game 2. Randy started in Game 3 with a chance to a chance to put the Mariners on top. He pitched well, going eight innings and allowing two runs (one earned) with six strikeouts and two walks. Unfortunately for him Indians starter Charles Nagy put up the exact same line, minus the two walks. The Mariners rallied for three runs in the 11th, and stood just two wins away from their first ever World Series. However, the Indians stormed back to win the next two games, and by the time Randy got the ball again in Game 6 he was trying to stave away elimination. He gave it his all, but he allowed an RBI single to Kenny Lofton in the fifth to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. Then in the eighth, Lofton scored on a bizarre play that would put the Mariners away. Lofton was on second and pinch-runner Ruben Amaro Jr. was at third. Randy's trusted catcher Dan Wilson set up middle in, but the ball sailed high and outside. Wilson stabbed at it, but the ball bounced off his glove and towards the first base dugout. Amaro scored easily, and Lofton raced around third and beat the throw easily as Wilson took his time retrieving the passed ball. Carlos Baerga later homered to make it 4-0. That would be the final score as Randy's old Expos teammate Dennis Martinez and a team of two relievers kept Seattle off the scoreboard. The Mariners' magical season came to a stunning conclusion.
Nevertheless, the 1995 season was without a doubt the most successful in Seattle Mariners history. While most fans hurt by the strike stayed away, Mariners saw their average attendance increase by over 2,000. After previous efforts to secure funding for a new ballpark failed and the owners were threatening to sell and relocate the team, there was enough excitement about the team for the Washington state legislature to come up with other methods to raise funds, which was approved. The Mariners would be staying in Seattle. Meanwhile Randy also had his most successful season. He went 18-2 and established a new career best with a league-leading 2.48 mark. He led the league in strikeouts for a fourth straight season with 294, and he walked only 65 in 214.1 innings, something that would have seemed unimaginable just three years earlier. When award voting results came out, not only had Randy won the Cy Young by an overwhelming margin, he also finished in sixth place in MVP voting. He also revealed late in the season he pitched most of it with a torn left meniscus that required off-season surgery. It was still a magical season that established Randy's status as one of baseball's best pitchers.
The Wins of 1995
82. Mariners 3, Tigers 0
April 27, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Sean Bergman
6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
The strike lasted throughout the rest of the 1994 season and into the first few spring months of 1995, but finally came to a resolution to end the long national nightmare for the sport. The season opened up at the end of April with the Mariners facing the Tigers. The Tigers were last team that had beaten Randy late in the 1994 season, during Seattle's long losing streak on their extended road trip. But it was a new season, and the Mariners were able to play in the Kingdome for the first time since July of 1994. Randy had showed some rust early on. Chad Curtis led off the game with a double, but Randy was able to keep him stranded there. He allowed a single to Danny Bautista in the second and then a single to Rudy Pemberton and a walk to Juan Samuel in the fourth. However, it was the Mariners that struck first. Dan Wilson led off the fifth inning with a single. With one out, rookie Darren Bragg hit a ground ball that Tigers shortstop Chris Gomez made an error on. Joey Cora popped up, but then Ken Griffey Jr. hit a three-run home run to give him home runs in back-to-back games eight months apart. Randy retired the Tigers in order in the sixth, but Mariners manager Lou Piniella decided to give his ace a break and took him out for the seventh inning. Bill Risley came in to pitch and threw two perfect innings, getting three strikeouts. Tigers reliever Felipe Lira was also perfect for three innings, but the Mariners had already gotten the lead. Bobby Ayala came in to get the save, and he was successful, getting three groundouts on 12 pitches to help Seattle start the season out on a good note.
83. Mariners 3, Angels 2
May 7, 1995
Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, CA
Losing Pitcher: Chuck Finley
7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Manager Lou Piniella's commitment to start his ace on a light workload ended up costing Randy a win, as he was removed after six in a game the Mariners would win 15-3, with all 15 runs coming after Randy's departure. But the Mariners were in first place for a change as Randy tried to stave off a sweep against the Angels. Both Randy and Angels starter Chuck Finley were sharp early on. Randy did allow a triple to Gary Disarcina with two outs in the third, but the next batter lined out to keep the game scoreless. Then in the fourth, Rex Hudler singled with one out. A pair of passed balls by catcher Dan Wilson led to Hudler going to third and Chili Davis taking a walk. However, Randy struck out the next two batters to keep the game scoreless. The game wouldn't remain scoreless for long. Edgar Martinez led off the fifth with a double. Mike Blowers singled him home, and then Tino Martinez hit a two-run home run. The Angels desperately tried to get back in the game in the bottom of the inning. J.T. Snow singled, and then Andy Allanson walked. Disarcina hit an infield single to load the bases, but then Randy got three straight outs. California eventually got on the board in the sixth. Chili Davis doubled, and then advanced to third and eventually scored on a pair of groundouts. That was all the Angels would get against Randy as he was taken out after seven innings this time. Bobby Ayala pitched a perfect eighth in relief, but then allowed a solo home run to Snow with one out in the ninth for the Huge Run. Ayala righted things and got the last two outs for the two-inning save and another win for Seattle.
84. Mariners 6, White Sox 4
May 12, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Wilson Alvarez
7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
The win against the Angels kept the Mariners in first, but they promptly dropped three straight and found themselves in second . The Mariners stopped by the Kingdome for a quick three-game series against the struggling White Sox. Randy struck out a pair in the first, and then Seattle took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the inning. Rich Amaral reached on an error by Chicago shortstop Craig Grebeck. He went to second on a groundout, and then Ken Griffey Jr. singled him home. After a second out, Edgar Martinez hit a two-run home run. The White Sox got one of the runs back in the second. Mike Devereaux doubled with one out, and a single by rookie Ray Durham drove in the run. Randy found Durham to be quite a nuisance as he singled against in the fourth while Randy was otherwise striking out the side, and again in the seventh. The Mariners did add some insurance runs. In the third, Amaral doubled, and eventually scored on Jay Buhner's single. In the fifth, Amaral walked, advanced on Buhner's single, and scored on Edgar's double. Tino Martinez homered as well in the sixth. Randy worked around Durhan's single by striking out a pair to help him reach double digit strikeouts for the first time in 1995. Bobby Ayala came in the eighth. He got two quick outs, but then allowed a single to Chris Sabo and walked Robin Ventura and Devereaux to load the bases. Durhan got his fourth single to drive in two runs. Warren Newson then singled as well to drive in another run. Ayala got out of the inning, but Risley was given the ball for the ninth. He allowed a single to Tim Raines who stole second, but managed to escape with his first career save.
85. Mariners 5, Twins 2
May 21, 1995
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, MN
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Tapani
8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Randy lasted only three and 1/3 innings in his start against the Royals before having to be taken out due to a sore left shoulder. He felt well enough to make his next scheduled start against the Twins, who had fallen into last place. Randy allowed a single to Kirby Puckett in the first, but otherwise showed no ill effect as he struck out a pair of batters. The Mariners scored a run in the second when Edgar Martinez singled, then Tino Martinez followed with a walk, The Mariners Martinezes advanced on a pair of groundouts with Edgar scoring on the second. The Twins tied the game in the third when Dave McCarty led off with a double. McCarty went to third on a groundout, and then scored when Jeff Reboulet singled. That was all they could get, and then the Mariners went about getting the lead again in the fifth inning. Twins starter Kevin Tapani got the first two batters out, but then Luis Sojo doubled. Joey Cora followed with a single and went to second on the throw home. That allowed him to score when Darren Bragg singled. Randy allowed a second run when Pedro Munoz hit a home run to lead off the seventh, but he was otherwise sharp. The Mariners added two more insurance runs in the eighth. Cora and Bragg hit back-to-back doubles. Edgar was walked intentionally, but then Tino singled to score Bragg with another run. Randy came out in the bottom of the inning and struck out McCarty to get his tenth strikeout of the day in the middle of a one-two-three inning. Bobby Ayala got the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single to Alex Cole, but got the other two outs to successfully get the save and secure the Mariners win.
86. Mariners 8, Orioles 3
May 26, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Ben McDonald
6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 13 K
The Orioles came into town. They were last in the AL East, but they were still getting quite a bit of media attention due to Cal Ripken Jr.'s consecutive games streak. Ripken started this game and got a single against Randy in the first. Randy struck out the next two batters to end the inning. The Mariners reached base numerous times against Orioles starter Ben McDonald in the first two innings, but they didn't get a run until the third. Ken Griffey Jr. walked with one out, and then Jay Buhner doubled him home. Seattle added three more runs in the fifth when Griffey led off with a solo home run. Then Buhner walked, and Tino Martinez hit another home run. Those three extra runs proved to be useful when Randy ran into trouble in the sixth. Kevin Bass led off with a double, and Ripken hit another single. Chris Hoiles then blasted a home run to deep left field. Randy kept the Orioles from scoring any more runs. In the seventh Bass hit a long fly ball to right-center field. Griffey ran and leaped up to make the catch. However, his momentum led to him slamming into the center field wall. Griffey's right wrist took most of the impact and shattered. He had to be taken out of the game. A shaken Randy allowed a double to Ripken. He was replaced in favor of a pair of relievers who loaded the bases before finally getting out of the inning. The Mariners added four more runs in the bottom of the inning on a pair of singles, a pair of doubles, and a sacrifice fly. That allowed them to breeze to the win, but it was a Pyrrhic victory as they learned Griffey would miss months due to the injury.
87. Mariners 2, Orioles 0
June 5, 1995
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD
Losing Pitcher: Ben McDonald
9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K, SHO
The Mariners missed their popular young center fielder who was their spiritual leader, but they struggled to stay afloat in the AL West. They managed a four-game winning streak, but then got swept by the Red Sox on the road before heading into Baltimore for the revenge match against Ben McDonald and the Orioles. Both McDonald and Randy allowed a baserunner in the first four innings, with Cal Ripken Jr. getting another first inning single against Randy, but neither starter allowed a run to cross the plate. The Orioles had gotten a runner all the way to third in the third. Manny Alexander had singled to lead off the inning, and then somehow managed to advance to third base when Kevin Bass grounded out. He had allowed a leadoff single to Chris Hoiles in the fourth, but then struck out Jeffrey Hammonds, and got a double play out of Jeff Manto. Both of the pitchers were perfect in the fifth, with Randy striking out the side. The Mariners finally came through in the sixth. McDonald got the first two outs, but then Edgar Martinez smoked a single. Jay Buhner followed with a two-run home run. Tino Martinez followed and went to second on an error by Kevin Bass on a fly ball, but the Mariners couldn't score any more runs. That was all of the runs Randy needed. He was dominant and retired the side in order in the sixth, the seventh, and the eighth. By the time the ninth inning came around, Randy had retired 18 straight batters following Hoiles's single in the fourth. Manager Lou Piniella sent Randy out for a chance to get his first complete game of the season. Randy was up to the challenge, striking out the side and finishing up the complete game shutout.
88. Mariners 9, White Sox 5
June 20, 1995
Comiskey Park
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Wilson Alvarez
7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 10 K
The Mariners' streaky play continued after Randy's dominating start. They suffered a five-game losing streak that was notable for Randy getting bombed by the Minnesota Twins, the team with the worst record in baseball. Randy hoped things would be better in Chicago, where they faced the team with the second worst record in the American League. The Mariners scored two runs in the first. Edgar Martinez walked with two outs, and then Mike Blowers blasted a two runs home run. The White Sox turned around and did the same thing in the bottom of the inning. Tim Raines walked, albeit with one out, and then Frank Thomas blasted a two-run home run. Ray Durham continued to be pesky, singling in the second and stealing second, but Randy struck out a pair to strand him. The Mariners took the lead in the third when Gary Thurman singled then stole second, and scored on Edgar's single. In the fourth, Marc Newfield singled and scored when Tino Martinez hit a triple. In the sixth, Alex Rodriguez added a run with the second home run of his career. Randy had been inconsistent but effective, keeping the White Sox off the board until the seventh. Ron Karkovice and Norberto Martin both singled. They advanced a base with a groundout, and Karkovice scored on a line drive out by Raines. The Mariners put the game away with four runs in the eighth on RBI singles by the Mariners Martinezes, a sacrifice fly, and a fielder's choice where the runner was safe. Jeff Nelson came in and pitched a perfect eighth, but Bobby Ayala struggled in the ninth. He allowed two runs on a walk to Warren Newson, and then singles to Dave Martinez, Lance Johnson, and Thomas before striking out John Kruk to end the game.
89. Mariners 3, Angels 2
June 24, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Chuck Finley
9 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 15 K
The Mariners had sank to last place in the AL West during the five-game losing streak earlier in the month while the California Angels rose to take over first place in the division. The Angels took the first game in a four-game series, and Randy needed to make sure to keep the Mariners in the series. He walked the leadoff man Tony Phillips, but then struck out the next three batters. J.T. Snow doubled to lead off the second, but Randy then got two groundouts and a strikeout. Gary Disarcina and Phillips led off the third with singles, but then Randy got two strikeouts and a groundout. Meanwhile the Mariners also put runners on board against Angels starter Chuck Finley, but their efforts to score were equally futile. The Angels struck first in the fifth inning. Randy led off with a strikeout, but then walked Disarcina and allowed a single to Phillips before walking Spike Owen. He then faced his old minor league roommate Rex Hudler, who doubled to drive in two runs. Randy stopped the Angels there. The Mariners were successful at scoring any runs in the fifth, but Rich Amaral led off with a double in the sixth. Luis Sojo then walked, and Edgar Martinez followed with a three-run home run to give Seattle the lead. Randy had retired five straight batters after Hudler's RBI single, and he kept it up in the seventh and the eighth, getting two strikeouts. The Mariners were unable to get any insurance runs, so Randy came out in the ninth to serve as his own closer. It took him nine pitches to strike out Carlos Martinez for the first out, but then had much less difficulty in striking out the next two batters to strike out the side and secure the victory.
90. Mariners 5, Indians 3
July 7, 1995
Jacobs Field
Cleveland, OH
Losing Pitcher: Mark Clark
9 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 13 K
The Cleveland Indians had a run of futility that's lasted longer than the Mariners have been around, but they got off to a hot start and had the best record in baseball. Seattle was still in last when they traveled to the Indians' new ballpark. Randy had pitched the first game played there the year before. The Mariners scored in the top of the first. Rich Amaral singled but was caught stealing. Joey Cora followed with a single, and then Edgar Martinez hit a two-run home run. Tino Martinez followed with a double, but he was stranded at second. The Indians offense quickly came back against Randy. Kenny Lofton and former Mariners teammate Omar Vizquel both singled to put runners on the corner. Carlos Baerga then hit a grounder that Mariners third baseman Mike Blowers bobbled to score Lofton. Vizquel and Baerga executed a double steal, and that allowed a run to score on Manny Ramirez's groundout. Randy got out of the inning. Both teams continued to put runners on board, but neither team were able to take the lead until the Mariners scored twice in the fifth. Edgar led off with a walk, and then Tino singled. Jay Buhner followed with a double to score both runners. After Buhner went to third on a groundout, he scored when Blowers singled. The Indians found it much more difficult to hit against Randy, but they scraped together another run in the seventh. Herbert Perry hit a ground-rule double, and then Sandy Alomar singled to give them a run. That was all they got and the Indians still had a two-run deficit with Randy on the mound in the ninth. The first two batters went down swinging before Perry singled. There were no heroics as Alomar grounded out to end the game.
91. Mariners 3, Blue Jays 0
July 15, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Pat Hentgen
9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 16 K, SHO
The Mariners had gone into the All-Star break still in last place, and the Angels were beginning to seem more distant with every passing day. They opened the second half against the another last place team, the Blue Jays, and lost the first two games. Randy got the ball and was up to the task in the first, getting two strikeouts. The Mariners put a run on the board in the bottom of the inning. Joey Cora and Luis Sojo both singled, and then Edgar Martinez hit a double to score Cora. The Mariners had runners on second and third but were unable to get another run. Randy struck out a pair in the second and one more in the third, although he allowed a single to Domingo Cedeno. The Mariners loaded the bases in the third on a single and two walks, but once again couldn't score. That may not be an issue with the way Randy was pitching. He struck out two more batters in the first, and had one in the fifth after a single by Ed Sprague was erased by a double play. The Mariners finally added some insurance runs in the fifth. Tino Martinez and Jay Buhner walked. Mike Blowers singled to score Tino. Dan Wilson walked to load the bases, and Doug Strange hit a single to drive in Buhner with another run. The Blue Jays also loaded the bases in the sixth on a single and two walks, but Randy kept them from scoring. He struck out the side in the seventh and the eighth to give him a season-high 16 strikeouts. He had a chance to break his own career high as he came out to pitch the ninth, but didn't get a strikeout. He still got three outs for another shutout.
92. Mariners 8, Brewers 6
July 25, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Scott Karl
7 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 9 HR
Randy had pitched well against Scott Karl and the second-place Brewers in Milwaukee, but he ended up with a no-decision in a game the Mariners won. Karl and the Brewers came for a revenge match in Seattle. Randy was sharp coming out of the gate, getting four strikeouts in the first two innings. The Mariners got him a lead in the second when Mike Blowers walked, and then scored when Alex Rodriguez doubled. Luis Sojo added another run in the third on a home run, although it came after Rich Amaral was picked off. Seattle tacked on six runs in the fourth. Tino Martinez led off with a walk, and A-Rod hit a triple. A-Rod scored when Dan Wilson singled. Alex Diaz and Amaral both singled to load the bases, and then Luis Sojo cleared it with a double. Edgar Martinez struck out and Jay Buhner was walked intentionally, but then Blowers doubled to score Sojo. Th elead seemed safe with Randy perfect through four, but things got hairy in the fifth. Greg Vaughn singled, and B.J. Surhoff reached when second baseman Sojo couldn't hold onto the fielder's choice grounder. Matt Mieske followed with a three-run home run, the first Randy allowed in the month of July. The runs continued as Mike Matheny walked. He advanced on a groundout and scored when Pat Listach doubled. After a one-two-three sixth, Milwaukee continued in the seventh. Mieske led off with a single, and scored when David Hulse tripled. Hulse scored when Listach doubled. Randy got out of the inning, but the eight-run lead had shrunk to two. Bill Risley and Bobby Ayala came out to pitch the eighth and ninth. Hulse got all the way to third with two outs in the ninth, but Fernando Vina struck out to end the game.
93. Mariners 2, Royals 1
August 11, 1995
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
Losing Pitcher: Mark Gubicza
7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
The Mariners had fought back to second, but their deficit against the Angels had reached double digits. Randy had been blown out by the Angels on August 1, then missed a start due to continued shoulder pain. An MRI was negative, and Randy made the start in Kansas City, where he had never won in six previous starts. Randy was effective enough, retiring the side in order in the first and striking out two in between a Greg Gagne single in the second. This alleviated some concerns about the health of Randy's shoulders. The Mariners took the lead in the fourth inning behind the Mariners Martinezes. Edgar was hit by a pitch, and then Tino tripled home home. Tino had to stay at third despite an error by Royals second baseman Gary Gaetti and he was stranded there. Gagne victimized Randy for another single in the fifth and advanced to third on a wild pitch and an error, but Kansas City remained scoreless. The Mariners scored another run in the sixth. Edgar doubled and went to third on Tino's groundout. He was able to score when Jay Buhner hit a sacrifice fly. Seattle added a double and a single to put runners on the corner, but couldn't get another run home. That seemed like it would be enough as Randy finished with seven scoreless innings. Their former closer Norm Charlton came on in the eighth having missed 1994 due to a Tommy John surgery and was released by the Philadelphia Phillies before getting reacquired after the All-Star break. Charlton was rusty, allowing singles to Joe Vitiello and Phil Hiatt. David Howard bunted them to second and third, then Vitiello scored on a wild pitch. Charlton stopped the Royals there before Bobby Ayala successfully got the save with a one-two-three ninth.
94. Mariners 7, Yankees 0
August 26, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Sterling Hitchcock
9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, SHO
Randy had a mediocre start and a good start following the win against the Royals, but the Mariners won both games and had designs to possibly win the first Wild Card, as they were two games behind the Texas Rangers for the Wild Card lead. They did get a boost with the return of Ken Griffey Jr., back from his devastating wrist injury. The Mariners hosted the New York Yankees, who were in a distant second place in the AL East. Randy was sharp, retiring the first nine batters he faced. The Yankees put up a fight in the fourth. Randy Velarde singled with one out, and then Randy walked the bases loaded following a popup. Randy brought out his best stuff and struck out Russ Davis, ending the inning. The Mariners came through and took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Jay Buhner and Mike Blowers led off the inning with solo home runs. Then Tino Martinez singled and went to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Then their new leadoff man Vince Coleman, acquired from Kansas City ten days earlier, singled. Randy went back to dominating the Yankees. The Mariners got another run in the sixth when they loaded the bases on two walks and a single. Luis Sojo then drove in two runs with a single. Randy walked another pair of Yankees in the seventh, but kept New York from scoring. Seattle got two more insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. They loaded the bases on a single and two walks, and then it was Felix Fermin's turn to get the two-run single. Randy was still on the mound in the ninth. He retired the side on a strikeout and a pair of flyouts and had his third complete game shutout.
95. Mariners 4, Royals 1
September 8, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Jason Jacome
7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 8 K
Randy missed another start following his triumph against the Yankees due to recurring shoulder soreness. Manager Lou Piniella decided it would be best to limit Randy's pitch count. Meanwhile the Angels were collapsing, allowing Seattle to shrink their deficit to six. They still thought the Wild Card may be more feasible, and hosted the Royals who had taken the Wild Card lead. The Mariners scratched out a run against Randy in the second inning. Gary Gaetti led off with a single, and then minor league call-up Brent Cookson bunted him to second. Gaetti went to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a groundout. Kansas City continued to be pesky in the third. Tom Goodwin walked, then stole second and third while Wally Joyner walked as well. Randy got out of the inning with a strikeout. The Mariners then took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Rich Amaral singled, and Luis Sojo hit a two-run home run. Seattle added to the lead in the sixth. Jay Buhner doubled with one out, and Mike Blowers followed with a single to score the run. Seattle added another run in the seventh when Amaral and Sojo hit back-to-back doubles. Randy struggled with his control, continuing to allow Royals hitters to reach base, but he managed to keep them from scoring any additional runs. Still, he walked Wally Joyner to lead off the eighth and with 119 pitches that triggered a call to the bullpen. Jeff Nelson came in and got a strikeout, but then he allowed a single to Gaetti. That led Piniella to call in Norm Charlton, who had taken over the closing role from Bobby Ayala a little more than a week earlier. Charlton got out of the eighth, and struck out the side in the ninth.
96. Mariners 8, Rangers 1
September 18, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Bobby Witt
8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
The pitch count kept Randy from getting a win against the Minnesota Twins in a game the Mariners won after he left, but the Mariners had finally started to win more consistently while the Angels continued their freefall. Seattle was just three games behind. They were also in the Wild Card lead, but the Rangers were just one game behind went they came to Seattle. They scored an early run against Randy when Otis Nixon walked and was bunted to second. Nixon took off for third, and Randy tried to nab him, but threw the ball away and Nixon scored. It was an embarrassing way to allow a run, but the Mariners had his back. Joey Cora singled in the bottom of the inning and stole second. Ken Griffey Jr. followed and hit a single to tie the game. They took the lead in the second. Luis Sojo singled with one out, and Dan Wilson blasted a triple. Wilson held at third on a groundout, but Cora's single drove him in. Cora got all the way to third before Griffey struck out to end the inning. In the fourth, Tino Martinez reached on an error by Rangers third baseman Craig Worthington. Jay Buhner followed with a single, and then Mike Blowers hit a three run home run. The Rangers continued to get runners on board against Randy, even getting a triple from Mickey Tettleton to lead off the fourth. However, they couldn't get any more runs against Randy. The Mariners added two more runs in the seventh inning. Griffey walked, and then Edgar Martinez hit a home run. Randy got through the eighth, and then Bobby Ayala came out to pitch the ninth in the non-save situation. He retired the Rangers in order to keep the up the winning ways.
97. Mariners 7, Athletics 0
September 23, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Doug Johns
7.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 15 K
The Mariners went on a roll after the game against the Rangers, getting four straight wins and taking first place away from the California Angels. They had a one-run lead as Randy came out to face the Athletics, mired in last place. The Mariners continued their frenzied play by scoring four runs in the first. Vince Coleman led off with a double, and then stole third as Ken Griffey Jr. walked. Edgar Martinez doubled in a run, and then Jay Buhner hit a three-run home run. Randy allowed a walk to Mark McGwire to lead off the first and then a single to Danny Tartabull, but he kept Oakland from getting on the board. He struck out a pair in the first three innings before getting only one in the fourth, an inning when he allowed two walks, but the Athletics remained shut out. Buhner hit a second home run in the fourth for another run, while Randy went back to striking out two hitters in the fifth. The Mariners added another run in the bottom of the fifth. Vice Coleman hit an infield single, and then Alex Rodriguez came up and hit a triple for a run. A-Rod would later score when Griffey doubled. Randy allowed two singles in the sixth, but his pair of strikeouts kept the Athletics from scoring. Randy finally struck out the side in the seventh, although he allowed a single to Mike Bordick in between. Still, he was up close to 120 pitches. Lou Piniella allowed him to pitch the eighth. Randy got a strikeout against Brent Gates, but a passed ball allowed Gates to go to first. Bobby Ayala came in and got the double play. He then retired the side in order in the ninth and the Mariners had themselves another win.
98. Mariners 6, Rangers 2
September 28, 1995
The Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
Losing Pitcher: Roger Pavlik
8.1 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
The Mariners winning streak extended to seven games before coming to an end with a loss against the Angels. Still, the Mariners' destiny were in their hands when they went on a road trip to Texas, who had tumbled out of the race. The Rangers still struck first in the game, scoring two runs in the second. Juan Gonzalez led off with a single, and Mickey Tettleton smacked a two-run home run. The Rangers threatened to score more as Ivan Rodriguez followed with a single, and Craig Worthington, but Randy got out of the inning with three straight outs including two strikeouts. He still had to ward off Rangers rallies in the third and fourth innings, even having to deal with runners on second and third in the latter inning after Jeff Frye and Otis Nixon singled with Nixon stealing second. The Rangers couldn't score and then the Mariners took this opportunity to tie the game in the fifth. Edgar Martinez doubled, then Jay Buhner hit a two-run home run. Randy settled down, allowing only a walk to Lou Frazier in the seventh as the game went into the eighth. Rangers starter Roger Pavlik had frustrated the Mariners outside the fifth inning. Still he walked Luis Sojo with one out in the eighth. Dan Wilson followed with a single. Pavlik intentionally walked Vince Coleman to set up the force at home. Joey Cora hit a fly ball too shallow to score a run. Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a fly ball deep enough to score all four runs with a grand slam. Randy was allowed to stretch the pitch count and pitch the ninth, but he allowed back-to-back singles to Worthington and Frye. Norm Charlton came in now that it was a save situation and got the last two outs.
99. Mariners 9, Angels 1
October 2, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Mark Langston
9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 12 K
The Mariners lost the last two games of the season while the Angels went on a five-game winning streak to tie for the lead, requiring a one-game tiebreaker. The game took on added meaning as the Yankees had clinched the Wild Card. Randy got the ball on three days rest, while the Angels went with none other than Mark Langston. Langston ran into some trouble in the first. Vince Coleman hit an infield single and was bunted to second. However, he was caught trying to steal third, and that hurt when Ken Griffey Jr. walked and Edgar Martinez singled, but Langston got out of the inning. Randy was sharp, striking out the side in the third and fifth. Seattle finally scraped together a run in the fifth. Tino Martinez walked but was forced on a failed sacrifice bunt by Dan Wilson. Joey Cora and Coleman followed with singles to drive in Wilson. Randy had retired the first 17 Mariners, but then Rex Hudler singled for the first Angels baserunner. Randy picked off Hudler, but Hudler still advanced to second, but then Tony Phillips struck out. The Mariners pulled away in the seventh, Mike Blowers single, then Tino was safe on a fielder's choice. Wilson got the bunt down this time, but then Cora was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Coleman lined out, but Blowers couldn't score. Then Luis Sojo hit a double down the first base line to clear the bases. Sojo advanced to third then scored when Langston flubbed the cutoff throw. The Mariners piled four more runs in the eighth. Randy was still out in the ninth. He allowed a solo home run to Phillips, then got the last three outs, striking out Tim Salmon to end the game and send Seattle into the playoffs.
PS 1. Mariners 7, Yankees 4
Division Series Game 3
October 6, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Jack McDowell
7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 10 K
The Mariners were in the playoffs for the first time in team history, but things got off to a rough start when the Yankees won the first two games in New York, including a walk-off home run in the 15th. Randy got the ball to try to save the season in Seattle. The Yankee struck first when Bernie Williams led off the fourth with a solo home run. Yankees fans gleefully began counting down the outs before their team can move on, but the countdown only went down by three before the Mariners scored in the fifth behind the Martinezes. Edgar walked, then Tino hit a two-run home run. The Yankees threatened in the sixth. Randy Verlarde walked with one out, and then Bernie got his third hit of the day, a single. The Mariners caught a break when Velarde was caught too far rounding second and was tagged out. This baserunner error loomed large as Mike Stanley followed with a single, and Ruben Sierra walked before Don Mattingly struck out. Seattle added to the lead in the bottom of the inning. Vince Coleman tripled, and McDowell walked two to load the bases. A trio of triples and a sacrifice fly led to four more runs. The Yankees tagged Randy for another run in the seventh when Gerald Williams walked and went to third on Tony Fernandez's single. He would score on a sacrifice fly. The Mariners answered in their half of the inning. They loaded the bases on a Coleman's single and two walks. Tino hit a sacrifice fly. Bill Risley came out to put in the eighth. The Yankees tagged him for home runs by Bernie and Stanley. Risley got two outs before giving way to Norm Charlton who got the four-out save and keep the Mariners alive.
PS 2. Mariners 6, Yankees 5
Division Series Game 5
October 8, 1995
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Jack McDowell
3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
The Mariners took Game 4 to send the Series to a deciding game 5. It was Andy Benes vs. David Cone. The Mariners scored first blood as Joey Cora hit a solo home run with two outs in the third. The Yankees answered in the fourth when Bernie Williams walked, and Paul O'Neill followed with a two-run home run. The lead only lasted until the bottom of the inning when Tino Martinez doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. Jay Buhner's single tied the game. The Yankees went up ahead in the fifth as Benes lost his control and walked three batters. New York's veteran captain Don Mattingly followed with a ground-rule double and two runs scampered home. The Mariners couldn't score until the eighth, when Ken Griffey Jr. blasted a home run for the Huge Run. Tino worked a walk with two outs and Buhner followed with a single. A pair of walks would tie the game. The Yankees threatened in the ninth when Tony Fernandez doubled and Randy Velarde walked against Norm Charlton, but then Lou Piniella came out and brought in Randy Johnson, who ended the inning. Jack McDowell came in as well to pitch the ninth. The game remained scoreless into the 11th. Randy walked Mike Stanley leading off the inning. Fernandez bunted pinch-runner Pat Kelly to second, then Velarde singled to give the Yankees the lead. Randy then got two strikeouts, but the Mariners were down to their last three outs. They came back with a vengeance, as Cora led off with a bunt single. Griffey followed with another single to put runners on the corner. Edgar Martinez lined a ball to left field. Cora scored easily, and Griffey came around and beat the throw. The Mariners would be moving onto the ALCS.
1996
Randy had the ball for his fourth straight Opening Day start, against the Chicago White Sox on March 31, the first time a regular season game was ever played in March. He was solid, striking out 14 batters while walking only three. However, he allowed two runs and ended up with a no-decision. The Mariners would eventually triumph in the 12th. Randy made his second start on April 6 against the Milwaukee Brewers, only a day after his son Tanner was born. He was a bit of a mess, allowing four runs in 6.2 innings, walking six and striking out six. However, the Brewers starter Steve Sparks was even worse, allowing five runs in the first and seven overall, and Randy was able to pick up his 100th career win. Randy struck out 12 batters in his next start against the Detroit Tigers and he seemed to be back to his old dominant self. However, on April 26 he had to leave a start against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth because of some back stiffness. This sent some alarms through the organization as Randy had some back stiffness in spring training. He tried making a start on May 1 against the Texas Rangers, but he only lasted two innings. The Mariners rested him for ten days before bringing him back against the Kansas City Royals on May 12. He pitched well enough, striking out seven, but he had to leave after five innings.
Randy was placed on the disabled list and had some imaging done on his back. The imaging showed a herniated disc in his spine. The disc is a fibrous substance that sits between vertebrates, providing cushioning. Sometimes with repeated stress parts of the disc would poke through the ligaments in the posterior spine, putting pressure on the nerve root that comes out of the back. Randy had an electromyogram that showed no nerve damage, but doctors recommended that he gets some rest. And so Randy was once again forced to spend extra time with his newborn child. While he was gone, the Mariners fell behind the Texas Rangers, who had inexplicably taken the lead in the AL West. After missing almost three months he asked to return to the rotation. Piniella wanted his ace back in action, but he was afraid Randy's back wouldn't be able to withstand the strain of pitching the innings required as a starter. However, he was willing to put Randy in the bullpen.
Randy served in a long relief capacity. He was solid in his first three appearances and even picked up his second save on August 13 against the Kansas City Royals, coming into the game in the sixth and throwing four scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. However, five days later he came into a game against the Yankees trying to hold onto a 10-8 lead and runners on second and third. He allowed a single to Cecil Fielder to drive in both runners and picked up a blown save. Then he was awful in his next two appearances, allowing seven runs (six earned) in 5.2 innings. He had to admit that the pain was too much for him, and he consented to doing surgery to fix the herniated disc. Randy had the surgery done on September 12, and watched from afar as the Mariners ended the season in second place despite setting a new franchise record for wins with 85. He knew that if he was healthy then the Mariners might have won the division. He dedicated himself to his rehabilitation, and strove to came back as the pitcher he knew he could be.
The Wins of 1996
100. Mariners 8, Brewers 5
April 6, 1996
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Steve Sparks
6.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 6 K
Randy got the ball in Opening Day, the first regular season game ever played in March., trying to win his 100th game. He was sharp, striking out 14 in seven innings, but got a no-decision. He took his quest to reach the milestone against the Brewers. Things got off to a rough start in the first. Pat Listach reached on an error by second baseman Joey Cora, then Randy walked Kevin Seitzer and John Jaha to load the bases. He got out of the inning. The Mariners answered in the bottom of the first. Darren Bragg singled and stole second. Ken Griffey Jr. walked, and then Edgar Martinez singled to load the bases. Jay Buhner popped out, but Paul Sorrento, signed to play first after Tino Martinez went to the Yankees, blasted a grand slam. Russ Davis followed with another home run and Randy had a massive lead to help his milestone efforts. Randy continued to struggle against the Brewers, but kept them off the scoreboard until the fifth. Seitzer singled with one out, and then Greg Vaughn hit a two-run home run. Sorrento picked up his second home run of the game in the sixth, a two-run blast that followed Buhner's walk. Randy got two outs in the seventh but also walked Listach and Vaughn. He left in favor of his old teammate Mike Jackson, who re-signed with Seattle in the off-season. Jackson allowed a double to Jaha to score both inherited runners. Griffey hit a home run of his own in the bottom of the inning. Jackson got through the eighth without allowing a run before giving way to Norm Charlton in the ninth. Charlton got two outs before allowing another home run to Vaughn. Jaha struck out, and Randy finally had 100 wins in the Major Leagues.
101. Mariners 9, Tigers 1
April 11, 1996
Tiger Stadium
Detroit, MI
Losing Pitcher: Greg Gohr
7.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 12 K
The Mariners' first road trip of the season sent them to Detroit, the only American League city where Randy had yet to win a game. The Tigers had beaten Seattle twice to get into a tie for second. The Mariners were determined not to get swept, and scored two runs in the second. Jay Buhner led off with a walk. Tigers starter Greg Gohr got the next two outs, but then Dan Wilson hit a home run to right. Randy walked two batters in the bottom of the inning, but got a pair of strikeouts to keep the Tigers off the board. Gohr quickly righted the ship and frustrated the Mariners for several innings. Edgar Martinez led off the fourth with a double and went to third on a groundout, but then a strikeout and popup left him stranded there. The Mariners finally got another run after Detroit brought in reliever Mike Christopher when Wilson hit his second home run. Seattle pounded Christopher for four more runs in the eighth. Edgar doubled with one out, then Paul Sorrento was walked intentionally to face Russ Davis. Davis responded with a home run, and then Wilson followed it up with his third home of the day. Randy was dominating after the second, but ran into trouble in the eighth. Danny Bautista doubled, then went to third on a wild pitch. John Flaherty struck out, but then Alan Trammell singled to score the Tigers' first run. Mike Jackson came in and finished the eighth. The Mariners struck for two more in the ninth on Ken Griffey Jr.'s home run and Sorrento's RBI single, but Davis flied out with Dan Wilson on deck, denying him a chance for four home runs. Jackson pitched the ninth and walked two, but still wrapped up the win.
102. Mariners 5, Angels 3
April 16, 1996
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Jim Abbott
8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 9 K
The Mariners won the last four in the road trip and went home to face the Angels in first place. California had gotten off to a slow start and fallen to last. Randy had hit Jim Edmonds with one out in the first. Edmonds responded by stealing second, but the Angels couldn't find a way to drive him home. Angels starter Jim Abbott was just a tough. He allowed a single to Rich Amaral in the first, but got a double play from Luis Sojo. The game moved quickly into the fifth. Edgar Martinez led off with a double. He stole third, but the next two batters struck out. After Russ Davis walked, Dan Wilson followed with an RBI single. The Angels would eventually tie the game in the seventh when Rex Hudler continued his success against Randy with a solo home run. The Mariners would jump to lead again in the bottom of the inning. Edgar walked, and then Jay Buhner doubled to put runners on second and third. Neither runners were able to score when Ricky Jordan grounded out and Russ Davis hit an infield single, but the single loaded the bases and Dan Wilson came to the plate. He was five days removed from hitting three home runs, and responded with a grand slam to put the Mariners ahead. Randy got through the eighth inning. He did walk Randy Veldarde and allowed a single to Tim Salmon, but got out of the inning with a strikeout. Mike Jackson came out to pitch the ninth. He allowed a single to J.T. Snow before striking out the next two batters. Mike Aldrete came up as a pinch-hitter and lined a home run to right-center field. Gary Disarcina followed with another single, but Velarde struck out to end the game.
103. Mariners 9, Blue Jays 5
April 21, 1996
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Erik Hanson
5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 6 K
The Mariners swept the fading Tigers in two games before the Blue Jays came to town. Toronto was in fourth, but moved up to third by winning two against Seattle. The Mariners scored first when Alex Diaz was hit by a pitch, then stole second. Edgar Martinez walked, and Jay Buhner followed with an RBI single. Randy pitched a one-two-three first, but he allowed a run in the second. Robert Perez doubled to right, and then a bad throw from right fielder Buhner scored Perez. The Mariners exploded for five runs against former Seattle pitcher Erik Hanson. Russ Davis led off with a double. Dan Wilson struck out, but Alex Rodriguez singled him home. After a second out, Alex Diaz doubled to score A-Rod. Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar followed with back-to-back home runs. Randy struggled in the third, but Toronto couldn't score. They did score in the fourth, when Joe Carter singled and Ed Sprague walked. Perez grounded into a double play, but Charlie O'Brien's double put another run on the board. The Mariners added two more runs in the bottom of the inning when Griffey and Edgar hit back-to-back home runs for the second time, but then the Blue Jays responded in kind in the fifth. Otis Nixon singled, and then Juan Samuel hit a two-run home run. Randy was out of the game in the sixth. The Mariners added an insurance run in the sixth when Griffey walked and Edgar doubled him to third. Griffey then scored when Buhner grounded out. Reliever Bob Wells provided three scoreless inning before giving way to Norm Charlton in the ninth. Charlton allowed a double to Alex Gonzalez, then a single to Nixon. A run scored on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Delgado, but Charlton hung on to get the win.
104. Mariners 8, Royals 5
May 12, 1996
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Doug Linton
5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
As it turned out, Randy was suffering from severe back pain. He lasted only five and 2/3 innings in his next two starts before the Mariners skipped a few starts. They brought him back to face the last-place Royals. Randy was in shambles in the first. He struck out the leadoff batter, but then Chris Stynes singled, who stole second and then third as Randy walked Joe Vitiello. The Royals had runners on the corner, and they tried the old routine where Vitiello broke for second to draw a throw after which Stynes ran home. The move worked out, and Vitiello went to third on an errant throw by second baseman Joey Cora. Randy threw a one-two-three second before having a rough third inning but kept Kansas City from scoring. The Mariners took the lead in the third. Cora walked, and then Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run home run. Seattle scored again in the fourth when Paul Sorrento and Dan Wilson hit back-to-back doubles. Randy pitched a decent fourth inning, but he labored in the fifth. Tom Goodwin singled and went to third when Stynes singled. He got out of the inning and the Mariners added another run when Darren Bragg and Edgar Martinez doubled. Randy came out to pitch the sixth, but he left after walking Vitiello. The Mariners eventually won the game. They scored two runs in the sixth on a ground rule double and a sacrifice fly and latter added two more in the eighth on A-Rod's second home run. This came after the Royals rallied for four runs against Mike Jackson and Norm Charlton on two hits, three walks and an error, but a one-two-three ninth inning ended the game. Still, all eyes were on Randy Johnson as they waited for news about his back.
1997
Lou Piniella kept Randy out until the fourth game of the season. He was sharp in his return, pitching six innings allowing only two runs against the Red Sox and striking out eight without a walk. However, the bullpen stunk it up and he ended up with a no-decision. He still won his first four decisions, giving him a 16-game regular season winning streak that stretched all the way back to the last seven wins of 1995. The winning streak came to an end on May 8 when he allowed five runs in six innings against the Baltimore Orioles despite ten strikeouts, his first loss since August 1, 1995. He quickly put the loss behind him and had two games with 15 strikeouts, on May 28 against the Rangers and on June 8 against the Tigers. On June 24, he topped that by striking out 19 Athletics batters, tying the all-time single-game strikeout mark by a left-hander. However, he allowed a home run to his old college teammate Mark McGwire and a little-known catcher named George Williams and was saddled with the loss.
Nevertheless, Randy was 12-2 with a 2.20 ERA and a league-leading 168 strikeouts at the All-Star break. Not only did AL All-Star manager Joe Torre put him on the All-Star team, he was also named the starting pitcher. It was a tremendous honor for a man that had missed almost all of the season before. Randy dispatched the first five batters with ease, striking out Houston Astros second baseman Craig Biggio and Giants legend Barry Bonds. The sixth batter he faced was Larry Walker. Walker was a former minor league teammate of Randy's, but now he was the slugging right-fielder for the Colorado Rockies. Randy greeted his old buddy with a pitch over his head, much like he did with John Kruk four years earlier. Walker responded by turning his batting helmet around and took a pitch batting right-handed before going back to his normal left-handed position. Walker walked, unlike Kruk in 1993, but Randy got out of the inning.
Randy was understandably upset at losing a game in which he struck out 19 batters. So on August 8 he did the same against the Chicago White Sox. This time he made sure not to allow a single run. Along the way he joined his old mentor Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to have multiple 19-strikeout games in a season. Randy earned his 19th win on September 23, the 158th game of the Mariners season. He did not have any more scheduled starts to reach the 20-win plateau for the first time in his career, but Lou Piniella had something up his sleeve. On September 27 the Mariners played the Athletics, and built up a 7-2 lead after four innings. Omar Olivares got the start, but in the fifth inning Piniella summoned his ace left-hander from the bullpen. Because Olivares did not reach the five-inning minimum, the win would go to the most effective reliever. Randy could get the win as long as he didn't screw it up. He allowed two hits, but he also struck out three in two innings, including September call-up Ben Grieve for his 2,000th career strikeout. The Mariners won and Randy was credited with his 20th win. Along the way he also had 291 strikeouts and set another career mark with a 2.28 ERA. He finished second in all three Triple Crown stats, as a revived Roger Clemens won 21 games with 292 strikeouts and a 2.05 ERA for the Toronto Blue Jays.
However, Randy got another chance to pitch in the post-season, as the Mariners took the AL West crown with a 90-72 record. Their opponents were the Baltimore Orioles, who won the AL East and had the best record in the American League. Randy got the start in Game 1 on three days rest against the Orioles' ace Mike Mussina. He struggled, allowing five runs in five innings and struck out only three against four walks. Meanwhile Mussina was sharp and the Orioles took a 1-0 Series lead. The teams split the next two games, and Randy got the ball again in Game 4 with a chance to extend the Mariners' season. Randy was much better than in Game 1, striking out 13 in a complete game, but designated hitter Geronimo Berroa tagged him for a home run and a double and he allowed another home run to second baseman Jeff Reboulet. Mussina allowed only one run, and the Mariners' World Series dreams were crushed. And to top it off Randy finished second in Cy Young voting to Roger Clemens. It was a triumphant season in many ways considering the severity of his 1996 back injury, but the way it still stung the way it ended.
The Wins of 1997
105. Mariners 5, Red Sox 3
April 11, 1997
Fenway Park
Boston, MA
Losing Pitcher: Steve Avery
6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 7 K
Randy had a herniated disc. He was out for almost three months before coming back in the bullpen and made six appearances before opting for back surgery. He came back healthy in the 1997 and had a decent start against the Red Sox, suffering a no-decision in a Seattle loss. The Mariners traveled to Boston for the revenge match. Randy was dominant while the Mariners pummeled Boston starter Steve Avery in the second. Jay Buhner led off with a single, then Dan Wilson doubled. Buhner tried to score on Russ Davis's grounder, but was out at the plate. Lee Tinsley followed with a single to load the bases, then Rich Amaral doubled in two runs. Alex Rodriguez's home run leading off the third gave Seattle another run. Randy allowed a home run to John Valentin leading off the fourth. After that he hit Mo Vaughn with a pitch and Tim Naehring, but the Red Sox couldn't get another run. Valentine tagged Randy for another home run in the sixth, but the Mariners would score again in the seventh. Amaral singled and was bunted to second. Boston walked Edgar Martinez intentionally, but Buhner singled to drive in a run. With Randy up at 98 pitches, Lou Piniella took him out and Bobby Ayala came in to pitch the seventh. Ayala turned in a scoreless seventh, but a walk and two singles eventually led to another run in the eighth. Thankfully the Mariners had scored again in the top of the inning when Wilson walked, then Davis reached on an error by Boston third baseman Naehring, and Tinsley doubled. Norm Charlton pitched a scoreless ninth, walking former Mariner Darren Bragg before stiking out the side, ending with a strikeout of Boston's rookie shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. Randy was back in the winners circle.
106. Mariners 7, Tigers 3
April 16, 1997
Tiger Stadium
Detroit, MI
Losing Pitcher: A.J. Sager
7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 10 K
The Mariners moved on to Detroit to face the Tigers. The 1996 Tigers had collapsed and lost 109 games, the most in franchise history and the most by any team since 1979. They were trying to return to respectability, putting up a .500 record early in 1997. They loaded the bases against Randy in the third, when Matt Walbeck led off with a double, and after two outs Damion Easley was hit by a pitch and Travis Fryman walked, but Randy struck out Tony Clark to end the inning. The Mariners scored in the fourth when Alex Rodriguez singled and went to third on a wild pitch as Ken Griffey Jr. walked. A-Rod then scored when Edgar Martinez grounded into a double play. The Tigers took the lead in the sixth. He walked Fryman with one out, and Clark made up for his earlier failures by hitting a two-run home run. The Mariners did not take long to reclaim the lead. After Randy got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts, Edgar walked and Jay Buhner singled him to second. Rich Amaral bunted them over, and then Dan Wilson hit a sacrifice fly. The game remained tied into the eighth. Reliever A.J. Sager was in to pitch following Omar Olivares and John Cummings. He got two quick outs, but then A-Rod singled. Griffey followed with a home run off LOOGY Mike Myers. The Mariners then put the game away when they loaded the bases on a double and two walks. Dan Wilson hit any easy fly ball to right, but right fielder Melvin Nieves dropped it and three runs scored. Bobby Ayala came in and struck out the side in the eighth. He allowed a home run to the embarrassed Nieves, but still closed out the Mariners win.
107. Mariners 2, Blue Jays 1
April 27, 1997
SkyDome
Toronto, Ontario
Losing Pitcher: Robert Person
8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
The Mariners were riding high, with the second best record in the American League near the end of April. They had a quick homestand where Randy got a no-decision then sprinted off to Canada, where the Blue Jays were waiting with a .500 record. The Mariners got a quick lead when Alex Rodriguez homered on the first pitch. The Blue Jays tied the score in the bottom of the first when Randy walked Jacob Brumfield with one out. Joe Carter singled to put runners on the corner, and Brumfield scored when Ed Sprague forced Carter. Randy kept the Blue Jays in check in the second, and the Mariners took the lead in the third. Joey Cora tripled with two outs, and A-Rod hit a single to right field to bring in the run. The game then became a war of attrition. Randy struck out the first two batters of the third, but Brumfield and Carter singled before Sprague grounded out. Charlie O'Brien hit a triple with two outs in the fourth, but then Randy struck out Shawn Green. Randy allowed a ground-rule double to Juan Samuel in the sixth inning, but there were two outs and Samuel was stranded. Meanwhile the Mariners couldn't get anything else done against Blue Jays starter Robert Person. They got a pair of singles in the fifth, but a double play limited the damage. Randy got out of an eighth inning jam where he struck out the first two batters before Carter singled and Sprague reached on an error by third baseman Russ Davis, but got a pop out to end the inning. Norm Charlton came on board to get the save. He allowed a single to Green with two outs, but then got a fly ball to end the game and preserve the win.
108. Mariners 8, Brewers 1
May 2, 1997
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Jeff D'Amico
8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 11 K
The Mariners ended up with an uneven road trip where they alternated wins and losses. They were still in first when the Brewers came to town. The Brewers were in first in the AL Central, although with a 12-11 record. They seemed to want to be aggressive in the first, with Jeff Cirillo hitting a two-out double, but Randy got the next batter to ground out. Things remained calm besides the sounds of whiffs as Randy struck out a pair in the third and in the fourth. The Mariners couldn't do anything against Brewers starter Jeff D'Amico besides a pair of walks in the first. Things changed in the fourth when Ken Griffey Jr. led off with a single. After two outs, Paul Sorrento doubled to put runners on second and third. Dan Wilson followed with a three-run home run to give the Mariners the lead. The Mariners added to the lead in the fifth when Lee Tinsley singled and was bunted to second. That didn't matter when Alex Rodriguez contributed with a two-run home run. They went on to load the bases on a walk, a single, and a hit batsman, but D'Amino retired the two to limit the damage. Randy struck out the side in the top of the sixth before the Mariners went to work on reliever Sean Maloney. Russ Davis doubled, and Cora walked. Maloney did strike out two batters so he faced Griffey with a chance to get out of the inning. Griffey instead hit Seattle's third home run of the game. Matt Mieske followed with a home run in the seventh, but that was all the Brewers got off Randy as he pitched eight innings. Bobby Ayala came on in the ninth. He hit John Jaha with a pitch but still ended the game.
109. Mariners 2, Brewers 1
May 13, 1997
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee, WI
Losing Pitcher: Mike Fetters
8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Randy suffered his first regular season loss since August 1, 1995 with a dismal performance against the Orioles before the Mariners shuffled off to Milwaukee for a rematch against the Brewers. Jose Mercedes was the opposing starter as Jeff D'Amico pitched the day before and won, pushing Seattle into a tie for first. Randy allowed a pair of singles to Gerald Williams and Matt Mieske in the first inning, but kept the game scoreless. The Brewers eventually broke through in the third. Randy walked Mike Matheny to lead off the inning. After a flyout, Jeff Cirillo and Dave Nilsson both singled and Matheny came around to score. The Mariners desperately tried to erase the deficit, but Mercedes wouldn't let them. Joey Cora doubled to lead off the fourth, but he was stranded. Seattle got runners on second and third with a single and a walk and a sacrifice bunt, but they could get no further. Randy also became very stingy against the Brewers. Nilsson doubled in the sixth and went to third on a wild pitch, but the next two batters had fly balls too shallow to score the runner, then Randy got the strikeout to end the inning. Randy completed eight innings, but the Mariners were still down in the ninth inning. The Brewers brought in Mike Fetters to give regularly scheduled closer Doug Jones a break, as Jones pitched the four previous days. Fetters didn't get off to a good start as he walked Cora and Alex Rodriguez. Ken Griffey Jr. forced A-Rod, but then stole second. That led to an intentional walk to Edgar Martinez to load the bases. Jay Buhner followed with a two-run single and the Mariners had grabbed the lead. Norm Charlton came in and pitched a one-two-three ninth inning for the comeback victory.
110. Mariners 8, Royals 4
May 23, 1997
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
Losing Pitcher: Tim Belcher
7 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 10 K
Randy had another bad game against the Orioles before going off to Kansas City. They had lost six of seven and were now in a tie with the Angels for second place. The Royals were in fourth place in the AL Central, but they hammered Randy coming out of the gate. Jose Offerman led off with a single, and then Bip Roberts doubled him home to give the Royals a lead before an out was even recorded. Randy got out of the inning without any further damage, but Kansas City went back to work in the second. Craig Paquette walked with one out, and then went all the way to third on an errant pickoff throw. Randy ended up hitting Shane Halter with the next pitch, setting up for the successful steal of home. The Royals continued their barrage in the third, when Chili Davis singled with two outs, and then Joey Vitiello hit the first pitch to the right field stands. The Mariners couldn't do much against Royals starter Tim Belcher until the fourth, when Edgar Martinez was hit by a pitch, and Paul Sorrento hit a two-run home run. The Royals tried to get more against Randy, getting at least one baserunner every inning, but Randy decided enough was enough and kept the Royals in check. Meanwhile the Mariners continued their offensive barrage in the fifth. Joey Cora and Alex Rodriguez singled with one out, and Edgar's single scored Cora. Then Jay Buhner blasted a three-run home run to give the Mariners the lead. They added two more insurance runs in the ninth when A-Rod singled with two outs, and then Ken Griffey Jr. hit a two-run home run of his own. Bobby Ayala and Nor, Charlton came on and kept the Royals scoreless to end the game.
111. Mariners 5, Rangers 0
May 28, 1997
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Darren Oliver
8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 15 K
The Mariners were still very uneven on the rest of their road trip and were tied for second when they returned home to face the Texas Rangers. The Rangers ended years of frustration when they won the AL West in 1996 in Randy's absence, and they were in first place in the AL West. Randy was determined to send them back to into the depths where they belonged. He struck out a pair of batters in the first two innings. Then the Mariners went to work in the second. Rangers starter Darren Oliver loaded the bases with three straight walks. Then Mike Blowers drove in a run with a groundout, and Russ Davis did the same. It wasn't pretty, but Randy didn't care as he went out and struck out the side. The Rangers managed a pair of hits in the fourth by Ivan Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez, but Randy struck out a pair to ensure Texas would stay down. Randy got only one strikeout in the fifth before allowing a pair of singles again in the sixth, but he got his two strikeouts and the Rangers remained scoreless. Randy struck out a pair again in the seventh before the Mariners added an insurance run on a pair of walks and a single by Paul Sorrento. Randy struck out one in the eighth to bring his total to 15. Meanwhile the Mariners added two more insurance runs in the bottom off the inning when Ken Griffey Jr. doubled and then Edgar Martinez and Alex Rodriguez hit back-to-back doubles. The Mariners loaded the bases again on a hit-by-pitch and a walk, but the Rangers kept them there. Randy had already thrown 132 pitches in his eight innings, so it was Bobby Ayala that came out to finish off the shutout instead.
112. Mariners 3, Blue Jays 0
June 2, 1997
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Luis Andujar
9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, SHO
The win against the Rangers didn't light any fire for the Mariners as they dropped three straight to fall to third the same position in the standings as their opponents the Blue Jays. Randy got the Blue Jays out in order in the first before Ken Griffey Jr. blasted a home run in the bottom of the inning to give the Mariners an early lead. Randy appreciated the lead and went out and got two strikeouts in the second and one in the third as he retired the Blue Jays in order during the first run through the lineup. By the sixth, Randy had retired 16 straight and was just two outs away from going through the lineup twice without allowing a baserunner, but Alex Gonzalez made sure he wouldn't do it with a clean single. Gonzalez was caught stealing, but Tilson Brito also singled to keep Randy from facing the minimum. Randy still struck out Otis Nixon to preserve the shutout. The Mariners added another run in the sixth when prospect sensation Jose Cruz Jr., playing in only his third Major League game, hit his second double of the day. Joey Cora bunted him to third, and Alex Rodriguez drove him home with his own double. After Randy threw another scoreless inning in the seventh, Paul Sorrento and Dan Wilson led off their half with singles. The next two batters had forceouts, but then Joey Cora's double scored another run. Randy got through a scoreless eighth with 110 pitches, and he was allowed to try to get the shutout in the ninth. He walked Brito and Nixon to lead off the inning, but Lou Piniella stuck with his man, and Randy rewarded him by getting the last three batters for his first complete game shutout since August 26, 1995.
113. Mariners 2, Tigers 0
June 8, 1997
Tiger Stadium
Detroit, MI
Losing Pitcher: Brian Moehler
8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 15 K
The win against the Blue Jays was more successful in putting a spark in the Mariners and they went on a five-game winning streak that helped them get into a tie for first before losing against the Tigers in the third game of a four-game series in Detroit. Randy was tasked with helping them win the series. The Mariners almost got him a run in the first when Joey Cora led off with a double and Alex Rodriguez singled him to third, but a pair of popups doomed their chances of scoring. Randy was on the top of his game, striking out a pair in the first and worked around a walk to Tony Clark keep Detroit scoreless. The Mariners were finally able to give him a lead in the sixth inning when Ken Griffey Jr. led off the inning with a single and Edgar Martinez walked. Griffey tagged and went to third on a fly ball, then scored on a groundout to the right side. Randy hadn't allowed a hit through seven innings. It was getting to the point where people were starting to think about a no-hitter, but then Phil Nevin led off the eighth with a clean single. Randy then walked Brian Johnson, but he struck out the side to keep the Tigers scoreless. Seattle added another run when Paul Sorrento walked with one out, and then Dan Wilson singled to send pinch-runner Rich Amaral to third. Amaral scored when Russ Davis singled. That was all the scoring the Mariners got. Randy had 127 pitches through eight innings, and manager Lou Piniella decided to go with Bobby Ayala for the ninth instead of giving Randy a chance for another shutout. Ayala allowed a one-out single to Bob Hamelin, but got a double play to secure the win.
114. Mariners 6, Rockies 1
June 13, 1997
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Jamey Wright
8 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 12 K
1997 was the first year of interleague play, and the Mariners get to face their counterparts from the NL West. The second-place Rockies were their first opponents and Seattle took the first game of the two-game set. Randy got the ball to try to get the sweep. Randy also had a scoreless streak of 29 and 1/3, dating back to the game against the Royals. He tied his career high from 1994 with a scoreless first. The Mariners gave him the lead in the bottom of the inning when Joey Cora doubled, went to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Randy allowed a single to Andres Galarraga, but kept the Rockies from scoring with two more strikeouts. The streak finally ended at 32 in the third inning. After striking out the first two batters, Eric Young hit a home run down the left field line to tie the game. The Mariners tried to get it back in the bottom of the inning when Alvaro Espinoza walked and Joey Cora singled him to third, but a strikeout and flyout ended those hopes. Seattle was more successful in the fifth. Cora walked with two outs, and then Jose Cruz Jr. doubled him home. Edgar Martinez homered leading off the sixth for an insurance run. Then the Mariners scored three more in the seventh. Russ Davis led off the inning with a home run. Then Cora walked, and Ken Griffey Jr. doubled. Cora held at third, but both runners scored with Edgar's double. Randy got through eight innings without allowing any more runs. Lou Piniella turned to the scuffling Scott Sanders to try to build up his confidence and trade value. Sanders allowed singles to Young and Dante Bichette, but got a double play to end the game.
115. Mariners 2, Rangers 1
June 19, 1997
The Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
Losing Pitcher: Ken Hill
7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
The Mariners swept the Dodgers before getting swept by the Giants to finish off the first batch of interleague play. Seattle still held first place, but their lead over the Rangers had fallen to one game. They went to Texas for a chance to put some distance between them. After a scoreless first, Paul Sorrento gave the Mariners a lead in the second when he homered with one out. Randy didn't strike out a batter in the first, but he struck out a pair in the second and had one more in the third, the fourth, and the fifth. Meanwhile the Mariners tried to score some additional insurance runs, but Rangers starter Ken Hill had clamped down. he Mariners finally got the second run when Jay Buhner led off the seventh with a home run. The Mariners loaded the bases again with singles from Sorrento and Davis and a walk to Joey Cora, but Hill got out of the inning without any additional runs. The Rangers hitters finally got to Randy in the seventh. Juan Gonzalez singled with one out. Will Clark followed with a double and the game was tied. More critically, a throwing error by left fielder Jose Cruz Jr. sent Clark all the way to third. Dean Palmer hit a grounder to third. Third baseman Davis threw to first for the out, but then Sorrento caught Clark trying to score on the play. He threw to catcher Dan Wilson in time to nail the runner. Bobby Ayala came in the eighth and threw a scoreless inning. He had some more problems in the ninth. Rusty Greer singled with one out, then went to second on a wild pitch. After Gonzalez struck out, Ayala walked Clark intentionally. This maneuver worked as Palmer flied out to end the game.
116. Mariners 7, Angels 3
July 4, 1997
Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, CA
Losing Pitcher: Dennis Springer
7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 4 K
Randy made some history on June 24 when he struck out 19 Oakland Athletics, but he also allowed 11 hits and 4 runs and got the loss. That loss still stung as Randy got the ball against the second-place Angels on the Fourth of July. The Mariners tried to strike first, getting runners into scoring position in the first and the third, but the game remained scoreless after three innings as Randy kept Anaheim in check. The Mariners finally broke through with four runs in the first. Edgar Martinez walked but he was forced by Paul Sorrento. Jay Buhner followed with a single sending Sorrento to third, and a run scored when Russ Davis hit a sacrifice fly. Buhner tagged and went to second, then scored when Dan Wilson singled. Jose Cruz Jr. sent them all home with a home run. The Angels bats came to life in the bottom of the inning. Tim Salmon homered with one out, and after another strikeout Darin Erstad did the same. Seattle got those two runs back in the fifth. Ken Griffey Jr. singled with one out, and then Edgar followed with a home run. The Angels' fourth inning rally did something strange to Randy. He lost the power to strike batters out, which was replaced with the power of the walk. He had four walks in the next three innings and loaded the bases in the seventh on two walks and a single. He got two double plays to keep the Angels from scoring. Sorrento led off the eighth with a home run, and Scott Sanders came in the bottom of the eighth with a scoreless inning. He went out in the ninth and allowed a run on doubles to Garret Anderson and Tony Phillips, but still managed to end the game.
117. Mariners 5, Royals 4
July 18, 1997
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Ricky Bones
9 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 16 K
Randy regained the power of the strikeout in the All-Star game, and struck out 14 in a no-decision against the Rangers. His next start was against the Royals, who had fallen off completely and had the worst record in the American League. They still had some fight in them as Shane Halter homered in the first while Randy was striking out the side. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Alex Rodriguez reached on an error by Royals third baseman Craig Paquette, then Ken Griffey Jr. walked. The two executed a double steal, then scored when Edgar Martinez singled. The Royals took back the lead in the fourth. Chili Davis singled with one out, then went to second on a groundout. Paquette and Ryan Long followed with RBI singles. Seattle reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning. Dan Wilson was hit by a pitch with one out and also advanced on a groundout. Jose Cruz Jr. singled him home. The Mariners loaded the bases on a another single and a walk, and Griffey singled to give the Mariners a two-run lead. Randy struck out six between the fifth and the seventh keeping the Royals from scoring, but ran into trouble in the eighth. Jeff King walked with one out, and Davis followed with a double. King held at third, but scored on a groundout by Mike Sweeney. Pinch-runner Johnny Damon went to third, but Randy struck out Paquette to end the inning. Randy had 132 pitches but went out for the ninth. He walked David Howard and allowed a single to Bip Roberts with one out, but got his 16th strikeout and a flyout to end the game. His 155 pitches were the most since he threw 160 against on Cleveland July 7, 1995
118. Mariners 11, Indians 1
July 24, 1997
Jacobs Field
Cleveland, OH
Losing Pitcher: Terry Clark
7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
Manager Lou Piniella was hoping for a more manageable pitch count out of his ace pitcher as Randy made his next start to close out a three-game series against the first place team in the AL Central. Piniella was able to relax slightly as the Mariners took a lead in the first when Joey Cora single, and was bunted to second by Alex Rodriguez. Edgar Martinez followed with a walk, and Jay Buhner singled in Cora for the run. It took Randy 17 pitches to work around a single by Tony Fernandez to keep Cleveland scoreless in the first. The Mariners added to the lead in the second when Dan Wilson walked and Russ Davis singled. Jose Cruz Jr.'s single scored Wilson and sent Davis to third. Davis would score on Joey Cora's sacrifice fly. The Indians eventually scored a run in the third. Pat Borders doubled, and went to third on a pair of groundouts. Fernandez's second hit, a double, drove in the run. Seattle pulled ahead further in the fifth. Ken Griffey Jr. walked, and Edgar reached when second baseman Fernandez bobbled his grounder. A single by Buhner and a double by Paul Sorrento and a sacrifice fly by Wilson led to three runs coming home. The Mariners added to the lead in the seventh. Griffey doubled, but was out on a fielder's choice on a grounder by Edgar. Buhner's double put runners on second and third, and they both scored when Dan Wilson singled. Randy got through seven without allowing any more runs, but at 122 pitches Piniella took him out for Bob Wells. The Mariners scored three more in the ninth when Russ Davis doubled with the bases loaded following a double, a walk, and a single. Wells then finished off the Indians for the win.
119. Mariners 6, Brewers 5
August 3, 1997
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee, WI
Losing Pitcher: Al Reyes
6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
The Mariners dropped four straight against Boston and the Brewers to fall behind the Angels in the standings. The Mariners salvaged one win, and looked to Randy to earn a split in the four-game series. Milwaukee scored first. Jack Voigt singled to lead off the second, then stole second. Matt Mieske followed with a full count double and Milwaukee had a 1-0 lead. Mieske eventually went to third, but couldn't score as the Mariners tied the game in the third. Backup catcher John Marzano singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Joey Cora singled him home. The Mariners loaded the bases on a walk and a hit-by-pitch, but couldn't take the lead until the fourth, when Paul Sorrento doubled and Russ Davis singled. The lead was short-lived as Voigt and Mieske clobbered back-to-back doubles. Randy got two outs and got to a full count against Mike Matheny, but Matheny singled to give Milwaukee the lead. The Mariners powered ahead in the sixth. They loaded the bases on Alex Rodriguez's single and two walks. Jay Buhner followed with a double to drive in two runs for the lead. Lee Tinsley tripled for two insurance runs. Randy got through six, and Piniella turned to his trade deadline acquisitions to pitch the last three innings. Mike Timlin pitched a scoreless seventh, but in the eighth he walked Dave Nilsson, then pinch-hitter Jeromy Burnitz homered. Timlin finished the inning, then their new closer Heathcliff Slocumb came out to pitch the ninth. The Mariners got him from Boston for a AAA catcher and a middling reliever and he came in for his first save opportunity as a Mariner. He allowed a walk and a single, but struck out the side to finish the game, proving the trade may very well be worth it.
120. Mariners 5, White Sox 0
August 8, 1997
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Chris Clemons
9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 19 K, SHO
It still gnawed at Randy that he lost the game where he struck out 19. Strikeouts are nice, but he valued wins more. The Mariners were still in second as Randy faced the third-place White Sox. He was in the zone as he struck out a pair of batters in the first. The Mariners scored in the second after Randy contributed with two more strikeouts. Paul Sorrento and Russ Davis singled before Lee Tinsley forced Davis. With two outs it seemed like they would be stranded and the Mariners would go scoreless again, but Joey Cora singled in a run, and then Alex Rodriguez drove in two with a double. Chicago got two runners on in the third via a single and a walk, but another strikeout ended the inning. Edgar Martinez led off the bottom of the inning with a home run for another insurance run. Randy went to work in the fourth as he struck out the side. He allowed another single and walk in the fifth, but got another single as he kept Chicago scoreless. Then he struck out the side again in the sixth. Two more strikeouts in the seventh gave him 14. Griffey added another insurance run with a home run in the bottom of the inning, but the crowd was more interested in how many strikeouts Randy could get. Randy got two in the eighth, but allowed a single and a walk. He got two strikes on Albert Belle, who popped up in foul territory, leaving Randy at 16. He came out in the ninth to try to get 19 again. He struck out the first two before Ron Karkovice singled. Randy calmly struck out Darren Lewis on three pitches to wrap up the shutout and more importantly struck out 19 with a win.
121. Mariners 1, Indians 0
August 20, 1997
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Charles Nagy
6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Randy followed up his masterpiece against Chicago with an ugly loss against the Orioles. The Mariners managed to reclaim first place, but a loss to the first-place Cleveland Indians dropped them into a tie with the Angels. Randy got the ball to try to get a win and keep Seattle in first. He allowed a walk to his old teammate Omar Vizquel, but a double play erased the baserunner. The Mariners tried to come through against Indians starter Charles Nagy, getting a one-out double in the second and a single plus a stolen base in the third, but the game remained scoreless after three innings. It was Edgar Martinez that came through to give Seattle the lead with a home run in the fourth. Matt Williams got a double off Randy with one out in the fifth, but Randy kept him from scoring. He pitched a scoreless sixth, but then allowed a single to Tony Fernandez to lead off the seventh. He made two pitches to David Justice before summoning the trainer to the mound. Randy had hurt his middle finger in an earlier start, and had aggravated the injury sometime during the game. Randy left the game and Mike Timlin came in to complete the walk to Justice. Timlin got Manny Ramirez to ground into a double play before getting out of the inning. The Mariners tried to score an insurance run in the seventh and eighth, but were unsuccessful. Timlin got the first out in the eighth before giving way to Norm Charlton. Charlton allowed Jim Thome to reach on an error by catcher Dan Wilson, but Heathcliff Slocumb got the last out in the eighth. Slocumb retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save as a Mariner. It was an investment well spent.
122. Mariners 6, Rangers 3
September 18, 1997
The Ballpark in Arlington
Arlington, TX
Losing Pitcher: Darren Oliver
7 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Randy ended up missing three whole weeks from the finger injury. The Mariners stayed afloat in his absence and had built up a solid lead over the Angels in the AL West as they traveled deep in the heart of Texas. The Rangers were mired in third, but had rallied against closer Healthcliff Slocumb the day before. The Mariners scored in the first when Rich Amaral singled then Roberto Kelly homered. Seattle loaded the bases again on a double and two walks, but Rangers starter Darren Oliver kept them scoreless. The Rangers got one run back in the first. After Damon Buford singled and got caught stealing, Domingo Cedeno doubled. Ivan Rodriguez then hit a grounder rookie third baseman Andy Sheets couldn't handle and it went for an error with Cedeno scoring. Sheets tried to make up for the error by singling in the second, but Seattle couldn't score. They were more successful in the fourth. Mike Blowers singled and Sheets bunted him to second. Kelly then hit his second home run of the game. The Rangers loaded the bases against Randy in the bottom of the inning on two singles and an error, but Randy got a double play to end the inning. Seattle scored another run in the fifth when Alex Rodriguez singled and Dan Wilson doubled. Randy pitched well, but got in trouble in the seventh when a pair of rookies Hanley Frias and Henry Mercedes led off with singles. Randy got two outs, but I-Rod singled to score Frias, then Juan Gonzalez doubled to score Mercedes. Paul Sorrento added a home run in the eighth for an insurance run. Lou Piniella went with Bobby Ayala to pitch the eighth. Ayala walked Tom Goodwin in the eighth, but kept the Rangers from scoring for a six-out save.
123. Mariners 4, Angels 3
September 23, 1997
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Allen Watson
8 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 HR, 1 BB, 11 K
The Mariners were looking to clinch the AL West for the first time without relying on a tiebreaker. The Angels were coming to town, and a win would clinch the division. Randy was given the ball for the enormous responsibility. He faltered in the first when Jim Edmonds hit a solo home run with one out, but the Mariners stormed back in a big way in the bottom of the inning. Joey Cora singled, then Ken Griffey Jr. followed with another single. Edgar Martinez grounded out to move the runners over. There were two outs, but Alex Rodriguez drove Cora home with a single to tie the game. Then Jay Buhner produced a monster shot into the upper deck for his 40th home run and a three-run lead. Randy settled down and struck out the side in the second around a Luis Alicea single. He struck out the side again in the fourth. The Mariners' efforts to get another insurance run in the fourth when A-Rod hit a leadoff triple were unsuccessful, especially when Edmonds hit his second home run of the day in the sixth. Alicea tagged Randy for another single in the seventh, but Randy struck out the side once again. Gary Disarcina led off the eighth with a home run. Randy got out of the inning with the lead intact, but Mariners fans were understandably nervous. With 142 pitches Randy wasn't going to pitch the ninth, but Heathcliff Slocumb had lost the trust of the Mariners fans. He was tasked with the save and allowed a leadoff single to Orlando Palmeiro. Slocumb got the next two batters, but threw a wild pitch to put the tying run on second. He got to full count on Jack Howell, but got the strikeout, and the Mariners were division champions.
124. Mariners 9, Athletics 3
September 27, 1997
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Brad Rigby
2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
With four games remaining Randy wouldn't get any more starts to get his 20th win. Manager Lou Piniella felt bad because a few early hooks and the finger injury kept Randy from getting the milestone. He made a deal with his starters. If the Mariners get a big lead before the fifth in any of the remaining games, he'd bring Randy in for relief. They were okay with that, but Seattle lost the first two games, having never held the lead. Omar Olivares got the start in the penultimate game and allowed two runs in the first. The Mariners fought back in the bottom of the inning. They loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Then two singles and a sacrifice fly led to four runs. The Mariners added another run in the second on Ken Griffey Jr.'s 56th home run, and two more in the fourth when Andy Sheets singled and Roberto Kelly homered. The Mariners held a 7-2 lead, and Piniella felt it was a good time to bring Randy in. Randy got two strikeouts in a perfect fifth. Then after Paul Sorrento hit another home run in the bottom of the inning, Randy came out for another inning in the sixth. He was a little bit more shaky, allowing back-to-back singles to Matt Stairs and Scott Spiezio, but ended the scoreless innings. The Mariners scored another run in the sixth with a double and a single. Mike Timlin came in to pitch a scoreless seventh, then Paul Spoljaric got the eighth. Spoljaric came out in the ninth, but allowed singles to Stairs and Spiezio, then an RBI double to pinch-hitter Brian Lesher. Bobby Ayala came in with runners on second and third. He got the last three outs, and Randy Johnson had his 20th win.
1998
With Randy still a member of the Mariners when the season opened, he got the nod for Opening Day against the Cleveland Indians. However, he was lit up. He only lasted 5.2 innings, and allowed six runs (five earned.) He continued to alternate between horrendous starts with pretty good starts. He was still getting his strikeouts, striking out 15 on three occasions, and wasn't walking batters at the same rate as he did earlier in his career. However, he was still eminently hittable and had several games where he gave up six or seven runs. His ERA was above 6.00 at the end of April, and it was still over 5.00 at the end of May. The Seattle fans were none to happy with the Big Unit's performance. They figured he was deliberately stinking it up to force a trade. Unbeknownst to them Randy was dealing with some personal issues. He had broken up with his ex-girlfriend Laurel Roszell back when he was a rookie in 1989. She had been pregnant at the time and gave birth to a daughter Heather in September. Randy never had any contact with his ex-girlfriend or daughter, but sometime in the off-season he had heard from their lawyer demanding child support payments. He agreed to start payments on April 1 of 1998. The arrangement would remain secret for years, but possibly weighed heavily on his mind as the season got underway.
The Mariners were hoping to make another run at the post-season, but with the struggles of Randy and most of the rest of their pitching staff, they found themselves in last place by July. They began actively pursuing a trade for Randy, who was still attractive through all of his strikeouts. Following his last start before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline (a complete game loss against the Cleveland Indians where he allowed four runs despite 12 strikeouts), Randy had 213 strikeouts, more than any other pitcher in baseball. Randy was linked to everybody from the New York Yankees to the Cleveland Indians to Toronto Blue Jays. However, there was one team waiting in the wings: the Houston Astros. The Astros had been an expansion team in 1962 and had made the playoffs four times, including in 1997, but still had yet to win a playoff series. They had a strong team in 1998 and were leading the National League in runs despite playing in an extreme pitcher's park in the Astrodome. They had a few solid pitchers such as Shane Reynolds, Mike Hampton, and Jose Lima, but none of them were clearly an ace. Somebody like Randy can push them over the top. Only minutes before the trade deadline, the Mariners and Astros consummated a deal that would send Randy to Houston in exchange for top prospects Freddy Garcia and Carlos Guillen and a player to be named later.
The last time Randy Johnson pitched for a National League team, he was lit up to the tune of a 6.67 ERA and a 26/26 strikeout to walk ratio. However, Randy was a different pitcher now, and showed off his strengths in his first Astros start, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched seven innings and allowed only two runs and collected twelve strikeouts against only one walk. Randy showed it wasn't a fluke by throwing complete game shutouts in his next two starts. He did suffer a loss on August 17 to the Philadelphia Phillies, when he allowed three runs in five innings while the Astros were shutout. However, he bounced back and had one of his most dominating starts on August 28, collecting 16 strikeouts against the Pirates in the Astrodome with no walks as he pitched another complete game shutout. He reached 300 strikeouts for the season (including his 213 with the Mariners) on September 12 in a start against the St. Louis Cardinals. He struck out newly minted single-season home run king Mark McGwire three times, although the milestone came against Brian Jordan. When the regular season came to a close, Randy had his most dominating two months in his career. He went 10-1 in 11 starts, posting a 1.28 ERA and striking out 116 in only 84.1 innings. And the Astros cruised to their second straight NL Central title with 102 wins.
The Astros faced off against the 98-win San Diego Padres in the Division Series. The Padres had an ace of their own in Kevin Brown, who won 18 games and had a 2.38 ERA. Two years earlier Brown posted a 1.89 ERA, but lost the Cy Young to John Smoltz, who had won 24 games with an ERA over a run higher. Randy was an easy choice to start Game 1 against Brown. He was sharp, allowing two runs in eight innings with nine strikeouts. However, Kevin Brown was just a little bit sharper. He threw eight shutout innings, striking out 16 batters, one off from the record for most in a playoff game. Then future Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman came in to slam the door. The teams split the next two games, and Randy had another shot to continue the Astros' season in Game 4. This time he was faced off against his former teammate Sterling Hitchcock instead of Brown. He was sharp once again, allowing two runs (one earned) in six innings with eight strikeouts. However, Hitchcock pitched the game of his life, allowing only one run in six innings with 11 strikeouts. The Padres tacked on a few more insurance runs against Houston relievers as Randy and the Astros watched their World Series hopes came to a stunning end.
Randy's dominating two-month performance helped him pick up a few stray votes in the Cy Young and MVP races, but he had much more on his plate. He became a free agent for the first time in his career. His stirring two-month performance in Houston showed teams that he still had what it takes to dominate, and plenty of teams showed interest. The Astros clearly wanted Randy back, but the Los Angeles Dodgers and Randy's old AL West rivals Anaheim Angels and Texas Rangers were all interested. And then there were the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks were an expansion franchise in 1998 and stunk it up as most expansion franchises tended to do in baseball, going 65-97. However, their owner Jerry Colangelo had deep pockets, and were willing to provide perks none of the contenders wanted. They were willing to add incentives for Cy Young awards and an option for a fifth year. Plus Colangelo promised Randy that with him on board, they will win the World Series. In the end, Randy passed on more money from the Dodgers to become an Arizona Diamondback.
The Wins of 1998
125. Mariners 5, Royals 1
April 28, 1998
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
Losing Pitcher: Scott Service
7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K
Randy's contract status and trade rumors filled the off-season. With all the distractions Randy got off to a poor start in 1998. He was lit up on Opening Day, and had gone through almost all of April without a win. His last hopes for a win in April fell on a start against the Royals in Kansas City. The Royals were in second, but with a record worse than the Mariners. Randy had struggled against the Royals in his previous start, allowing six runs in three and 1/3 innings. He was better this time around, getting through three innings without allowing a run. The Mariners got a run in the fourth aganst Royals starter Tim Belcher. Edgar Martinez reached second on an error by Royals left fielder Shane Mack, then went to third on a groundout. Glenallen Hill walked, then Rob Ducey hit a grounder to first. Edgar was nabbed wandering too far off third for a fielder's choice out. Russ Davis still followed with a single to drive in Hill for the first run. The Royals would eventually tie the game in the seventh. Felix Martinez singled with two outs, and then Shane Halton doubled to tie the game. The game didn't stay tied long. Scott Service had come in to pitch for the Royals. Edgar led off with a double, then went to third on a passed ball, and scored on Davis's second hit. Mike Timlin pitched a scoreless eighth before the Mariners broke it open in the ninth. They loaded the bases on a double and two walks. David Segui's sacrifice fly scored a run, then Robert Perez's double drove in two more. Bobby Ayala pitched the ninth and allowed a two-out double to Hal Morris, but still finished the game to give Randy a win.
126. Mariners 10, Tigers 6
May 3, 1998
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Frank Castillo
7 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 11 K
The Mariners returned home and Randy tried to get his first home win against the worst team in the American League. He walked the bases loaded in the first, but got two strikeouts to keep the Tigers from scoring. The Mariners responded by pounding out five runs in the first. The Mariners loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Dan Wilson followed with a deep fly ball that just missed going over the fence by a few feet. It caromed away from the two Tigers outfielders, giving Wilson enough time to motor around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam. Then Russ Davis and Rob Ducey added insult to injury with a single and a double. The Tigers got two runs back in the second. Luis Gonzalez led off with a walk, then scored when Deivi Cruz doubled. Kimera Bartee's single scored Cruz. The Mariners pounded the Tigers for five more runs in the second. Joey Cora led off with a walk, and then three straight singles led to two runs and two men on base. Edgar Martinez followed with a home run and Seattle had scored ten runs in two innings. Randy kept Detroit from scoring again until the fifth. Joe Randa singled with one out and then stole second. Damion Easley doubled to drive in another run. Randy ran into more trouble in the seventh. Detroit loaded the bases when Randa walked, then Bobby Higginson singled, and Randy hit Easley with a pitch. Jeff Manto drove in a run with a groundout, and Joe Oliver's single plated two more. Randy got out of the inning with a strikeout, but Mike Timlin came out to pitch the eighth inning. He threw two perfect innings and struck out three batters to put an end to the wild game.
127. Mariners 8, Blue Jays 3
May 8, 1998
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Woody Williams
6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 7 K
The Mariners and their fans were hoping Randy could turn a corner as the Blue Jays came to town. Toronto was fourth in the AL East, but beat Seattle in the first game to send Mariners tumbling to a game below .500. Randy allowed three singles in the first, but Alex Gonzalez was tagged out at home plate to end the inning. The Mariners took the lead in the second. Ken Griffey Jr. singled with one out, and then David Segui doubled to give Randy the lead. Randy held the Blue Jays scoreless for two more innings, and then the Mariners went to work adding insurance runs in the third. Griffey homered with two outs, and then Segui and Edgar Martinez followed with back-to-back home runs and two more runs were on the board. The Blue Jays threatened again in the fourth. Jose Canseco singled, then Mike Stanley walked. Canseco stole third, but Randy let him get no further. Toronto still tied the game in the fifth. Shannon Stewart walked with two outs, and then Gonzalez singled. Canseco followed with a three-run home run and the game was tied. The Mariners were determined to regain the lead in the bottom of the inning. Griffey walked with two outs, and then Segui followed with a double to score a run. Seattle added another in the sixth. Wilson walked, and then Russ Davis homered. Mike Timlin came out for the seventh. He allowed a walk and a single, but got out of the inning, allowing Seattle to add two more runs against their old reliever Bill Risley. Griffey singled, and then Edgar hit a home run of his own. Timlin pitched a scoreless eighth before giving way to Bobby Ayala. Ayala allowed a single and a walk, but still finished the game.
128. Mariners 3, Devil Rays 1
May 24, 1998
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Dennis Springer
9 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 15 K
Randy threw two more stinkers on a road trip before coming home to face the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the first time. The Devil Rays were surprisingly competitive for an expansion team, and had a better record than the Mariners after winning the first two games. Randy was tasked with trying to avoid the sweep. He shut down the Devil Rays in the first with one strikeout before Seattle took a lead in their half. Joey Cora and Alex Rodriguez led off with singles, then Cora scored when David Segui singled. A-Rod was thrown out at third, and the Mariners couldn't add to the lead. Still, Randy let the lead hold up, striking out a pair every inning from the third to the sixth while keeping Tampa Bay from scoring. They almost got to him in the sixth when Miguel Cairo and rookie Randy Winn singled with one out, but the next two batters failed to bring them home. The Mariners were unsuccessful in their efforts to get insurance runs until the sixth, when Ken Griffey Jr. blasted a home run. Seattle then loaded the bases on three singles, and another run scored on a wild pitch. The Devil Rays finally got to Randy in the seventh. Randy walked Mike Kelly and Scott McClain. And then Mike Defelice singled to drive in a run. Randy struck out the next two batters to get him to 11. Winn singled once again in the eighth, but Randy got his two strikeouts and kept Winn from scoring. Randy was given the chance to finish his own game. He got two quick outs including a strikeout, but then Defelice and Kevin Stocker followed with back-to-back singles. Randy bore down and struck out Cairo to get his first complete game of the year.
129. Mariners 6, Devil Rays 2
May 29, 1998
Tropicana Field
St. Petersburg, FL
Losing Pitcher: Tony Saunders
8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
The Mariners traveled to Florida for Randy to face the Devil Rays in their home territory. Tampa Bay had struggled to fall back to last place. The Mariners didn't make it easy by scoring two runs in the second inning. Edgar Martinez doubled, and then scored when Russ Davis singled. Dan Wilson's double sent Davis to third, and then a walk loaded the bases. Rich Amaral hit a grounder to shortstop Aaron Ledesma, who threw to third to force Wilson, but Davis scored on the play. Randy held the Devil Rays in check through the first two innings, but Tampa Bay eventually got those two runs back in the third. Tim Laker walked, and then Mike Defelice hit a single. Randy Winn bunted the runners to second and third. Laker scored when Miguel Cairo hit a sacrifice fly. Quinton McCracken followed with a comebacker. Randy threw the ball away for an error, and Defelice came around to score the tying run. Randy held them there, then waited to see if the Mariners could score another run to take the lead. They did just that in the fifth when Amaral, Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. hit back-to-back-to-back singles to take the lead. Randy held the lead and kept Tampa Bay in check. He allowed a single and a stolen base to Ledesma in the seventh, but managed to get out of the inning. The Mariners broke through for three more runs in the ninth. Griffey doubled, then Edgar walked and Jeff Huson singled to load the bases. Wilson was hit for a painful RBI. Rob Ducey followed with a single and two runs came around to score. That was all the Mariners, but Mike Timlin came out to pitch the ninth, and retired the side in order for the win.
130. Mariners 9, Athletics 1
June 19, 1998
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Blake Stein
8 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 12 K
Randy followed up the game in Florida with three ugly starts. He allowed seven runs in seven innings on the road in Oakland against Blake Stein and the Athletics as the Mariners fell into last place. Stein and the Athletics came in to Seattle. Randy tried to get revenge while also ending Seattle's five-game losing streak. The Mariners took the lead in the first. Alex Rodriguez singled, then went to third on an errant throw by Oakland catcher A.J. Hinch on a stolen base. A-Rod came around to score when Ken Griffey Jr. doubled. Jay Buhner walked, then David Segui hit a grounder towards short that rookie shortstop Miguel Tejada couldn't handle. Griffey scored, then Edgar Martinez's double scored Buhner as well. The Mariners came out swinging again in the second. Seattle loaded the bases on three consecutive singles, then Segui connected for his first grand slam as a Mariner since coming over as a free agent. Randy struggled after the first inning. He allowed a run in the third when Rickey Henderson doubled with two outs. Rafael Bournigal followed and reached on an error by rookie third baseman Charles Gipson. Henderson held at third, but he scored when Randy's longtime teammate Mike Blowers doubled. Bournigal tried to score as well but he was thrown out at home. After Randy survived a leadoff double in the fourth, Griffey hit a solo home run for another run. The A's loaded the bases against Randy in the fifth on two singles and a walk but he kept them from scoring. A-Rod eventually added another insurance run with a solo home run in the eighth. Randy managed to limp through eight innings with the lead. Heathcliff Slocumb was tasked with holding the eight-run lead. He walked Mark Bellhorn, but successfully finished the game.
131. Mariners 2, Padres 1
June 24, 1998
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, CA
Losing Pitcher: Andy Ashby
9 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 12 K
After taking two of three from Oakland, Seattle embarked on the interleague portion of their schedule. They started a four-game series against the Padres with two games being played in Seattle and two games in San Diego. After splitting the two games in Seattle, the two teams traveled to San Diego, with Randy getting the ball for his first game in a National League ballpark since 1989. The Padres were first in the NL West, but Seattle threatened to score in the first. Joey Cora singled before getting forced by Alex Rodriguez. Ken Griffey Jr. walked, and the two batters advanced on a wild pitch. They were unable to come around to score. Randy also allowed baserunners in the first three innings, although two of them came on errors by second baseman Cora and third baseman Russ Davis. He kept the Padres scoreless. An error helped Seattle score in the fifth. Randy had to bat for himself, and he hit a grounder towards shortstop Andy Sheets that his former teammate couldn't handle. Randy went to third when Cora followed with a single, and then he scored on A-Rod's single. Randy was somewhat winded after his trip around the bases, allowing back-to-back singles to pitcher Andy Ashby and Quilvio Veras in the sixth. He still kept San Diego scoreless. The Mariners loaded the bases against Ashby in the sixth and seventh, but were unable to deliver any insurance runs until the ninth, when Griffey homered with one out. Randy had 110 pitches after eight innings and he was allowed to pitch the bottom of the ninth to go for the shutout. He retired the first two batters, but then catcher Carlos Hernandez hit a home run for the Huge Run. Randy retired the next batter to complete the complete game win.
132. Mariners 2, Angels 0
July 11, 1998
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Steve Sparks
9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 15 K, SHO
Randy went into another poor spell in his two starts following the Padres series, and some fans hoped Randy would get traded sooner rather than later. Randy took the ball against the Angels, who were in a bitter battle with the Texas Rangers for first place. The Angels were in front after beating the Mariners the day before. Randy struck out two around Jim Edmonds's single in the first inning, and then struck out the side in the second. The Mariners were unable to solve knuckleballer Steve Sparks, who struck out the side himself in the first. The Angels threatened in the fourth, when Randy walked Edmonds. Edmonds stole second, but a fielder's choice on Tim Salmon's comebacker erased the Angels center fielder. Cecil Fielder then singled, but Randy struck out the next two to end the inning. Randy got two more strikeouts in the fifth, then struck out the side around Salmon's single in the sixth. The Mariners finally came through with some runs in the bottom of the inning. Seattle loaded the bases with two outs on Joey Cora's single and two walks. Edgar Martinez then hit a single to drive in two runs. Buhner also walked to load the bases once again, but Sparks was able to get out of the inning this time. Randy struck out two in a one-two-three inning in the seventh, but ran into more trouble in the eighth. Darin Erstad hit a comebacker that Randy threw away. Craig Shipley followed with a single. Edmonds struck out but a passed ball sent the runners to second and third. Randy got out of the inning, and received another opportunity to get a shutout. He allowed a leadoff single to Fielder, but a popup and a double play ended the game and preserved the shutout.
133. Mariners 3, Twins 0
July 16, 1998
Kingdome
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Brad Radke
9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K, SHO
Randy felt encouraged by his effort against the Angels, and tried to keep it up in his following start. Randy retired the side in order in the first with two strikeouts before Alex Rodriguez tried to score a run on his own in the bottom of the inning. He walked, then stole second and third while Ken Griffey Jr. was at bat. Griffey popped up, and then a strikeout left A-Rod stranded at third. Randy retired the side in order in the first run through the Twins lineup, but Randy flubbed the throw on Otis Nixon's comebacker in the fourth, putting the veteran speedster on first. Randy walked Pat Meares, and a balk sent the runners to second and third, but then Randy came back to strike out two to get out of the inning. The Mariners finally came through in the fourth. Edgar Martinez and David Segui. Rookie Shane Monahan drove in both runs with his first career triple. Armed with the lead, Randy struck out the side in the fifth. He walked two in the sixth, but a double play got him out of the inning with Minnesota still scoreless. The Mariners got another run in the bottom of the inning. Edgar singled but was forced by Segui. Segui tagged and went to second on a flyout, then Monahan singled him home. Randy hadn't allowed a hit going into the eighth. Terry Steinbach flied to center, but then Brent Gates hit a single up the middle and the no-hitter was over. Randy still got out of the inning with the shutout intact. He got a chance to finish the job in the ninth. It took him eight pitches to strike out Meares for the first out, but got the next two outs quickly for his second straight shutout.
134. Astros 6, Pirates 2
August 2, 1998
Three Rivers Stadium
Pittsburgh, PA
Losing Pitcher: Jason Christiansen
7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 12 K
Randy makes his first start as a Houston Astro two days after the stunning deadline deal sent him back to the National League. Randy was hammered in his last two starts as a Mariner, but Houston trusted he can turn things around, especially against the fifth place team in the six-team NL Central. Randy started out strong, retiring the Pirates in order in the first. He allowed a single to Jose Guillen in the second, then a single and a walk in the third, but held the Pirates scoreless. The Astros broke through against Pirates starter Todd Van Poppel in the fourth. Billy Spiers led off with a double, then went to third on a flyout. Jeff Bagwell then singled him home. Rookie third baseman Aramis Ramirez homered to lead off the fifth to tie the game. Randy struck out the side after the home run and again in the sixth, but the Pirates nicked him for another run in the seventh. They loaded the bases on two singles and hit batsman. Randy struck out the pinch hitter, but then Kevin Polcovich hit a sacrifice fly to give Pittsburgh the lead. Reliever Jason Christiansen came out to pitch in the eighth and immediately got into trouble. Sean Berry singled and went to second on a groundout. Bagwell walked, but was forced by Moises Alou. Carl Everett singled to tie the game, then Ricky Gutierrez's two-run double gave the Astros the lead. Brad Ausmus was walked for force Randy's spot, but pinch-hitter Tony Eusebio came on and doubled. Gutierrez scored, but Ausmus was thrown out trying to score as well. Scott Elarton pitched a scoreless eighth before the Astros added another insurance run in the ninth. Elarton finished the Pirates off in the ninth for a successful Astros debut for Randy.
135. Astros 9, Phillies 0
August 7, 1998
Astrodome
Houston, TX
Losing Pitcher: Mike Welch
9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, SHO
Randy's next start was his first in the Astrodome, a notorious pitchers park. His opponents were the Phillies, a distant third in the NL East. Randy allowed a single to Gregg Jefferies with one out in the first, but then got a double play to end the inning. The Astros loaded the bases against rookie right-hander Mike Welch, but Welch was able to withstand the onslaught. Randy retired the Phillies in order in the third before allowing a leadoff double in the third. He got out of the inning, and the Astros rewarded him by pounding Welch in the bottom of the inning. Bill Spiers doubled with one out, then Derek Bell walked. Jeff Bagwell followed with a three-run home run. The carnage continued as Moises Alou singled and stole second. Richard Hidalgo struck out for the second out, but Tony Eusebio was hit by a pitch, and Ricky Gutierrez doubled in a run. Randy kept the Phillies quiet in the fourth while the Astros added more runs. Craig Biggio walked, went to third on Spiers's double, and scored on a groundout with Spiers going to third. Bagwell hit a comebacker and Welch tried to catch Spiers scoring, but Spiers avoided the tag. Alou followed with a home run for two more runs. Randy progressed through the sixth, and Bagwell homered again for another run. The most the Phillies could do against Randy in the later innings was a two-out double by Desi Relaford in the eighth. Randy had a chance to go for a shutout in the ninth. He allowed a single to rookie pinch-hitter Jon Zuber leading off the inning. He was immediately erased in a double play, and Randy got a fly ball to end the game and his first complete game shutout in the National League.
136. Astros 3, Brewers 0
August 12, 1998
Astrodome
Houston, TX
Losing Pitcher: Brad Woodall
9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 K, SHO
The Astros went on a five-game winning streak Randy had the opportunity to make it six straight against the Milwaukee Brewers. Randy allowed a walk in the first and a single in the second, but the Brewers were unable to get a run home. The Astros made a run for a run in the second when Jeff Bagwell walked and Moises Alou doubled him to third. Bagwell was thrown out at third base on a comebacker by Richard Hidalgo. The two executed a double steal, but Sean Berry struck out. Brad Ausmus was walked intentionally to get to Randy, who also struck out. The Astros were more successful in the third when Craig Biggio in the third. Biggio drove in another run in the fourth. Berry had doubled and Ausmus was hit by a pitch. Randy grounded into a double play, but Berry went to third, and scored on Biggio's single. Randy struck out the side in the fifth, then got his first career RBI in the sixth. Hidalgo had walked, then Berry was hit by a pitch. Ausmus's double play led to two outs but sent Hidalgo to third. Randy was up next. He worked a full count, then hit a single up the middle to score Hidalgo. Randy allowed a single to Mark Loretta leading off the seventh, but struck out the side. The Astros loaded the bases on a single and two walks, but couldn't score another run. The Brewers did the same to Randy in the eighth, on a single, a walk, and another single, but Randy also got out of the inning. Randy went into the ninth with a chance to get a second straight shutout. He struck out Jeff Cirillo after a nine-pitch battle, but then got the next two easily for another shutout.
137. Astros 8, Cubs 3
August 22, 1998
Wrigley Field
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Don Wengert
7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 9 K
Randy suffered his first loss as an Astro against the Phillies, then moved on to face the Cubs in Wrigley Field, where he had thrown his first complete game in 1988. The Cubs were in second place in the Central, and were in the running for the Wild Card. The Astros gave him a lead in the first when Craig Biggio hit a leadoff home run. Houston added another run in second. Moises Alou singled and went to third on Bill Spiers's single, then scored on a groundout. The Cubs got one of the runs back when Glenallen Hill led off the second with a home run. They then worked Randy for a walk and a single, but he kept them from tying the game. The Astros got the run back when Moises Alou homered to lead off the fourth. The runs kept coming for Houston. Biggio singled then stole second in the fifth. He went to third an an errant throw, then then scored on Derek Bell's groundout. In the sixth, Alou and Carl Everett led off with singles, then Spiers hit a three-run home run. Alou drove home Bell in the seventh, who had singled and went to second on a walk. Randy had gotten through the seventh without any additional runs, but he was replaced by pinch-hitter Pete Incaviglia in the eighth. Incaviglia struck out, and a parade of relievers loaded the bases on walks in the bottom of the inning. They were able to get out of the inning scoreless, but a single and a double put runners on second and third in the ninth, and Brant Brown singled them both home. Trever Miller came in to get the last three outs. He walked Mark Grace, but struck out Sammy Sosa for the coup de grace.
138. Astros 2, Pirates 0
August 28, 1998
Astrodome
Houston, TX
Losing Pitcher: Francisco Cordova
9 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 16 K, SHO
The Astros returned home with a four-game winning streak. They stretched it to five before losing against the Braves. Randy was tasked with starting another one. He alowed a single to the leadoff man Adrian "Not Beltre" Brown. Randy still got a pair of strikeouts to end the inning. He followed with two more strikeouts in the second and third, although he allowed a pair of singles in the third . The Pirates managed another pair of singles against Randy in the fourth, but they couldn't score as Randy picked up another strikeout. Randy struck out the side in the fifth. He picked up only one against Jose Guillen in the sixth, bbut Guillen made it to first on a passed ball before getting caught trying to steal second. The Astros had not done much against Pirates starter Francisco Cordova, getting only a single in the second and a double in the fourth. They hadn't scored a run into the sixth, but Brad Ausmus doubled, then went to third on a balk when Randy was at the plate. Randy struck out, but Ausmus scored when Craig Biggio hit a comebacker that Cordova tried to throw home, but Ausmus avoided the tag. Biggio stole second, but he could get no further. Randy got through the seventh and eighth with one strikeout in each inning. He allowed another pair of singles in the latter inning but the Pirates couldn't score. The Astros added an insurance run when Ausmus bunted and reached on an error by pitcher Mike Williams. Randy struck out, but Ausmus was running, and he went to third when Pirates catcher Jason Kendall made a poor throw. Then he scored on a fielder's choice. Randy came out in the ninth and struck out the side for his third shutout with Houston.
139. Astros 4, Braves 2
September 2, 1998
Turner Field
Atlanta, GA
Losing Pitcher: Greg Maddux
8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
The Astros went on the road to face the team with the best record in the National League. Randy was matched up against Greg Maddux, the soft-spoken ace who had won four Cy Young awards and seemed poised to win another. Randy got into hot water in the first. Gerald Williams walked with one out. He stole second on the first pitch, and later a passed ball sent him to third. Randy managed to struck out Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, but Javy Lopez followed with a single to give Atlanta the early lead. The Astros got the run back when Jeff Bagwell homered to lead off the second. Moises Alou followed with a double. He tried to go to third when Sean Berry singled, but was thrown out and the game remained tied. The Braves proved to be quite pesky for Randy, getting leadoff hits and stealing bases, but Randy kept them from scoring. The Astros came out to take the lead in the fifth. Brad Ausmus led off with a single, and Randy bunted him to second. Craig Biggio followed with a home run and the Astros had the lead. Randy shut down the Braves offense, striking out the side in the eighth. Maddux's problems with the long ball continued in the seventh when Berry led off the inning with another home run. Randy got through eight innings having allowed only the one run in the first inning, but Houston turned to their closer Billy Wagner to save this one. Wagner was one of the National League's best closers, but he allowed a home run to Andruw Jones to lead off the ninth. He then walked Ryan Klesko with one out. With the tying at the plate, Wagner struck out the last two batters to secure the win.
140. Astros 1, Reds 0
September 7, 1998
Astrodome
Houston, TX
Losing Pitcher: Steve Parris
9 IP, 6 R, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 K, SHO
The Astros returned home after a week-long road trip to face the Cincinnati Reds, who were in a tie with the Pirates for last place in the NL Central division. Randy struck out the first two batters of the game, but allowed a single to future Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, but Larkin tried to steal second and was caught. The Astros put baserunners on in their half of the inning. Carl Everett singled but was forced by Derek Bell. Bell was successful in stealing second before Jeff Bagwell walked, but Moises Alou grounded out to end the inning. Randy was dominant and retired the side in order for three straight innings before running into some trouble in the first. Dmitri Young led off the inning with a single. Randy got the next two batters out on strikes before Aaron Boone doubled. Young held up at third. Randy intentionally walked Brook Fordyce to face pitcher Steve Parris, who struck out. The Astros were unsuccessful in getting any runs against Parris until the sixth, when Bell lined a home run to left with one out. The Reds tried to score a run in the seventh. Young led off with another single. He was forced by Randy's old teammate Bret Boone. Bret was picked off, but advanced to second when first baseman Bagwell flubbed the pickoff throw. Randy still preserved the lead. Fordyce lined a double to lead off the eighth, then went to third on an errant pickoff throw. Randy kept him there by striking out the side. Randy went into the ninth with another chance for a shutout. He got the first two batters out before Jeffrey Hammonds singled. He still retired the next batter on a ground ball to wrap up his first 1-0 shutout since May 25, 1994.
141. Astros 3, Cardinals 2
September 12, 1998
Astrodome
Houston, TX
Losing Pitcher: Darren Oliver
7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Randy had 298 strikeouts going into his next start against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals were in third, but their first baseman was the toast of the town. Randy's old USC buddy Mark McGwire had broken the single-season home run record four days earlier. Randy was just hoping to get two more strikeouts and extend Houston's winning streak to nine games. The Cardinals came out swinging against Randy. Joe McEwing led off with a single, and Fernando Tatis doubled him home. Randy struck out McGwire for strikeout 299, then Brian Jordan for 300, but Ron Gant singled to score Tatis. The Astros got one of those runs back in the second. Craig Biggio walked, and then went on a base-stealing frenzy, stealing second and third before scoring on Derek Bell's groundout. The Astros got runners on the corner with two singles, but couldn't tie the game. Randy worked through a single and a walk in the second and walked McGwire leading off the third, but kept the Cardinals from scoring. Biggio tried to steal his way around the bases again in the Houston third when he walked, but he was caught stealing and couldn't score when Bell doubled. Randy held the Cardinals in check, striking out the side in the fifth, getting McGwire for the second time. He then struck out a pair in the sixth and seventh. The Astros finally scored again in the bottom of the seventh. Richard Hidalgo doubled, then was bunted to third. Brad Ausmus and pinch hitter Pete Incaviglia both walked to load the bases, then Biggio doubled to score two runs. That was all the Astros got, but it was enough. Scott Elarton threw a scoreless eighth, then Billy Wagner worked around a one-out single to Eli Marrero to strike out the side.
142. Astros 5, Pirates 2
September 18, 1998
Three Rivers Stadium
Pittsburgh, PA
Losing Pitcher: Elmer Dessens
7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 12 K
The Astros dropped four of five before their last road trip, but they had clinched their second straight division title during that dry spell. Randy got the ball to start the road trip against the last-place Pirates. Randy struck out two in a scoreless first before the Astros went to work on Pirates pitching. They loaded the bases on three singles to lead off the second. Moises Alou scored on a forceout by Brad Ausmus, then Carl Everett scored on Randy's groundout. Craig Biggio singled to drive in Sean Berry with the third run. He went to second on the throw, but was caught trying to steal third. The Astros added another run in the fifth when Randy blasted a double for his first extra-base hit. He went to third on an infield single by Biggio, and then scored when Ricky Gutierrez hit a sacrifice fly. The Pirates got their first baserunner leading off the fifth when Kevin Young walked. He stole second, but Randy struck out a pair and got out of the inning. The Astros scored another in the sixth when Ausmus singled. Randy bunted him to second, then Biggio doubled him home. The Pirates were still without a hit, but that changed in the seventh. Kevin Polcovich led off the inning with a single, then Jason Kendall followed with another. Polcovich went to third on a forceout, then scored on a groundout. The Pirates got another run in the eighth. Aramis Ramirez was hit by a pitch then Lou Collier walked. Ramirez was thrown out trying to score on Tim Laker's single, but Adrian Brown's double scored Collier. Randy was pulled mid-inning for the first time as an Astro. Jay Powell got the last two outs in the eighth, then pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.
143. Astros 7, Cardinals 1
September 23, 1998
Busch Stadium
St. Louis, MO
Losing Pitcher: Darren Oliver
7 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 8 K
The Astros had 99 wins going into the revenge match against Darren Oliver and the Cardinals, and Randy got the ball to go for win number 100. The Astros piled on three runs in the first inning before Randy took the mound. Ricky Gutierrez and Derek Bell singled with one out to put runners on the corner. Gutierrez scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Bagwell. Moises Alou followed with a single, and Richard Hidalgo's double scored both baserunners. The Cardinals led off their half of the first with a home run by leadoff man Pat Kelly. Randy walked Mark McGwire, disappointing fans hoping to see their hero hit his 66th home run. Brian Jordan and Eli Marrero, but McGwire was thrown out at third on the latter hit to end the inning. The Astros picked up another run in the second. Brad Ausmus singled. Randy bunted him to second, and then Craig Biggio drove him home. In the third, Bagwell doubled then scored when Alou singled. Hidalgo and Sean Berry followed with back-to-back singles to score two more runs. The Cardinals remained relentless. They loaded the bases again on a two walks, including another against McGwire, and a single, but couldn't get another run. McGwire led off the fifth with a single. Another walk and a single loaded the bases, but once again St. Louis failed to score. Randy got through seven innings with 14 baserunners, even more than in his loss against Philadelphia, but he allowed only one run. Jay Powell pitched a scoreless eighth before the Astros added another run on a single and double. Billy Wagner came on in the ninth. He allowed a single to Fernando Tatis with one out, but got the last two outs to give Houston their 100th win of the season.
1999
Yet Randy was the big name acquisition. As the staff ace, Randy knew he had to deliver in order for his new team to stand any chance of winning. He set the tone in Opening Day, when he faced Los Angeles Dodgers and their new ace Kevin Brown. Randy was very good, going seven innings and allowing only two runs, striking out nine. Brown struggled, allowing five runs in five and 2/3 innings, but the Dodgers came back against the Diamondbacks bullpen to pull out a walk-off win. Randy walked six batters, which contributed to his relatively early exit. Any thoughts of that being a sign of his control problems returning were put to rest, as he struck out 15 against only two walks in a complete game victory over Tom Glavine and the Atlanta Braves. That began of streak of four straight starts in which he reached double digit strikeouts. He went on to have a very strong May as Arizona took over first place before the end of the month.
Randy faced his off-season suitors the Texas Rangers in an interleague match on June 4, 1999. The Rangers were also in first place at that point in the season, but Randy toyed with their potent offense and rendered them helpless, allowing only three hits and two runs in eight innings while striking out 11. With that he picked up his 150th career win, but at 35 Randy wasn't thinking much of his chances at a larger milestone. He had a rough start against the Braves on June 20, allowing seven runs in five innings. He bounced back from that with some of the best work in his career. On June 25 he struck out 14 batters in a complete game against the St. Louis Cardinals with two walks. Five days later he faced the Cincinnati Reds and struck out 17 in eight innings without a single walk. From June 25 through July 15 he made five starts and struck out 62 batters in 40 innings, putting up a 1.13 ERA, and had only 12 walks. Yet during that span he went 0-4 with one no-decision. The Diamondbacks were shut out four straight times and were held to no hits, one hit, two hits, and three hits. Randy finally avoided a loss with eight scoreless innings against the Rangers on July 15, but the Diamondbacks still lost when Texas rallied for three runs in the ninth. Even with those tough luck losses and no-decisions, Randy was still named on the National League All-Star team, where he met the Phillies' Curt Schilling who started the game. Randy came in for a one-two-three third inning.
The signing of Randy Johnson proved to be a bountiful one for Arizona. He started 35 times and reached double digits in strikeouts in 23 of those starts. He averaged seven and 3/4 innings per start, and had 12 complete games. His 271 and 2/3 innings were the most by any pitcher since Dave Stewart threw 275 and 2/3 in 1988. He also set a new high with 364 strikeouts the fourth best mark in the 20th century behind Nolan Ryan's 383 in 1973 and 367 in 1974 and Sandy Koufax's 382 in 1965. Randy led the National League with a 2.48 ERA, but his record was a hard-luck 17-9. Nevertheless, the Diamondbacks won 100 games, capturing the National League West title by a margin of 14 games, the largest by a National League team. That earned them a date with the Wild Card New York Mets. The Mets were no pushovers, having won 97 games, but Randy defeated them in his one regular season start on May 30. Randy got the ball for the opening game of the Division Series and he struck out 11 in eight and 2/3 innings. However, the Mets handcuffed him for eight hits and seven runs, doing most of their damage in the ninth. Randy never got a chance to avenge that loss as the Mets won two of the next three to capture the series.
It was another post-season disappointment for Randy, whose post-season losing streak had hit six games, dating back to Game 6 of the 1995 ALCS. Randy hadn't pitched terribly, as he had 51 strikeouts in 42 and 2/3 innings in those six losses against only 11 walks, but he was much more hittable, with 42 hits, resulting in a mediocre 4.43 ERA. The off-season had some better tidings, as he was voted the 1999 National League Cy Young award over his former Astros teammate Mike Hampton, who had 22 wins but less than half as many strikeouts. Randy joined Gaylord Perry and Pedro Martinez (who won the AL Cy that year after winning the NL Cy in 1997) as the only pitchers to win the Cy Young in both leagues. Randy also welcomed a fourth child into the family on December 4, daughter Alexandria. He certainly had enough to keep him busy into the 21st century.
The Wins of 1999
144. Diamondbacks 8, Braves 3
April 10, 1999
Turner Field
Atlanta, GA
Losing Pitcher: Tom Glavine
9 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 15 K
Randy signed his big contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the off-season, his first shot at free agency. He pitched well on Opening Day, but got a no-decision as the Diamondbacks lost. Arizona was still looking for their first win when they played their second game of a three-game series against the Braves. The Braves finished with the best record in the National League in 1998, but lost to the Padres in the NLCS. They peppered Randy for a run in the first. Bret Boone singled with one out, then Chipper Jones followed with a double and Brian Jordan a single to drive in a run. The Diamondbacks came back against 1998 Cy Young award winner Tom Glavine in the second. Bernard Gilkey homered with one out, then after another out, Tony Batista singled and Damian Miller doubled for the lead. Randy allowed a home run to Brian Hunter leading off the second, but he was determined to shut them down. He did that in the third before Arizona added another run in the fourth on Batistas's home run. Randy struck out five in the fourth and fifth innings before the Diamondbacks added two more runs on a double by Matt Williams, a walk by Luis Gonzalez, and RBI singles by Batista and Miller. Randy got another strikeout in the sixth before Chipper pounded a home run on an 0-2 count. Randy allowed another single before getting a double play. Four singles and a walk led to another run in the seventh, and the Diamondbacks scored again in the ninth on Batista's fifth. Randy came in to pitch the ninth to go for the complete game win. He walked Andruw Jones with two outs, but managed to strike out Hunter to help lead Arizona to their first win of 1999.
145. Diamondbacks 8, Phillies 1
April 20, 1999
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Paul Spoljaric
8 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Randy's first start in his new home ballpark in downtown Phoenix was a disaster, but the Diamondbacks had otherwise played better to get back to a .500 record. His next start was against the Phillies, the only team that managed to beat him during his time with the Astros. Randy survived a chaotic first inning when he had a single and a balk but otherwise kept Philadelphia scoreless, then the Diamondbacks went to work on his old Mariners teammate Paul Spoljaric in the bottom of the first. Tony Womack, Jay Bell, and Travis Lee all singled to score a run, then Matt Williams drove in another with a double. Lee scored on a passed ball, and Williams scored on a sacrifice fly. The Phillies managed a run when Mike Lieberthal doubled with one out. Randy balked him to third, and he scored on a groundout. Arizona scored another run when Womack singled and stole second, then scored on Bell's single. Then they added three more in the third. Williams singled then went to third on Bernard Gilkey's double. Steve Finley drove them both in with a double, then scored when Miller singled. Randy continued to have trouble with baserunners. He allowed a single in the third, then a walk in the fourth. The Phillies managed two singles in the fifth, but Randy kept the Phillies from getting any additional runs. Things came to a head when the seventh when the Phillies loaded the bases with two outs on a single, a double, and a walk. But Randy bared down and got out of the inning on a popup in foul territory, then threw a one-two-three eighth. John Frascatore came out to pitch the ninth inning. He retired the side in order to help Randy get his first win in Phoenix.
146. Diamondbacks 5, Reds 1
May 5, 1999
Cinergy Field
Cincinnati, OH
Losing Pitcher: Steve Avery
9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Randy pitched well in his remaining April starts, but suffered no-decisions before making a start against Cincinnati to end a long, two-week road trip. Randy's last game in Cincinnati was his first relief outing over ten years earlier. It was a very different Randy Johnson that showed up in 1999. By the time he took the mound the Diamondbacks had given him a 1-0 lead. Steve Finley led off with a double, then stole third as Jay Bell walked. He would score on Luis Gonzalez's sacrifice fly. Randy retired the side in the bottom of the first, with one strikeout. Arizona added to their lead in the second. Bernard Gilkey singled, then went to second on a groundout. Randy came to the plate with two outs, and hot a booming double to score Gilkey. Bell homered leading off the third to add another run. Then the Diamondbacks plated two more in the fourth. Gilkey doubled, but stayed at second when Damian Miller singled. The next two batters were retired before Finley walked to load the bases. Bell singled to score two runs, but he was caught trying to advance to second. Still, Randy was dominating through the first four innings, allowing only a two-out double to Aaron Boone in the second. The Reds finally nicked him for a run in the fifth. Brian Johnson doubled with two outs, and he scored when Pokey Reese followed with a single. That was all Cincinnati would get. Sean Casey singled with two outs in the sixth and advanced to second on a passed ball, but he came as close as any other Red to scoring. The Diamondbacks couldn't get any more runs on a parade of Cincinnati relievers, but Randy still retired the side in the ninth to finish the complete game victory.
147. Diamondbacks 9, Rockies 2
May 15, 1999
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Darryl Kile
9 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 11 K
Randy struggled in his first start against his original team the Montreal Expos, but the Diamondbacks got the victory. Randy went into the start against Colorado with Arizona within striking distance of first place in the NL West. A win could be meaningful in the division race. Neifi Perez led off the game with a home run, but Randy struck out the side with a walk nestled in between. The Diamondbacks scored in the bottom of the inning. Tony Womack tripled leading off. Jay Bell hit a fly ball too shallow to score the run, but Luis Gonzalez hit a clean single to tie the game. The Rockies went ahead in the third. Perez reached when Randy threw away his comebacker, then Mike Lansing walked. Another error by second baseman Bell loaded the bases. Dante Bichette hit a grounder towards Bell who threw to first to retire Bichette. They then caught Chris Sexton in a rundown. Sexton was out, but Perez scored the go-ahead run. The Diamondbacks came back in the fourth. Singles by Matt Williams and Steve Finley put runners on the corner. Travis Lee's double scored Williams, and Finley came home on a groundout. Randy struck out the side in the fifth, then Arizona went to work in the bottom of the inning. Womack singled and stole second, then scored when Williams singled. Finley contributed with a two-run home run. Then Lee walked and stole second, then scored when Damian Miller singled. Miller went to second on a wild pitch, then scored when Andy Fox singled. Arizona added one more run in the seventh on Miller's solo home run. Randy shut down the Rockies the rest of the way. Colorado did put runners on the corner in the seventh, but Randy managed to get the complete game win.
148. Diamondbacks 4, Padres 0
May 25, 1999
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Sterling Hitchcock
9 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K, SHO
Randy struggled in the revenge match against the Rockies in the thin air of Colorado, and welcomed a return to the climate controlled environment in his home ballpark. The Diamondbacks had gone into a tie for first, but was back in second in the game against the Padres. The Padres won the NL West in 1998 then defeated Randy twice in the post-season and advanced all the way to the World Series, but they were swept by the Yankees and now found themselves in last. Randy allowed a double to the leadoff batter Quilvio Veras, but Veras was caught stealing third to end the inning. The game remained scoreless into the fourth. Randy ran into some trouble when Damian Jackson singled and stole second, then Reggie Sanders singled, but Jackson only reached third and was thrown out after a strikeout. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Steve Finley singled with two outs, then Damian Miller walked. Travis Lee's single scored a run and sent Miller to third. Miller would score on a wild pitch. The Padres would intentionally walk Tony Batista to pitch to Randy who struck out, but Randy shut down San Diego in the fifth and sixth. Arizona scored two more runs in the sixth. Lee hit a solo home run. Batista followed with a walk, and Randy blasted a double on the first pitch to drive in Batista. Randy would allow a hit in the seventh and the eighth, and also walked a batter in the eighth, but the Padres were unable to score. Randy had a chance for his first Diamondbacks shutout. Veras singled to lead off the ninth, but Randy struck out the next two batters, then got a foul pop fly to end the game and get the shutout.
149. Diamondbacks 10, Mets 1
May 30, 1999
Shea Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Masato Yoshii
8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 10 K
The Diamondbacks went on a five-game winning streak as they took over first place in the NL West. Randy was given the ball with a chance to sweep the Mets and make it six in a row. The Diamondbacks gave him a head start by scoring three runs. Tony Womack led off with a single, then stole second. Luis Gonzalez walked. After the Mets got two outs, Steve Finley blasted a three-run home run. Randy walked Rickey Henderson to lead off the bottom of the first. Henderson would steal second, but Randy ketp him from getting any further. Arizona scored another run in the second. Andy Fox doubled one one out, and Randy followed with a single. Womack's single would score Fox. After Randy struck out the side in the second, they went to work again in the third. Gonzalez led off with a single, then Finley hit his second home run of the game. The shaken Mets starter Masato Yoshii walked Travis Lee and Damian Miller. Randy came up with two outs. He lined a single to center to drive in Lee and give him his first multi-hit game in the Majors. Randy would give up a home run to Roger Cedeno leading off the fourth, but then he clamped down. The Diamondbacks would score three more runs in the seventh. Reliever Pat Mahomes was on the mound. He loaded the bases on a single, a double, and a walk. He got a popup for the first out, but then Fox hit a bases clearing triple to give Arizona a 10-1 lead. Randy was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the ninth before Darren Holmes came in to close out the game. He allowed a leadoff single to Matt Franco, but successfully retired the next three batters for the win.
150. Diamondbacks 11, Rangers 3
June 4, 1999
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Mark Clark
8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
The Diamondbacks returned home to start their interleague schedule, and Randy found himself facing the same team he had beaten for his fifth career win ten years earlier. Now he was going for his 150th win. The Diamondbacks gave him the lead in the second. Steve Finley walked with one out, and a bad pickoff throw sent him to second. Travis Lee followed with a walk. Damian Miller struck out, but Andy Fox hit a three-run home run to give Randy a 3-0 lead. The Diamondbacks continued their onslaught against the pitching of Mark Clark in the third. Tony Womack walked, then Jay Bell hit a home run. Luis Gonzalez singled. Matt Williams grounded out, but Steve Finley hit a home run. Lee followed with another home run ending Clark's day. The Rangers got their first baserunner off Randy with two outs in the fifth when he walked Roberto Kelly, but Royce Clayton struck out. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases in the fifth against John Burkett pitching in relief, but a double play ended the chances of another run. Another bases loaded opportunity in the sixth led to a run, when Bell grounded out to score a run. A hit batsman led to the bases becoming loaded again, and a walk to Finley scored another run. The Rangers got their first hit off Randy in the seventh when Juan Gonzalez singled, but remained scoreless. An error and a single followed by a groundout led to another Arizona run in the bottom of the inning. Texas finally got their runs in the eighth. Kelly led off with a single, then Clayton homered. Randy got through the eighth before ceding to Amaury Telemaco for the ninth. Juan Gonzalez homered with two outs, but Telemaco held on to bring Randy halfway to 300.
151. Diamondbacks 8, Cubs 7
June 9, 1999
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Terry Mulholland
7 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 14 K
Randy was probably not thinking about 300 wins going into his first start after win number 150. He was more likely thinking about the Chicago Cubs and their star outfielder Sammy Sosa. Sosa and the Cubs were one of baseball's best stories of 1998. Sosa challenged Mark McGwire for the home run crowd. He lost, but won MVP as the Cubs won the Wild Card on a tiebreak. The 1999 Cubs were firmly in the Wild Card spot, and Sosa was ahead of McGwire in the home run race. Manny Alexander singled and stole second, then scored when Glenallen Hill singled after Sosa had struck out. The Diamondbacks came back to tie in the second, then took the lead in the third on home runs by Jay Bell and Matt Williams. They scored two more runs in the fourth, then doubles by Womack and Damian Miller scored two more runs in the fifth and sixth respectively. Randy was going strong after the first inning. He hadn't allowed any additional runs while striking out 14 through seven. Then Sosa led off the eighth with his 21st home run, and things fell apart. Hill doubled, and Mickey Morandini followed with a triple. Randy walked Henry Rodriguez, then Benito Santiago singled to score Morandini. Byung-Hyun Kim, the rookie reliever from Korea came in and got a flyout, but Tyler Houston doubled in H-Rod, Santiago holding at third. Kim got a strikeout, but a passed ball led to another run. Then Alexander's single scored the Huge Run before Sosa struck out to end the carnage. Vladimir Nunez came to get the save after Kim was ejected after a bandage on his arm had fallen off. He walked H-Rod with two outs, but then pinch runner Lance Johnson was caught stealing to secure the victory.
152. Diamondbacks 2, Marlins 0
June 14, 1999
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Ryan Dempster
7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Randy had escaped with the win against the Cubs, but knew he had to do better if the Diamondbacks were to maintain their hold on first place. The Florida Marlins seemed like a good opponent to do so. The Marlins were World Series champions in 1997, but fell to 54-108 in 1998. The 1999 Marlins still had the worst record in baseball. Randy went to work, retiring the side in order in the first. He struck out the first two batters of the second inning before allowing a single to Kevin Orie, but then finished striking out the side right afterwards. He allowed a double to Dave Berg to lead off the fourth, but a pair of strikeouts stranded Berg at second. Those were the only two blemishes against Randy through six innings, as he kept pounding the strike zone. Meanwhile the Arizona hitters were unable to get anything done against Marlins starter Ryan Dempster, who had only allowed three hits and a walk with no runs crossing the plate. Dempster got into an extended battle against Tony Womack leading off the bottom of the sixth. Finally, on the tenth pitch of the pat-bat, Womack blasted a home run to deep right, his first of 1999. Randy retired the side in order in the seventh, but with a 1-0 lead and a runner on first, Randy was removed for pinch-hitter Greg Colbrunn in the bottom of the inning. Colbrunn struck out, and Randy had to rely on relievers to get him the win. The relief corps were up to the task, and Arizona was also picked up an insurance run in the eighth. on a walk, balk, and single. Closer Gregg Olson did allow singles to Berg and Bruce Aven in the ninth, but still managed to get the save.
153. Diamondbacks 6, Mariners 0
July 20, 1999
Safeco Field
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Damaso Marte
9 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, SHO
Randy had a bad start against Atlanta before embarking on one of the most dominating stretches in his career, striking out 62 batters over 40 innings with five starts with a 1.13 ERA. Yet the Diamondbacks lost all five, getting shut-out four times and was held to zero, one, two, and three hits. Randy had gone over a month without a win when he went to face his old team the Seattle Mariners in their brand new ballpark with a retractable roof. Randy received a warm ovation before coming out and went to work on the Mariners hitters. He allowed a double to the second hitter he faced, Alex Rodriguez, but a pair of groundouts got him out of the inning. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks were unable to get anything done against Mariners starter Francisco "Frankie" Rodriguez. They got runners on against him in each of his five innings, but the game remained scoreless going into the sixth. Damaso Marte came to pitch in the sixth inning, and the Arizona offense finally went to work. They loaded the bases on a trio of singles by David Dellucci, Andy Fox, and Kelly Stinnett. Tony Womack followed with another single to score two runs. After Luis Gonzalez walked to re-load the bases, Matt Williams's single drove in two more. Armed with a lead, Randy kept flummoxing the Mariners hitters. Arizona scored two more runs in the eighth when Bernard Gilkey hit a two-run home run following Womack's double. Randy had thrown 122 pitches through eight, but he was allowed to come out to pitch the ninth. He allowed a single to his old friend Jay Buhner with one out, but got the last two batters to hit soft liners towards shortstop Fox to finish off the shutout against his former friends and teammates.
154. Diamondbacks 4, Dodgers 2
July 31, 1999
Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles, CA
Losing Pitcher: Ismael Valdez
9 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 12 K
The Diamondbacks had fallen to second in June, but clawed their way back to first after the Mariners series. Randy faced off against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Dodgers were in last, but Randy had suffered a loss against them in his previous start, Arizona's only loss in the past ten games. The Diamondbacks did their best to pick him up in the rematch, scoring a run in the first. Tony Womack and Jay Bell led off with singles, putting runners on the corner. Luis Gonzaez grounded into a double play, but Womack came home to give Randy a lead. Randy didn't waste the lead, retiring the side in order in the first two innings, and Arizona gave him more runs in the third. Womack led off with another single, then stole second. This time Gonzalez didn't hit into another double play, instead blasting a home run over the right field wall. Randy got through another one-two-three inning in the third, but allowed a single to Mark Grudzielanek leading off the fourth. He got the next two batters to fly out, including the dangerous Gary Sheffield, but allowed a two-run home run to Eric Karros and the Dodgers were within one. To his credit, Randy didn't let the mistake rattle him. He retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth before allowing back-to-back singles to Karros and Devon White with one out in the second. He got out of the inning by striking out second-year player Adrian Beltre then catching Karros stealing third. The Diamondbacks got an insurance run in the ninth when they loaded the bases followed by a sacrifice fly by Womack. Randy came out to get the complete game. He walked Sheffield leading off, but then struck out the side to complete the revenge.
155. Diamondbacks 10, Cubs 3
August 16, 1999
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jon Lieber
8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 11 K
Randy pitched well in his following two starts, both on the road, but suffered no-decisions. He returned home to face the Cubs, who had fallen to last in the NL Central. Sammy Sosa was still pounding the baseball and had 46 home runs, one behind Mark McGwire. It was the Diamondbacks that flexed their muscle in this game, scoring two runs in the first. Tony Womack led off with a walk, and with two outs Matt Williams blasted a home run. They continued their hitting in the second. Steve Finley led off with a single, and Andy Fox singled him to third. Cubs starter Jon Lieber thought he could relax with Randy at the plate, but Randy blasted a double to score both runners. Randy was stranded at third, but showed no effects in his trip on bases as he held the Cubs scoreless through five. Another Williams home run in the fifth pushed the lead to six runs. The Cubs came through with a few runs in the sixth. Randy hit Chad Meyers to lead off the inning, then made a bad pitch to Sosa. Slamming Sammy blasted it out of the park for his 47th home run, tying McGwire for the league lead. Randy got out of the inning, then Arizona went about scoring four more runs. Womack led off and stole second, then went to third on Jay Bell's single. Luis Gonzlez to score Womack. Erubiel Durazo forced Gonzalez, but Cubs shortstop Jose Nieves made an error on the throw for the double play to score Bell. Finley followed with a two-run home run. Randy got through the eighth before giving way to Darren Holmes in the ninth. Holmes allowed a solo home run to Henry Rodriguez with two outs, but came through to secure the win.
156. Diamondbacks 4, Pirates 2
August 21, 1999
Three Rivers Stadium
Pittsburgh, PA
Losing Pitcher: Jimmy Anderson
9 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 8 K
The Diamondbacks went on another road trip after the Chicago series, and that meant another road start for Randy. The Pirates won the first game in the series to bump their record to .500, a rare sight in Pittsburgh since 1992. The Diamondbacks didn't make it easy by scoring runs right out of the gate. Tony Womack led off with a single, and he was followed by Jay Bell and Luis Gonzalez who hit singles of their own, with Gonzo's driving in the run. A double play and a strikeout ended the inning, but Arizona went back to work in the second. Steve Finley and Damian Miller both singled with one out. Randy struck out, but Womack was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Bell followed with a single to drive in another run. The Pirates got a Huge Run when Kevin Young led off the second with a home run, but the Diamondbacks quickly got it back in the third. Williams singled, then went to second on a groundout. Finley hit a grounder to Pirates second baseman Abraham Nunez that Nunez flubbed, and Williams came around to score. Randy struck out the side in the bottom of the inning before Young tagged him for another home run in the fourth. The Diamondbacks tried to get another insurance run. They were unable to in the fifth even after Gonzalez reached third with one out, but were more successful in the seventh. Greg Colbrunn was hit by a pitch, then Bernard Gilkey doubled to drive in the run. Randy was still pitching in the ninth. He got the first two outs before allowing a single to John Wehner to bring the tying run to the plate. Randy reached back and struck out veteran Mike Benjamin for the complete game victory.
157. Diamondbacks 12, Marlins 2
August 26, 1999
Pro Player Stadium
Miami, FL
Losing Pitcher: Brian Meadows
7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
The Diamondbacks went on to win three of four against Pittsburgh, then traveled to Florida and took the first two games against the Marlins. The Marlins were still the worst team in the National League, but the Diamondbacks knew they couldn't be too careful. They decided to score a run in the first just to be safe. Tony Womack walked, then stole second. With two outs, Matt Williams lined a single to center and Womack came home with the first run. Randy struck out the side in the first around two walks before the Diamondbacks went to work again in the third. Womack doubled with one out and stole third base. Jay Bell walked, but Luis Gonzalez lined a single. Womack scored easily and Bell made it to third as well, where he scored on Matt Williams's sacrifice fly. The Marlins nicked Randy for a run in the third. Luis Castillo singled with one out, and he made it to third on Dave Berg's single. Castillo had no trouble scoring when Bruce Aven followed with a double. The Diamondbacks got two more runs on a single and double in the fifth, with Womack and Williams doing the damage again. Randy struck out Kevin Millar for his 300th strikeout of the season. He completed seven solid innings, but was taken out in the eighth. The Marlins scored a run off former closer Gregg Olson when Preston Wilson walked with one out and scored when Danny Bautista doubled. The Diamondbacks then put the game away with a massive barrage of runs in the ninth. The big blow came off the bat of Damian Miller. Four runs had scored before he added four more with a deflating grand slam. Darren Holmes came in the ninth and had no trouble wrapping up the win.
158. Diamondbacks 3, Phillies 1
September 10, 1999
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Robert Person
9 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Randy had a brilliant start and a mediocre start after getting his 300th strikeout, but had a loss and a no decision. Nevertheless, Arizona had a firm grasp of first place as the Phillies came to town. The Phillies were in third in the NL East, but they had just lost their ace Curt Schilling to a shoulder injury earlier in the week. Randy got the ball on his 36th birthday, and his opponent on the mound was Robert Person. Both pitchers were mostly effective if not brilliant early on. Both the Phillies and the Diamondbacks managed several baserunners during the first three innings, but the game was still scoreless after three. Arizona came through with a run in the fourth. Matt Williams led off with a double, and went to third on a groundout. Erubiel Durazo followed with a single to drive in the game's first run. Randy had the lead but followed it up by immediately giving up a double to rookie David Doster. He got out of the inning without a run before the Diamondbacks hitters went back to work in the sixth. Person got the first two outs before walking Steve Finley. Durazo followed with a single to put runners on the corner. Former Ranger Hanley Frias followed with a single to score Finley, then Kelly Stinnett also singled to score Durazo. The Phillies remained scoreless, and Randy came out in the ninth to try to pick up his third complete game shutout of the season. Bobby Abreu led off and worked a full-count walk. Back-to-back singles loaded the bases. Manager Buck Showalter showed faith in Randy, who got Torey Lovullo to hit into a double play. Abreu came home with the run, but with two outs Randy got the next batter to secure the win.
159. Diamondbacks 11, Giants 3
September 24, 1999
3Com Park
San Francisco, CA
Losing Pitcher: Shawn Estes
9 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 11 K
The Diamondbacks continued their winning ways, and traveled to San Francisco to face the second-place Giants. A win in any of the three games would give Arizona the division title. Randy got the ball to try to get the job done early. The Diamondbacks gave him some runs to work with in the first. Tony Womack led off with a single, then went to second on a passed ball. Jay Bell drove him home with a single. Luis Gonzalez followed with another single, and Bell was able to score on an error by Giants superstar Barry Bonds. Matt Williams walked, then Gonzalez went to third on a flyout. Bernard Gilkey doubled to score in a run. Williams held at third, but he scored on Steve Finley's sacrifice fly. Randy wanted to protect the lead, but ran into trouble in the home half of the first. Bill Mueller doubled with one out, then Barry Bonds hit a grounder that sure-handed third baseman Matt Williams flubbed. Mueller held at third, but it didn't matter as Ellis Burks hit a Huge three-run home run. Randy allowed another single before getting out of the inning. Randy settled down and Arizona scored two more runs in the third. Arizona scored him some more runs in the fifth on home runs by Kelly Stinnett and Womack. Randy continued to dominate the Giants and had retired 14 straight before Bonds reached on another error in the sixth, but he was stranded there. The Diamondbacks scored two more runs in the eighth and another in the ninth. Randy was still out on the mound in bottom of the ninth. He allowed a single to Rich Aurilia with one out, but a strikeout and groundout ended the game and crowned the Arizona Diamondbacks as the 1999 NL West champions.
160. Diamondbacks 5, Padres 3
September 30, 1999
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Sterling Hitchcock
7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 11 K
The Diamondbacks celebrated clinching the division with another winning streak, and they had a shot at winning 100 games in only their second year. A loss gave them 97 with four to play against the fourth-place Padres. Randy got the ball to start the series strongly. He struggled in the first. Quilvio Veras led off the game with a long home run. Randy got two outs, but also allowed a double to Reggie Sanders. He then allowed a home run on the first pitch to Eric Owens. The Diamondbacks picked him up with runs in the bottom of the inning. Hanley Frias led off with a single. Jay Bell followed with a ground ball that San Diego shortstop Damian Jackson just missed for an error. Greg Colbrunn was next and lifted a three-run home run to tie the game. Randy pitched a one-two-three second inning with a pair of strikeouts, and the Diamondbacks went to work to take the lead. Kelly Stinnett led off with a single, but was forced by minor league call-up Dante Powell. Randy tried to bunt Powell over but hit a weak popup. Powell stole second anyways and scored on Frias's single. Arizona hitters continued to pester Padres starter Sterling Hitchcock, but he held them in check until the sixth. Stinnett led off with a single, then Randy hit a single as well. Frias walked to load the bases, then Jay Bell singled to score Stinnett. Randy got through the seventh inning before giving way to the bullpen. Bobby Chouinard allowed a single to Veras, but Veras was caught stealing second. Matt Mantei, who had taken over closing duties after coming over from a trade, pitched the ninth. He allowed a single to Owens, but got a double play to keep the hopes for 100 alive.
2000
Randy continued his domination well into May. It was May 21 before his ERA went above 1.00. It was June 24 before he had consecutive starts where he failed to reach double digits in strikeouts. By that time the Diamondbacks had realized it wasn't as easy to repeat as division champions. While they had held the first place division since the beginning of the season, they found it hard to shake the likes of the Colorado Rockies or the San Francisco Giants. Randy was his same old dominant self, but the starters behind him were struggling, especially after Todd Stottlemyre went down with an elbow injury. The team decided to look to the trade market for pitching help. They found one in Philadelphia in Curtis Montague Schilling. Schilling had missed most of April, and had struggled upon his return. However, he had struck out 300 batters in back to back season in 1997 and 1998, and had started the All-Star Game for the National League in 1999 before his shoulder injury. With the Phillies on their way to a last place finish, they traded their ace for a trio of pitchers and Travis Lee.
Meanwhile Randy was finally starting to feel the effects of his workload. Earlier in July he started the All-Star game only two days after throwing a seven-inning win against the Oakland Athletics where he struck out 13. That had brought his first-half statistics to a 14-2 record and a 1.80 ERA with 198 strikeouts in 144 and 2/3 innings. Randy only pitched one scoreless inning in the All-Star game, allowing only a double to New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Randy allowed five runs in three of his five starts after the All-Star game. His second-half ERA of 3.81 in 16 starts were above average, but nowhere near where he was in the first half of the season. He was still getting the strikeouts, getting double strikeouts ten times, including 14 on his 37th birthday in a start against the Florida Marlins. His fourth inning strikeout of Florida third baseman Mike Lowell was the 3,000th of his career. However, the Diamondbacks fell in the 12th inning. By that time the Diamondbacks were out of first place. Randy had his worst start in the final day of the season. Facing the Giants, who had clinched the division in Arizona's place, he allowed nine runs (eight earned) in three and 1/3 innings. He walked five and struck out five. His Game Score of 12 was the lowest since April 10, 1994, when he was annihilated by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Randy's brutal final start cost him the ERA title, as his ERA jumped from 2.38 to 2.64, six points higher than his old nemesis Kevin Brown, who finished at 2.58. It also put him at 19 wins for the third time in his career. His 347 strikeouts were 130 more than any other pitcher in the National League, and 63 more than Pedro Martinez in the American League. He became the first pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1972-1974 to reach 300 strikeouts in three consecutive seasons. And when the Cy Young votes were tabulated, Randy won by a comfortable margin over Atlanta's Tom Glavine, who had 21 wins but an ERA almost a whole run higher to go with less than half as many strikeouts. Even then, Randy could not have been happy to have been unable to lead Arizona to another division title, as the Diamondbacks finished in third.
Before heading to the off-season, Randy accepted an offer to go back to Japan to take part in the MLB Japan All-Star Series once again. He had pitched there ten years earlier and had combined for a no-hitter with Chuck Finley. There were no no-hitters this time around, but he did make two starts and struck out 14 batters in seven innings of work, allowing only two runs. He also went on a Japanese TV show and threw a perfect strike while blindfolded. The US team won the series 5-2-1, and that felt much better than the ugly game to end the regular season.
The Wins of 2000
161. Diamondbacks 6, Phillies 4
April 4, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Andy Ashby
8.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 10 K
The Diamondbacks opened the season with Randy on the mound. This was his eighth Opening Day start, but he had not pitched well in many of his previous ones. Thankfully their opponents the Phillies were not expected to be good in 2000. Randy walked one batter in each of the first two innings, but the Diamondbacks would jump out in front. Steve Finley led off the second with a single, and Travis Lee followed with another single. A groundout sent them to second and third, and Damian Miller followed with the season's first home run for a three-run lead. Randy made sure the lead held up. He allowed the first hit of the season in the fourth when Mike Lieberthal doubled, but kept the shutout until the sixth, when Scott Rolen homered on a full count with one out. The Diamondbacks immediately got the run back and more in the bottom of the inning. Jay Bell led off with a single, and then Luis Gonzalez hit a home run on the first pitch. Two batters later, Finley hit his first home run of the season as well. Randy allowed another home run in the seventh, this time to Desi Relaford, but still had a 6-2 lead going into the ninth. Randy got Liebethal to fly out for the first out, but Kevin Jordan hit a grounder that shortstop Tony Womack couldn't handle. Randy struck out Rico Brogna, but after 133 pitches manager Buck Showalter turned to the bullpen to face pinch-hitter Rob Ducey. With closer Matt Mantei hurt, Russ Springer came first and walked Ducey, then allowed an RBI single to Relaford. Dan Plesac was next but he also allowed an RBI single, to Bobby Abreu. Finally Darren Holmes came and got the save. The Diamondbacks escaped with the win.
162. Diamondbacks 1, Pirates 0
April 9, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jason Schmidt
9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 13 K, SHO
The Diamondbacks swept the Phillies, then welcomed another East Coast team in the Pittsburgh Pirates. Arizona lot the first game before winning the second on a walk-off. They turned to Randy to keep the good times rolling. Randy allowed a leadoff double to Jason Kendall to open up the game, but Kendall was caught stealing third and a pair of strikeouts led to a scoreless top of the first. However, Pirates starter Jason Schmidt was also sharp, allowing a walk but nothing else. Travis Lee walked with one out in the second, but he was caught stealing as well. Randy struck out the side in the third before the Diamondbacks mounted a small rally in the fourth. Jay Bell led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Erubiel Durazo walked with one out, but then Schmidt struck out the next two hitters to keep the game scoreless. The Pirates also got a runner into scoring position, this time in the sixth inning. Mike Benjamin singled, then Schmidt went up to bunt the runner over. Third baseman Lenny Harris, playing for the injured Gold Glover Matt Williams, tried to get the lead runner but was too slow. A strikeout and a double play ended Pittsburgh's scoring changes. The game soon progressed into the seventh, and Arizona finally broke the scoreless tie. Steve Finley singled with one out, and Travis Lee's single put runner on the corner. Harris made up for his fielder's choice by lifting a sacrifice fly to score the run. That was all the Diamondbacks got, but Randy responded by striking out the side in the eighth. The Pirate mounted a small rally with back-to-back singles by Kendall and Pat Maeares in the ninth, but Randy still succeeded in closing out the 1-0 shutout.
163. Diamondbacks 3, Giants 1
April 14, 2000
Pacific Bell Park
San Francisco, CA
Losing Pitcher: Livan Hernandez
9 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
Arizona went on their first road trip. After splitting a four-game series in San Diego, the Diamondbacks San Francisco for their first game in the Giants' beautiful new ballpark by the Bay. The Giants were in last after losing five straight, and Randy was tasked with extending that streak. He struck out a pair in the bottom of the first. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the second when Travis Lee lined a home run, then Randy struck out two more in the second. The Giants finally got their first hit off Randy when Calvin Murray singled leading off the fourth, but two more strikeouts ended the inning. Randy followed with his first hit at the plate of the 2000 season, sending Damian Miller who had singled before him to third, but the Diamondbacks couldn't score the insurance run. The failure to get the extra run haunted the team in the sixth. Randy got two quick outs, but then allowed another single to Murray. Bill Mueller drove in Murray with an RBI double. Barry Bonds flied out to end the inning, but the game was now tied. Randy made sure the Giants wouldn't get any more runs as he struck out the side in the seventh, but the game remained tied into the ninth. Erubiel Durazo led off with a single. Steve Finley followed and bunted pinch-runner Hanley Frias to second. Frias went to third on Lee's single, but he tried to score when Lenny Harris hit a comebacker to Giants pitcher Livan Hernandez, who threw to home plate for the out. Miller bailed things out with a two-run double. Randy came out to pitch the ninth and retired the side in order for his first win in Pac Bell Park. He figured he would enjoy pitching in this ballpark.
164. Diamondbacks 3, Rockies 0
April 20, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Rolando Arrojo
9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, SHO
The Diamondbacks won the other game in San Francisco and went back home still in first place as they started a four-game series against the Rockies. Colorado took the first game, but the Diamondbacks won the next two. Randy took the mound with a chance to help Arizona win the series. He struck out a pair in the first before the Diamondbacks took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Jay Bell walked with one out, and Luis Gonzalez followed with another walk of his own. Erubiel Durazo hit a grounder ball that forced Gonzalez, but it sent Bell to third. Colorado catcher Ben Petrick then allowed a passed ball that sent Bell scrambling home with the game's first run. Randy allowed a one-out double to Todd Helton in the second, but kept the Rockies at bay. Through the fourth inning, Rand'y hadn't allowed a walk since walking Kevin Jordan in the second inning of Opening Day, a streak that extended to 29 innings when Randy struck out Mike Lansing to record the first out in the inning. However, the streak ended when Randy walked Larry Walker, just as he did in the 1997 All-Star Game. Still, a double play ended the inning. The Diamondbacks added a pair of insurance runs in the third with Randy at the plate. Walks to Steve Finley, Travis Lee, and Andy Fox had loaded the bases. With Randy at bat, Petrick allowed another run to score on a passed ball. Randy then lined a single into center field to score another run. The Rockies threatened in the eighth when Neifi Perez singled, then Randy walked back-to-back hitters to load the bases. However, he struck out Lansing to keep the Rockies scoreless. Then he completed the shutout by retiring the side in the ninth.
165. Diamondbacks 10, Phillies 2
April 25, 2000
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia, PA
Losing Pitcher: Chris Brock
6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K
Randy hoped to continue his torrid start to the season. The Diamondbacks needed him to be sharp, as they got swept by the Giants to drop them into a tie for first with the Dodgers. The Dodgers lost on Arizona's travel day, but a victory was sorely needed. The Diamondbacks jumped out in front in the second. Steve Finley led off with a double, and Kelly Stinnett hit a two-run home run. Arizona added another run in the second. Tony Womack led off with a triple, and scored on Jay Bell's groundout. Randy got into some trouble in the third. Kevin Sefcik led off with a single, and Desi Relaford walked. Phillies pitcher Chris Brock bunted the runners over, and Doug Glanville drove them in with a single. Randy followed by walking Ron Gant, but got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts. Travis Lee led off the fourth with a home run, and Randy made sure to strike out the side in the bottom of the inning. The game quickly progressed to the seventh with Randy leading off. He surprised the crowd by lining a double to deep right-center field. He went to third on a groundout, but after a strikeout it seemed possible Randy would get stranded at third. However, Luis Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, and reliever Trever Miller uncorked a wild pitch that sent Randy home. That unleashed a torrent of runs coming off of Steve Finley's three-run home run and Kelly Stinnett's second two-run home run of the game. Randy left the game in the seventh after walking Desi Relaford with two outs, but Russ Springer was up to the task and got the last seven outs for the win, helping Randy tie Sandy Koufax on the career win list.
166. Diamondbacks 6, Cubs 0
April 30, 2000
Wrigley Field
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Andrew Lorraine
7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Randy went into his next start with the opportunity to do something that had only been accomplished twice before, winning six games in April. It's uncommon enough to get wins in six straight starts, and getting six wins in April was even more rare. Only two pitchers have done it, one of whom was Randy's old idol Vida Blue. The Diamondbacks hitters helped out by taking a lead against the fifth-place Cubs in the game's first frame, when Jay Bell hit a home run with one out. Randy allowed a single to Mark Grace, the player with the most hits in the 1990s, in the bottom of the inning, but kept Chicago scoreless, and he struck out the side in the third. Arizona added to the lead in the fourth with Randy making a contribution on the offense side. Luis Gonzalez walked, then after a flyout Steve Finley's single and Bernard Gilkey's walk loaded the bases. Kelly Stinnet struck out, but then rookie third baseman Danny Klassen singled to drive in Gonzalez. Randy followed with another single and drove in two more runs. Randy continued to frustrate Chicago's hitters. Jose Nieves led off the fifth with a double, but Randy went on to strike out the side for the second time. Randy got into some trouble in the third. He walked Sammy Sosa leading off the inning before getting two strikeouts, but Damon Buford singled after an eight-pitch at-bat, and it took Joe Girardi only one pitch to hit a single to load the bases. Randy struck out the next batter to keep the shutout alive. Bernard Gilkey contributed with a two-run home run to extend the lead. Mike Morgan came in to pitch the eighth. He ended up throwing two scoreless innings to help get Randy his sixth win.
167. Diamondbacks 5, Padres 3
May 5, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Sterling Hitchcock
9 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 11 K
The calendar turned to May, but Randy hoped to continue his dominant pitching and win seven straight starts for the second time in his career, as he had won his final seven starts in Houston two years earlier. He struck out the first two batters he faced, then Hanley Frias helped him get a lead by hitting his first home run in 2000 to lead off the bottom of the inning. After Randy struck out another pair of hitters in the second, Arizona added two more runs through the power of the long-ball. Damian Miller homered to lead off the bottom of the second, and Danny Klassen followed with his first home run of the season. Randy was hit by a pitch, and took his anger out on the hitters, striking out two in the third, and once again the Diamondbacks scored another run on a home run by a leadoff batter, with Greg Colbrunn striking the blow this time. Randy struck out two more in the fourth but there was no home run this time. Randy was still dealing into the sixth, but pinch-hitter Chris Gomez led off the inning with a single, but after a flyout, Frias made errors on consecutive ground balls. Randy followed by walking Phil Nevin, then Ed Sprague hit a single to drive in another run and keep the bases full. Randy finally got a double play to end the inning and preserve the lead. Frias tried to make up for his errors in the bottom of the inning, after Miller walked and Randy singled, but he struck out. Randy still got another run in the eighth, driving in the run himself. He allowed a home run to Sprague leading off the ninth, but retired the next three to finish the complete game victory.
168. Diamondbacks 9, Brewers 2
May 26, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: John Snyder
7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Randy made three start after the game against the Padres and pitched decently, but suffered his first loss to go with two no-decisions. The Diamondbacks still held on to first place as they welcomed the Brewers. The Arizona hitters battered starter John Snyder to the tune of six runs in the first. Jay Bell walked with one out, then after a second out, Matt Williams and Steve Finley walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Bell, then Erubiel Durazo was walked intentionally to set up the force at home. That didn't happen as Turner Ward and Kelly Stinnett both singled to drive in three more runs. Snyder hoped to get Randy to end the inning, but Randy hit an RBI single as well. Then Tony Womack singled to drive in the sixth run of the inning before Bell flied out. Randy knew he couldn't let a six-run lead slip away, and kept Milwaukee from getting a baserunner through three. The Diamondbacks scored again in the third as Durazo singled and Stinnett homered. The Brewers finally got a runner when Ronnie Belliard led off the fourth with a walk, but he stayed at first through the end of the inning. Randy got his second hit of the game with a single in the sixth inning. Womack and Bell followed with singles as well and Randy came around to score. Randy got through the seventh allowing only a bunt single to James Mouton, but manager Buck Showalter gave him the rest of the night off with the nine-run lead. Greg Swindell came in the eighth and allowed a run on an RBI-single to Mark Loretta. Then Russ Springer came in the ninth and allowed a bases-loaded walk to Raul Casanova. Dan Plesac had to come in to end the game.
169. Diamondbacks 6, Cardinals 2
May 31, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Pat Hentgen
7.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 10 K
Randy faced his stiffest test in his next start against the Cardinals, who were the first-place team in the NL Central. The Cardinals had won the first two games of the four-game series, and the Diamondbacks needed their ace to help reverse the losing. Arizona scored in the first. Jay Bell walked with one out, and after a flyout, Matt Williams singled him to third. A wild pitch sent Bell racing home to score the first run of the game. Randy responded by striking out the side in between a walk to Craig Paquette. The Diamondbacks scored two more runs in the fourth. Luis Gonzalez singled, and Steve Finley did as well. Greg Colbrunn's single scored Gonzalez and sent Finley to third, where he would score on a sacrifice fly. The Cardinals would score a run in the fifth, but fans were treated to a rare play. Pitcher Pat Hentgen and Placido Polanco led off with singles, then an error by Colbrunn on Edgar Renteria's grounder loaded the bases. Shawon Dunston singled in a run and the bases were still loaded. Mark McGwire lifted a high fly ball to center. Polanco tried to score on the play, but center fielder Finley made a great throw to nab Polanco at home, then catcher Damian Miller threw to shortstop Womack to nail Renteria trying to head to third. It was the first triple play in Diamondbacks history. Arizona celebrated by adding two more runs on an RBI single by Womack and a sacrifice fly by Bell. McGwire got revenge against his old college teammate with a solo home run in the eighth, after which Randy left the game, but the Diamondbacks responded with another run in the bottom of the eighth, and Byung-hyun Kim was able to close out the wild game.
170. Diamondbacks 4, Angels 1
June 9, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Brian Cooper
6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 8 K
Randy had to miss a start during the Diamondbacks' six-game road trip due to some discomfort in his shoulder, but he was able to return to the mound when the team went home for a quick three-game set against the Anaheim Angels. Randy struck out the side in the first, but allowed a home run to Troy Glaus with one out in the second. The Diamondbacks reached base often against Angels starter Brian Cooper, but they were unable to score a run. They even loaded the bases in the fourth when Matt Williams singled, and Steve Finley followed with a walk. Travis Lee then reached on a throwing error by first baseman Mo Vaughn with one out. However, Kelly Stinnett grounded into a double play, and the opportunity was squandered. They went to work again in the fifth. This time Tony Womack tripled with one out, and Jay Bell singled to drive in a run. Luis Gonzalez followed with a two-run home run to give the Diamondbacks the lead. They added an insurance run in the inning after Steve Finley doubled. Turner Ward hit a grounder towards first baseman Vaughn. He made his second throwing error of the game, and Finley came around to score. Randy ran into some trouble in the sixth. Scott Spiezio led off with a single, and second baseman Jay Bell also made a throwing error on Darin Erstad's grounder. Randy struck out the next two batters and got a soft liner to end the inning. With 100 pitches through six, Randy left to rest his shoulder. Rookie Vicente Padilla allowed a double to pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro, but kept Anaheim scoreless. Dan Plesac pitched a perfect eighth, and Byun-hyun Kim worked around a leadoff single by Vaughn to nail down the save and secure the win.
171. Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 1
June 14, 2000
Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles, CA
Losing Pitcher: Carlos Perez
8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
The Diamondbacks took two of three from the Angels, and went on the road to face their closest competitors in the NL West. Arizona split the first two games against the third-place Dodgers, and counted on Randy to get the win. Randy struck out a pair around a walk in the first before the Diamondbacks took the lead in the second. Greg Colbrunn led off with a home run. After an out, Danny Bautista doubled and Damian Miller singled him home. Miller went to second on the throw home. Randy grounded out for the second out, but Miller still scored when Tony Womack singled. The Dodgers threatened in the bottom of the inning. They loaded the bases against Randy with a walk, a single, and a hit batsman. Paul Lo Duca followed with a single to drive in a run, and the bases remained loaded. Randy bared down and struck out the next two batters and a flyout got him out of the inning. Randy allowed a double to Gary Sheffield with one out in the third, but otherwise the Dodgers couldn't get anybody else into scoring position through the eight innings where Randy pitched. The Diamondbacks gave him a few more insurance runs in the fifth. Womack singled but was caught stealing, after which Jay Bell hit a single of his own. After Luis Gonzalez forced Bell, Matt Williams came to bat. Williams was an important contributor to the offense in 199, but missed much of the season with an injured foot. He had only one home run since returning on May 23. This time he hit his second, a two-run blast to extend the lead. Randy got through eight innings before giving way to Byun-Hyun Kim. Kim allowed a walk and a single, but still finished the win.
172. Diamondbacks 7, Astros 1
June 29, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Shane Reynolds
8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 13 K
The Diamondbacks still maintained a tenuous hold on first place as Randy made his first start against another one of his former teams, the Houston Astros, having avoided them the year before. The 2000 Astros had fallen onto hard times and were last in the NL Central. Randy hoped this would benefit him as he needed to recover from his second loss of the year. Randy had five strikeouts into the third inning after striking out the first two batters that inning. Julio Lugo singled and stole second. He tried to make it to third but he was caught stealing. Catcher Damian Miller then helped the Astros get the lead in the bottom of the inning by leading off with a double. The next two batters made outs, but Jay Bell doubled to score Miller. Luis Gonzalez followed with a walk, and Steve Finley continued his power surge by blasting his team-leading 22nd home run. The Astros tagged their former teammate for a run in the fourth, thanks to a sudden loss of control. Craig Biggio led off with a walk. Randy got the dangerous Jeff Bagwell to fly out, but then walked Richard Hidalgo. Moises Alou followed with a single to drive in a run. Randy got out of the inning without any further damage. The Astros continued to pester Randy by putting runners on base, but he got through eight innings with only the one run. The Diamondbacks scored three more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Danny Bautista singled, then scored when Travis Lee doubled. Danny Klassen singled Lee home, then after a hit batsman, rookie Jason Conti making his Major League debut pinch-hit for Randy and singled in another run. With Randy out of the game Matt Mantei came in and closed out the Astros.
173. Diamondbacks 10, Astros 4
July 4, 2000
Enron Field
Houston, TX
Losing Pitcher: Jose Lima
6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 8 K
The Diamondbacks embarked on a road trip starting on the Fourth of July, and their first opponent was the Houston Astros, intent on getting revenge against their former ace of half a season. Instead of Shane Reynolds, Houston started Jose Lima, the enigmatic and colorful Dominican pitcher who won 16 games in 1998 and 21 in 1999, but was 1-12 with an ERA over 7.00 in 2000. Lima kept the Diamondbacks quiet in the first two innings, but fell apart in the third. Randy singled with one out, and Tony Womack singled him to third, taking second himself on the throw to third. Jay Bell hit a grounder that was thrown home to get Randy out on the fielder's choice, but then Luis Gonzalez singled to score a run. Steve Finley walked to load the bases, and another walk scored another run. Jason Conti followed with a double that cleared the bases, and Damian Miller hit a two-run home run before Craig Counsell mercifully ended the inning. Randy held the Astros in check in the third, but allowed a solo home run to Jeff Bagwell in the fourth. Arizona quickly added to the lead in the fifth. Finley led off with a single, and Travis Lee followed with a home run. Randy got into some more trouble in the sixth. Bagwell singled with two outs, and Richard Hidalgo doubled him to third. Moises Alou then powered a home run on an 0-2 count. Arizona still had a five-run lead, but Randy was done for the day. The Diamondbacks picked up an insurance run in the ninth. Gonzalez singled and Finley walked. Danny Bautista forced Finley, but Miller hit a comebacker that pitcher Yorkis Perez couldn't handle and Gonzalez scored. Afterwards Matt Mantei had no trouble in finishing off the Astros.
174. Diamondbacks 4, Athletics 2
July 9, 2000
Network Associates Coliseum
Oakland, CA
Losing Pitcher: Gil Heredia
7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 13 K
The Diamondbacks swept the Astros before going on for an interleague series against the Oakland Athletics, who were second place in the AL West. Oakland won the first two games on extra-inning walk-offs where they came from behind, and the Diamondbacks counted on Randy to avoid the sweep. The Diamondbacks got the lead in the second. Jason Conti singled with one out, and Travis Lee doubled him home. Lee went to third on a groundout, after which Craig Counsell walked. A's starter Gil Heredia wanted to get out of the inning, but Tony Womack singled to drive in another run. Randy struck out a pair in the first three innings. He struck out the side in the fifth, but in between strikeouts he allowed the A's to come back with two outs. Olmedo Saenz and Ben Grieve both singled, and Miguel Tejada walked to load the bases. Matt Stairs then hit a single that scored two runs to tie the game before Randy finally finished striking out the side. The tie was short-lived as the Diamondbacks took the lead in the fifth. Designated hitter Greg Colbrunn singled with one out, and after another out Lee walked. Damian Miller followed with a single to drive in Colbrunn with the go-ahead run. Steve Finley hit a solo home run in the seventh for another insurance run. Randy completed the seventh before giving way to Mike Morgan. Morgan allowed a single to Saenz with two outs and the Diamondbacks got nervous, but he got a forceout to end the inning. He started the ninth but walked Miguel Tejada and the team were biting their nails again. Manager Buck Showalter brought in closer Matt Mantei, who struck out the next three hitters on 12 pitches to wrap up the win and prevent the sweep.
175. Diamondbacks 3, Cardinals 2
July 20, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Dave Veres
9 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 11 K
Randy had a mediocre start against the Texas Rangers in his first start after the All-Star game. He then faced off against the Cardinals in the last start at home before another long road trip. Randy was sharp early on, striking the side in the first before getting two each in the second and the third for seven strikeouts. Meanwhile Cardinals starter Darryl Kile was also on top of his game, retiring the Diamondbacks in order through three. Neither side had a baserunner until Tony Womack led off the bottom of the fourth with a single. Womack got restless after the next two batters made outs and tried to steal second, but was caught stealing. Randy had retired the first 15 batters he faced, but fell behind Eduardo Perez leading off the sixth then allowed a solo home run. Kile followed with a single, but Randy erased his opponent on a double play. The Diamondbacks tied the game up in the bottom of the inning when Hanley Frias homered. Randy allowed doubles to Shawon Dunston in the seventh and Craig Paquette in the eighth, but the game remained tied going into the ninth. Randy was still pitching when he allowed a leadoff single to Edgar Renteria. Renteria went to second on a bunt by Dunston, and then to third when Fernando Tatis singled. Eric Davis lifted a fly ball to right. Renteria was able to score easily. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa sent their closer Dave Veres to get his 19th save. However, Frias worked a walk, and Jay Bell bunted him to second. Womack was next. He had only 18 career home runs and none were a walk-off. All that changed when Womack lofted a high fly ball over the right field fence for a stunning walk-off, come-from-behind victory.
176. Diamondbacks 5, Cubs 4
August 20, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Steve Rain
9 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 13 K
The Diamondbacks traded for a co-ace in Curt Schilling from the last-place Phillies in late July, but they didn't expect a flameout of their offense. Randy pitched decently over his next five starts after the walk-off against the Cardinals, with a 3.38 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 29 and 1/3 innings, but he was tagged for two losses as the Diamondbacks went 1-4. Arizona had fallen to second when Randy went to face the Cubs one month after Womack's walk-off. He struck out the side in the first and a pair in the second, but the Cubs tagged him for four runs in the third. Damon Buford led off with a double, and Jose Nieves singled him home. Randy got two outs on a force and a fly ball, but walked Ricky Gutierrez. Sammy Sosa was next, and he launched a long home run to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead. It was disheartening as the Diamondbacks couldn't do much against Cubs starter Daniel Garibay. Arizona got a run in the fourth when Steve Finley singled with two outs and Greg Colbrunn doubled him home, but couldn't score another run. Randy was keeping the Cubs in check, and the Diamondbacks finally broke through in the sixth. They loaded the bases against Garibay when Jay Bell led off with a single, Matt Williams walked, and Finley singled. Reliever Steve Rain came in and promptly gave up a double to Colbrunn on the first pitch to score two runs. Miller walked and Danny Bautista followed with a single to drive in two more runs and give Arizona the lead. Randy shut down the Cubs after that. He allowed a walk to Rondell White to lead off the ninth, but got a strikeout and a double play to end the comeback win.
177. Diamondbacks 7, Expos 0
August 30, 2000
Stade Olympique
Montreal, Quebec
Losing Pitcher: Felipe Lira
9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, SHO
Randy had his worst start of the season before moving on to make his first start in Montreal since May 2, 1989 when he was still a member of the Expos. He was striving to get his first win against his original team after failing in two attempts in 1999. Arizona was hoping he would pitch well to keep them on the fringes of the division race. The Diamondbacks hitters did their part by storming out to a four-run lead. Tony Womack was hit by a pitch to lead off, and he scored when Danny Bautista lined a triple. Luis Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to score Bautista. The inning continued when Greg Colbrunn followed with a single. Steve Finley then blasted a two-run home run. Randy kept the Expos in check, striking out a pair in the first and in the second. Gonzalez led off the third with another home run to add to the lead. Randy allowed back-to-back singles to reliever Mike Johnson and Wilton Guerrero with two outs in the third, but struck out the next batter to continue his streak of three innings with two strikeouts. Montreal came close to scoring a run in the fourth when Jose Vidro doubled, then Vladimir Guerrero hit a single. Vidro had to hold at third, and Randy struck out another pair before ending the inning on a flyout. Finley hit his second home run of the game in the fifth, and Arizona added another run in the sixth when Craig Counsell tripled and Damian Miller drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Randy only got a solitary strikeout in the fifth and sixth and none in the last three innings. He still went into the ninth with a shutout intact, and retired the last three hitters to complete it.
178. Diamondbacks 2, Braves 1
September 15, 2000
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Tom Glavine
7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 R, 0 BB, 13 K
Randy's second-half struggles continued as he had a bad start against the Atlanta Braves, who led the NL East almost all year. The Diamondbacks had fallen well behind in the division race and for the Wild Card. The Braves came to town for Randy to seek revenge and also keep his team alive in the playoff hunt. Randy allowed a single to Rafael Furcal to lead off the ballgame, but the rookie was caught stealing, and Randy struck out the next two batters to end the inning. Randy continued to allow baserunners, but managed to keep the Braves from scoring. Meanwhile his opponent Tom Glavine, seeking his 20th win, was also getting in and out of trouble. The game remained scoreless until the fifth. Randy grounded out for the first out, but Danny Bautista blasted a triple. Jay Bell struck out and it seemed like it would be yet another wasted opportunity, but then Luis Gonzalez singled to drive in the game's first run. The lead was short-lived as Chipper Jones led off the sixth inning with a solo home run of his own to tie the game. Randy got out of the inning and pitched a one-two-three seventh with two strikeouts. Matt Mieske pinch-hit for Randy in the bottom of the inning but popped out, then Bautstia struck out. Then Bell made up for his earlier strikeout with a home run on a 3-0 count to give Arizona the lead. Byung-Hyun Kim came in to try to shut down the Braves. He walked the Joneses after a strikeout, but then finished striking out the side. Matt Mantei was next. He walked Wally Joyner with two outs. Pinch-runner George Lombard stole second, then went to third on a wild pitch before Mantei finally ended the game on a pop fly.
179. Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 4
September 25, 2000
Coors Field
Denver, CO
Losing Pitcher: Brian Rose
7.2 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 8 K
The Damondbacks were mathematically still in the Wild Card race as they headed to the thin air of Colorado, where balls fly further than in any other ballpark. Randy had long avoided pitching in Denver, but took the ball to keep Arizona's playoff hopes alive. Craig Neifi Perez just how hard it was to keep the ball in the park with a solo home run in the first. Arizona tied the game in the third. Counsell led off with a walk. He was forced by Danny Bautista, but Luis Gonzalez singled to put runners on the corner. Matt Williams's sacrifice fly tied the game. The Rockies got the run back in the bottom of the inning. Terry Shumpert singled and stole second. Perez was also safe on a bunt single. Randy got a strikeout, but Butch Huskey hit a sacrifice fly. Arizona took the lead in the fifth behind the bat of Randy, who led off the inning with a single. Counsell also singled, and Bautista's groundout advanced both runners. Gonzalez followed with a single to drive in two runs. Greg Colbrunn provided an insurance run with a home run leading off the sixth. Randy allowed another run in the sixth when Ben Petrick singled and Jeff Frye doubled leading off. Petrick held at third, but scored on Adam Melhuse's sacrifice fly. Arizona scored more insurance runs in the seventh and eighth. Randy drove in the run in the eighth with a single to score Jay Bell who had doubled. Randy pitched into the eighth, but walked Huskey and Frye. He then allowed a single to rookie Juan Pierre to drive in a run. Greg Swindell to get the last out. Matt Mantei walked two batters in the ninth, but managed to get the save and keep the season alive.
2001
Randy didn't particularly about what the writers thought about him and his team's chances. As long as the Diamondbacks trusted him with the ball he was going to go out and give them his best. Randy got the season off on a strong start on Opening Day against the Dodgers with seven innings of two-run ball and ten strikeouts. His next start was a bit of a stinker, with nine runs in five and 2/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead of being a harbinger for doom, Randy went on one of the most dominant run that anybody had seen. He reached double digits in strikeouts in each of his next seven starts, striking out 90 in 56 innings and putting up a 1.93 ERA. His greatest performance came on May 8 against the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out two in four of the first five innings, and struck out the side in the fourth, the seventh, and the eighth. He added one more strikeout in the sixth. That gave him 18 going into the ninth inning. He struck out pinch-hitter Deion Sanders to give him 19. Left fielder Donnie Sadler grounded out, but then shortstop Juan Castro struck out to give him 20. Not only did that set a personal record, but that allowed him to tie the single-game, nine-inning record held by Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood. Unfortunately, he allowed a run in the game, and the game was tied 1-1 after nine. Manager Brenly replaced Randy with Byung-hyun Kim for the tenth, preventing him from adding to the strikeout totals or getting the win.
The Diamondbacks struggled early on, but they turned things around in May and was back atop the division. The dynamic duo of Randy and Curt Schilling soon became the strength that Arizona management was hoping they would be. The two could not have been any more different off the mound, with the loquacious Schilling offering a nice contrast to the reserved Randy. However, on the mound they had the same competitive fire and the same desire to be the best, greatly motivated by the deaths of their fathers early in their careers. Randy and Curt were both named to the All-Star game by manager Bobby Valentine. Schilling was originally tabbed for the start, but he declined, having pitched two days earlier. Randy got the ball instead and threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Schilling helped Randy set a Major League record a little more than a week after the All-Star game. Curt had the start against the San Diego Padres on July 18. He pitched two hitless innings and had a 1-0 lead, but then Qualcomm Stadium suffered a power outage during the top of the third. The game resumed the next day, and once the bottom of the third inning came about the Arizona pitcher was no longer Curt Schilling or even Brian Anderson who was penciled in as the pinch-hitter. It was none other than Randy Johnson. Randy threw seven dominant innings, taking a no-hitter into the eighth. He struck out 16 batters to establish a new record for most strikeouts in a relief appearance.
The rest of the regular season was full of unexpected changes. The Diamondbacks and the Padres had to go through some last-minute schedule changes due to scheduling conflicts with the NFL's San Diego Chargers. And then the terrible events on September 11 forced the postponement of almost a whole week of games. Randy was the Diamondbacks starter when the season opened up again on September 17. At the time he had 336 strikeouts, and there were some thoughts he might have been able to challenge Nolan Ryan's modern-day single-season record of 383 strikeouts, set back in 1973 when Randy was just 10 years old. He struck out only six in the return game and then eight in the next game. He did come back with a 16-strikeout effort against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 27, but only had six strikeouts on October 2 to put him at 372. However, the Diamondbacks won three of Randy's four start, and Randy's October win was the 200th game of the career. Randy may have been able to make another start, but Arizona clinched the division, and Bob Brenly chose to rest Randy for the post-season.
Randy's 2001 regular season stats were certainly breathtaking. He led the league again with 2.49 ERA, and set a career high with 21 wins, although he finished one behind teammate Schilling for the league lead. His 372 strikeouts were the third most ever by a pitcher since the start of the 20th century, behind Ryan's 1973 and Sandy Koufax's 1965. More impressively, he did it in only 249 and 2/3 innings, 76.3 innings behind Ryan and 86 behind Koufax. His 13.41 strikeouts per nine innings pitched is still the all-time record for a qualifying season. However, Randy was not concerned about missing out on the strikeout record. The Diamondbacks were in the playoff again and Randy wanted to help get his team past the first round. Randy pitched Game 2 of the Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals after Curt Schilling threw a 1-0 shutout in Game 1. The Cardinals had annihilated Randy in April. He was better this time around, allowing only three runs in eight innings with nine strikeouts, but his opponent Woody Williams allowed only one, and Randy's post-season losing streak stretched to seven. Thankfully he had the co-ace Schilling to pick him up, and the Diamondbacks won the series in five on a walk-off single by now-a-shortstop Tony Womack, with Schilling providng a second straight complete game.
Arizona's National League Championship Series opponents were the Atlanta Braves. As well as Randy has pitched since his return to the National League, the Braves had given him fits. He was 3-3 against them with a 4.50 ERA. They had a fearsome lineup that included Chipper and Andruw Jones, and they had a rotation featuring future 300-game-winners Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Game 1 pitted Randy against Maddux. As much as Randy has struggled against Atlanta, Maddux had done even worse against Arizona. He was 1-4 with a 4.61 ERA. Maddux pitched well in this match-up of aces, allowing only two runs in seven innings. However, Randy finally overcame his post-season struggles and was dominant, throwing a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts. Arizona won two of the next three games, and Randy came back to the mound in Game 5 with a chance to send the Diamondbacks to the series. This time he was pitching against Tom Glavine. Glavine didn't share Maddux's struggles against the Diamondbacks. His career regular season record against them was 6-2, and he allowed only 18 earned runs in 43 innings for a 2.57 ERA. Glavine had actually won Game 2 of the Series. Glavine allowed only three runs (one earned) in five innings, with a big blow coming on pinch-hitter Erubiel Durazo in the fifth. Randy allowed a home run and an RBI single to Julio Franco, but kept the Diamondbacks in the lead through seven. Byung-hyun Kim came in and threw two scoreless innings, and the Arizona Diamondbacks were going to the World Series!
The Diamondbacks' date for the 2001 World Series were the New York Yankees. The Yankees were a juggernaut of a team. They had won three World Series in a row, and were itching to get their fourth straight. They had knocked off Randy's old team the Seattle Mariners, who had tied a regular season record with 116 wins. They even had the public on their side for once, as fans were hoping the title can come to New York after the tragic events of 9/11. However, the Diamondbacks were not ready to bow down to the Evil Empire, especially not with the series starting own their home turf. Curt Schilling led off with a dominating victory in Game 1, and Randy followed with a three-hit complete game shutout in Game 2, a dominating performance on baseball's biggest stage. However, any expectations that New York would roll over and quit turned out to be premature, and the Yankees won all three games in New York. Future 300-game-winner Roger Clemens outpitched Brian Anderson in Game 3. New York was one out from a certain defeat in Game 4 before Tino Martinez and Derek Jeter rallied with home runs against closer Kim, wasting a solid start by Schilling. The Yankees were in the same predicament in Game 5 before Scott Brosius played the game-tying hero in the 9th, and then Alfonso Soriano drove in the game-winner in the 12th.
All of a sudden the Diamondbacks returned to Arizona just one win away from losing everything they worked so hard for. Yet they were not ready to roll over and wilt. The offense was fired up, and so was Randy Johnson, their Game 6 starter. Arizona pummeled Yankees starter Andy Pettitte and reliever Jay Witasick for 15 runs. Meanwhile Randy gutted through seven gritty innings. He allowed two runs in the sixth, but the Diamondbacks already had their 15 runs. Bob Brenly pulled Randy after seven innings and 104 pitches. As the bullpen held the Yankees in check, Brenly had one small request for Randy: could he come in if needed in Game 7? Curt Schilling was Arizona's Game 7 starter. He was a workhorse, but he had already thrown 41 innings in five playoff starts to go with 256 and 2/3 regular season innings. Nobody had any idea how long he could last in the pivotal game. Randy said he would do whatever it takes to bring home the title.
Game 7 pitted Schilling, pitching for the third time in the Series, with the five (soon to be six)-time Cy Young award winner Roger Clemens. The game was hard-fought. Neither team had scored through the first five innings. The Diamondbacks finally broke through in the sixth, but the Yankees responded by scratching out a run in the seventh. By then Randy made his way from the dugout to the bullpen. He arrived just as Soriano tagged Schilling for a go-ahead home run. The plan was to get Schilling through to the left-handed Paul O'Neill, who could potentially lead off the ninth if the Yankees go one-two-three. Yet when pinch-hitter David Justice singled, and the Diamondbacks couldn't turn the double play on Derek Jeter's grounder, that sent Randy jogging in the bottom of the eighth. It brought back echoes of his relief appearance in Game 5 of the 1995 ALCS. The Yankees replaced O'Neill with the right-handed Chuck Knoblauch. Knoblauch lined a pitch that went just foul, then hit a harmless fly ball to right. The Yankees brought in their closer Mariano Rivera to pitch the bottom of the eighth, and Arizona was held scoreless. Randy came back out in the ninth and pitched a one-two-three inning, punctuating with a strikeout of catcher Jorge Posada.
As inspiration as Randy's four outs were, the Diamondbacks still went into the ninth inning down 2-1, and they were facing a pitcher that hadn't allowed a post-season run since Game 1 of the ALCS. Rivera had not allowed two runs in a post-season appearance since Game 2 of the 2000 World Series. He had not blown a post-season save since Game 4 of the 1997 Division Series. First baseman and free-agent acquisition Mark Grace led off with a single. Catcher Damian Miller tried to bunt him to second, but it went straight to Mariano, who had an easy play at second. However, the throw cut right and Jeter couldn't get his glove on the play and both runners were safe. Randy's spot in the lineup was next, but he was replaced by pinch-hitter Jay Bell. Bell also tried to bunt, but Rivera made the play and threw out the lead runner. Tony Womack was next. Rivera got the count to 2-2, but Womack turned on a fastball and lined a double down the right field line. Pinch-runner Midre Cummings came in to score the tying run while Bell held at third. Mariano was now just trying to extend the game to the 10th, but it was not to be. He hit second baseman Craig Counsell with a pitch to load the bases, and then up came left fielder Luis Gonzalez. Gonzo was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Tigers almost a month after Randy signed. He had a terrific offensive year marked by 57 home runs. Rivera tried to throw his cutter to get a double play, but Gonzalez fought the pitch off and blooped it to shallow center, just out of the reach of Jeter. The Diamondbacks had won the World Series!
It was an exhilarating moment for Randy Johnson. He had suffered through six years of post-season heartache to get to this moment. He had to fight off the questions regarding his post-season struggles, but now had an absolutely dominating performance that should answer any questions. He became the first pitcher since Mickey Lolich to win three games in one World Series, and he was the first pitcher ever to win the last two games in a Series on back to back nights. Randy and Schilling were named co-MVPs. Randy didn't mind sharing the title with his teammate, the one that helped him carry some of the load. The duo was also named Sportsmen of the Year by Sports Illustrated. There was no sharing the Cy Young award, as Randy won it outright, his third straight and his fourth overall.
The Wins of 2001
180. Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 2
April 3, 2001
Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles, CA
Losing Pitcher: Jose Nunez
7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 K
The way the 2000 season ended left a bad taste in the mouths of everybody with the Diamondbacks, but 2001 was a new year, and Randy went into his ninth Opening Day start with a renewed sense of determination. Their opponents the Dodgers had ended the 2000 season one game ahead of Arizona in the standings. The Diamondbacks started the season by scoring a run off Dodgers starter Eric Gagne. Tony Womack singled and went to second on a groundout. Gagne struck out Luis Gonzalez, but Matt Williams singled to score Womack. Randy kept the Dodgers scoreless in the first despite allowing a hit. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers both put runners on in the second, but the game remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth. Randy walked Shawn Green and Jeff Reboulet with one out. Paul Lo Duca was next, and he lined a double to score both runners and give the Dodgers the lead. Randy allowed another walk before getting out of the inning. The Diamondbacks had plenty of opportunities to runs against Gagne, but he left with the 2-1 lead. Arizona wasted an opportunity to score a run off their former closer Gregg Olson after Damian Miller reached on an error by Dodgers third baseman Reboulet, filling in for an ill Adrian Beltre. Jose Nunez came out in the eighth to make his Major League debut and the Diamondbacks took advantage. Mark Grace, their key off-season acquisition, led off with a double. Then Luis Gonzalez hit a home run to give Arizona the lead. Randy gave way to the bullpen after seven. Byung-Hyun Kim allowed a pair of walks in the eighth, but also struck out the side. Matt Mantei allowed a two-out single to Chris Donnels in the eighth, but still managed to get the save.
181. Diamondbacks 7, Rockies 3
April 13, 2001
Coors Field
Denver, CO
Losing Pitcher: Brian Bohanon
7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 14 K
Randy followed up his successful Opening Day start with a miserable start against St. Louis where he allowed nine runs, just as he did in the final start of 2000 . Randy wanted to prove that he's not over the hill, but had to do it on the road in Colorado. The Diamondbacks took advantage of the thin air to put up an early lead. Jay Bell walked, and Luis Gonzalez hit a long home run, already his eighth of the season. However, Colorado tied it up in the bottom of the inning. Mark Little singled, then after a strikeout stole second and went to third on a bad throw by catcher Damian Miller. Larry Walker followed with the sixth home run of his own. Arizona went ahead in the second. Steve Finley walked, then after two flyouts, Tony Womack doubled. Finley had to hold at third, but Bell doubled himself and two runs scored. The game progressed quickly after that. Randy picked up his first hit of the year with a single in the bottom of the fourth, but never advanced. Arizona added two more runs after Bell hit his second double, and the Gonzalez followed with his second home run of the game. The Rockies had an answer to that in the bottom of the inning. Rookie Juan Uribe led off with a single, then Randy hit pinch-hitter Juan Pierre with a pitch. Terry Shumpert then singled to score Uribe, but Randy struck out the side to limit the damage. He struck out the side again in the seventh to set a record for strikeouts in Denver. The Diamondbacks added an insurance run in the seventh on a double play. The Rockies loaded the bases against Matt Mantei in the ninth, but he managed to nail down the save.
182. Diamondbacks 9, Marlins 0
April 23, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Ryan Dempster
9 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, SHO
Randy had failed in his attempt to get his revenge against the Cardinals despite pitching well, but the team played better upon their return to Phoenix, taking two of three against the Rockies at home to climb back into fourth place. Randy was tasked with opening the series against the Marlins, who were actually in a tie for third in the NL East. Randy shut down Florida for two innings before allowing a double to Alex Gonzalez after a strikeout. He finished striking out the side, then the Diamondbacks went to work in the bottom of the inning. Florida starter Ryan Dempster got two quick outs before losing his focus and walking Tony Womack and Jay Bell. Luis Gonzalez singled to score Womack, and Matt Williams hit a booming double to drive in two more runs. Randy allowed a single to Eric Owens leading off the fourth, but kept the Marlins off the scoreboard. Arizona went wild in the fifth. Randy led off with a single, and Womack sacrificed his pitcher to second. Randy scored when Bell singled. Then the Diamondbacks loaded the bases when Dempster hit Gonzalez on an 0-2 count, and walked Williams. Steve Finley hit a single to score two runs, and after Dempster was lifted, Reggie Sanders greeted the new reliever Joe Strong with a three-run home run. Randy responded to the additional lead by striking out the side in the sixth. He allowed a single to Preston Wilson in the seventh and another single to Alex Gonzalez in the eighth, but the game moved to the ninth with Randy working on a shutout. He got the first two outs, but then Wilson singled, and Mike Lowell followed with a single as well. Randy bore down and struck out the next batter to complete the shutout.
183. Diamondbacks 6, Phillies 1
May 13, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Robert Person
8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 12 K
Randy made three starts after his shutout and had pitched well in each of them, even making some history against the Reds when he struck out 20 in nine innings without a walk, but he was rewarded with a loss and two no-decisions. The Diamondbacks were tied for last after losing two straight against the surprising first-place Phillies. Randy was tasked with avoiding a sweep to end a homestand. He struggled in the first. Doug Glanville singled to lead off the game but was forced by rookie Jimmy Rollins, who stole second and went to third on a passed ball, but Randy kept him from scoring. Arizona also threatened in the bottom of the inning when Steve Finley doubled and went to third on Luis Gonzalez's single but he was thrown out trying to score on Matt Williams's fly ball. Randy wasn't so successful in the second. Brian Hunter led off with a single, stole second and went to third on a groundout. Tomas Perez followed with a double to drive in Hunter with the game's first run. Randy struck out the next two but the damage was done. The Diamondbacks tried to get back in the game, but were unable to until the fourth, when Mark Grace led off with a walk, and Reggie Sanders followed with a two-run home run. The Phillies advanced a runner to scoring position in the next three innings, but it was the Diamondbacks that scored again. Finley and Jay Bell both walked, and Gonzalez singled to load the bases. Reliever Ricky Bottalico came in and struck out Williams for the first out, but Mark Grace hit an earth-shattering grand slam. Randy had already labored through 145 pitches, and so rookie Bret Prinz came in and threw a one-two-three ninth to secure the win.
184. Diamondbacks 4, Cubs 0
May 18, 2001
Wrigley Field
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Jon Lieber
5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
The Diamondbacks went on the road and swept the Reds, and all of a sudden they were in a tie for second, just half a game behind the Dodgers. Randy took the ball to start a three-game series against the fourth-place Cubs, losers of seven straight. He knew a win could go a long way. Randy got into some trouble in the first, allowing a pair of walks and a single to Ron Coomer, but a baserunning error by Chicago led to Arizona getting out of the inning without a run. Randy allowed two more walks, but kept the Cubs off the scoreboard. Randy had only thrown five innings, but had already thrown 95 pitches and experienced some stiffness in his left shoulder, so manager Bob Brenly sent David Dellucci in to pinch-hit for Randy. Dellucci singled, and Tony Womack followed with another single. Jay Bell sacrificed the runners up, but the Cubs chose to intentionally walk Luis Gonzalez to set up the force at home. Up next was Mark Grace, the longtime Cubs first baseman. He singled to score both runners. Byung-Hyun Kim came in to pitch the sixth. He got a pair of strikeouts in the sixth and in the seventh, and struck out the side in the eighth. His control was a bit wild as he walked two and hit another batter with a pitch with a wild pitch, but managed to strike out seven to set a franchise record for most strikeouts in a relief appearance. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases in the eighth, but couldn't score an insurance run. They did in the ninth. Craig Counsell walked, then Danny Bautstia pinch-hit for Kim and blasted a home run. Bret Prinz came in and pitched a scoreless ninth for the win and wrap up the one-hitter.
185. Diamondbacks 8, Padres 4
June 3, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Jarvis
6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 14 K
The Diamondbacks had taken hold of first place as Randy made his first start in June, against the Padres. The Diamondbacks had won the first two games and counted on Randy to finish the sweep. Randy led off the game by striking out Rickey Henderson, but a wild pitch on the third strike sent Rickey all the way to second. He got all the way to third but two more strikeouts stranded him there. Arizona took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Tony Womack led off with a triple, and scored on a sacrifice fly. The inning continued as Jay Bell walked and Mark Grace singled him to third. Reggie Sanders then blasted a three-run home run to give Randy a comfortable lead. Randy let some of it get away in the second. Ben Davis led off with a home run. Then Alex Arias singled and went to second on a passed ball. Randy struck out two, but then allowed a single to pitcher Kevin Jarvis to score another run. Randy finished striking out the side, then struck out the side again in the third. The Diamondbacks scored another run in the fourth when Sanders singled and Craig Counsell doubled, but then the Padres scored two more in the fifth. Jarvis was hit by a pitch. Mike Colangeo singled, Phil Nevin doubled, and Bubba Trammell singled and San Diego was down by one. Arizona pulled away in the bottom of the inning. They loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Sanders drove in two more with a single. Randy struck out two more in the sixth before rookie Troy Brohawn came in. He threw two rocky innings but kept San Diego scoreless. The Diamondbacks added another run in the eighth before Greg Swindell finished the victory.
186. Diamondbacks 11, Royals 4
June 8, 2001
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
Losing Pitcher: Paul Byrd
7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
The Diamondbacks earned a split against the second-place Dodgers before going on the road for a quick interleague series against the Royals. The Royals were in last place in the AL Central, and the Diamondbacks took advantage. Luis Gonzalez homered with two outs in the first. Randy had no problem setting the Royals down in order in the first two innings, and Arizona continued to batter Royals pitching in the third. Craig Counsell singled, and later Jay Bell did as well. Mark Grace singled with two outs to drive in another run. Mark Quinn led off the bottom of the inning with a double, but Randy went ahead and struck out the side. Gonzalez hit his second home run of the day with one out in the fifth before the Royals scored a run in the bottom of the inning. Randy got the first two batters out before walking Hector Ortiz. Carlos Febles singled, and Rey Sanchez did as well to score a run. Febles was caught stealing third to end the inning, and the Diamondbacks scored two more in the sixth. Reliever and Randy's former teammate Mac Suzuki walked the bases loaded. Counsell hit a sacrifice fly before Bell walked to load the bases again. Another of Randy's former teammate Doug Henry came in and allowed a run on a wild pitch before getting out of the inning. Arizona scored four more runs in the seventh, three of which came on Steve Finley's home run. Randy pitched a scoreless seventh before giving away to another rookie reliever, Erik Sabel. The Royals pounced, getting two singles before Mike Sweeney hit a three-run home run. Gonzalez blasted his third home run of the day in the ninth, then Troy Brohawn came in and worked around two singles to get the win.
187. Diamondbacks 3, Cubs 2
June 14, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jason Bere
7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 11 K
Arizona took two of three against the Royals before returning home to face the Cubs. Chicago had gone on a tear since ending the eight-game losing streak against Arizona and had won 12 straight, and had the best record in the National League. The two teams split the first two games, and the Diamondbacks counted on Randy to deliver the series win. The Cubs pestered Randy for a single and a walk in the first, but he kept them from scoring. He allowed a single to Sammy Sosa in the fourth, but a double play kept the game scoreless. The Diamondbacks also couldn't get a run home until the fourth. Cubs starter Jason Bere got the first two batters out before Danny Bautista singled. Erubiel Durazo singled Bautista to third before Steve Finley walked to load the bases. Damian Miller followed with a double to clear the bases and give Randy a three-run lead. Randy took care of business in the fifth before walking to lead off the bottom of the inning. He went to second on a single by Craig Counsell, but he was picked off and the Diamondbacks ended up unable to score an insurance run. Randy got into some trouble in the sixth and seventh, allowing a walk and a hit in both innings but kept Chicago scoring. When he allowed a walk and a single for a third straight inning, manage Bob Brenly brought in Byung-Hyun Kim, who got out of the inning. Bret Prinz came to pitch the ninth. He allowed a ground ball by Rondell White that shorstop Tony Womack flubbed for an error. After a popout, Gary Matthews Jr. hit a Huge home run and the Cubs were within one. Greg Swindell came in and got the next two batters for the save.
188. Diamondbacks 9, Dodgers 2
June 19, 2001
Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles, CA
Losing Pitcher: Darren Dreifort
7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 8 K
The Diamondbacks had a fairly big lead over the Dodgers, who were in a tie for second, but after 2000 they knew no lead was safe. So when they went to Los Angeles to begin a road trip they were glad Randy was there to start the opening game. The Dodgers threatened against Randy, loading bases on two singles and a walk, but he got Adrian Beltre, who had returned from his two abdominal surgeries a month earlier, to pop out to end the inning. The Diamondbacks pulled through with a pair of runs in the third. Craig Counsell led off the inning with a double. He went to second on a groundout, and scored when Luis Gonzalez doubled. Gonzalez went to third when Mark Grace hit a single, and scored on a groundout by Reggie Sanders. Randy allowed a home run to Eric Karros with one out in the fourth, but Arizona came back with two more runs in the fifth. Counsell led off the inning with another single, and Gonzalez hit his 29th home run. Randy started out the fifth inning allowing a home run to Hiram Bocachica to lead off the inning. The Dodgers got two more batters on via a hit-by-pitch and a throwing error, but Randy kept them from scoring. Steve Finley followed with a leadoff home run of his own in the sixth. Randy shut the Dodgers down through the seventh, and Arizona went bonkers in the eighth. Damian Miller walked and Tony Womack followed with a single. Counsell's third hit scored a run. Then with two outs, Gonzalez hit his second home run of the day to drive in three more. Manager Bob Brenly turned to his bullpen, and Byung-Hyun Kim and Erik Sabel answered with two scoreless innings to secure the win.
189. Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 3
June 29, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Pedro Astacio
8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 10 K
Randy suffered a loss to the Rockies in the thin air of Colorado, but quickly had a chance to get revenge against them in the comforts of Bank One Ballpark. The Rockies were mired in fourth place in the NL West, while Arizona was comfortably in first. The Diamondbacks strike first against Rockies starter Pedro Astacio. Craig Counsell led off with a single, then Jay Bell was hit by a pitch. Luis Gonzalez flew out, but then Mark Grace singled to drive in Counsell with the game's first run. Randy struck out two in the second, and had four strikeouts by the time he finished retiring the Rockies in order through three. Neifi Perez doubled for Colorado's first baserunner, then went to third when Larry Walker singled, but Randy kept the Rockies off the board. Arizona added two more runs in the fifth. Tony Womack singled, then Randy sacrificed him to second. He scored when Counsell singled. Counsell went to second on a groundout, then Gonzalez doubled him home. Randy allowed a run to the Rockies when Ben Petrick homered with one out, but got through eight innings allowing only the one run. The Diamondbacks scored two more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Reggie Sanders and Steve Finley singled, and Damian Miller bunted them over. Womack was unable to score the runners, but pinch-hitter David Dellucci singled both of them in. Greg Swindell came in the ninth, but allowed a home run to Walker. Byung-Hyun Kim came in and got a strikeout, but then allowed another home run to Greg Norton. He then allowed a hit to Todd Walker and a single to Juan Pierre to put runners on the corner and let the go-ahead run come to the plate, but still managed to get the save.
190. Diamondbacks 3, Astros 2
July 4, 2001
Enron Field
Houston, TX
Losing Pitcher: Shane Reynolds
6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 13 K
The Diamondbacks finished with a sweep of the Rockies, and moved on to Houston. The Astros recovered from an awful 2000 season to sit in second. Houston had even won the first game before Randy came in to pitch on the Fourth of July. Luis Gonzalez gave Randy an early lead when he hit his 35th home run of the season with two outs in the first. However, Randy almost immediately gave the run back when he allowed a home run to Julio Lugo with one out in the bottom of the inning. The Astros threatened against in the second when Moises Alou led off with a single and Richard Hidalgo walked, but Randy struck out the next three. He then struck out the side again in the third. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks were getting frustrated by Houston's starter Shane Reynolds. They finally took the lead again in the fifth. Damian Miller walked with one out. After a flyout, Tony Womack singled. Randy came to the plate and Reynolds figured he could get out of the inning, but Randy lined a single to center and Miller came around with the go-ahead run. Yet the Astros came back in the sixth. Randy got the first two outs, before Lance Berkman doubled. Moises Alou singled and the game was tied again. The Diamondbacks threatened in the top of the seventh. Miller and Steve Finley both singled with one out. Womack flew out, and one again it was Randy's spot. However, David Dellucci came up to pinch-hit. He lined a single to drive in the go-ahead run. The game soon rested in the hands of the bullpen. Erik Sabel pitched a scoreless seventh. Then Byung-Hyun Kim struck out the side around a walk. Then he came back for the ninth to get the save.
191. Diamondbacks 3, Padres 0
July 18, 2001
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, CA
Losing Pitcher: Woody Williams
7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 16 K
The Diamondbacks went on a skid before the All-Star break, but picked things up before taking on the fourth-place Padres in their 34-year-old ballpark. The game started on July 18 with Curt Schilling pitching against Woody Williams. Both pitches tossed a scoreless first before the Diamondbacks took a lead in the second when Mark Grace led off with a home run. Schilling threw a one-two-three second before leading off the third against Williams. Then in the middle of the at-bat, a loud boom echoed across the stadium, and a set of outfield lights went out. A transformer had blown. Stadium workers tried to get it fixed, but in the end the game had to be delayed to the next day. Brian Anderson hit for Schilling and completed the strikeout, but Arizona then loaded the bases on David Dellucci's double and two walks. A wild pitch scored another run. Then Randy strolled to the mound to pitch the rest of the game. He got two strikeouts in the third, and struck out the side in the fourth. Two more strikeouts in the fifth helped him tie the franchise record for strikeouts in a relief appearance, and two more in the sixth helped him set the record. Randy struck out the side in the seventh before Luis Gonzalez homered for a third run in the eighth. Randy got two strikeouts in the bottom of the eighth before Wiki Gonzalez got a single, San Diego's first hit of the game. Randy stranded him at first, then came on in the ninth and got two more strikeouts. The first against Damian Jackson helped him tie Walter Johnson's record for most strikeouts in a relief appearance with 15, set in 1913. His second against Ben Davis broke it, and helped the Diamondbacks to the win.
192. Diamondbacks 11, Padres 0
July 24, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Jarvis
7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 14 K
The Padres felt humiliated by Randy, and went on to win the regularly scheduled game on the 19th. They then traveled to Arizona and beat the Diamondbacks in the first game. Randy was tasked with stopping the Padres and maintaining the increasingly tenuous lead. The Padres really wanted to get their revenge on Randy, but he pitched around a single by Bubba Trammell and struck out a pair in the first, then pitched around a walk and struck out a pair in both the second and the third. Arizona took a lead in the bottom of the third. Steve Finley singled, and Damiam Miller doubled him home. Randy successfully sacrificed Miller to third, and Craig Counsell's single scored another run. Randy then came out and struck out the side in the fourth and fifth. The Padres were getting increasingly desperate, but Arizona used that to their advantage to score some more runs. Counsell led off the sixth with a triple. Junior Spivey walked, and Luis Gonzalez blasted a home run. Then in the seventh, Miller led off with a double. After Randy struck out, a passed ball led to Miller going to third, then scoring on an errant throw by Padres catcher Ben Davis. After Counsell popped out, Spivey walked and Gonzalez homered again, his 40th of the season. Randy faced one batter in the eighth and got a flyout before manager Bob Brenly came and replaced him with Troy Brohawn. Brohawn got the job done done before the Diamondbacks went to town in the eighth. Three straight singles led to a run scoring, and another single loaded the bases. One run came home on a groundout, and another scored on Spivey's single. Erik Sabel pitched the ninth and got two strikeouts in shutting out the Padres on another one-hitter.
193. Diamondbacks 7, Mets 0
August 3, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Al Leiter
7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Randy pitched well against the Giants in his next start after embarrassing the Padres for the second time, but the Diamondbacks ended up losing after Randy departed and had found themselves in second place behind the Dodgers. Randy was tasked with starting the first game in a series against the Mets. The Mets won the pennant in 2000, but they were defeated by the cross-town Yankees, and now found themselves in fourth. The Diamondbacks took a lead in the first. Junior Spivey walked with one out, then Danny Bautista singled him to third. Mark Grace was next and hit the first pitch for another single to drive in a run. Randy led off the second by striking out Tsuyoshi Shinjo, but the Japanese rookie advanced to first on a passed ball. Randy allowed a walk, but a double play ended the inning. Arizona tore into Mets starter Al Leiter in the third. Craig Counsell led off with a single. Then back-to-back doubles by Spivey and Luis Gonzalez led to two runs scoring. Leiter got the next two outs, but then Matt Williams hit a long home run and the Diamondbacks had a five run lead. The Mets got their first hit in the fourth when Edgardo Alfonzo led off with a single, but he couldn't score. Then in the fifth, Benny Agbayani led off with a triple, but two strikeouts and a popup ended the inning. The Diamondbacks scored an insurance run in the sixth. Reggie Sanders singled then stole second. Then after two strikeouts, Counsell singled him home. And in the seventh, Gonzalez led off with a home run to stake Randy to a seven-run lead. With such a large lead, manager Bob Brenly called on Troy Brohawn, who pitched two scoreless innings to finish off the much-needed victory.
194. Diamondbacks 7, Marlins 1
August 8, 2001
Pro Player Stadium
Miami, FL
Losing Pitcher: Jesus Sanchez
7 IP 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
The Diamondbacks had reclaimed first after the win against the Mets, but soon fell back to second and found themselves in third after losing the first game of a series against the surprising Marlins. The Marlins were in third after three awful seasons. Randy was sent out to get a win in the series. Randy was sharp, but so was Marlins pitcher Jesus Sanchez, who struck out the first two batters he faced. Randy got into some trouble in the third when he walked Chad Mottola. Sanchez bunted Mottola to second, then Luis Castillo's single put runners on the corner, but Randy managed to escape the inning without a run. The Diamondbacks finally came through in the fifth. Reggie Sanders led off with a double, went to third on a flyout, and scored when Damian Miller singled. After Randy struck out, two more doubles led to two more runs scoring. Luis Gonzalez singled to drive in a run, but he was out trying to advance to second. Randy became tougher once he had a lead, but the Marlins still got through to him in the seventh. Kevin Millar and Mike Lowell led off the inning with singles. Derrek Lee struck out, but a walk to Charles Johnson loaded the bases. Mottola drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, but another single re-loaded the bases. Randy struck out the next batter on three pitches to escape the inning. Then the Diamondbacks added three more runs in the eighth. Gonzalez singled with one out and scored on Matt Williams's double. Williams went to third on the throw home and scored on a sacrifice fly. Sanders then homered. Randy's day was done. Bret Prinz came in to pitch a scoreless eighth. Byung-Hyun Kim did the same in the ninth for the win.
195. Diamondbacks 3, Pirates 0
August 13, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jimmy Anderson
9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, SHO
The Diamondbacks followed the Florida series with a sweep against the Atlanta Braves to take hold of first place. They then returned for a homestand against the Pirates, who had the worst record in the National League. Randy was tasked with getting the series on the right foot and to ensure that the Diamondbacks could remain in first. Randy got into some trouble in the first, allowing a single to Gary Matthews Jr. and making an error on Jack Wilson's sacrifice bunt, but a double play and a strikeout helped get him out of the inning. Luis Gonzalez then gave Arizona the lead in the bottom of the inning with a home run with two outs. Randy was dominant in the second, getting two strikeouts. Reggie Sanders singled in the second and stole his way to third, but he was stranded there. Pat Meares was hit by a pitch leading off the third, but he was picked off and caught stealing. Aramis Ramirez singled with two outs in the fourth, but a strikeout stranded him there. Matthews singled in the sixth, but he was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks were having a hard time scoring any additional runs, but finally came through in the bottom of the sixth. Mark Grace walked with two outs, and then Matt Williams followed with another home run. Randy was allowed to pitch the seventh and he got a pair of strikeouts. He allowed a single to Meares in the eighth, but kept Pittsburgh off the scoreboard. Randy had thrown 97 pitches after eight, and he was allowed to pitch the ninth to go for the shutout. He got the first two batters before Jason Kendall singled, but Randy struck out Ramirez for his first shutout since April.
196. Diamondbacks 5, Cubs 3
August 18, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jason Bere
6.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
The Diamondbacks went on a roll, stretching the winning streak to seven games starting from the Braves series. Arizona counted on Randy to extend the winning streak against the Cubs, who were still tied for first in the NL Central. Randy worked around a single to the dangerous Sammy Sosa to keep the Cubs scoreless in the first. The Diamondbacks were able to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Junior Spivey tripled with one out. A multitude of hits could score him, but Luis Gonzalez went with the home run to drive in himself as well. Arizona added another run in the third. Craig Counsell and Gonzalez both walked. Cubs pitcher Jason Bere had two outs, but then Matt Williams followed with a single to drive in Counsell. Randy ran into trouble in the fifth. Bill Mueller walked with one out, and Robert Machado doubled. Mueller held at third, and Randy was able to escape the inning. Arizona scored again in the fifth. Counsell led off with a double, and went to third on a groundout. After Gonzalez walked, another groundout scored Counsell. The Cubs got to Randy in the sixth. Sosa tripled with one out, then scored when Ron Coomer singled. Randy got out of the inning before Damian Miller added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning, but Chicago continued to attack in the seventh. Machado led off with a single. Randy got two outs, but hit Corey Patterson with a pitch. Sosa singled to load the bases, and Coomer singled in two runs. That spelled the end of Randy's day. Troy Brohawn came and gout of the inning, then pitched a scoreless eighth. Byung-Hyun Kim pitched the ninth and hit Patterson with two outs, but struck out Sosa to end the game.
197. Diamondbacks 4, Giants 1
August 28, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Livan Hernandez
8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Randy struck out 16 in Pittsburgh, which allowed him to pass 300 strikeouts for a fourth straight year, but Pittsburgh battered him for four runs and he lost. The Diamondbacks still returned home in first for a three-game series against the Giants, who hanging tough in second, waiting to strike like they did a year earlier. Randy got the call for the first game. Randy allowed a double to Calvin Murray leading off the first and walked Barry Bonds, but struck out the side. The Diamodnbacks took the lead in the second. Mark Grace led off with a double, then Reggie Sanders homered. Damian Miller followed with another single, but Giants starter Livan Hernandez kept them from scoring again. They went right back to work in the third. Craig Counsell led off with a single, and Luis Gonzalez hit his 49th home run of the year. Hernandez kept them from scoring any more. The Giants knocked two singles against Randy in the fourth, but he kept them scoreless. They persisted into the fifth. Benito Santiago and Hernandez both singled leading off the inning. Murray forced Livan, but Santiago scored. Randy walked Bonds, but got out of the inning with two strikeouts. The Arizona crowd was hoping to see Gonzalez hit his 50th home run of the season to join Bonds and Sammy Sosa who had hit 50 earlier in the month, but he struck out in the fifth and grounded out in the seventh. Arizona threatened in the sixth when Steve Finley doubled and Randy walked, but a pair of strikeouts kept them from scoring. Nevertheless Randy got through eight innings allowing only the one run. Byung-Hyun Kim came and pitched the ninth. J.T. Snow reached on an error by third baseman Williams, but a double play ended the game.
198. Diamondbacks 7, Rockies 3
September 17, 2001
Coors Field
Denver, CO
Losing Pitcher: Kane Davis
8 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Randy suffered two no-decisions before the horrible events of September 11 halted all baseball activities. The game was put on hold before play resumed six days later. The Diamondbacks were to play their regularly scheduled game against the last-place Colorado Rockies. Randy had the honor of getting the first start. Randy ran into trouble in the first. He got the first two outs before Larry Walker and Jeff Cirillo both singled. Randy managed to get out of the inning with a groundout, then the Diamondbacks took the lead in the second. Mark Grace walked with one out. After a strikeout, Steve Finley doubled to drive in the run. Colorado got to Randy in the third. Juan Pierre singled with one out, then went to second on a wild pitch and stole third as Randy walked Jose Ortiz. Walker doubled to score Pierre, and Ortiz went to third. Cirillo's sacrifice fly would give the Rockies the lead. Colorado got an insurance run in the sixth. Todd Helton singled with one out, and scored when Juan Uribe singled and shortstop Womack made a bad throw. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks were getting handcuffed by Rockies starter Denny Neagle. They finally came back in the seventh after Neagle was lifted. Grace singled and Matt Williams walked. Williams was picked off, but an errant throw by Rockies catcher Sal Fasano sent the runners to second and third, and Finley's sacrifice fly drove in the Huge Run. Rookie Kane Davis came in and promptly allowed a go-ahead home run to Damian Miller. Randy allowed a single to Fasano and hit Walker with a pitch in the bottom of the inning, but escaped trouble and Arizona added three more runs in the eighth. Randy pitched a scoreless ninth before giving way to Byung-Hyun Kim to finish the win.
199. Diamondbacks 13, Brewers 11
September 27, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Ruben Quevedo
6.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 16 K
Randy failed in his first attempt to get his 20th win, but had another try at home against the fourth-place Brewers, who hasn't beaten him since 1992. The Diamondbacks staked him to a lead in the bottom of the first. Brewers starter Ruben Quevedo loaded the bases on three walks. Then Erubiel Durazo drove in a run on a single, and Steve Finley drove in another on a sacrifice fly. Arizona scored two more in the bottom of the inning on home runs by Chad Moeller and Tony Womack. The Brewers picked up a run in the third when Henry Blanco homered leading off the inning. Arizona added three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Craig Counsell led off with a double and Moeller walked. Randy bunted them up, and three more singles led to three more runs. Arizona scored three more times in the fifth. Womack and Danny Bautista singled, and Matt Williams drove them in with a double. Finley's single scored Williams. Randy ran into trouble in the seventh. Jose Hernandez and Blanco led off with singles. Randy struck out two before Elvis Pena drove in a run with a single. Randy struck out Luis Lopez for his 16th strikeout, but a wild pitch allowed Lopez to go to first and loaded the bases. Randy departed in favor of Mike Morgan, who allowed Richie Sexson to clear the bases with a double. The Diamondbacks scored two more in the bottom of the inning on Finley's two-run triple, but Milwaukee scored four times in the eighth against three Diamondbacks relievers. Arizona got one run back in the bottom of the inning, but the Brewers pulled to within two on Jeromy Burnitz's two-out, two-run home run. Byung-Hyun Kim finally halted the damage and Randy had his 20th win.
200. Diamondbacks 10, Rockies 1
October 2, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Mike Hampton
7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
The Diamondbacks were closing in on the division title as they began to play games delayed by the events of September 11. Randy started as Arizona welcomed the last-place Colorado Rockies. Randy hit Larry Walker with a pitch in the first, but Walker was caught trying to steal second. The Rockies got out of a jam in the second, but weren't so lucky in the third. After Randy struck out, Tony Womack singled and he was bunted to second. Luis Gonzalez drove him in with a single, and Greg Colbrunn's double scored another run. The Rockies got one run back in the fourth. Jose Ortiz doubled with one out, and Greg Norton followed with another double once Randy got the second out. Reggie Sanders led off with a home run in the bottom of the inning, and Gonzalez also homered with one out in the fifth, his 56th of the season. Randy allowed a pair of singles in the seventh, but got out of the inning on a double play. He led off the bottom of the inning and was hit by a pitch, which Hampton later admitted was intentional. Tensions were high, but the Diamondbacks took it out with their bats. Womack singled, and Danny Bautista tripled in two. Gonzalez drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Colbrunn followed with another single and went to third on Sanders's double. Craig Counsell singled to drive in two runs. Randy came out in favor of Erik Sabel in the eighth. Sabel allowed two singles but kept Colorado from scoring. The Diamondbacks added another run in the bottom of the inning on a double and a single. Brian Anderson came to pitch the ninth. He allowed two singles leading off, but settled down and helped Randy get his 200th career win.
PS 3. Diamondbacks 2, Braves 0
NLCS Game 1
October 16, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Greg Maddux
9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, SHO
The Diamondbacks clinched the NL West on October 5 and faced the Cardinals in the division series. Randy got the loss in Game 2 to stretch his post-season losing streak to seven, but Arizona won the series and earned the chance to face the Braves in the NLCS. The Braves overcame a slow start to capture their 10th straight division title. Randy got the ball for Game 1 to try to win his first post-season game since 1995 and get the series started on the right foot. Randy allowed a two-out infield single to his nemesis Chipper Jones, but got out of the inning. The Diamondbacks scored a run in the first against future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. Craig Counsell singled with one out. Luis Gonzalez hit a ground ball to second baseman Marcus Giles. Giles flubbed the ball and Counsell advanced all the way to third. Reggie Sanders followed with a single and Arizona took the lead. Maddux got a double play to end the inning, but Randy had himself the lead. He tore through the Braves lineup methodically, retiring 13 straight through the fifth. The Diamondbacks scored another run for him in the bottom of the inning. Counsell doubled past a diving center fielder Andruw Jones with two outs. Gonzalez followed with a single to score another run. Randy extends his streak of batters retired to 20 before walking Bernard Gilkey with one out in the eighth. He quickly got a flyout and a strikeout to keep the runner at first. Randy was allowed to pitch the ninth to get his first post-season shutout. He got the first two outs before allowing singles to Julio Franco and Chipper. Manager Bob Brenly stuck with Randy, and he struck out Brian Jordan to give Arizona a 1-0 series lead.
PS 4. Diamondbacks 3, Braves 2
NLCS Game 5
Turner Field
Atlanta, GA
October 21, 2001
Losing Pitcher: Tom Glavine
7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 8 K
The Braves won Game 2 of the NLCS in Arizona, but the Diamondbacks took the first two in Atlanta, and Randy got the ball for Game 5 with a chance to make it three straight and send the team to their first ever World Series. The Braves sent their left-hander Tom Glavine to the mound. Arizona threatened first when Tony Womack singled and was bunted to second. Reggie Sanders walked with two outs, but a groundout ended the opportunity. The game remained scoreless going into the fourth. Mark Grace singled with one out. Matt Williams walked, and Danny Bautista singled to give Arizona the lead. Damian Miller followed with a walk to load the bases, but Glavine got out of the jam without further damage. The Braves quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning, when Julio Franco led off with a home run. Randy struck out the next two batters, including Chipper Jones, and the game went into the fifth. Craig Counsell hit a grounder that Braves second baseman Marcus Giles flubbed, allowing Counsell to reach. Luis Gonzalez forced Counsell, and a strikeout of Sanders put Glavine at the verge of getting out of the inning. However, Erubiel Durazo pinch-hit for Mark Grace and blasted a home run. The Braves loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on two singles and an error, but Randy kept Atlanta from scoring. The Braves scored the Huge Run in the seventh. Sanchez singled with one out, and Giles walked. Franco then singled to drive in a run. Chipper walked to load the bases but Randy limited further damage. Byung-Hyun Kim came in to pitch in the eighth. He pitched a one-two-three eighth before working around a walk to Keith Lockhart in the ninth to give Arizona the pennant.
PS 5. Diamondbacks 4, Yankees 0
World Series Game 2
October 28, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Andy Pettitte
9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, SHO
The Diamondbacks faced the New York Yankees in the World Series. The Yankees won 95 games and knocked off the 116-win Seattle Mariners to take the American League pennant. Arizona won Game 1 behind Curt Schilling, and they counted on Randy to take a 2-0 lead before the series shifts to New York. Randy struck out a pair in the first and second innings. Yankees starter Andy Pettitte was similarly sharp in the first, but the Diamondbacks got to him in the second. Reggie Sanders led off with an infield single. Danny Bautista was next and he hit the first pitch for a double. Sanders scored and Bautista advanced to third. He tried to score on a grounder by Mark Grace, but the Yankees got him out at home on a fielders choice. Randy struck out the side in the third. The Yankees finally got a baserunner with one out in the fourth when Randy Velarde walked, but Randy kept him at first. Jorge Posada led off the fifth with the Yankees' first hit, but two strikeouts and a flyout kept them the Yankees from scoring. Pettitte was sharp after giving up the run, allowing only a single until the seventh. Luis Gonzalez was hit by a pitch. Sanders forced him, but Bautista hit an infield single that ricocheted off the Yankees pitcher. Pettitte stayed in the game, but allowed a three-run home run to Matt Willians. Randy allowed singles to Shane Spencer and Alfonso Soriano leading off the eighth, but got a strikeout and a double play to end the threat. Randy was still out in the ninth inning to try for the shutout. It took him only nine pitches to retire the side in order to get his first World Series win and give Arizona the 2-0 lead.
PS 6. Diamondbacks 15, Yankees 2
World Series Game 6
November 3, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Andy Pettitte
7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
The Yankees worked their magic and won all three in New York, two of them in extra innings after being down in the ninth. The Series went back to Arizona and Randy was tasked with extending the Series to a Game 7. The Diamondbacks made it easy by dominating the Yankees pitchers. Tony Womack led off the first with a ground-rule double. Danny Bautista singled him home. Arizona loaded the bases in the second on a single, a double, and an intentional walk to Damian Miller. Randy forced a runner at home, but Womack singled to score two runs, and Bautista singled for one more. The Yankees loaded the bases against Randy when Yankees starter Andy Pettitte singled and Randy walked two, but he kept them from scoring. Arizona went to town in the third. Greg Colbrunn walked and Williams doubled. Jay Witasick came in, then allowed four straight singles for three runs, with even Randy getting in on the action. After a strikeout, two more singles and two doubles led to five more runs. The carnage continued in the fourth. Jay Bell struck out but reached on a wild pitch, then Miller doubled him home. Two more singles and an error by second baseman Alfonso Soriano led to two more runs. Randy was sharp, but the Yankees finally scored their first runs against him in the sixth. Bernie Williams singled with one out, and Todd Greene doubled. Bernie held at third, but scored when Shane Spencer singled. A single by Luis Sojo drove in Greene. Randy made sure to hold the Yankees there. He pitched a scoreless seventh before Bobby Witt came to pitch the eighth. Witt walked Bernie, but got a double play. Then Troy Brohawn worked around a one-out single by Soriano to force a Game 7.
PS 7. Diamondbacks 3, Yankees 2
World Series Game 7
November 4, 2001
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Mariano Rivera
1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
It was Curt Schilling vs. Roger Clemens for Game 7. Paul O'Neill doubled with one out in the first, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple. Clemens allowed Craig Counsell to reach with an error, but kept the game scoreless. Clemens continued to get in and out of trouble until the sixth. Steve Finley led off with a single, and Bautista doubled in the game's first run. The Yankees got the run back in the seventh. Derek Jeter and O'Neill led off with singles. After a forceout, Tino Martinez singled to tie the game. Clemens allowed a single to Tony Womack in the seventh and Mike Stanton entered to get out of the inning. Soriano led off the eighth with a home run. By then Randy had made his way to the bullpen. He came in after David Justice singled and Jeter forced Justice. He got a flyout to end the inning, then pitched a one-two-three ninth. The Yankees had brought Mariano Rivera in the eighth and he struck out the side around a single to Finley. He was still on the mound trying to finish the Yankees' 27th title. Mark Grace led off and singled. Damian Miller came to bunt. He bunted it right to Rivera who turned to try to get the lead runner, but threw it away for the error. Jay Bell came to bunt for Randy. This time Rivera got the lead runner, but then Womack hit a game-tying double to give Rivera his first blown save in the post-season since the 1997 Division Series. Counsell was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Luis Gonzalez was next. He blooped a single over the drawn-in infield and Bell came running home with the walk-off run. The Arizona Diamondbacks were World Champions.
2002
Randy showed early on that 2002 wouldn't be the year when he starts breaking down. He started on Opening Day for the fifth straight season and pitched an absolute gem. He threw a complete game shutout against the San Diego Padres. The eight strikeouts were a little less than what people had been accustomed to, but he only walked one. And he went on to have another 6-0 April record, just as he did in 2000. His ERA was 1.37, and he still struck out 61 batters in 46 innings, including 17 on April 21 against the Colorado Rockies. With Randy and Curt Schilling both off to terrific starts, the Diamondbacks quickly took a hold of first place, which they would maintain for most of the season.
Randy had put up some amazing numbers at the All-Star break. He was 12-3 and had a 2.47 ERA. He also had 171 strikeouts in 138 and 2/3 innings. As good as those numbers were, they weren't among the league leaders. His ERA was behind that of Atlanta's Tom Glavine, who had a 2.27 ERA. And his win totals and strikeouts lagged behind his teammate Curt Schilling. Schilling was 14-3, and he also led Randy in strikeouts by 15, with 186 in 140 and 1/3 innings. Schilling had frequently joked he wanted to take the Cy Young from Randy, but it seemed he was serious about it this time. Bob Brenly was the National League manager for the All-Star Game, and he named both of his aces onto the team. This was the fourth straight year he made the All-Star Game, and had started the previous two games. Yet he surprised most people by making the announcement he would decline the spot to spend more time with his family. Schilling got the start in Milwaukee while Randy watched from Arizona. Then Randy watched as both Brenly and AL manager Joe Torre used their pitchers very liberally. Soon it was the 11th and the game was tied 7-7. Both teams had used up all of their pitchers, and the last pitchers would have had to pitch their third innings in the 12th. Commissioner Bud Selig had to make the executive decision to call the game if it remained tied in the 11th.
The extra rest seemed to have done Randy well. He had a stinker of a start on July 21, allowing eight runs in five innings, but after that he made seven straight starts without a loss, going 6-0 and reaching double digits in strikeouts in six of those seven starts. He won his 20th game of the season on September 4. By that time he was just one win behind his teammate Schilling. Randy saved his best work for last. He won all five of his September starts, allowing only five runs (three earned) in 41 innings. He reached double digit strikeouts in only one of those starts, but he had 17 in that start, and had 49 during that month. Meanwhile, Schilling limped to the finish line, going 2-2 with a 5.87 ERA. Randy finished with a career-high 24 wins to Schilling's 23, allowing him to lead the league in wins for the first time in his career. He was also tops in strikeouts with 334 to Schilling's 316. And his strong September lowered his ERA to 2.32, which was also a league-leading total. He had laid claim to the exclusive Pitching Triple Crown.
As much as Randy wanted to enjoy the best numbers of his career, he had another task at hand. The Diamondbacks had won the NL West again, and they had to face the St. Louis Cardinals in a Division Series rematch. The Cardinals had united together behind the tragic and unexpected death of their popular starter Darryl Kile, who passed away from a heart attack on June 22. Randy had the honor of starting Game One, but then he posted his worst start since August 30, when he lasted only six innings and allowed six runs (five earned.) It was a dramatic departure from his dominant September. And then Randy had to watch from the dugout as the Cardinals won the next two games to eliminate Arizona in an embarrassing sweep. Randy had the best performance in the end of the year voting in his career. He won the Cy Young unanimously, capturing every first-place vote from all 32 voters. It was his fourth consecutive Cy Young award, joining Greg Maddux as the only pitchers to do so. And it was his fifth overall, bringing him closer to Roger Clemens. And he also finished seventh in MVP voting, the first time he placed in the top 10 during his Arizona tenure. However, the poor playoff performance still ate at him.
The Wins of 2002
201. Diamondbacks 2, Padres 0
April 1, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Jarvis
9 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, SHO
It was the start of a new year. As magical as 2001 was for Arizona, Randy knew he couldn't let up. He went into his Opening Day start with the same sense of determination he had held since the 1993 season. It helped that his opponents were the Padres, who finished fourth in the NL West in 2001. He was strong out of the gate, retiring the Padres in order in the first. He allowed a double to Phil Nevin in the second, but kept him from scoring. The Diamondbacks hitters were also determined to keep things up. Tony Womack and Danny Bautista led off the first with single, but Bautista was thrown out trying to advance to second, and Womack was stranded at third. The Diamondbacks finally took the lead in the third. Padres starter Kevin Jarvis got two outs, but then Womack singled. Bautista hit a long line drive and this time he was successful in making it to second as Womack scored. Randy continued to allow solitary singles, to D'Angelo Jimenez in the third, then Ramon Vazquez in the fifth after he had walked Wiki Gonzalez, Phil Nevin in the sixth, and Wiki in the seventh, but he managed to keep San Diego from scoring every single time. Mark Grace helped add an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh when he led off with a home run. Randy pitched a one-two-three eighth without allowing a run, and manager Bob Brenly let him go out in the ninth to go for the Opening Day shutout. Randy got into a long battle with Ron Gant, but Gant flew out on the eighth pitch. After a groundout, Bubba Trammell singled. Randy then got Deivi Cruz to strike out to start the 2002 season off on the right foot.
202. Diamondbacks 6, Brewers 3
April 6, 2002
Miller Park
Milwaukee, WI
Losing Pitcher: Nick Neugebauer
7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 12 K
The Diamondbacks won the first two games started by Randy and co-ace Curt Schilling, but dropped the next two, including one against the Brewers in their relatively new park. Randy had been strong against Milwaukee. He hasn't lost to them in almost ten years, and missed out on pitching in Miller Park in October 2001. The Brewers greeted him rudely, with Jeffrey Hammonds hitting a home run with two outs in the first. Randy got out of the first without further damage. Arizona was unable to score until the fourth. Mark Grace walked with one out, and after a strikeout, Steve Finley blasted a home run to give the Diamondbacks the lead. Randy ran into some trouble in the fourth. Hammonds led off with a double, and went to third on a passed ball. Randy got a ground ball to third that third baseman Craig Counsell threw home to nail Hammonds trying to score. Then Tony Womack added to the lead in the fifth with a home run. Milwaukee loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a pair of singles, a sacrifice bunt, and a walk, but Randy got a double play from Ronnie Belliard to end the threat. The Diamondbacks added three more runs in the seventh. Finley walked and back-to-back doubles from Junior Spivey and Craig Counsell led to two runs. Counsell went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Randy's sacrifice fly. Randy struck out the side in the bottom of the inning before giving way to reliever Bret Prinz, who was solid in 2001 but was hurt in September. He was putrid in 2002, allowing two runs on three singles and two wild pitches. Mike Myers had to get the last out in the eighth, then Byung-Hyun Kim finished the ninth.
203. Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 4
April 11, 2002
Coors Field
Denver, CO
Losing Pitcher: Dennys Reyes
7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Randy strove to to continue his hot start, but meanwhile the Diamondbacks were treading water. They won two in Milwaukee, but were swept by the Padres in San Diego. Manager Bob Brenly counted on Randy to start the four-game series against the Rockies on a strong foot. Randy struggled in the first. He hit Juan Pierre with a pitch, then Pierre stole second, and scored when Juan Uribe tripled. Randy walked the next two batters to load the bases. Todd Helton then hit a ground ball that shortstop Tony Womack flubbed to score another run. Randy settled down and got two strikeouts and a groundout to end the inning. Damian Miller led off the second with a home run. After Randy struck out the side in the bottom of the inning and worked around a leadoff double by Larry Walker in the third, Miller homered again to lead off the fourth to tie the game. Reliever Dennys Reyes came in to pitch the fifth. Womack led off with a single, then Steve Fnley walked. Danny Bautista forced Finley, but he stole second and Mark Grace walked to load the bases. Miller then singled to drive in two more runs. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases again in the seventh on two singles and a walk, and this time Junior Spivey tripled to clear the bases. Luis Gonzalez homered in the eighth. Randy pitched well through the seventh, but Brenly went to the bullpen for the bottom of the eighth and things started falling apart. Eddie Oropesa allowed a run on a single, a passed ball, and another single. Bret Prinz came in after another single put runners on the corner, and a wild pitch scored another run. He still got out of the inning, and Byung-Hyun Kim pitched an uneventful ninth.
204. Diamondbacks 5, Cardinals 3
April 16, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Bud Smith
7 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 5 K
The Diamondbacks swept their way through Colorado and soon found themselves back in second. They came home to face the Cardinals, who wanted revenge for knocking them out in the division series a year earlier. Arizona won the first game, and Randy got the ball to extend the winning streak to six. He was sharp, retiring the Cardinals in order in the first before allowing a double and a walk in the second. He kept St. Louis from scoring and the Diamondbacks went to work in the bottom of the inning. Jose Guillen walked with one out and stole second. Then Junior Spivey blasted a home run to give Arizona the lead. They scored another insurance run in the third. Danny Bautista and Luis Gonzalez hit back-to-back singles with one out. Then Greg Colbrunn doubled to drive in a run. Arizona couldn't score another run that inning, then reigning Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols homered to lead off the fourth. Randy and the Diamondbacks worked on getting that run back in the bottom of the inning. Junior Spivey led off with a single and went to second on a groundout. Then Randy picked up his first hit in 2002 with a ringing double to drive in the run. The Cardinals weren't giving up and battered Randy in the sixth. Placido Polanco led off with a single, and after a flyout, Pujols doubled for his second RBI. Randy got another out but Eli Marrero singled to score Pujols. Randy got out of the mess and pitched a scoreless seventh. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on two singles and a walk, but failed to score. They eventually got the insurance run when Steve Finley homered in the eighth, and Mike Myers picked up the save.
205. Diamondbacks 7, Rockies 1
April 21, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Shawn Chacon
9 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 17 K
Arizona took two of three from the Cardinals before the Rockies came to town. The teams split the first two games and Randy was tasked with getting the series win before the Diamondbacks left on a road trip. The Rockies wanted revenge from the earlier game in Colorado and was on the attack in the first. Juan Pierre singled and went to second on a passed ball. Randy struck out a batter, but another passed ball as Pierre was stealing third led to the run. Randy got the strikeout and got out of the inning, then he struck out the side in the second. The Diamondbacks tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Steve Finley homered with two outs. Then they took the lead in the third. Tony Womack doubled with two outs, and he scored when Rockies first baseman Todd Helton made an error on Craig Counsell's grounder. Junior Spivey walked and Luis Gonzalez drove in another run. Damian Miller made up for his passed balls from earlier with a home run in the fourth. Then Womack and Spivey teamed for another run in the fifth on a double and single. Randy settled down and struck out a pair of batters from the third through fifth. He got one strikeout in the sixth before allowing a triple to Juan Uribe. He managed to strand him there then struck out another pair in the seventh and one in the eighth. The Diamondbacks added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth when Danny Bautista doubled, Mark Grace singled and Miller doubled. Randy came out to pitch the ninth. He already had 15 strikeouts, and struck out two more to total 17 for his first big strikeout game of 2002, and also nailed down his fifth win.
206. Diamondbacks 5, Marlins 3
April 26, 2002
Pro Player Stadium
Miami, FL
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Olsen
7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
Randy had made some history in 2000 by winning six games in April. He had another opportunity to do so again in 2002. The Diamondbacks had also taken first and Randy was intent to keep them there. Randy got into some trouble in the first when he walked Luis Castillo and Preston Wilson. However, he got some assistance from his catcher who caught both runners stealing. The Diamondbacks then picked up the lead in the third. Tony Womack doubled with one out, and Craig Counsell singled him home. Arizona loaded the bases on two more walks, but a double play ended the chances for additional runs. Florida tied the game in the fourth. Wilson singled with one out, and Mike Lowell followed with a double to drive in the run. The game did not stay tied for long. Womack singled to lead off the fifth, then stole second and third. After Junior Spivey walked the Marlins made a pitching change, but the new pitcher didn't fare much better. Luis Gonzalez struck out, but Damian Miller singled, Steve Finley hit a line drive that Marlins right fielder Eric Owens dropped, and Danny Bautista singled and three more runs scored. Randy got through seven innings after allowing just the one run in the fourth. Embittered reliever Bret Prinz came to pitch the eighth. He walked Randy's old teammate Tim Raines, and Castillo singled him to third. A sacrifice fly led to a run coming home, and Byung-Hyun Kim had to get out of the eighth. Gonzalez homered in the ninth, but Florida mounted another rally in the ninth. Kevin Millar led off with a double and Owens singled him to third. Millar came home on a groundout. Kim allowed Owens to reach third, but finally finished off another historic month for Randy.
207. Diamondbacks 4, Phillies 2
May 16, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jose Santiago
7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 8 K
Randy missed his first start in May due to a flare-up of his back issues, but then came back to record a loss and a no-decision. The Diamondbacks had fallen half a game behind the Giants, and counted on Randy to start a new homestand strong against the last-place Phillies. Philadelphia showed they were not to be underestimated when Jimmy Rollins led off with a home run. Randy allowed another single to Bobby Abreu later in the inning, but Abreu was caught stealing to end the threat. The Diamondbacks put runners on against Phillies starter Dave Coggin, but he kept the door shut. Philadelphia loaded the bases on two walks and a single in the third, but Randy kept them from adding any more runs. He got out of another jam where he allowed a pair of singles in the fifth, but he got out of the inning, and the Diamondbacks finally got to Coggin in the bottom half. Steve Finley led off with a double, and then Tony Womack singled him home. The game remained tied going into the sixth, and Randy got into some trouble on a single, a walk, and a balk, but kept the game tied. Arizona had back-to-back singles leading off the sixth, but couldn't score a run. They were more successful in the seventh. Damian Miller led off with a single against reliever Jose Santiago, and Womack walked. After an out, Craig Counsell reached on catcher's interference to load the bases. A walk, and sacrifice fly, and a double led to three more runs. Randy departed in favor of Mike Myers, who hit Abreu and allowed a double to former Diamondback Travis Lee. Byung-Hyun Kim came and allowed an RBI single to Pat Burrell, but got the last five outs needed for the save.
208. Diamondbacks 9, Giants 4
May 21, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Aaron Fultz
7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
The Diamondbacks took three of four from Philadelphia to reclaim first, and welcomed the second-place Giants for a crucial two-game set. Randy got the ball for the first game. He allowed a walk in the first and single in the second, but kept the Giants scoreless. The Diamondbacks then took the lead against Giants starter Livan Hernandez in the bottom of the inning. Tony Womack walked with two outs, and Randy singled to keep the inning alive. Craig Counsell followed with another single to drive in the run. Arizona scored again in the third when Luis Gonzalez walked and stole second, then scored when Steve Finley singled. San Francisco took the lead in the fourth. The reigning MVP Barry Bonds flew out, but three straight singles led to a run. J.T. Snow walked to load the bases, and a single by Tsuyoshi Shinjo led to two more runs. Randy got out of the inning with a double play, and watched as Erubiel Durazo tied the game with a home run to lead off the fifth that replays showed was foul. The Giants threatened in the sixth when Benito Santiago doubled with one out and Randy hit the next two batters with pitches, but he struck out the side to keep the game tied. Arizona took the lead against reliever Aaron Fultz. Counsell and Junior Spivey walked with one out, and Gonzalez singled in the go-ahead run. The Diamondbacks erupted in the seventh. Finley walked and the Giants' backup catcher made a bad throw on Damian Miller's bunt. A triple, a double, and a single led to four more runs. They scored another insurance run in the eighth before giving way to Mike Myers in the ninth. Myers allowed a run and loaded the bases, but finally closed out the game.
209. Diamondbacks 6, Dodgers 3
May 31, 2002
Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles, CA
Losing Pitcher: Omar Daal
8 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 K
Randy had his first stinker of a start in 2002 against the Dodgers, but the Diamondbacks came back to win the game. Randy had another chance as the Diamondbacks opened a series in Los Angeles. Arizona had just split a series in San Francisco that pushed the Giants to third, and counted on Randy to pitch well against the second-place team. The Diamondbacks give him a boost and scored a run in the first. Junior Spivey singled with one out, and Greg Colbrunn singled him to third. Jose Guillen followed with another single to drive in Spivey. Arizona threatened in the second but couldn't get the run home. Randy was holding steady, allowing only a double to Eric Karros in the second, and Arizona went to town in the fourth. Steve Finley and Damian Miller led off with back-to-back singles, and Tony Womack bunted them up. Randy struck out, but Craig Counsell singled in two runs. Two more singles loaded the bases, and Colbrunn cleared them with a loud double. Arizona threatened again in the sixth when Randy reached on an error by Dodgers third baseman Adrian Beltre, but a double play ended that threat. Randy had enjoyed a comfortable lead and limited the damage until the seventh inning. Shawn Green led off and reached on a ground ball that third baseman Counsell couldn't handle and it went for an error. Randy got two outs on a forceout and a popup, but then Brian Jordan doubled. Lead runner Paul Lo Duca held at third, but then Marquis Grissom blasted a three-run home run. Randy recovered after allowing another single to Mark Grudzielanek and got through the eighth without any further damage. Byung-Hyun Kim came in the ninth and worked around a two-out single by Jordan and picked up the save.
210. Diamondbacks 3, Tigers 1
June 15, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Julio Santana
7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 K
Randy suffered through another terrible start against the Yankees before coming back home to face the Tigers in another interleague series. Detroit was terrible and in last place but they had won the first game of the series. The Diamondbacks held first by the slimmest of margins, and Arizona counted on Randy to lead them to a victory. Randy allowed an infield single to Ramon Santiago to lead off the ballgame, but kept the Tigers from scoring. Craig Counsell did the same against Tigers starter Adam Bernero, but he also couldn't score. Randy ran into some trouble when the Tigers loaded the bases in the fourth on a pair of singles and a walk, but a strikeout and a flyout ended the threat. The game progressed to the fifth before a run finally scored. Tony Womack singled with one out, and Alex Cintron followed with a double. Womack held at third and Randy struck out, but a wild pitch brought Womack home. The Tigers answered in the sixth. Randall Simon hit a comebacker that went for an error. Robert Fick followed with a single and Brandon Inge walked to load the bases. Randy got a double play, but a run scored and the game was now tied. The game soon went to the seventh. Reliever Julio Santana came in to pitch. Steve Finley doubled with one out, and after another out Santana intentionally walked Alex Cintron to face Randy. Instead of facing Randy he faced Mark Grace instead, and Grace lined a single to give Arizona the lead. Byung-Hyun Kim came to pitch the eighth and he allowed a double and a walk, but got out of the inning. After the Diamondbacks added an insurance run in the bottom half, Kim pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down the win.
211. Diamondbacks 5, Orioles 1
June 20, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Rodrigo Lopez
7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 11 K
The Orioles came to town for another interleague series. Baltimore had fallen far since they beat Randy twice in the 1997 division series. They were third but had a losing record. They did split the first two games, and Arizona counted on Randy to help deliver the series victory. Melvin Mora blasted a home run to lead off the ballgame. Randy got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts, but allowed a pair of singles to Marty Cordova and rookie Jose Leon to lead off the second. He struck out the side to strand the pair, and then proceeded to shut down the Orioles offense. Mora's first inning home run was held up as the Diamondbacks struggled to put baserunners on against Orioles starter Rodrigo Lopez. He retired the first ten before Quinton McCracken singled with one out in the fourth. Steve Finley also singled but Arizona couldn't score. Randy singled to help his own cause in the sixth, and Craig Counsell reached on catcher's intereference, but once again Lopez escaped the situation. Randy got out of a bases loaded jam getting a force at home and a double play in the seventh, then the Diamondbacks woke up in the bottom half. A trio of singles by Damian Miller, Mark Grace and Tony Womack loaded the bases, and Alex Cintron walked to tie the game. Reliever Willis Roberts came in but made things worse, allowing a walk to Erubiel Durazo, a sacrifice fly to Counsell, a single to McCracken, and another sacrifice fly to Luis Gonzalez. When the dust settled five runs had scored. The Diamondbacks turned to rookie Mike Koplove who threw the last two innings. He allowed baserunners on an error by shortstop Womack and a single, but got the last six outs for the win.
212. Diamondbacks 9, Astros 1
June 26, 2002
Minute Maid Park
Houston, TX
Losing Pitcher: Wade Miller
8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
The Diamondbacks won a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, but then went into a downward spiral, losing three straight to drop out of first. They counted on Randy to right things against his former team in their ballpark which was rechristened Minute Maid Park earlier in the month following the Enron bankruptcy. Randy didn't care about the ballpark's name as he worked around a walk to Lance Berkman in the first. The Diamondbacks scored in the second. Mark Grace led off with a double and went to third on a passed ball. He scored when Steve Finley singled. Finley went to third on David Dellucci's single, and scored on Tony Womack's sacrifice fly. Arizona continued their dismantling of Astros pitching in the third. They loaded the bases on a walk and two singles. Grace lifted a fly ball towards left fielder Berkman, who inexplicably dropped it and the bases remained loaded. Two more singles and a double play led to three more runs and Randy enjoyed a six-run lead. He continued to stifle the Houston offense, but ran into some trouble in the sixth Gregg Zaun singled with one out, and Brian Hunter doubled. Zaun held at third, and Randy got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts. Arizona added three more runs in the eighth. Dellucci singled and Womack doubled him to third. After Randy struck out, Craig Counsell was intentionally walked to load the bases, but a single, a forceout, and a double led to three more runs. Randy pitched through the eighth before getting replaed for a pinch-hitter in the ninth. Todd Stottlemyre came in to pitch the bottom of the inning and promptly allowed a run on a pair of doubles to Hunter and Berkman. He still held on to secure the win.
213. Diamondbacks 5, Giants 3
July 16, 2002
Pacific Bell Park
San Francisco, CA
Losing Pitcher: Felix Rodriguez
7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 7 K
Randy pitched decently in between choosing to skip the All-Star Game, but was saddled with a loss against the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks were frustratingly streaky during this time period and but soon found themselves in second half a game behind the Dodgers. Randy was called to earn a split in a two-game series against the third-place Giants after Arizona lost the first game. The Diamondbacks got on base early and often against Giants starter Russ Ortiz, but he kept them from scoring by getting timely outs. After Ortiz got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, the Giants took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Jeff Kent singled with one out, and Barry Bonds followed with a double. Bonds went to third on the throw home, but Randy kept him stranded there. The Diamondbacks mounted another attempt against Ortiz in the fifth. Mark Grace and Luis Gonzalez led off with singles. Grace tagged up and went to third on a fly ball, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Ortiz walked David Dellucci intentionally, but Chad Moeller made him pay with a two-run double. The Giants chipped away at the lead as Bonds homered after Randy struck out two in the sixth, and Reggie Sanders also homered leading off the seventh. The game took on a sense of urgency especially as the Dodgers fell behind in their game. Chad Moeller singled to lead off the eighth against Giants reliever Felix Rodriguez. Quinton McCracken pinch-hit for Randy but forced Moeller. Tony Womack walked before reliever Aaron Fultz came in and struck out Craig Counsell. Grace came through with a two-run double to give the Diamondbacks the lead. Mike Koplove came in to pitch a scoreless eighth, and Mike Myers and Byung-Hyun Kim finished off the Giants in the ninth.
214. Diamondbacks 12, Padres 0
July 26, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jake Peavy
7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Randy turned in an ugly performance against the last-place Padres and their young rookie Jake Peavy in San Diego. The Diamondbacks returned home to sweep the Rockies before the Padres came to town giving Randy an opportunity to get revenge. Randy worked around a pair of singles by rookie Julius Matos and Phil Nevin in the first before the Diamondbacks turned it on against Peavy in the bottom half of the inning. Tony Womack singled and stole second before Craig Counsell walked. David Dellucci drove in both runners with a ringing double, and Dellucci scored on Luis Gonzalez's single. Matt Williams struck out, but a double and an intentional walk loaded the bases. Chad Moeller followed with a two-run double. Randy bunted the runners over, but that was the end of scoring in the first. Randy worked around a two-out double to Deivi Cruz by striking out rookie catcher Wil Nieves, who had recorded his first hit against Randy in the disaster start. Luis Gonzalez added a home run in the second. Randy allowed a double to Gene Kingsale in the third before striking out the side. Arizona tagged Peavy for three more runs in the fifth when Dellucci walked and Williams reached on an error by Padres third baseman Nevin before Steve Finley homered. The Diamondbacks added three more runs in the seventh when they loaded the bases on two singles and a hit-by-pitch, then recorded a forceout, a walk, and a sacrifice fly all with the bases loaded. Chris Donnels had pinch-hit for Randy and drawn the bases-loaded walk. Greg Swindell came in the eighth and allowed a runner on an error but kept San Diego from scoring. Mike Fetters made his seventh appearance since coming from Pittsburgh in a trade and finished the game in the ninth.
215. Diamondbacks 5, Expos 1
July 31, 2002
Stade Olympique
Montreal, Quebec
Losing Pitcher: Masato Yoshii
9 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 15 K
The Diamondbacks finished their sweep of the Padres before going on a road trip to the place where Randy had made his Major League debut in 1988. The Expos were hanging in third with a .500 record after beating the Diamondbacks to end their seven-game winning streak. Randy was tasked with getting the win against his former team. He allowed a single to Wilton Guerrero who stole second, but recorded two strikeouts to keep Wilton stranded. Arizona took the lead in the second. Luis Gonzalez led off the inning with a home run. Erubiel Durazo walked and David Dellucci singled him to third. Dellucci tried a double steal / steal of home, but Durazo held at third and Dellucci was a dead duck. Durazo still scored when Quinton McCracken grounded out. Randy worked around a single and a walk with pair of strikeouts in the second before Arizona added another run in the fourth. Junior Spivey led off with a double, went to third on a ground out, and scored on Durazo's sacrifice fly. Randy was dominating the Expos hitters with strikeouts that had been strikingly absent thus far in the 2002 season. He allowed a triple to Brian Schneider with one out in the seventh, but struck out a pair to reach double digits for only the ninth time. The Diamondbacks added two more runs in the eighth. Craig Counsell singled with one out, and after a groundout Luis Gonzalez singled him home. Gonzalez would score when Expos second baseman Jose Vidro made a throwing error. Randy had thrown 127 pitches, but he was allowed to get the shutout. He got into trouble, allowing a single to Andres Galarraga and walking Schneider. Jose Macias's single ended the shutout, but Randy struck out the last two to finish up the win.
216. Diamondbacks 2, Mets 0
August 5, 2002
Shea Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Shawn Estes
9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, SHO
Randy was possibly upset at failing to get the shutout against Montreal, but he turned his attention to his next start against the Mets. The Mets were in second in the NL East, but the Diamondbacks won three in a row, and were looking to Randy to get the sweep in the four-game series. Randy was on the top of his game, striking out the side in the first and the second innings. He didn't get a strikeout in the third, but still retired the side in order. The Mets starter Shawn Estes was also strong as well. He had retired eight in a row before Randy singled. Quinton McCracken walked, but Estes finally got the final out. Randy had retired 13 in a row before walking John Valentin with one out in the fifth. Joe McEwing hit a grounder towards third baseman Matt Williams, but Williams's bad throw meant McEwing was safe. Timo Perez failed in a bunt attempt before McEwing stole third. Randy intentionally walked Rey Ordonez before striking out Estes to end the threat. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the sixth. McCracken tripled after Randy had grounded out, and Craig Counsell's double drove in the game's first run. Williams led off the seventh with a home run for an insurance run to make up for his earlier error. The Diamondbacks threatened in the eighth when Counsell singled and Junior Spivey followed with another single, but a pair of Mets relievers were able to keep them from scoring. Nevertheless the game soon went to the bottom of the ninth with the Mets still scoreless. Randy was still on the mound for another chance at a shutout. He got it this time, getting two groundouts then striking out Vaughn to end the game and nail down the shutout.
217. Diamondbacks 9, Marlins 2
August 10, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Michael Tejera
8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 14 K
The Diamondbacks returned home and lost a series against the Atlanta Braves. They picked up a walk-off win against the Florida Marlins, and counted on Randy to keep the ball rolling and ensure a series victory. Randy was on top of his game striking out two in the first and striking out the side in the second to pass USC alumni and 300-game winner Tom Seaver. The Diamondbacks had a double and a walk against rookie starter Michael Tejera in the first, but he held them scoreless. They were more successful in the second. Quinton McCracken led off with a double and David Dellucci singled. Randy walked with one out to load the bases, and Tony Womack's single scored two runs. Randy worked around a leadoff double by Ramon Castro in the third by striking out a pair, and Steve Finley blasted a home run in the bottom of the inning after Matt Williams had walked. The Marlins got a run back when Preston Wilson hit a solo home run and they scored another in the fifth when Randy walked Tejera with one out and Luis Castillo doubled. Castillo was thrown out at third and Randy got out of further trouble. Randy struck out the side for a second time in the sixth. The Diamondbacks erupted in the seventh. Greg Colbrunn led off the inning with a home run, and then four more singles led to two more runs crossing the plate. Randy worked a single in the eighth before the Diamondbacks scored again in the bottom of the inning. A triple by Colbrunn, a double by Junior Spivey and a single by Matt Williams led to two more runs. Matt Mantei came in to pitch the ninth after returning from Tommy John surgery, and he wrapped up the game.
218. Diamondbacks 7, Reds 2
August 15, 2002
Cinergy Field
Cincinnati, OH
Losing Pitcher: Ryan Dempster
8 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 11 K
The Diamondbacks swept the Marlins before embarking on a road trip. They took two of three against the third-place Reds. Arizona counted on Randy to finish the sweep and extend the winning streak to six games. The Diamondbacks threatened in the second against Cincinnati's starter Ryan Dempster. Mark Grace singled with one out and Matt Williams walked but Dempster pitched out of the jam before the Reds took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Randy got the first two outs, but then allowed a home run to Brandon Larson. Quinton McCracken came through with the equalizer in the third inning. The game remained tied as Randy kept the Reds in check, getting a pair of strikeouts in the third and the fourth. He struck out his old teammate Ken Griffey Jr. twice before the Diamondbacks pulled ahead in the fifth. Randy himself doubled with one out, and he went to third on a groundout. He scored easily when McCracken doubled. Junior Spivey followed with another single, and Steve Finley produced the big blow with a three-run home run. Randy worked around a walk to Larson in the bottom of the inning, then Williams led off the sixth with a home run. The Reds scored another run in the seventh. Aaron Boone reached on an error by third baseman Williams, and Sean Casey singled. The runners advanced when rookie Austin Kearns grounded out, but then Randy hit Adam Dunn with a pitch to load the bases. Another hit-by-pitch to Larson scored a run, but Randy got two strikeouts to end the inning. Randy completed the eighth before Greg Colbrunn contributed with a home run of his own. Mike Fetters came in the ninth. He loaded the bases on two singles and a hit batsman, but still secured the win.
219. Diamondbacks 7, Cubs 0
August 25, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano
9 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 16 K, SHO
The winning streak extended to eight games before losing to the Cubs. The Diamondbacks started another one at home against the Reds before losing again to the Cubs. They looked to Randy to get the series victory even as threat of a strike swirled. Randy allowed a double to Angel Echevarria with two outs in the first before getting out of the inning. He struck out one in the second before striking out the side in the third. The Diamondbacks were reaching base against Cubs rookie Carlos Zambrano, but they were unable to get the big hit. Steve Finley produced Arizona's first hit with a double with two outs in the third, but he was stranded at second. Chicago loaded the bases against Randy in the fourth on a walk and two singles, but he escaped the jam, and the Diamondbacks took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Luis Gonzalez led off with a single, then Erubiel Durazo tripled, and Matt Williams drove in Durazo with a single. Randy continued to frustrate the Cubs, who would put runners on but end up striking out. Randy struck out the side for the second time in the seventh, reaching 102mph with his fastball. The Diamondbacks scored insurance runs in the eighth. Junior Spivey's double and a pair of walks to Gonzalez and Durazo loaded the bases. Williams singled to drive in a run, a passed ball scored another. Alex Cintron was intentionally walked to set up a force at home. It was successful against Chad Moeller, but Randy singled to drive in two runs, and Moeller scored on a sacrifice fly. Randy came out to got for his third shutout. Alex Gonzalez tripled with one out, but Randy struck out the next two on six pitches to secure the shutout.
220. Diamondbacks 7, Dodgers 1
September 4, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Andy Ashby
9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 8 K
Randy looked to join teammate Curt Schilling with 20 wins, but threw a stinker of a start against the Giants. His second attempt at getting his 20th win came against the second-place Dodgers. The Dodgers had won the first two games in the series, and Randy was tasked to avoid the sweep. The Diamondbacks made it easy for Randy by jumping out to a big lead in the first. Tony Womack singled. He was caught in a rundown after a pickoff, but safely made it to second on a bad throw by Dodgers shortstop Cesar Izturis. David Dellucci followed with a single to drive in the game's first run. Dodgers starter Andy Ashby got two outs, but then walked Erubiel Durazo. Matt Williams followed with a three-run homer, and Steve Finley hit a solo shot to give Randy a five-run lead. Randy made sure it counted. He allowed a leadoff double to Jeff Reboulet in the third, but that was the only Dodgers hitter to make it to scoring position for the first six innings. He ran into some trouble in the seventh. Shawn Green doubled with one out, but Randy got Adrian Beltre to ground out before hitting Mike Kinkade with a pitch. Randy escaped the inning, then helped the Diamondbacks score two more runs in the eighth. Steve Finley doubled with two outs. Dodgers reliever Guillermo Mota then intentionally walked Chad Moeller to bring up Randy. Manager Bob Brenly allowed Randy to hit for himself, and Randy rewarded his manager with a two-run double. Then he came out in the ninth to go for the shutout. He got the first two outs, but then Shawn Green lifted a home run on the first pitch to end the shutout. Randy still struck out Adrian to get his 20th win.
221. Diamondbacks 5, Padres 2
September 9, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Brett Tomko
7 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 7 K
After winning his 20th, Randy set his sights on helping the Diamondbacks to another division title. Arizona just lost three straight in San Francisco, and needed Randy to deliver a strong performance against the last-place Padres to right the ship. The fact he was seven strikeouts from 300 didn't hurt. Randy worked around a first inning jam where he allowed back-to-back singles to Deivi Cruz and Phil Nevin to keep the Padres scoreless after two. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the bottom of the second when Erubiel Durazo homered. Matt Williams was able to race around the bases on another line drive, but it was ruled a triple and an error by Padres second baseman Julius Matos. Randy worked around some trouble in the third before getting an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. Tony Womack singled, went to third on Steve Finley's single, and scored on a forceout. The Padres threatened again in the fourth but remained scoreless as Arizona tacked on two more runs. Randy came up with two outs and runners on first and second after a single by Williams and a walk to David Dellucci. He lined a single to drive in a run, and Womack also had an RBI single. The Padres tagged Randy for a run when Ron Gant led off the sixth with a home run on the first pitch. Randy allowed two more singles, but a pair of strikeouts ended the inning. Randy struck out Gene Kingsale leading off the seventh to reach 300 for the fifth straight season. He left in the eighth for Bret Prinz, who promptly allowed a run on a single, a walk, and a pair of groundouts. Byung-Hyun Kim got the ninth and allowed a one-out double to Cruz, but recorded the last out.
222. Diamondbacks 5, Brewers 0
September 14, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Nick Neugebauer
9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 17 K, SHO
The Diamondbacks inched closer to the division title by sweeping the Padres, but lost the first game against the Brewers, the worst team in the National League. Randy was given the task of getting a win against Milwaukee, just like he had done every year since 1992. He threw a scoreless first, getting a pair of strikeouts before the Diamondbacks grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning, Tony Womack singled, stole second, then scored when Steve Finley doubled. Finley was stranded at second, and Randy got into some trouble in the second. Richie Sexson walked, then Ryan Thompson singled him to third. Thompson stole second on a strikeout, but Randy was able to get out of the inning. The Diamondbacks added another run in the bottom of the inning. David Dellucci singled with one out, and Chad Moeller doubled. Dellucci held at third before Randy struck out, but Womack drove in the run. Randy worked around a two-out walk and single in the third before getting another run in support. Erubiel Durazo tripled with one out, and Dellucci tripled as well. Randy retired the Brewers in order in the fourth and fifth, but the Diamondbacks couldn't get him any more runs until the sixth, when Junior Spivey homered with two outs. Randy continued to dominate the Brewers. He allowed a single to Robert Machado leading off the eighth to end of 13 straight batters retired, but struck out the side. The Diamondbacks scored again in the bottom of the inning with the same combination that got them their first run. Womack walked, stole second, and scored when Finley doubled. Randy insisted on coming out in the ninth. He had the memories of the blown shutout against the Dodgers to exorcise, and successfully did so to complete the shutout.
223. Diamondbacks 3, Padres 1
September 19, 2002
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, CA
Losing Pitcher: Clay Condrey
7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 9 K
The Diamondbacks won two of three against Milwaukee, then went on the road to face another last-place team in the Padres. The teams split the first two game of the series, and looked to Randy to procure the series win. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the first. Steve Finley doubled with one out, and after Erubiel Durazo struck out, Luis Gonzalez singled to drive in the run. Randy got through the first inning, but the Padres came back against him in the second. Randy got one out, but then allowed a home run to Brian Buchanan and the game was tied. The Padres threatened in the third inning when Wil Nieves led off with a double, but Randy struck out the side with his first three strikeouts of the game. The game continued as both teams wasted one opportunity after another. Matt Williams singled and stole second in the fourth but couldn't score. Phil Nevin singled and stole second in the fourth, but couldn't score. Alex Cintron singled and was bunted to second in the fifth but couldn't score. Durazo singled and was balked to second in the sixth, but also couldn't score. The game finally headed to the eighth inning. Quinton McCracken came in as a pinch-hitter for Randy and drew a walk. Tony Womack bunted to Padres third baseman Nevin, but Nevin made an errant throw. Then Finley singled to load the bases. Greg Colbrunn hit a grounder that was thrown to Padres catcher Wil Nieves for the force, but the rookie backstop dropped it for a run. Another run scored on Williams's groundout. Mike Koplove struck out the side in the eighth before Byung-Hyun Kim came in for the ninth. He allowed a single, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk, but still held on for the win.
224. Diamondbacks 4, Rockies 2
September 26, 2002
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Randy Flores
9 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
The Diamondbacks went into a free-fall, losing six straight against Colorado and St. Louis. They also lost Luis Gonzalez to a separated shoulder. Manager Bob Brenly held Randy out against the Cardinals, a possible post-season opponent, but counted on his ace to start a homestand against the Rockies on a strong note. Randy held a large lead in ERA and strikeouts, and was tied in wins with Curt Schilling. A win can help ensure a Pitching Triple Crown. Randy was strong in the first two innings, allowing only a two-out single in the second. Arizona scored a run in the bottom of the inning, when Steve Finley singled and Mark Little tripled. Chad Moeller tried a squeeze, but bunted the ball in the air that went for a double play. The Diamondbacks still scored again in the third. Randy led off with a single, and Tony Womack singled as well. Quinton McCracken bunted them up, and Greg Colbrunn walked. Matt Williams followed with a triple to clear the bases. Randy was in control until the sixth inning. Jay Payton hit a grounder towards shortstop Womack. Womack flubbed the play and Payton reached. Larry Walker followed with a single, and Todd Helton doubled to score a run. Walker then scored on a groundout by Todd Zeile. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a single, a hit-by-pitch and a walk, but Randy struck out to end the threat. Arizona suffered another injury when McCracken fouled the ball against his leg and had to leave the game, but the Diamondbacks still held the lead as Randy came out to pitch the ninth. Colorado loaded the bases when Zeile singled and Randy walked two. Brenly stuck with his ace, and Randy came through to end the losing streak.
2003
However, the season started out on the wrong foot for Randy and the Diamondbacks. He was tasked with his sixth straight Opening Day start, dating back to 1998 with the Mariners. He was not very good, allowing five runs (three earned) and suffered an Opening Day loss for the first time since 1998. His next start was slightly better, with three runs in six innings and an encouraging ten strikeouts. And then the bottom fell out on April 11. He allowed five runs to the first inning in the first inning, and then five more in the fifth to total ten runs in four and 2/3 innings. Randy didn't want to make any excuses for the poor performance, but he did note some stiffness in his right knee, the knee that is planted on the mound for every pitch. He had a minor surgery in that knee after the 1991 season. An MRI showed only mild inflammation, and he felt well enough to make another start on April 27, but when the swelling wouldn't go away he ended up having surgery on that knee on April 30.
It was initially estimated that Randy would miss three to six weeks, but he ended up missing almost three months. He didn't make his return until July 20. Randy wasn't quite the Randy Johnson of old upon his return, but he was much better than how he was in April. He was also hamstrung by Arizona's declining offense. He made three starts in July and allowed only five runs (two earned), but he ended up losing twice and getting three no-decisions. He struggled somewhat in August, posting an ERA of 5.65, but had straightened things out in September. He turned 40 on September 10, but later went on to have the best start of the season four days later, throwing a complete game shutout against the Colorado Rockies with 12 strikeouts. He had another important milestone in his next start, on September 19 against the Brewers. Randy had traditionally been a very poor hitter. He only had 55 hits in 436 at-bats for a .126 batting average, and had struck out 203 times. However, on this day he connected on a 2-0 fastball by Brewers starter Doug Davis. The ball went to deep left field and entered the stands for Randy's first career home run. He became the oldest player to hit his first career home run (a record since broken) and was also the tallest to hit a home run (a record also since broken.) Randy did pretty well on the mound too, striking out 10. Of course, Randy ended up with a no-decision.
2003 was a season to forget. He recovered fairly well from what could have been a serious injury, but his April was so awful that his numbers such as his 6-8 record and his 4.26 ERA were both his worst since the days he was walking over 100 batters a day. The Diamondbacks also finished third with an 84-78, which was frankly fairly impressive given Randy's injuries. Curt Schilling had also missed much of the season due to injury. Still it was possible that had Randy been healthy the Diamondbacks could have made another post-season run. Instead it seemed like it was the changing of the guard. That off-season Schilling was traded to the Boston Red Sox, leaving Randy as the sole alpha dog pitcher in the Arizona rotation.
The Wins of 2003
225. Diamondbacks 7, Mets 3
April 27, 2003
Shea Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Jae Seo
6 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 12 K
The triumph of the 2002 regular season dissipated amidst another first-round exit in the post-season, and things got even worse when the 2003 started. Randy was blasted on Opening Day and lost to the Brewers for the first time since August 5, 1992, allowing ten runs. Randy went on the Disabled List for pain in his right knee, but was reactivated to start the nightcap of a double-header against the Mets in a battle between last place teams. Brandon Webb won the first game in his Major League debut before getting optioned so Randy could come on to get the doubleheader sweep. Randy struck out the side in the first, but ran into trouble in the second. Tony Clark led off with a double, then went to third on a fly ball. Tsuyoshi Shinjo drove him in. Two more singles loaded the bases, but Randy escaped the inning. Arizona took the lead in the third. Craig Counsell and Carlos Baerga hit back-to-back singles, then Luis Gonzalez reached on a failed fielder's choice. David Dellucci struck out, but Mark Grace singled home two runs. The Mets tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Ty Wigginton and Clark singled, then rookie Raul Gonzalez doubled in a run. Randy escaped the inning, then came up with one out in the fourth and Chad Moeller on second. He singled to send Moeller to third, and Moeller scored on an errant throw by Mets center fielder Shinjo. Randy worked in and out of trouble before Arizona added an insurance run in the seventh. He departed and the bullpen took over. The Diamondbacks scored three more runs in the ninth on sacrifice fly and a two-run homer by Mark Grace. Matt Mantei allowed a run in the ninth, but successfully helped get the win.
226. Diamondbacks 8, Expos 5
August 5, 2003
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Claudio Vargas
5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 8 K
Randy had surgery in the right knee in the end of April and missed almost three months. He pitched well in three July starts, but suffered two losses and a no-decision. The Diamondbacks had climbed back to second, but were far behind the Giants, and needed to win to stay relevant for the Wild Card. The Expos had a better record but were stuck in fourth. Randy got the start for the first game against Montreal, and the Diamondbacks staked him to an early lead. Rookie Matt Kata singled, and went to second on a groundout. There were two outs, but Shea Hillenbrand singled to drive in a run. A pair of walks loaded the bases, and Alex Cintron walked as well to score another run. The Expos got a run back in the second. Orlando Cabrera led off with a ground-rule double. Randy got a strikeout, but Joe Vitiello singled to drive in the run. Randy finished striking out the side, and watched as the Diamondbacks scored him more runs in the bottom of the inning. Junior Spivey and Luis Gonzalez walked, then Hillenbrand lifted a three-run home run. Arizona added another run in the fifth on doubles by Danny Bautista and Cintron, but Randy ran into trouble in the sixth. Vladimir Guerrero led off with a home run. A single and two walks led to the bases being loaded. Randy got a strikeout, but a sacrifice fly drove in a run and Jose Macias's double scored another. Randy left for rookie reliever Oscar Villarreal who allowed a run to score on a wild pitch, but ended the inning. Arizona scored two more runs in the bottom of the inning on Gonzalez's two-run triple, but Gonzo was thrown out. The score remained 8-5 through the end of the game.
227. Diamondbacks 7, Mets 4
August 10, 2003
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Al Leiter
8 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 5 K
Randy got a win in a fairly terrible performance, and hoped to improve things against the Mets, who remained in last even as the Diamondbacks were making some headway in the Wild Card race. The Mets scored first against Randy. Roger Cedeno lifted a fly ball to right fielder Raul Mondesi, who flubbed it allowing the runner to make it to third. Randy struck out rookie Jose Reyes, but another rookie in Jason Phillips singled in the run. Randy settled down in the second before the Diamondbacks made a run in the bottom of the inning. Steve Finley was hit by a pitch but was caught stealing. Mondesi walked, then Junior Spivey singled him to third. Mondesi made a daring attempt to steal home, and was safe when Mets catcher Vance Wilson couldn't hang onto the ball. The Mets rookies helped get their team another run in the third. Reyes doubled and stole third, then scored when Phillips singled. Arizona tied it up in the bottom of the inning. Matt Kata tripled, and scored on a sacrifice fly. The Mets took the lead again in the fifth. Cedeno singled to lead off, then stole second. Phillips followed with his third RBI single of the day. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Kata singled and stole second. Craig Counsell drove him home with a single, and scored himself on Luis Gonzalez's triple. Arizona took advantage of an error by Mets first baseman Phillip's single on Mondesi's grounder as Spivey doubled to drive in another run. Randy allowed a home run to Ty Wigginton in the eighth, but got through the inning without any further damage. The Diamondbacks added two more runs on Alex Cintron's triple before Matt Mantei struck out the side to secure the win.
228. Diamondbacks 11, Padres 8
August 25, 2003
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jake Peavy
5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Randy's suffered two losses before the Diamondbacks welcomed the last-place Padres. Randy got the first start of the series. Arizona tried to make him comfortable, scoring in the first when Matt Kata singled and Alex Cintron homered. Luis Gonzalez and Raul Mondesi then walked, then Shea Hillenbrand singled to load the bases, and Junior Spivey hit a sacrifice fly. They scored again in the second when Kata doubled, and Gonzalez singled. The Padres nicked Randy for a run when they loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and another single. Mark Loretta hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the run. The Diamondbacks countered in the bottom of the inning. Spivey walked, and then rookie catcher Robby Hammock blasted a home run. Randy allowed two more runs in the fourth. Brian Buchanan singled with one out, and Sean Burroughs tripled. Burroughs would eventually score on a groundout. A triple would deliver another run in the bottom of the inning when Steve Finley hit one and scored on a sacrifice fly. The scoring carousel continued in the fifth. Gary Matthews Jr. doubled leading off. Randy got two outs before Phil Nevin singled to drive in the run. Arizona ended Randy's day in the bottom of the inning when Quinton McCracken pinch-hit. McCracken walked, but was erased on a double play. But Cintron singled and Gonzalez doubled to get the other run. Reliever Eddie Oropesa would hold San Diego scoreless in the sixth before Arizona scored three more times in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded single and a wild pitch on a walk. The Padres scored once more against Oscar Villarreal in the seventh and two more runs against Mike Myers in the eighth, but Matt Mantei put an end to the madness by getting the final out.
229. Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 0
September 14, 2003
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jason Jennings
9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K, SHO
Randy picked up two losses in three starts as the Diamondbacks fell out of the Wild Card chase. Randy took the mound to go for a series win against the fourth-place Rockies. He hadn't been sharp all year, but the Randy of old came out as he retired the side in order through the first pass through the Rockies lineup, striking out three. The Diamondbacks tried to get him a run in the second when Raul Mondesi walked and Alex Cintron singled, but Rockies starter Jason Jennings struck out the side. They were more successful in the third. Randy singled leading off, and two more singles including a bunt single by Craig Counsell loaded the bases. Luis Gonzalez emptied them again with a ringing double. Mondesi followed by blasting a home run. The inning continued as Arizona loaded the bases once again, but they couldn't get the run in. Randy still had the lead and set to work on finishing off the Rockies. He walked Garrett Atkins with one out in the fourth for Colorado's first baserunner. Then the Rockies picked up their first hit with one out in the fifth when rookie Rene Reyes singled, but that was all they got off Randy. The Diamondbacks threatened again in the bottom of the inning when Robby Hammock singled with two outs, and Randy followed suit with his second hit, but a popup ended the inning. Randy remained strong and he retired 11 batters through the eighth innings. Randy came out with a chance to get his first shutout in over a year. He got into a protracted battle with September call-up Clint Barmes, but struck out the rookie on the ninth pitch. The then struck out the next two batters to strike out the side and record the shutout victory.
230. Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 3
September 24, 2003
Coors Field
Denver, CO
Losing Pitcher: Jose Jimenez
6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 K
Randy picked up his first career home run in a no-decision, but Arizona mathematically eliminated from the Wild Card with a 20-9 loss to the Rockies. Randy was still playing for pride as he took the mound the next day, especially as the opposing starter was Jose Jimenez, who beat him twice in summer of 1999 on a no-hitter and two-hitter. Randy struggled in the first, loading the bases, but he got a groundout to end the inning. The Diamondbacks got him a lead in the second. Shea Hillenbrand and Alex Cintron got back-to-back doubles. Jimenez got two outs before intentionally walking Robby Hammock to face Randy. Randy took out his frustrations by lining a single for another run. The Rockies eventually tied the game in the third when Ronnie Belliard led off with a double, and Juan Uribe blasted a home run in the thin Colorado air. Randy escaped the inning and Danny Bautista gave him the lead again in the fourth when he led off with a home run. Randy kept the Rockies at bay and Arizona scored him another insurance run in the sixth. Bautista tripled with one out, and Craig Counsell drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Randy allowed back-to-back singles to the first two batters in the Rockies sixth, but got a double play and a popup to end the inning. Randy was replaced by pinch-hitter Quinton McCracken in the seventh, who singled along with Matt Kata, but they were stranded. Arizona eventually got the insurance runs in the eighth when Cintron singled and Bautista blasted his second home run. Todd Helton homered off rookie reliever Jose Valverde in the bottom of the inning, but Valverde got out of the inning before giving way to Matt Mantei who got the save in the ninth.
2004
The analysts felt that the Diamondbacks might have enough talent in there to make another run at the NL West. However, they quickly found out how wrong they'd be. Randy took the ball on Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies and didn't pitch poorly, allowing three runs in six innings, the bare minimum for a "quality start." The Diamondbacks were only able to scratch together one run against Rockies starter Shawn Estes, and Randy was saddled with the loss. He had some combination of poor starts and excellent starts while the Arizona stayed in the periphery of the race, but then things collapsed in May. Randy's performance wasn't one of them. He started the month off with starts where he allowed three runs, two runs, and one run. However, the Diamondbacks offense dried up. He got the win in the game where he allowed three runs while took tough-luck losses in the other two. Arizona quickly sank into last place in the NL West, and their record was better than only the Montreal Expos in the National League, the same Expos that played most of their games in Puerto Rico and who were due to relocate to Washington in 2005.
The team's fortunes were falling quick when they shuffled into Atlanta's Turner Field for a Tuesday game against the Atlanta Braves. The Braves were another team that was undergoing a cosmetic change, and occupied unfamiliar territory in fourth place. None of the 23,381 fans really thought much when Randy went through the first three innings without allowing a baserunner. The first batter Jesse Garcia tried a drag bunt, but hit it to first baseman Shea Hillenbrand who ran over and tagged first base for the out. Randy got out of the first with a strikeout of Chipper Jones, who had done well against Randy in the past. He had thrown 11 pitches to catcher Johnny Estrada in the second before getting him to swing over a full-count slider. People began to notice something was going on when Randy retired the side again in the fourth, getting another strikeout on Chipper. When he did it again in the fifth the baseball world were officially on history alert. It was the opposing pitcher, Randy's old teammate Mike Hampton, that came the closest to getting on base. With two outs in the sixth, Hampton hit a Baltimore chop towards short. Shortstop Alex Cintron came on and threw out Hampton by only a step. Anticipation kept rising with every out, especially after Arizona took a 2-0 lead. Randy struck Chipper out for the third time to end the seventh. He then retired the side in the eighth, and then got the first two outs of the ninth. Even though Hampton came the closest to getting a hit in the sixth, Atlanta manager Bobby Cox sent up pinch-hitter Eddie Perez. Perez took the count to 2-2, but then couldn't catch up to a high fastball to complete the perfect game.
When Perez struck out, Randy pumped his first and pointed to the sky. He was surely thinking back to his no-hitter with the Mariners 14 years earlier, including the conversation with his father where he had asked why he walked six batters. This time he didn't walk a batter for the 17th perfect game in baseball history. As he turned back he saw his catcher Hammock bounding towards him and the team met for a raucous celebration on the mound. The perfect game is one of the most celebrated feats in baseball. Before Cy Young passed away in 1955, he made sure his epitaph included the perfect game he threw in 1904. With his perfect game, Randy not only became the fifth pitcher to throw no-hitters in each league, joining Young, Jim Bunning, Nolan Ryan and Hideo Nomo, he also joined Young, Bunning, Addie Joss and Sandy Koufax as pitchers to have thrown a no-hitter and a perfect game. Randy had 13 strikeouts, the second most behind Koufax's 14. And at 40 he passed Cy Young to be the oldest pitcher to get a perfect game. The history kept coming for Randy. Six weeks later on June 29, Randy struck out eight against the San Diego Padres. His eighth and final strikeout was of Padres third baseman Jeff Cirillo, and it was the 4,000th of his career.
Even though Randy was having a terrific rebound year, the Diamondbacks continued to sink into the depths. By the All-Star break, the Diamondbacks had sunk below the Expos to hold the title of the worst team in baseball. This was not what Randy had expected when he signed the contract extension prior to the 2003 season. He was hoping that the team would at least be in contention or at least have some direction of the team's future. Randy made the All-Star team amidst trade rumors on the strength of his 2.99 ERA and his league leading 145 strikeouts, and his 10-7 record was pretty good for a team that was otherwise 31-58. Randy pitched this time, coming into relief in the third with the National League already down 6-1. He allowed three singles, but got out of the inning unscathed. The rest of July was spent with trade rumors flying everywhere. Randy was reportedly linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, but the non-waiver trade deadline came and went and Randy was still a Diamondback.
Randy spent the rest of the season suffering from his team's anemic offense. The 2004 Diamondbacks scored only 615 runs, the lowest in the Majors by 19 runs. Randy struck out 14 with no runs in eight innings on July 25, but wound up with a no decision. He had a streak of four starts in August where he struck out double digits and allowed zero, two, two, and one run. He won only the start where he didn't allow a run. He had a losing record as late as September 5, but ultimately finished the season at 16-14. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks went 51-111. It was the worst record by a National League team since the 1965 Mets lost 112. Randy was the only pitcher on the team with a winning record. He was otherwise fantastic. He led the league with 290 strikeouts, the ninth time he reached that total. He also finished second with a 2.60 ERA, behind San Diego Jake Peavy (2.27). Randy wound up finishing second in the Cy Young voting to none other than Roger Clemens, the only man with more Cy Young awards. Clemens had signed with the Houston Astros in the off-season, and started the season 9-0 before going 18-4 and helping the Astros win the Wild Card. Clemens only posted a 2.98 ERA and had only 216 strikeouts to Randy's 290. Nevertheless, the writers were impressed by his narrative and handed him 23 of the 32 first-place votes.
Even though Randy still had another season on his extension, he was hoping for either another extension or a trade to a contender. However, when management would only offer an extension if Randy would accept a pay cut, that took the extension option off the table. Meanwhile, the Arizona brass had re-opened conversations with the New York Yankees. The Yankees had desired Randy ever since he had beaten them in the 1995 Division Series. The Yankees made a run for Randy in 1998 but were quickly eliminated, and tried again during the regular season. The 2004 Yankees had lost three of their ace starters in Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and David Wells. They still won 101 games and made it to the ALCS, but ended up blowing a 3-0 lead in the ALCS to Curt Schilling and the curse-breaking Boston Red Sox. Owner George Steinbrenner felt if he had a pitcher of Randy's caliber then the Yankees would have won. The Diamondbacks and Yankees agreed on a deal that would send pitchers Brad Halsey and Javier Vazquez as well as catcher Dioner Navarro to Arizona and $9 million in cash for Randy Johnson. Randy agreed to waive the no-trade clause in exchange for a two-year extension that would last through the 2007 season. Randy Johnson would be joining the Yankees.
The Wins of 2004
231. Diamondbacks 5, Padres 0
April 16, 2004
Petco Park
San Diego, CA
Losing Pitcher: Jake Peavy
9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8K, SHO
Randy was determined to get off to a good start in 2004, but he suffered a second straight loss Opening Day loss at home, and posted another mediocre start that ended up a Diamondbacks loss. Arizona was already in last by the time the team traveled to play the Padres in their brand new ballpark. Petco Park was supposed to be a pitcher's park, but Randy allowed the first batter he faced to reach on an error by their new second baseman Roberto Alomar, playing in his last season. Randy got out of the inning, and the Diamondbacks got him a lead in the second. Alex Cintron led off with a walk, and Shea Hillenbrand singled him to third. Danny Bautista grounded into a forceout, but Cintron was able to come around to score. Randy allowed a single to Brian Buchanan in the bottom of the inning with two outs, but got a strikeout to get out of the inning. Randy settled down and the Diamondbacks got him an additional run in the fifth. Steve Finley led off with a walk. He stole second, then Alomar doubled him home, although Alomar was thrown out trying to go to third. Arizona got some more insurance runs in the sixth. Cintron doubled and Hillenbrand singled. Bautista was hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded. Brent Mayne forced Cintron, but Randy doubled for his first hit of 2004 and drove in two runs, and Finley hit a sacrifice fly. Randy was so energized he struck out the side in the bottom of the inning. Randy had retired 13 straight by the time he went into the ninth with a shutout intact. It took him only 11 pitches to retire the side for his first win and his first shutout of 2004.
232. Diamondbacks 9, Cubs 0
April 26, 2004
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano
7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
The Diamondbacks continued to struggle on the rest of the road trip, with Randy suffering another loss in a terrible start, but they played better upon returning back to the comforts of home. They were in fourth by the time they welcomed the Cubs for a three-game series. Chicago came agonizingly close to their first pennant since 1945 a year earlier and were in first in 2004, but Randy had never lost to the Cubs and he intended to keep it that way. Randy allowed a single to opposing pitcher Carlos Zambrano in the third, but had seven strikeouts as the Diamondbacks took charge in the bottom of the inning. Chad Tracy and Robby Hammock both doubled to score a run, and Alex Cintron tripled for another run. They added to the pressure in the fourth. Danny Bautista singled with one out, and after a second out Hammock was intentionally walked so Zambrano can face Randy, buy Randy singled, as did Matt Kata and two runs came home. Arizona drove Zambrano out of the game in the fifth when two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, and Tracy's single drove in two runs. Bautista made it to third and he scored on a wild pitch. The carnage continued in the sixth. Cintron singled, and with two outs Richie Sexson blasted a home run, estimated to travel 503 feet. Meanwhile Randy had dominated the Cubs. He allowed only one more hit, a single to Moises Alou in the seventh, but with 98 pitches manager Bob Brenly chose to play it safe with his ace, and he sent in Randy Choate, who got into trouble with a single and a double in the eighth, then a walk and a single in the ninth, but he held on to the combined shutout.
233. Diamondbacks 6, Phillies 4
May 1, 2004
Citizens Bank Park
Philadelphia, PA
Losing Pitcher: Vicente Padilla
5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
The Diamondbacks hung tough against the Cubs before going on another road trip. They traveled to Philadelphia to play in the Phillies' brand new ballpark. Arizona lost the first game to drop them back into a tie for last, and Randy was tasked to get them a win. The Diamondbacks challenged the Phillies starter, Vicente Padilla. They loaded the bases in the first and had runners on the corners after Randy had singled in the second, but Arizona couldn't get a run home. Randy worked around a one-out double by Placido Polanco in the first to dominate in the second, but the Phillies took the lead in the third. Jimmy Rollins led off and reached on an error by shortstop Alex Cintron. Padilla bunted Rollins to second, and Rollins scored on Doug Glanville's single. Glanville went to third on Polanco's second double, and scored on a groundout. Things got worse for Randy in the fourth. Mike Lieberthal walked, and after two outs Rollins doubled to drive in another run. Padilla kept his former teammates in check until the sixth. Steve Finley tripled with one out, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Danny Bautista. Padilla walked Chad Tracy, and Robby Hammock doubled to put runners in scoring position. Randy's spot was up next, but with two outs manager Bob Brenly sent in a pinch-hitter, Carlos Baerga. Baerga blasted a home run to give Arizona the lead. The Diamondbacks added two more runs in the seventh on a walk, two singles, and a sacrifice fly. Brenly counted on the bullpen to secure the win. Jose Valverde allowed a run in the eighth, his second inning of work. Polanco singled and Bobby Abreu doubled, then Pat Burrell hit a sacrifice fly. Closer Matt Mantei got into trouble, but he got the save.
234. Diamondbacks 2, Braves 0
May 18, 2004
Turner Field
Atlanta, GA
Losing Pitcher: Mike Hampton
9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 13 K
The Diamondbacks had a .500 road trip before returning to Arizona, when things fell completely apart. They won only two out of ten games, and even Randy suffered two losses despite pitching well. Arizona limped to another road trip where they were facing the under-performing Braves. Atlanta's first batter Jesse Garcia bunted towards first. First baseman Shea Hillenbrand fielded the ball and ran over to tag Garcia for the out. Randy struck out the next two, including his nemesis Chipper Jones. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the second when Danny Bautista singled with two outs, and Alex Cintron doubled. Randy got to a full count on catcher Johnny Estrada with one out in the second, but struck him out after 11 pitches. Randy got through the third, striking out opposing pitcher Mike Hampton. He struck out two more in the fourth, getting Chipper for a second time. The Braves hit the ball three times in the fifth, but each time it was right at an Arizona outfielder. Randy got one strikeout in the sixth before facing Hampton again. Hampton hit a Baltimore chop that shortstop Cintron was able to glove and throw to first in time for the out. Arizona added another run in the seventh. Cintron doubled with one out and Robby Hammock walked. Randy struck out trying to bunt. Chad Tracy singled to score Cintron, but Hammock was caught in a rundown. Randy retired the side in the seventh and eighth, getting three strikeouts including Chipper for a third time. He went to ninth having not allowed a baserunner. Mark DeRosa grounded out, and Nick Green struck out. Braves manager Bobby Cox sent Eddie Perez as a pinch-hitter. Perez had previously hit Randy well, but Randy struck him out and got his second no-hitter: a perfect game.
235. Diamondbacks 4, Marlins 3
May 23, 2004
Pro Player Stadium
Miami Gardens, FL
Losing Pitcher: Dontrelle Willis
7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 5 K
Randy got to experience the high of his perfect game for a few hours, but it was back to the grind. The Diamondbacks went into a three-game losing streak and fell back to last. Arizona relied on Randy to keep them relevant, especially when they were facing the defending World Champions Florida Marlins. The Marlins were off to a hot start in 2004, winning the first two games of the four-game series. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases against Florida's popular young starter Dontrelle Willis, but Randy struck out to end the inning. Randy retired the side in order in the first two innings before the Marlins took the lead in the third. Abraham Nunez doubled to end the thoughts of a second straight perfect game. Randy got two outs, but then Luis Castillo singled to score a run. Castillo stole second but was stranded. Arizona got a single and a double in the fourth, but Willis got a double play in between. Randy got out of a jam in the bottom of the inning before Arizona mounted a two-out rally in the fifth. Matt Kata hit a ground-rule double. Alex Cintron drove him in with a single. Luis Gonzalez and Shea Hillenbrand both doubled to score two more runs, and Steve Finley's single scored a fourth. Danny Bautista got another single before Willis finally got out of the inning. Randy kept the Marlins in check before the fifth before allowing a solo home run to Jeff Conine with two outs in the sixth. Randy left the game after seven innings. Mike Koplove pitched a one-two-three eighth, but Jose Valverde got into trouble in the ninth. Miguel Cabrera led off with a home run, then Conine walked. He went to second on a a bunt before Valverde finally ended the game.
236. Diamondbacks 6, Dodgers 3
May 28, 2004
Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles, CA
Losing Pitcher: Wilson Alvarez
6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
The win against Florida led to a tie with the Rockies for fourth, but the Diamondbacks promptly dropped four straight. The persistent losing was getting to Randy as he prepared to open a three-game road series against the second-place Dodgers. The Diamondbacks took a lead in the second. Danny Bautista led off with a single. Dodgers pitcher Wilson Alvarez got two outs but then walked Chad Tracy. Robby Hammock followed with a single to drive in a run. Randy then flew out. He was doing better on the mound, retiring the side in order in the first two innings before Arizona added another run in the third. Matt Kata walked then stole second. He went to third on a groundout, but then Luis Gonzalez popped out. Bautista followed with another single to drive in the run. Randy allowed a double to Jose Hernandez with one out in the bottom of the inning, but left him stranded. The Diamondbacks scored two insurance runs in the fifth. Alex Cintron singled with two outs, and Gonzalez blasted a home run. Randy ran into trouble in the sixth. Hernandez led off with another double. Randy got one out, but Cesar Izturis singled to score a run. Randy got out of the inning, but the Dodgers kept at it in the seventh. Adrian Beltre led off with a double, his 805th career hit. Randy got a strikeout but then walked Omedo Saenz. Hernandez followed with a single to drive in Adrian and ended Randy's day. Mike Koplove came in and allowed another run on a single by Izturis, but got out of the inning. Arizona added insurance runs in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Steve Finley, and in the ninth on Robby Hammock's home run. Elmer Dessens came in to get the save.
237. Diamondbacks 8, Giants 6
June 2, 2004
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Brett Tomko
5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 K
The win over the Dodgers was a brief respite as the Diamondbacks went into another three-game losing streak. They lost the first game of a four-game home series against the Giants, who were in third but were within striking distance of first. Arizona won the second game on a walk-off, and counted on Randy to make it possible to win their first series since the Atlanta series two weeks earlier. Randy got out of a rough spot in the first before the Diamondbacks took the lead in the second. Luis Gonzalez, Shea Hillenbrand, and Chad Tracy all singled to score one run and put runners on the corner. Robby Hammock doubled to drive in two more runs. Hammock was thrown out at third before Randy struck out to end the inning, but Arizona scored again the next inning. Scott Hairston singled. He was forced by Steve Finley, but then Gonzalez singled with two outs, and Hillebrand doubled in a run. Doubles by Cintron and Hammock in the fourth led to another run and a five-run lead. Randy was pitching well, but gave almost all of it back in the fifth. Wayne Franklin singled with one out, then Neifi Perez doubled. Edgardo Alfonzo singled in a run, and Marquis Grissom blasted a three-run home run. The Diamondbacks added two more runs in the fifth when Gonzalez walked and Hillenbrand homered. Randy was lifted for a pinch-hitter for a chance to score another run, but that failed. Arizona eventually scored again in the sixth when Hairston tripled and scored on a double play. The Giants rocked Elmer Dessens for two runs in the eighth on doubles by Deivi Cruz and Michael Tucker and Perez's single, but Dessens got out of the inning for Jose Valverde who got the save in the ninth.
238. Diamondbacks 8, Orioles 1
June 8, 2004
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD
Losing Pitcher: Sidney Ponson
7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
The Diamondbacks won the series against the Giants and took fourth place outright as they went for their first interleague series, against the Orioles who already had a losing record. Randy started the series opener. Both Randy and Baltimore starter Sidney Ponson pitched well for the first two innings before the Diamondbacks pounced in the third. Alex Cintron doubled with one out, then Scott Hairston doubled him home. Steve Finley lined out, but Danny Bautista followed with a single to score another run. Randy let Tim Raines, the son of the man who gave him his "Big Unit" nickname, reach on an error in the bottom of the inning, but stranded him before Arizona scored again in the fourth. Shea Hillenbrand hit a ground-rule double leading off. Ponson got two outs, but Carlos Baerga singled in the run. The Orioles scored a run off Randy in the bottom of the inning. Scott's brother Jerry Hairston Jr. walked, and Melvin Mora singled Jerry to third. Jerry scored on a groundout. Arizona scored again in the fifth. Finley and Bautista both singled. Luis Gonzalez grounded to Orioles third baseman Mora who forced Finley, but Mora threw the ball away trying to get a double play and Bautista scored. Ponson got out of the inning, but Randy held the Orioles in check. The Diamondbacks offense woke up in the eighth. Gonzalez and Hillenbrand led off with singles, and Chad Tracy doubled both of them home. Arizona loaded the bases again on a walk and a single. Reliever Eddy Rodriguez came in, but threw two wild pitches to score two more runs. Randy got the rest of the day off, but Mike Koplove came in and allowed a pair of two-out singles. He got out of the inning then Brandon Villafuerte finished the game.
239. Diamondbacks 5, Blue Jays 3
June 13, 2004
SkyDome
Toronto, Ontario
Losing Pitcher: Ted Lilly
6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 11 K
The Diamondbacks won the series against Baltimore, then traveled north of the border to face the fourth-place team in the AL East, the Blue Jays. The two teams split the first two game, and Randy got the ball to go for a second straight series win on the first anniversary of Roger Clemens's 300th win. The Blue Jays struck the opening blow against Randy. Frank Menechino led off the game with a home run. Randy followed by walking Chris Gomez. He struck out the next two batters, but then Gregg Zaun lined a double to score another run. Randy struck out the next batter, then the Diamondbacks went to work in the second. Luis Gonzalez and Shea Hillenbrand singled leading off. Chad Tracy forced Hillenbrand, but rookie Tim Olson walked. Another rookie, Doug DeVore, grounded out, but a run scored. Robby Hammock followed with a grounder towards Toronto shortstop Chris Woodward that the future Rangers manager flubbed, and two runs came scampering home. Randy settled down and struck out one in the second, two in the third, and struck out the side again in the fourth. He struck out Reed Johnson to end the fifth to reach double digit strikeouts for the first time since his perfect game. Scott Hairston homered with one out in the seventh to score another run for the Diamondbacks. Randy came out to pitch the seventh, but gave up back-to-back singles to Dave Berg and Alex Rios and he was lifted for Mike Koplove. Koplove got out of the seventh, but allowed the Huge Run in the eighth on a walk, a groundout, and a single. The Diamondbacks scored again in the ninth when Olson walked, Hairston singled, and Steve Finley singled, and a trio of relievers finished off the Blue Jays in the ninth.
240. Diamondbacks 6, Twins 2
July 4, 2004
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Carlos Silva
9 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
The Diamondbacks completely collapsed after their two series wins. They won only once against the Yankees, and that was their only win of the homestand as they went on an 11-game losing streak. The streak finally ended when they split a series against the Padres, but they lost twice against the first-place Twins. They fired manager Bob Brenly and replaced him with Al Pedrique. Randy was mediocre in three starts during the losing, even losing the game where he got his 4,000th strikeout. He was determined to set things right on the Fourth of July. The Diamondbacks helped by taking a lead in the first. Roberto Alomar led off and walked. Steve Finley forced Alomar before Shea Hillebrand tripled to score Finley, and Chad Tracy doubled. Randy got into trouble in the second when Torii Hunter and Michael Restovich singled to put runners on the corners. Hunter scored when Randy got a double play. Randy struck out two in the third before the Diamondbacks scored two more in their half. Alomar singled, then after two outs Hillebrand homered. The Diamondbacks continued to put runners on base against Twins starter Carlos Silva and reliever Aaron Fultz, but the score remained 4-1 until the eighth. Alex Cintron led off the inning with a triple. Quinton McCracken followed with another triple. Cintron scored easily, and McCracken scored as well when Twins Gold-Glove center fielder unleashed a wild throw. Randy had thrown only 88 pitches through eight and was allowed to go for the Halladay. However, Nick Punto led off with a single and went to second on defensive indifference. Randy struck out two before Matt LeCroy lifted a fly ball to right fielder McCracken. McCracken dropped the ball, and Punto scored. Randy still wrapped up his first complete game since his perfect game.
241. Diamondbacks 11, Marlins 6
August 4, 2004
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Josh Beckett
6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 K
The win against the Twins was only a mirage as the relentless losing continued. A month went by and the Diamondbacks won only four games, highlighted by a 14-game losing streak. Randy made five starts and posted a 2.38 ERA, but got three losses as Arizona went 0-5. The trade deadline came and went and Randy was still with the Diamondbacks. He went into the start against the fading Marlins exactly one month after his last win. The Diamondbacks took a rare first-inning lead. Quinton McCracken singled and Roberto Alomar doubled. Another single by Chad Tracy scored another run. Florida came back in the second. Miguel Cabrera led off with a single, and Jeff Conine walked. Juan Encarnacion singled in the Huge Run and the Marlins had runners on the corners with no outs. Randy got out of the jam and the Diamondbacks pulled ahead in the bottom of the inning. Alex Cintron doubled and two errors by Marlins first baseman Conine loaded the bases. McCracken drove in two with a double. Marlins starter and 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett struck out two, but Shea Hillenbrand doubled in two more. Arizona added two more runs in the fourth, but Florida came charging back in the sixth. Paul Lo Duca doubled, and Cabrera singled him home. Encarnacion singled, then Alex Gonzalez hit a three-run home run. Alomar added a run in the bottom of the inning with a home run, and Mike Fetters came in for Randy. He allowed a run on an RBI single by Mike Lowell in the seventh, but the Diamondbacks responded with back-to-back singles with the bases loaded by Alomar and Danny Bautista. Mike Koplove and Randy Choate closed out the game, and Randy got a win in one of his worst starts of the year.
242. Diamondbacks 2, Mets 0
August 15, 2004
Shea Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Steve Trachsel
8.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 K
The win against the Marlins helped the Diamondbacks win their first series since mid-June, but it was back on a nine-game losing streak, and Randy suffered a loss against the Expos. When he made his next start against the Mets, Arizona was 18.5 games behind the Rockies for fourth. Randy was sharp in New York. He retired the side in the first, and struck out a pair in both the second and the third. Those four strikeouts were as many as he had in his two previous starts, and he got a fifth when he struck out Gerald Williams to lead off the fourth. Joe McEwing ended the perfect game and no-hitter when he singled after Williams's strikeout, but a popout and Randy's sixth strikeout ended the inning. The Diamondbacks finally took the lead in the sixth. Alex Cintron was hit by a pitch. He went to second on Shea Hillenbrand's single. Chad Tracy forced Hillenbrand, but rookie Luis Terrero singled in the game's first run. Randy struck out the side in the bottom of the inning for his first double-digit strikeout game since July 25, then Arizona added to the lead in the seventh. Quinton McCracken and Cintron singled with two outs. Scott Hairston singled to score an insurance run. Randy allowed a double to Mike Cameron in the bottom of the inning, but Cameron was caught stealing. The Mets got another double off Randy in the eighth, but once again kept New York scoreless. Randy came out in the ninth with a chance to get a his first shutout since the perfect game. McEwing struck out, but Todd Zeile singled. With 119 pitches, manager Al Pedrique replaced Randy with rookie Greg Aquino. Aquino got the save, the fourth Arizona pitcher to get a save for Randy in 2004.
243. Diamondbacks 2, Giants 1
September 10, 2004
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jim Brower
7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Randy went on a roll after the Mets win. He struck out more than 10 batters in three of his next four starts, including his 200th game of reaching double-digit strikeouts. However, even though Randy struck out 47 in 30 innings with a 2.40 ERA in those four starts, the Diamondbacks lost them all. Randy opened a homestand against the second-place Giants on his 41st birthday. Star outfielder Barry Bonds was going for his 700th home run. Randy was sharp in the first, retiring the side while getting two strikeouts, but so was Giants starter Brett Tomko, whom the Diamondbacks dominated back on June 2, but he had beaten them three times after that. Randy allowed a baserunner on an error with two outs in the second, but he got out of the inning and struck out the side in the third. Tomko retired six straight batters until rookie Doug DeVore singled leading off the third, but the Diamondbacks couldn't bring him home. Randy worked around a hit-by-pitch and a single in the fourth before Arizona got two runners on in the bottom of the inning, but Tomko kept the game scoreless. The game moved quickly into the seventh. The Giants led off with singles by Bonds and Edgardo Alfonzo, then Marquis Grissom walked to load the bases. Yorvit Torrealba, who was the last batter in Greg Maddux's 300th win a month earlier, singled and a run scored. Randy got out of the jam. Reliever Jim Brower came in to pitch. Danny Bautista singled and stole second. Chris Snyder struck out, but DeVore walloped his second home run of the Major Leagues and Arizona had the lead. Randy was lifted for a pinch-hitter. San Francisco threatened against relievers Mike Koplove and Greg Aquino, but they held on for the win.
244. Diamondbacks 3, Rockies 2
September 15, 2004
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Shawn Estes
8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 11 K
The Diamondbacks lost three straight after the win against the Giants, including their 100th loss in only their 143rd game, but then got a walkoff win against the Rockies, who had extended fourth-place lead to 19.5. Luis Terrero led off the bottom of the first with a home run to give the Diamondbacks an early lead. Randy got two more strikeouts in the second before minor league call-up Jerry Gil triple with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but then Randy struck out. Randy retired the side in order again in the third before Arizona scored again in the third. Terrero walked, but Robby Hammock grounded into a double play. Nevertheless, Danny Bautista and Hillenbrand singled then Snyder walked to load the bases. Alex Cintron also walked to score another run. Randy retired the first two batters in the fourth for 11 straight retired, but then September call-up Garrett Atkins singled. Randy stranded him there and pitched a one-two-three fifth. The Diamondbacks added another insurance run in the fifth. Hammock led off with a double, and Bautista singled. Hammock held at third, but Hillenbrand hit fly ball deep enough to score the run. Things progressed smoothly for Randy, who pitched around a single by Rockies starter Shawn Estes in the sixth and another single by Atkins in the seventh. His strikeout of Vinny Castilla for the first out in the seventh allowed him to pass Steve Carlton for third on the all-time strikeout list. Things got rough in the eighth. Minor league call-up Choo Freeman tripled with one out. Randy struck out pinch-hitter Charles Johnson, then allowed a Huge home run to rookie Aaron Miles. Randy still got out of the inning and handed the ball to Greg Aquno, who retired the side in order or another save.
245. Diamondbacks 3, Brewers 1
September 27, 2004
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Ben Sheets
7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
The nightmarish season was nearing its end as Randy prepared for the last homestand. Their opponents the Brewers were in last with the second-to-worst record in the National League, but they were still 18 games ahead of the Diamondbacks. Randy was given the task to help the Diamondbacks avoid their 110th loss, a mark no National League team reached since the Padres and Expos in 1969. Arizona took the lead in the bottom half of the inning, when Chad Tracy led off with a home run. The lead did not last very long. Randy got the first two outs of the second, but then he walked Wes Helms. The next batter was Randy's former catcher and USC alum Chad Moeller, who doubled to score the run. Moeller went to third on a passed ball, but was stranded. Doug DeVore doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning, but Brewers starter Ben Sheets struck out the side. Randy struck out the side as well in the third, and the Diamondbacks mounted a two-out rally in their half. Alex Cintron singled, and Danny Bautista hit a ground-rule double. Shea Hillebrand hit a grounder to Brewers third baseman Helms, who flubbed the play and Cintron scored. DeVore followed with a single to score another run. Chris Snyder walked to load the bases, but Sheets prevented any more scoring. Randy had the lead and he wasn't keen on giving it up this time. He worked around a one-out single in the fourth, and a leadoff triple by Helms in the fifth. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but they couldn't score either. Helms singled again in the seventh, but Randy got the lead to the bullpen. Randy Choate and Greg Aquino pitched well to give Arizona the win.
246. Diamondbacks 7, Padres 6
October 2, 2004
Bank One Ballpark
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Mike Bynum
8 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 8 K
Randy started the penultimate game of the season. The Diamondbacks had reached 111 losses and turned to Randy to get their 50th win. Randy needed 18 strikeouts for a record seventh 300-strikeout season. He was sharp early on, retiring the side in order in the first three innings, but only had three strikeouts which suggested 300 wasn't a possibility. The Diamondbacks couldn't score against Padres starter Brian Sweeney. Things fell apart for Randy after Mark Loretta reached on a throwing error by shortstop Jerry Gil with one out in the fourth. Rich Aurilia singled to score a run, and Phil Nevin also singled. Randy got a forceout, but then Xavier Nady and Jay Payton both hit RBI singles, and Alex Gonzalez followed with a two-run triple to give the Padres a five-run lead. Arizona answered in the bottom of the inning. Shea Hillebrand doubled with one out, and a walk and a wild pitch put runners on second and third. September call-up Josh Kroeger singled in a run, as did Luis Terrero and Gil. Sweeney thought he could get Randy out, but Randy blasted a two-run double and the game was tied. The Padres called on reliever Mike Bynum to escape the inning. Milwaukee's Freddy Guzman reached third with no outs in the fifth on a single, stolen base, and passed ball, but Randy stranded him there. The Diamondbacks rallied again in the bottom half. Doug DeVore singled, then Hillebrand and Chris Snyder both doubled to give Arizona a two-run lead. The Padres reached against Randy in the sixth and seventh, but Randy held them scoreless until Miguel Ojeda blasted a home run to lead off the eighth. Randy got a pair of strikeouts to finish at 290 for the season, then Greg Aquino came in and got the save.
2005
Of course, there was one thing about being a New York Yankee that Randy wasn't quite prepared for was the constant media glare. Randy's previous teams in Montreal, Seattle, Houston, and Phoenix had nowhere as big of a media presence as the media capital of the world. Randy got a taste of that even before he was officially a Yankee. While walking to the clinic where he was to get his physical, a television cameraman ran up to the easily-identifiable Randy and started filming. Randy was caught off guard and moved the camera out of his face. Randy later apologized for the incident, but it was a sorry first impression New Yorkers had on their new ace. Randy gave them a reason to cheer on Opening Day when he shut down the Boston Red Sox for six innings, allowing only one run. However, he found that the press and the fans were not quite as forgiving when he went on to allow five or more runs in each of the next three starts, while the Yankees tumbled into last place.
Randy was never able to get settled with all the media presence. Manager Joe Torre later said in his autobiography co-written with Tom Verducci he felt that Randy had become neurotic with what was being written. He also became concerned he was tipping his pitches. Randy never became the terrorizing presence on the mound that he had been with Arizona. On May 15 he even pitched an entire game without recording a single strikeout, his first start without once since August 25, 2000 when he had allowed six runs in two and 1/3 innings. This time he allowed only four (three earned) in six innings, and the Yankees offense backed him up to help him win his 250th game. Not long afterward he was chatting with new teammate Al Leiter, acquired from the Marlins. Leiter brought up the fact he felt the Mets' Tom Glavine would become the last pitcher with 300 wins. Randy would later admit to Verducci that was when the thought of winning 300 first came into the back of his mind.
Randy first had to get through the rest of the season. He soon settled into a pattern where he would post some decent starts where he'd allow two or three runs, with a few awful starts allowing six or seven runs mixed around. The Yankees offense did pick him up most of the time and got him wins on starts that may have otherwise been losses a year earlier. Meanwhile the Yankees climbed out of their early hole and held first place for a day in July before falling back behind the Boston Red Sox for most of the second half. Randy failed to make the All-Star team, but he did do his best work in September and October. He made six starts and allowed only 10 runs in 36 and 1/3 innings for a 2.48 ERA. The Yankees went 5-1 in those starts and Randy didn't suffer a loss. The Yankees managed to chase down the Red Sox. The two teams finished tied at 95 wins, but the Yankees won the season series to hand them their eighth straight division titles. For all of his struggles, Randy still won 17 games, and he was a steady presence even while the anticipated rotation went down in flames around him. While his 3.79 ERA was the highest he had posted in a qualifying season since 1992, it was still second on the team among starts who made at least 10 starts, behind Shawn Chacon, one of the "emergency starters" acquired in July. His 211 strikeouts led the team, and was second in the American League behind Minnesota's Johan Santana. He had faced the Red Sox six times and won five of those six starts, posting a 3.63 ERA and striking out 44 in 39 and 2/3 innings. He never did face off against his Diamondbacks co-star Curt Schilling, with whom he grew apart near the end of Schilling's tenure in Arizona.
Yet as successful as Randy's regular season was, to Yankees fans the post-season was the determining factor between whether the season was a success or an abject failure. Randy had to pitch the penultimate game of the regular season to ensure the division title. As a result he was held out until the third game of the division series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The two teams split the first two games of the series, and Randy was tasked to help lead them to a 2-1 series lead. It was not to be. Randy carried none of his killer instinct, and allowed a three-run home run to Garret Anderson in the first and a two-run blast to catcher Bengie Molina in the third. He couldn't get out of the fourth inning after allowing a double and a single. The Yankees did manage to fight back and take a small lead in the sixth, but the Angels battled back to take the series lead instead. The Yankees did fight back in Game 4, but the Angels won the series in five. Randy pitched four and 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in Game 5, but the Yankees were already losing, and they never did come back. The season was an abject failure.
The Wins of 2005
247. Yankees 9, Red Sox 2
April 3, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: David Wells
6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Randy was traded to the Yankees in the off-season, and prepared to make his 13th career Opening Day start against the Yankees' hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox. Boston had come back from a 0-3 deficit in the 2004 ALCS to sweep their way to the World Series, and swept the World Series for their first title since 1918. They also signed former Yankees pitcher David Wells to oppose Randy. Randy got his first taste of Red Sox hitting in the second. David Ortiz led off with a double. Randy got the next two outs, but then Jay Payton singled in the run. The Yankees proved their might in the bottom of the inning. Hideki Matsui led off with a single, and Jason Giambi singled to send Matsui to third. Bernie Williams hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game. New York surged ahead in the third. Derek Jeter doubled, and after Randy's former Mariners teammate Alex Rodriguez struck out, Gary Sheffield doubled as well. Sheffield went to third on a groundout, and Matsui singled him home. The Yankees then loaded the bases on a single and a hit-by-pitch, and Wells balked in a run. Randy was getting more comfortable with a large lead. He worked around doubles in the fourth and fifth before the Yankees scored him two more runs in their half of the sixth. Jeter led off with a walk and stole second. A-Rod singled his friend home. Then Ruben Sierra hit an RBI double. Randy gave way to the bullpen who got through the eighth before the Yankees bullied former Diamondbacks closer Matt Mantei and also John Halama from the Mariners-Houston trade for three more runs. Boston scored a run in the ninth, but that was all and Randy got his first win as a Yankee.
248. Yankees 11, Rangers 1
April 24, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Pedro Astacio
8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Randy followed up his Opening Day triumph with a trio of terrible starts. The Yankees managed to get him two no-decisions, but Randy knew he had to be better if he is to succeed in New York. The Yankees were also struggling, and were in last after losing two straight against the pitiful Texas Rangers. The Rangers fell off the cliff after their 1999 Division title before posting a winning season in 2004. It was up to Randy to keep Texas from sweeping. He was sharp in the first two innings, allowing only a single while striking out three. The Yankees went to work in the second. Hideki Matsui and Alex Rodriguez singled to put runners on the corner. Jason Giambi struck out, but Jorge Posada singled, Andy Phillips doubled, and Randy's former teammate Tony Womack singled for three runs. Derek Jeter hit a sacrifice fly to score another. The inning ended when Womack was caught stealing, but Randy did what he did best when given a four-run lead: getting batters out. He retired the side in order from the third through fifth before the Yankees added three more runs in the fifth. Womack hit a bunt single with one out, and Jeter doubled him home. Jeter went to third on a groundout, and Gary Sheffield singled him home. Sheffield went to second on a walk to Matsui, and A-Rod singled him home. Randy had retired 13 straight when Alfonso Soriano singled with two outs in the sixth, and Gary Matthews Jr. tripled. Randy got out of the inning, and Jeter homered in the Yankees half. Randy pitched through the eighth before the Yankees struck again on a three-run home run by Phillips in the bottom of the inning. Tom Gordon shut Texas down in the ninth for the win.
249. Yankees 4, Mariners 3
May 9, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Jeff Nelson
8 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 7 K
Randy pitched his first complete game as a Yankee in his next start, but he suffered a loss as New York was shut out. He had to miss a start due to a sore groin, but came back to open a series against his former team. The Yankees were still in fourth, but they had won two straight, and Randy was determined to make it three. The Yankees took the lead in the first. Tony Womack drew a walk with one out against Mariners starter Gil Meche, then singles by Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui sent him home. Randy got into trouble in the third. Wilson Valdez walked with one out and stole second. Up next was Ichiro Suzuki, the Mariners' Japanese sensation who got Randy's permission to wear his old number 51. He set a new record for hits in a season in 2004. Ichiro reached on an infield single sending Valdez to third. Then Randy Winn tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Tino Martinez gave the Yankees the lead in the fourth with a two-run home run, his third homer in three days. The Mariners chipped away at the lead against their former ace. A double by Valdez and a single by Ichiro in the fifth led to the Huge Run, then Adrian Beltre tied the game in the sixth with his 150th homer and 980th hit. The game progressed to the eighth. Randy's former Seattle teammate and former Yankee Jeff Nelson came in to pitch. Pinch-hitter Rey Sanchez led off with a single. Derek Jeter bunted him to second, and Womack singled for the lead. Mariano Rivera came in for the ninth. Mariano was the losing pitcher in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, but on this occasion he recorded his first save for Randy.
250. Yankees 6, Athletics 4
May 15, 2005
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, CA
Losing Pitcher: Ricardo Rincon
6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
The Yankees extended their winning streak to seven games as Randy made his next start. A win would help the Yankees extend their winning streak to eight, sweep the last-place Athletics, and get them back to .500. Things didn't start out well. Oakland starter Dan Haren worked around a leadoff single by Derek Jeter to keep the Yankees scoreless in the first. Then Randy made an error on a comebacker by Mark Kotsay to lead off the bottom of the inning. Eric Byrnes followed with a single, then Jason Kendall doubled in a run, and Bobby Kielty did the same on a single. Kendall would score on a groundout. Tino Martinez homered with one out in the second for a run, then the Yankees came storming back in the fourth. Hideki Matsui led off with a single, then Tino hit his second home run of the game to tie it. Jason Giambi walked, then singles by rookie Robinson Cano and Jeter gave the Yankees the lead. The A's came back in their half. Randy's former teammate Erubiel Durazo singled leading off, then Mark Ellis walked. Randy got a forceout and a flyout, but then Kotsay singled to tie the game. A popup got Randy out of the inning. Randy got through the sixth without having struck out a single batter in the game. Oakland sent Ricardo Rincon to pitch the seventh. Alex Rodriguez walked with one out. Tino popped out in foul territory, although A-Rod tagged and went to third. Rincon intentionally walked Posada to face the struggling Giambi, but Giambi doubled in a run, then Cano singled to score another. Randy left the game in the hands of the bullpen. None of the three relievers were able to strike out a batter, but retired nine straight for the save.
251. Yankees 6, Red Sox 3
May 27, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Tim Wakefield
6 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 3 K
With 250 wins under the belt, the thoughts of getting to 300 crept to the deep recesses of Randy's mind, but first he had to get 251. Randy lost to the Mariners, but the Yankees won four straight after that loss and had fought back into second. The Red Sox were in fourth as they came to town to start a three-game series. Randy got the ball for the first game. Boston loaded the bases in the first on an error by second baseman Robinson Cano and a pair of walks, but Randy got out of the inning without a run. The Yankees had their opportunities against Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, but the game remained scoreless going into the fifth. Edgar Renteria led off with a single. Randy got two outs, but then Jason Varitek blasted a home run and Boston held the lead. The Yankees fought back in their half of the inning. Derek Jeter led off with a triple, and scored when Tony Womack grounded out. They loaded the bases again on a pair of walks and a hit batsman, but couldn't score. Then Randy struggled some more against Boston in the sixth. Jay Payton doubled with one out, and Mark Bellhorn singled him to third. Payton scored when Johnny Damon singled. Randy allowed singles to Renteria and David Ortiz, but the Yankees defense bailed him out by throwing runners out at home, then powered to the lead in the bottom of the inning. Bernie Williams walked, and Cano homered. Then Jeter and Womack singled, and Gary Sheffield followed with a towering home run. The game fell into the hands of the bullpen. The Red Sox got two runners on against Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera in the ninth, but Rivera shut them down with the save.
252. Yankees 5, Cardinals 0
June 11, 2005
Busch Stadium
St. Louis, MO
Losing Pitcher: Mark Mulder
7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
The Yankees stood tall after the win against Boston, but then went into a losing spiral, dropping ten of their next 12 and fell to fourth and below .500. Randy himself suffered two losses, including one against his old punching bags the Brewers. New York limped into St. Louis for a three-game series against the Cardinals, the best team in the National League. The Yankees lost the first game, and turned to Randy to keep from falling further behind. Randy had never forgiven the Cardinals for how they swept the Diamondbacks in 2002, and was determined to shut them down. The Yankees took the lead in the first. Hideki Matsui walked with one out, and Gary Sheffield singled. A wild pitch sent both runners into scoring position, and Matsui came home on a groundout. The Yankees couldn't get Sheffield home, but Randy went straight to work. He retired the Cardinals in order in the first, then struck out a pair in the second and third, even if he allowed a single to John Mabry in the second. The Yankees scored some more in the fourth. John Flaherty singled with one out, then Cano walked. Randy grounded out, but the runners advanced, then Derek Jeter drove them both home with a single. Matsui followed with an RBI double. Randy got into some trouble in the bottom of the inning when his old teammate Reggie Sanders singled with one out. Sanders stole second, and tried to score on Mark Grudzielanek's single, but left fielder Matsui threw him out at home. Randy got through seven without the Cardinals even sniffing a run. Mariano Rivera came in to get out of a jam in the eighth. The Yankees scored another run in the ninth on Alex Rodriguez's RBI single, and Rivera got the save.
253. Yankees 6, Pirates 1
June 16, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Oliver Perez
9 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 11 K
The Yankees lost the series against St. Louis before limping home to face two more interleague opponents. The first was the hapless Pirates, who were third in the NL Central but had a losing record. New York won the first two games, and looked to Randy to get the sweep. Randy allowed a two-out single to reigning Rookie of the Year Jason Bay in the first, but struck out the side, then the Yankees stormed ahead in the bottom of the inning. Derek Jeter led off with a ground-rule double, then Hideki Matsui homered. Randy struck out one in the second while retiring the side in order, then New York showed off more of their power in the second. Bernie Williams started the inning off with a walk, and Jason Giambi drove him home with a booming double. John Flaherty lined out, but Robinson Cano followed with a single and Giambi scored. Randy allowed a solo home run to Michael Restovich with two outs in the fourth, but got his fifth strikeout to end the inning. Then the Yankees went back to work against Pirates starter Oliver Perez in their half. Giambi was hit by a pitch, then Cano singled and Jeter walked to load the bases. Matsui popped out, but then Gary Sheffield hit a ground-rule double and two runs came around to score. Randy pitched like the Randy of old, and struck out one in the fifth, and two in both the sixth and seventh, giving him his first double-digit strikeout game as a Yankee. He was also economical, throwing only 94 pitches through eight. He came out for the ninth and got two quick outs. Restovich singled and Randy balked him to second, but got a strikeout to get his first complete game win with New York.
254. Yankees 12, Orioles 3
July 5, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Rodrigo Lopez
7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 8 K
Randy followed with two absolutely putrid starts with a no-decision in between. The Yankees rescued him in the first by winning 20-11, but they still expected him to perform better for his next start. The Orioles had gotten off to a hot start after years of misery and sat in second, but New York won the first game of a two-game series. Randy was tasked with getting the sweep. Randy was up to the task, retiring the side in order in the first four innings. The Yankees threatened in the first before breaking through in the second with a home run by Jason Giambi. New York went to town in the third. Derek Jeter singled leading off, then Robinson Cano reached on an error by Orioles first baseman Chris Gomez. Gary Sheffield hit a fielder's choice grounder, but Baltimore third baseman Melvin Mora dropped the throw, and Jeter came around to score. Alex Rodriguez grounded out, but a single, a double, and another single led to four more runs. Then in the fourth, Jeter singled, Cano doubled, then Sheffield and A-Rod hit back-to-back home runs and the Yankees held a 10-run lead. The Orioles finally got their first baserunner against Randy when Miguel Tejada singled to lead off the fifth, but he kept them from scoring. They scored in the sixth when Sal Fasano led off with a single, and Gomez made up for his earlier error with a home run, but Randy got out of the inning and New York got the runs back in the sixth. Sheffield singled, and Hideki Matsui hit a home run. Randy gave way to reliever Buddy Groom, who allowed a run in the ninth on a single, a double, and a sacrifice fly, but that was as close as the Orioles would get.
255. Yankees 9, Indians 4
July 10, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Jake Westbrook
6 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
The Yankees went on a six-game winning streak that ended with a loss to the Indians, who were third in the AL Central but had a better record than the Yankees. This was unacceptable, and New York gave Randy the assignment of nailing down the series win. Randy struggled, allowing runs in the first two innings. Grady Sizemore led off the first, and Travis Hafner doubled him home. In the second, Jose Hernandez led off with a single. Randy struck out the next two batters, but Hernandez stole second in the process, and Aaron Boone doubled him home. The Yankees got one run back in the bottom of the inning. New York loaded the bases with one out on a single and a pair of walks, then John Flaherty hit a sacrifice fly, but that was all the Yankees could get. Randy settled down and kept the Indians scoreless for two innings, and the Yankees moved ahead in the fourth. Hideki Matsui reached on an error by Cleveland shortstop Jhonny Peralta, then Jason Giambi powered a home run. The Indians tied the game in the fifth. Boone and Sizemore singled to put runners on the corners. Randy got a strikeout, but Travis Hafner hit a sacrifice fly. The Yankees finally pulled ahead in their half of the fifth. Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez walked with two outs, and Matsui doubled in a run. Giambi was walked intentionally to set up the force at home, but Ruben Sierra singled for two more runs. Randy got through the sixth and ceded to the bullpen. Reliever Wayne Franklin allowed a run in the seventh, but Mariano Rivera shut the Indians down in the eighth. Gary Sheffield hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, then Rivera finished the six-out save.
256. Yankees 7, Red Sox 4
July 16, 2005
Fenway Park
Boston, MA
Losing Pitcher: Matt Clement
6.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 10 K
The Yankees went into the All-Star break in third, behind Boston and Baltimore. They opened a crucial four-game series in Boston and split the first two games. They needed Randy to pitch well. Randy did that, pitching a one-two-three first. The Yankees walked twice in the second, but struck out three times. New York went to work in the third. Red Sox starter Matt Clement retired the first two, but then Gary Sheffield doubled, and Alex Rodriguez hit a home run. Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi followed with walks, and Bernie Williams singled in a run. Another walk loaded the bases, and John Flaherty doubled in two runs. That was the end of Clement's day, but Derek Jeter greeted reliever Geremi Gonzalez with an RBI single. The Yankees scored six runs on five hits and three walks, all with two outs. Randy wanted to hold the lead, but the Red Sox started to chip away. Mark Bellhorn homered in the bottom of the third, and Manny Ramirez did the same in the fourth. Boston followed Manny's home run with a walk and two singles, but couldn't score as Doug Mirabelli was caught in a rundown. They were more successful in the fifth. Edgar Renteria doubled with one out, then Manny hit a ground-rule double. Kevin Millar singled to score Manny. Randy shut down the Red Sox in the sixth, then the Yankees scored an insurance run in the seventh. A-Rod walked, and was balked to second. Matsui hit a grounder to Boston first baseman David Ortiz who flubbed the ball and A-Rod scored. Randy got Ortiz to ground out, but manager Joe Torre went to Tom Gordon to face the right-handed Manny. Gordon did his job and got the ball to Mariano Rivera, who shut Boston down in the ninth.
257. Yankees 4, Twins 0
July 26, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Brad Radke
8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
The Yankees won the series against Boston to briefly take hold of first, but lost four of the next five including three straight against the Angels, to fall back into second. The Yankees returned home to face the Minnesota Twins, who were in second in the AL Central, but had a better record than the Yankees. This was unacceptable, and Randy had the job of starting the series on the right foot. Randy hit the first batter, Shannon Stewart, with a pitch, but got a double play, then retired the next four. The Yankees pulled ahead in the second when Alex Rodriguez led off with a home run. After a groundout, Jason Giambi walked, then Bernie Williams singled him to third. Giambi scored on a forceout. Randy continued to dominate the Twins, retiring the side in order in the third and the fourth. The Yankees loaded the bases in the fourth when Hideki Matsui doubled followed by a walk and a hit-by-pitch, but Twins starter Brad Radke got out of the jam. The Twins finally got their first hit with two outs in the sixth after 17 batters had been retired, but they still couldn't score. The Yankees threatened again in their half of the inning, but once again they couldn't score. They finally scored the insurance runs in the seventh. Derek Jeter singled with one out, and after a strikeout, Gary Sheffield singled and Alex Rodriguez walked to load the bases. This time Matsui singled and two runs came home. Randy worked around a one-out double to Lew Ford in the eighth to keep Minnesota scoreless. He had only 97 pitches through eight, but with a trio of right-handed batters coming up, manager Joe Torre called upon Tom Gordon, who got the last three batters to secure the win.
258. Yankees 5, Royals 1
August 26, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Mike Wood
8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Randy hoped the dominating performance against the Twins would be the start of something good, but it was not to be as he turned in three horrible performances in his next four starts, putting up a 6.49 ERA in those four starts. The Yankees kept winning in spite of Randy, and remained in striking distance of the Red Sox. It had been a month since Randy's last win when he faced the Royals to start a three-game series. Kansas City was terrible and had the worst record in the game. Randy had no difficulties in the first. The Yankees loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a double, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk, but couldn't score. Randy managed to keep the Royals in check. He retired the first six batters before allowing a leadoff single to John Buck in the third. Then Emil Brown hit a two-out triple in the fourth, but the game remained scoreless going into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Yankees took another crack at scoring off Kansas City starter Mike Wood. Gary Sheffield flied out, but then Alex Rodriguez homered. Jason Giambi walked, then Bernie Williams homered as well. Tino Martinez walked, but a double play ended the inning. The Royals fought back in the seventh. Mike Sweeney led off with a double, then former Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa singled him home. Randy stranded Berroa at second, then pitched a one-two-three eighth. The Yankees scored some insurance runs in the eighth. Sheffield was hit by a pitch, and then Bernie blasted his second home run of the game. Even though it wasn't a save situation, Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the ninth. He allowed singles to Sweeney and Brown, but still finished off the Royals for the win.
259. Yankees 2, Mariners 0
August 31, 2005
Safeco Field
Seattle, WA
Losing Pitcher: Felix Hernandez
7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
The Yankees swept the Royals and went on a five-game winning streak that ended to the Mariners, the last-place team in the AL West. Randy was sent to get New York back on a winning spree, but the Mariners countered with "King Felix" Hernandez, the teenager they hoped would become their first true ace since Randy. The Yankees tested the young phenom, getting two walks in the first, but a double play and a forceout kept them from scoring. Randy had little trouble against the Mariners. He struck out a pair in the first, and another duo in the second, working around a one-out walk to Adrian Beltre. The Yankees took the lead in the third. Felix had struck out John Flaherty, but then Robinson Cano blasted a home run. Felix got out of the inning without further damage, but Randy got a trio of groundouts in the bottom of the inning. Gary Sheffield led off the fourth with another home run for the insurance run. Randy remained sharp. He wasn't striking out the Mariners like he did in the first two innings, but held them hitless until the sixth. Yuniesky Betancourt led off with a double. Randy got two outs before Raul Ibanez hit a pop fly to foul territory. First baseman Tino Martinez went for the catch but dropped the ball. Ibanez still grounded out on the next pitch. Randy got into some more trouble in the seventh. Adrian singled with one out, the 1,078th hit of his career. Jose Lopez followed with another single. Randy still got out of the inning. Tom Gordon came in to pitch a one-two-three eighth. Mariano Rivera came in for the ninth. He allowed a one-out single to Richie Sexson, but nailed down the save.
260. Yankees 1, Red Sox 0
September 11, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Tim Wakefield
7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
The Yankees lost the final game of the Mariners series, then found it difficult to get into any sort of rhythm. They played .500 ball until welcoming the Red Sox to Yankee Stadium for a crucial three-game set. Boston had held first place for all but one day since June 24. The Yankees' lackluster play continued, as they split the first two games. They counted on Randy to get a series win. Randy worked around a walk to Kevin Youkilis, the "Greek God of Walks," to keep Boston from scoring in the first. Meanwhile, Jason Giambi homered off of Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield to give the Yankees an early 1-0 lead. Randy was determined to keep them in check, which he did. Rookie Bubba Crosby tripled with one out in the third, but Wakefield struck out the side to prevent an insurance run. Youkilis got first Red Sox hit when he singled to lead off the fourth, but Manny Ramirez grounded into a double play, and Boston remained scoreless. New York kept trying to add to the lead. Jorge Posada walked to lead off the fifth, but Wakefield struck out the side. Robinson Cano doubled with one out in the sixth, but Wakefield struck out the side. Randy kept the Red Sox scoreless through seven, but also had 100 pitches, so the Yankees went to their bullpen. Tom Gordon came in the eighth and allowed a leadoff single to Tony Graffanino. He got two outs before manager Joe Torre brought in Mariano Rivera. Mariano walked David Ortiz, but got out of the inning. Mariano got the first two outs of the ninth but walked Manny and allowed a single to Kevin Millar to put runners on the corners. However, he struck out pinch-hitter John Olerud to seal the win.
261. Yankees 2, Orioles 1
September 21, 2005
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Rodrigo Lopez
8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
The win against the Red Sox lit a match under the Yankees, and they erupted for a six-game winning streak. Randy got only five outs in his next start, but the Yankees still won. The winning streak ended against the Blue Jays, but they started another one against the Orioles, who had faded after their hot start and had fallen to fourth. New York won the first two games of a four-game series and sat half a game behind the Red Sox. Randy was tasked with keeping the winning up to wait for a Red Sox defeat. He retired the Orioles in order through the first two innings. The Yankees took the lead in the second. Hideki Matsui singled with one out. Robinson Cano lined out, but Matt Lawton blasted a home run to give the Yankees a lead. Randy had retired 11 straight before walking Miguel Tejada with one out in the fourth. He got into some trouble in the fifth. Eric Byrnes reached on a throwing error by shortstop Derek Jeter. Then Chris Gomez singled to get the Orioles their first hit, but a double play ended the threat. The Orioles threatened again in the sixth. September call-up Bernie Castro singled with one out, then Melvin Mora blasted a double for the Huge Run. Mora went to third on a flyout, but Randy got a groundout to end the inning. The Yankees tried to extend the lead in the bottom of the inning, putting a pair of runners on with a hit-by-pitch and a walk, but couldn't get the hit. Randy went back to his dominating self, pitching two one-two-three innings before giving way to Mariano Rivera for the ninth. Mariano hit Mora with a pitch and allowed a single to Javy Lopez, but still secured the save.
262. Yankees 11, Orioles 3
September 26, 2005
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD
Losing Pitcher: Rodrigo Lopez
6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
The Red Sox lost on September 21 to put the Yankees in first, then New York won five straight before a loss to the Blue Jays sent the teams into a tie. The Yankees went to Baltimore to make up a rainout from June 29. The Red Sox were off that day so a win can move them ahead. The Yankees threatened in the first. Derek Jeter singled and Alex Rodriguez walked, but couldn't score. The Orioles wanted revenge for the loss five days earlier, but Randy retired the side in order in the first, then worked around a one-out double by Javy Lopez to keep the game scoreless in the second. Bernie Castro singled with two outs in the third, but was caught stealing, then the Yankees finally exploded in the fourth. Hideki Matsui led off with a single, and Robinson Cano singled him to third. John Flaherty walked to load the bases. Orioles starter Rodrigo Lopez got two outs, but then walked Jeter to bring in a run. A-Rod followed with a double to score two more runs. Jason Giambi then blasted a three-run home run. The Orioles desperately tried to get a run back in the bottom of the inning. Melvin Mora and Miguel Tejada singled with one out, but Randy kept them from scoring. The Yankees loaded the bases in the fifth but couldn't score. They were more successful in the sixth. Reliever Eric DuBose walked the bases loaded, then Ruben Sierra singled for a run. A Baltimore error led to two more. Then Jeter and A-Rod both singled in a run. The Orioles scored three in the ninth on a home run by Eddie Rogers, the only one in his career, and an RBI single by Eric Byrnes, but it was too little too late.
263. Yankees 8, Red Sox 4
October 1, 2005
Fenway Park
Boston, MA
Losing Pitcher: Tim Wakefield
7.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 8 K
The AL East race went to the final series in Boston. The two teams were tied after the first game, but the Yankees held the tie-breaker, so a win in any of the last two games would give them their eighth straight division title. Randy got the first crack at the clincher. Boston countered with Tim Wakefield. The Yankees got to the knuckleballer in the first. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez led off with singles to put runners on the corner. Jason Giambi forced A-Rod, but Jeter scored the game's first run. Gary Sheffield followed with a home run. Boston countered in the bottom of the inning. Johnny Damon walked, then stole second, and went to third on a groundout. Randy struck out David Ortiz, but then Manny Ramirez hit a two-run home run for the Huge Run. The Yankees extended the lead in the second. Tino Martinez singled, and Bernie Williams doubled. A pair of sacrifice flies scored two more runs. The Red Sox threatened in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases on two walks and a single, but Randy struck out the side. The Yankees continued to beat up on Wakefield. Hideki Matsui homered with two outs in the third, and A-Rod homered with one out in the fifth. Randy kept Boston from scoring again until Tony Graffanino homered with one out in the seventh. The Yankees scored an insurance run in the eighth on a bases loaded fielder's choice. Randy got the first out in the eighth before Tom Gordon came to face the right-handed Manny. This time Manny homered, but Gordon retired the next two hitters before Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the ninth. Mariano allowed a leadoff single to Jason Varitek, but got the save, and the Yankees clinched the division title.
2006
Amidst all of the hullabaloo, Randy went out on Opening Day and had a tremendous outing. He threw seven innings and allowed only one run with three strikeouts. He had two more excellent starts and did not walk a batter until the second inning of his fourth start on April 18 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He was terrible that day, allowing seven runs in three and 1/3 innings. Those disaster starts seemed to be more common for Randy in 2006. His ERA climbed above 5.00 in the beginning of May, and stayed above it for most of the season. He found his status as the rotation anchor going instead to a quiet young pitcher from Taiwan named Wang Chien-Ming (王建民). Randy did pitch slightly better after the All-Star break, contributing to a sweep against the Red Sox in Boston that helped launch the Yankees towards their ninth straight division title. However, Randy struggled in September. throwing three consecutive starts with he allowed five runs. He still had 17 wins, as he was able to win five games where he allowed five or more runs, but his ERA of 5.00 was the worst of his career, and his 172 strikeouts were the fewest in a season where he threw at least 162 innings.
As it turned out Randy Johnson was dealing with back problems again. He had complained of back stiffness a few times in 2005, but by the end of 2006 it had gotten so bad he needed an epidural just to be able to pitch. He had gotten an MRI after his last start of the season and it showed a herniated disc. Randy was scratched from his last regular season start, and there were questions as to whether or not he would be able to pitch in the Division Series. Randy wanted one more chance to prove himself in the post-season. He started Game 3 of the Division Series against the Detroit Tigers with the series tied. By the end of the day Yankees fans would have rather Randy sat this one out, as he allowed five runs for a fourth consecutive start. The Yankees offense was in turn stifled by Detroit's 40-year-old left-hander Kenny Rogers. Detroit went on to win the series a day later.
Randy opted to have another surgery on his back in late October. By then he was already 43 years old. He had one more year on his contract extension, but there were plenty of question marks as to how much he had left in his tank. As he was convalescing he suffered a personal loss. His older brother Gregg, seven years his senior, died of an aneurysm, this one in his brain. It was a crushing blow for Randy, and it got him thinking more about his future. When Yankees general manager Brian Cashman called to offer his condolences, he got into a discussion with Randy about the possibility of being traded closer to his home on the west coast, preferably in Arizona. Cashman went to work, and soon fashioned a deal that would send Randy and $2 million to Arizona for a quartet of young players in infielder Alberto Gonzalez, and pitchers Steven Jackson, Ross Ohlendorf, and Luis Vizcaino. Randy would also get a contract extension that would take him through 2008. He was heading home.
The Wins of 2006
264. Yankees 15, Athletics 2
April 3, 2006
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, CA
Losing Pitcher: Barry Zito
7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 K
The 2005 season ended on a sour note as the Yankees lost the division series to the Angels. Randy got the ball for his 14th Opening Day start in 2006. Randy worked around an error to keep the A's scoreless in the first, then the Yankees took out their frustrations out on Oakland starter Barry Zito in the second. Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada led off with walks, and Bernie Williams singled in a run. Robinson Cano came up to bunt, but A's catcher Jason Kendall tried and failed to get the lead runner. Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter both singled, and reigning MVP Alex Rodriguez belted his 12th grand slam. The Athletics got one run back in the second when Frank Thomas led off with a home run, his first after leaving the White Sox, but the Yankees surged ahead in the fourth. Gary Sheffield reached on an error by Oakland shortstop Bobby Crosby, then A-Rod singled him to third. Jason Giambi singled in a run, then Matsui hit a three-run blast. New York scored two more runs in the fifth. Sheffield doubled, then Oakland brought in Brad Halsey, one of the men traded to get Randy. Halsey hit Giambi, and Matsui singled in a run. Posada was also hit to re-load the bases, then Bernie walked for another run. Randy had little trouble getting through the seventh, then watched as Jeter and A-Rod got him two more runs on two more RBI singles. The bullpen came in to pitch the rest of the game. The A's scored another run against Ron Villone in the ninth, when Milton Bradley and Jay Payton singled to put runners on the corner, and Kendall hit a sacrifice fly, but Villone got the last out and the Yankees had another Opening Day triumph.
265. Yankees 9, Royals 3
April 13, 2006
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Denny Bautista
5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Randy had a chance to get revenge against the Angels in his next start, but suffered a complete game loss to extend a four-game losing streak. The Yankees then knocked off four straight wins, and counted on Randy to get them above .500. It helped his opponents were the Royals, who collapsed to 106 losses in 2005, and were already in last. The Yankees made things worse for Kansas City by taking the lead in the first inning, when Gary Sheffield homered. The Royals got out of the inning, but then the Yankees added to the lead in the second. Four straight singles by Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, Bernie Williams, and Robinson Cano led to two runs. Kelly Stinnett had a sacrifice bunt, and Johnny Damon brought home another run on a sacrifice fly. Randy was sharp, retiring the first seven before a one-out single to Esteban German in the third. The Royals scratched out a run against Randy in the fifth. Doug Mientkiewicz singled with one out. German followed with another single, and Shane Costa singled as well to score the run. Randy got out of the inning, but had felt some stiffness in his right shoulder. With the minimum required for a win, manager Joe Torre brought in his bullpen starting in the sixth. The Royals tried desperately to come back against the beleaguered Yankees bullpen. Tony Graffanino led off the eighth with a home run against Tanyon Sturtze, but that was all they got. The Yankees then pounded Kansas City reliever Jimmy Gobble on a two-run home run by Giambi and a three-run blast by former Royal Damon. Ron Villone came in to pitch the ninth. The Royals scored a run when John Buck walked, Mientkiewicz singled, and German doubled, but Villone still nailed down the win.
266. Yankees 7, Orioles 1
April 23, 2006
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Bruce Chen
8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 5 K
Randy recovered from his shoulder stiffness to make his next start, but he was blown out by the Blue Jays. The Yankees were back to a .500 record as Randy faced the Orioles. The Orioles were off to another good start and were in second after splitting the first two games of the series. The Yankees counted on Randy to get the series win. The Orioles struck first, when Miguel Tejada led off the second inning with a home run, but the Yankees answered in the bottom of the inning. Jason Giambi led off the inning with a home run. Then after a strikeout, Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano both singled. Andy Phillips also singled and the Yankees took the lead. New York added to the lead in the third, although they almost ended up with nothing. Derek Jeter and Gary Sheffield both singled, but they were both caught stealing. Alex Rodriguez hit a grounder to Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora and it seemed like Baltimore would escape the inning, but Mora flubbed it and A-Rod was safe. Giambi followed with his second home run of the game. Randy shut down the Orioles, working around a single to Tejada in the fourth as the Yankees scored again in the fifth. They loaded the bases on a single, a double, and a walk, then A-Rod brought home a run with a sacrifice fly. Tejada got his third hit off Randy in the seventh, but he couldn't score as the Yankees scored again in the bottom of the inning. Jeter singled with one out, and A-Rod walked, then Giambi hit a two-run double. Randy had 94 pitches through eight, but Mariano Rivera came on in the non-save situation and allowed a fourth hit to Tejada, but he still finished the Yankees victory.
267. Yankees 17, Blue Jays 6
April 29, 2006
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Josh Towers
5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
By Randy's next start, the Yankees were in fourth but just one game behind their first-place opponents, the Blue Jays, against whom he struggled 11 days earlier. The struggles continued as Toronto scored twice in the first. Randy opened hitting Reed Johnson with a pitch. Vernon Wells doubled to score Reed. Wells stole third, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Troy Glaus. The Yankees answered in the bottom of the inning. Johnny Damon singled and stole second. Gary Sheffield singled to put runners on the corner. Alex Rodriguez was safe on a fielders choice comebacker, then Jason Giambi hit a three-run home run. Randy allowed a single to his former teammate Shea Hillenbrand in the second, but got out of the inning, then Damon homered in the bottom of the inning. The Blue Jays tied the game in the third. Randy hit Reed for the second time, then Alex Rios doubled, and Reed scored when Wells grounded out. Glaus and Hillenbrand both doubled for two more runs. The Yankees pulled ahead in the bottom of the inning. Sheffield singled then stole second. A-Rod walked, then Hideki Matsui doubled to drive in a run. A-Rod stopped at third, but he scored on a groundout. Damon added two more runs in the fourth with his second home run of the day, but the Blue Jays scored again in the fifth. Randy walked the bases loaded with two outs, then allowed a single to Gregg Zaun. Randy got out of the inning, then the Yankees scored three more runs on a bases loaded walk by Derek Jeter and a two-run single by Sheffield. Randy's day was done after that, but the Yankees continued to pound Blue Jays pitching, scoring five more runs to score in every inning before the day was done.
268. Yankees 10, Devil Rays 5
May 4, 2006
Tropicana Field
St. Petersburg, FL
Losing Pitcher: Chad Orvella
6.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 K
The Yankees had fought back to a tie for first after beating the Devil Rays, the last-place team in the division. They counted on Randy to get the win and keep their hold on first place. Tampa Bay scored first, in the bottom of the first. Randy hit the first batter for his second straight start, Joey Gathright, who got revenge by stealing second. He was bunted to third, and scored when Jonny Gomes doubled. The Yankees tied the game in the second when Hideki Matsui homered, but Tampa Bay pulled ahead in the third. Tomas Perez singled with one out, and a groundout sent him to second. Carl Crawford singled in the run, then stole second. Gomes walked, then Ty Wigginton singled to bring home another run. The Yankees took the lead in the fifth. Matsui singled and Jorge Posada walked. Robinson Cano doubled to bring home one run, and Bernie Williams's single drove in two and ended the day of Devil Rays starter Doug Waechter. The Yankees couldn't score any more, then Randy gave up the lead in the bottom of the inning. Gomes singled with one out, then Wigginton homered. The Yankees struck again in the seventh. Gary Sheffield singled off reliever Brian Meadows. Tampa Bay brought in Chad Orvella, who made things worse, loading the bases on a single and a walk. Orvella walked Jason Giambi to tie the game, then hit Alex Rodriguez to give the Yankees the lead. Randy got the first two outs in the bottom of the inning before getting taken out before facing the right-handed Gomes. Tanyon Sturtze got the out, then Johnny Damon blasted a grand slam in the eighth. The Devil Rays loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but the Yankees bullpen nailed down the win.
269. Yankees 8, Red Sox 6
May 24, 2006
Fenway Park
Boston, MA
Losing Pitcher: Matt Clement
5 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 8 K
Randy had won twice despite pitching poorly. Then he floundered in three awful starts that sent his ERA to 5.62. The Yankees fell behind Boston, but they split the first two games of a three-game series, and Randy was called to go for the series win. Randy struggled, allowing two runs in the first. Kevin Youkilis led off with a single. Mark Loretta singled, but he was thrown out going for the double. Randy struck out David Ortiz for the second out, but then Manny Ramirez homered. The Yankees pulled ahead in the second. They loaded the bases with two outs on a walk, a single, and another walk. Kelly Stinnett was hit by a pitch for a painful RBI. Rookie Melky Cabrera singled to drive in two runs, and Derek Jeter doubled for another. Boston pulled off another two-out rally in the bottom of the inning. Alex Gonzalez singled after Randy struck out the first two, then stole second, and Youkilis powered a home run. The Yankees threatened in the third, but it was Boston that pulled ahead in the bottom of the inning. Manny doubled, then Jason Varitek singled in the run. Randy allowed another single before striking out the side. The game progressed to the fifth when the Yankees finally pulled ahead. Four consecutive singles led to two runs and runners on first and second. A wild pitch sent the runners to second and third, and Cabrera singled to drive them both in. Randy got through the fifth and counted on the bullpen to get the win. Manny hit his second home run of the game in the seventh off of Scott Proctor, then the Red Sox loaded the bases against Kyle Farnsworth, but they couldn't score, and Mariano Rivera pitched a one-two-three ninth for the save.
270. Yankees 4, Tigers 0
May 29, 2006
Comerica Park
Detroit, MI
Losing Pitcher: Jeremy Bonderman
6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Randy's win against the Red Sox had sent his ERA soaring to 5.89, the highest it's been in May or later since he came back from his knee surgery back in 2003. The Yankees were in second, but went off to Detroit to face the Tigers, who had the best record in baseball only three years after losing 119 games. The Yankees needed Randy to contribute with a good start, and he made sure he was up to the task. He retired the Tigers in order in the first two innings, and then the Yankees went to work in the third. Robinson Cano led off with a single. He was forced by Terrence Long, but Melky Cabrera singled to send Long to third. Johnny Damon followed with another single to score Long and send Cabrera to third. Cabrera would score when Derek Jeter forced Damon. Randy had retired eight straight, but he walked Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco with two outs in the third, but still kept Detroit scoreless. The Yankees loaded the bases on two single and a walk, but this was after Alex Rodriguez hit into a double play after Jason Giambi's single, and they couldn't score. They were more successful in the fifth. Gary Sheffield singled with two outs, and Giambi walked. A-Rod and Jorge Posada both hit RBI singles. Randy continued to dominate the Tigers. Detroit finally got their first hit when Ivan Rodriguez singled with two outs in the sixth after Marcus Thames walked. Randy got out of the inning, but he allowed a leadoff double to Carlos Guillen, one of the players involved in the Mariners-Astros trade, in the seventh. Ron Villone came on to keep Guillen stranded, then pitched a one-two-three eighth. Kyle Farnsworth also pitched a perfect ninth to secure the victory.
271. Yankees 6, Indians 1
June 14, 2006
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Jason Johnson
6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
The Yankees and the Red Sox continued to battle for AL East supremacy as they took turns in first place. Randy didn't help with a pair of mediocre starts. The teams were tied as Randy made his next start, against an Indians team that were third in the AL Central. Randy was sharp, pitching around a double by Jason Michaels with one out to keep the Indians scoreless through the first four innings. Cleveland starter Jason Johnson was also very good, but the Yankees finally scored in the fourth inning. Derek Jeter led off with a single, and Jason Giambi doubled him to third. Alex Rodriguez followed with a ground ball, but Indians first baseman Ben Broussard missed the throw from his shortstop, and Jeter was able to score. Giambi stayed at second, and he went to third on a double play. Cano singled and Giambi was able to score. The Indians fought back in the fifth. Eduardo Perez and Ronnie Belliard led off with singles to put runners on the corners. Broussard grounded into a double play, but Perez was able to come around to score. Johnny Damon homered in the fifth, then the Yankees scored three more times the sixth. A-Rod singled, then Posada was hit by a pitch, which led to both benches being warmed. Cano grounded into a double play, but A-Rod went to third, and he scored on Bernie Williams's ground-rule double. Andy Phillips then lifted a two-run home run. Randy got the first out in the seventh, but then he brushed back Perez, likely in retaliation to Posada's hit-by-pitch in the sixth. That earned him an ejection and ended his day. The Yankees bullpen picked him up. Grady Sizemore doubled against Ron Villone leading off the ninth, but Villone held on for the win.
272. Yankees 5, Braves 2
June 26, 2006
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Tim Hudson
7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Randy earned himself a fine and a suspension for his role in the rhubarb against the Indians. He appealed the suspension, allowing him to make a start against the Phillies. He pitched well but lost, then lost the appeal. He came back in time to pitch against the Braves, who had fallen to last, threatening their streak of 14 straight division titles. Randy allowed a single to Chipper Jones in the first, but left him stranded. The Yankees worked some two-out magic in the bottom of the inning. Derek Jeter singled, then Jason Giambi blasted a home run. They loaded the bases after that, but Atlanta starter Tim Hudson got out of the inning. The Yankees went right back to work in the second. Johnny Damon doubled with one out. Jeter walked after a groundout. Then Giambi hit his second home run in as many innings. A-Rod walked and then stole second, but he couldn't get any further. Meanwhile Randy was keeping the Braves in check. He got into the most trouble in the sixth when Edgar Renteria singled with two outs, and Chipper also did to put runners on the corner, but Randy finished striking out the side. Randy got through the seventh without allowing a run, but he had 106 pitches so his night was done. The Yankees couldn't score any additional runs against the Braves. Andy Phillips tripled with two outs in the seventh, but he was stranded there. Scott Proctor came to pitch the ninth after throwing a one-two-three eighth. He allowed a single to Renteria, then a home run to Chipper. He struck out Andruw, but then allowed a single to Jeff Francoeur. That brought Mariano Rivera out of the bullpen. Mariano walked Wilson Betemit, but finished striking out the side to get the save.
273. Yankees 10, Indians 4
July 6, 2006
Jacobs Field
Cleveland, OH
Losing Pitcher: Cliff Lee
7.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 5 K
Randy got annihilated by the cross-town New York Mets to wrap up the interleague portion of the Yankees schedule, and then went off to Cleveland to continue the rivalry that started on June 14. The Yankees lost the first two games in the four-game series before coming back to win, and Randy was asked to deliver the split. Randy rediscovered some of his old magic. He retired the side in order through the first run of the lineup. However, Cleveland's starter Cliff Lee was also sharp. He allowed a walk to Melky Cabrera in the first, and a single to Miguel Cairo in the third, but kept the Yankees off the scoreboard until the fourth. Derek Jeter led off with a double, and Jason Giambi followed with a two-run home run. New York pounded out some more runs in the fifth. Aaron Guiel singled, then scored when Cairo and Cabrera reached on errors by Indians fielders. Jeter singled for another run. Cabrera went to third and would score on Giambi's sacrifice fly. Travis Hafner got the Indians' first hit and baserunner leading off the fifth, but then Randy got a double play. The Yankees scored two more runs in the sixth on four more singles. Randy had faced the minimum through the seventh, but Jason Michaels homered with one out. Randy got out of the inning, then New York scored three more in the eighth. Randy came out in the bottom of the inning. He loaded the bases on three singles. Randy got manager Joe Torre to leave him in to get out of the jam, but a groundout, passed ball, and a single led to three runs coming home, ending Randy's day. Minor league call-up T.J. Beam came in and got the last four outs to secure the victory.
274. Yankees 6, Rangers 2
July 24, 2006
Ameriquest Field
Arlington, TX
Losing Pitcher: Kevin Millwood
6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 7 K
Randy went into the All-Star break with his ERA still over 5.00, but lowered it with two decent starts after the break, even getting his first double-digit strikeout game of the season, but he went 0-1. The Yankees traveled deep in heart of Texas to face the pitiful Rangers. Texas took the lead when Mark Teixeira homered leading off the second. Texas got another runner on after Randy flubbed a comebacker by Mark DeRosa, but then he struck out the next two. The Yankees tied the game in the third. Melky Cabrera tripled with two outs, then Derek Jeter followed with another triple. The Rangers fought back in their half of the inning. Gary Matthews Jr. singled with one out, then stole second. Rookie Ian Kinsler grounded a ball towards Randy, who threw to third to nail the lead runner. Michael Young doubled, but Kinsler held at third and was stranded there. The Yankees scored two more in the fourth to take the lead. Alex Rodriguez singled, then Bernie Williams reached on an error by Rangers first baseman Teixeira. Miguel Cairo's double scored both runners. Randy struck out the side in the bottom of the inning, then the Yankees scored again in the fifth. Cabrera doubled, and Jeter sacrificed him to third. He would score on a fielder's choice. The Rangers would score in their half of the inning. Matthews Jr. doubled with one out, then Kinsler walked. Teixeira made up for his error with a two-out RBI single. However, he was thrown out at second to end the inning. Aaron Guiel homered in the sixth, and the Yankees scored in the seventh on doubles by Jeter and A-Rod. The Rangers continued to put runners on against the Yankees bullpen, but kept striking out as the Yankees won the game.
275. Yankees 7, White Sox 6
August 9, 2006
U.S. Cellular Field
Chicago, IL
Losing Pitcher: Jon Garland
6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Randy was terrible in his next two starts to send his ERA back above 5.00, but the Yankees won one to put up a five-game winning streak that sent them into first place. Randy's next start was against the White Sox, who were the defending World Series champions, winning their first title since 1917. They were in third, but just half a game behind the Twins. The Yankees struck in the first. Johnny Damon led off with a triple. He stayed at third on Derek Jeter's infield single, but then trade acquisition Bobby Abreu singled in the run. Randy walked Joe Crede in the second, but that was the only baserunner he allowed through the first six innings. The Yankees added to their lead in the fifth, when Melky Cabera and Abreu both homered to bring in three runs. Robinson Cano added with a solo home run in the sixth. New York scored two more in the seventh, when Andy Phillips doubled and went to third on a passed ball. Jeter walked but stole second on a strikeout. A-Rod singled in a run, and Jeter scored on a groundout. Randy hadn't allowed a hit through six innings, but the bottom fell out in the bottom of the seventh. Tadahito Iguchi singled, then Jim Thome walked. 2005 ALCS MVP Paul Konerko hit a ground-rule double to score a run, and 2005 World Series MVP Jermaine Dye doubled in another. Ron Villone came in and walked Crede to load the bases, but got out of the jam. The White Sox blasted Kyle Farnsworth in the eighth. Iguchi hit a solo home run with one out, then Crede hit a three-run shot with two outs. Mariano Rivera came in and put runners on the corner in the ninth, but got the four-out save.
276. Yankees 7, Angels 2
August 14, 2006
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: John Lackey
7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
The Yankees hosted the Angels for a four-game series. Los Angels won two of the first three games, and Randy was tasked with getting the split in the series. The Angels got a runner all the way to third base in the first, but Randy retired the dangerous Vladimir Guerrero to keep the game scoreless. The Yankees took the lead in the third. Melky Cabrera led off the inning with a double, and after Johnny Damon grounded out, Derek Jeter hit a two-run home run. The Angels continued to reach against Randy. Guerrero singled leading off the fourth, but Randy retired the next three, striking out Tim Salmon for the 4,500th strikeout of his career. Then a Chone Figgins walk and a Howie Kendrick single put runners on the corner in the fifth, but Randy held the lead. Los Angeles finally got through to Randy in the seventh. Jose Molina doubled with one out, and went to third on a groundout. Figgins singled in a run, and Kendrick's double tied the game. The Yankees were finally successful scoring an insurance run in the seventh. They loaded the bases on singles by Johnny Damon and Jeter, and an intentional walk to Jason Giambi. Alex Rodriguez made them pay with a sacrifice fly. Kyle Farnsworth came in to pitch the eighth and threw a one-two-three inning. The Yankees blasted the Angels bullpen in their half. Jorge Posada led off with a home run, then the Yankees loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Jeter forced a runner on a fielder's choice, but then a single, a sacrifice fly, and another single brought home three runs. Mariano Rivera came in the non-save situation and allowed a single to Robb Quinlan, who advanced to third, but Mariano still nailed down the victory.
277. Yankees 13, Red Sox 5
August 19, 2006
Fenway Park
Boston, MA
Losing Pitcher: Josh Beckett
7 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 3 K
The Yankees continued their listless play. They remained in first, but Boston was just 1.5 games behind, ready to pounce. The Yankees went to Fenway for a rare five-game series, necessitated by a May rainout. The Yankees took the day-night doubleheader to open the series, then Randy got the third game. The Yankees loaded the bases in the first, but couldn't score. They were more successful in the second. Bernie Williams homered with two outs. Melky Cabrera followed with a walk. He stole second, and scored on Johnny Damon's double. New York scored again in the third. Bobby Abreu walked and stole second. Boston starter Josh Beckett got two outs, but Robinson Cano singled him home. Randy got into trouble in the fourth. He walked Mark Loretta and David Ortiz, then Manny homered to tie the game. The Red Sox followed with three straight singles to give them the lead. The Yankees scored in the fifth. Abreu doubled with two outs and went to third on a passed ball. Jason Giambi walked, then Alex Rodriguez doubled in a run. Giambi held at third, so Cano was walked intentionally to set up the force at home, but Jorge Posada hit into a force at second as Giambi scored. The Red Sox tied it up in their half. Alex Cora was hit by a pitch, then Kevin Youkilis walked. Loretta sacrificed the runners up, and Ortiz hit a sacrifice fly. The Yankees stormed ahead in the sixth. They loaded the bases on a double and two walks. Two more walks led to two more runs, then Posada tripled to empty the bases. Randy pitched into the seventh before Cano hit a three-run home run in the eighth. The Yankees didn't even need to go to Mariano Rivera to wrap up the win.
278. Yankees 6, Tigers 4
August 31, 2006
Yankee Stadium
New York, NY
Losing Pitcher: Jeremy Bonderman
8 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 1 BB, 8 K
The Yankees ended up sweeping all five games against the Red Sox. They returned home to host Detroit, who still had the best record in baseball. The teams split the first two games in the series, and New York looked to Randy to get the series win. The Yankees loaded the bases against Detroit in the first, but couldn't get a run across. Magglio Ordonez gave the Tigers a lead with a home run to lead off the second. Randy hit Brandon Inge with a pitch, but got out of the inning and retired the side in order in the third. The Yankees eventually tied the game in the bottom of the third. Bobby Abreu doubled with one out, then Alex Rodriguez singled to bring in the tying run. New York took the lead in the fourth. Melky Cabrera and Johny Damon singled with two outs, then Derek Jeter walked to load the bases. Abreu followed with a single and two runs scampered home. They added to the lead in the fifth. A-Rod led off with a double, then Bernie Williams singled him home. Randy had been sharp, but then Omar Infante led off the sixth with a home run. He still managed to end the inning with a pair of strikeouts, and the Yankees added two more runs in the seventh. A-Rod led off with a home run, then Robinson Cano doubled, and Bernie singled. Randy had gone through eight innings with only 94 pitches, and he was allowed to pitch the ninth to go for his first complete game victory of the year. However, he walked Craig Monroe on four pitches, and Marcus Thames homered. Mariano Rivera came in and allowed a double to Ordonez. He got the next three batters to ground out and got the save.
279. Yankees 8, Royals 3
September 6, 2006
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, MO
Losing Pitcher: Runelvys Hernandez
7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
The Yankees marched closer to their ninth straight AL East title as they went into Kansas City, where the Royals were still in last with the worst record in baseball, and seemed destined to get their third straight 100-loss season. They actually split the first two games of the three-game series, and so the Yankees needed Randy to get the series victory. They made it easier by taking the lead in the second. Jorge Posada walked with one out, and Robinson Cano singled. Bernie Williams advanced the runner with a groundout, and Melky Cabrera singled. Posada scored easily, and Cano tried to score, but he was cut down at the plate. Randy walked Emil Brown with one out in the second, but got a double play. He dominated the Royals and even struck out the side in the fourth. The Yankees added an insurance run in the fifth. Bernie led off with a single. then Derek Jeter doubled to score Bernie. The Yankees continued their scoring in the sixth. Jason Giambi led off with a double, then Alex Rodriguez walked. Posada followed with a three-run home run. Randy had continued to set the Royals down in order. He had faced the minimum as the game went into the seventh. Kansas City still hadn't gotten a hit, but David DeJesus led off by lining a triple to deep left field. However, catcher Posada caught DeJesus wandering too far down the baseline and picked him off. Randy walked Esteban German but still got out of the inning. Posada hit another three-run home run in the eighth, and after that the Yankees turned to their bullpen. The Royals scored a run off Scott Proctor in the eighth and two off Kyle Farnsworth in the ninth, but they still managed to secure the victory.
280. Yankees 9, Orioles 6
September 11, 2006
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD
Losing Pitcher: James Hoey
6 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
The Yankees followed the Royals series with a four-game set against the Orioles in Baltimore. The Orioles were mired in fourth, but they still won the first game. New York took the next two, and Randy took the mound with a chance to win the series. The Yankees led off with a pair of singles, but couldn't score off Baltimore starter Rodrigo Lopez. They were more successful in the second. Bernie Williams walked with one out, then Aaron Guiel singled. Melky Cabrera followed with another single to score Bernie. Guiel went to third and scored on a groundout. Fernando Tatis led off the Baltimore third with a triple, then scored when second baseman Robinson Cano threw the ball away. The Orioles got two more singles against Randy, but he still escaped with the lead. He wasn't so successful in the fifth. Chris Gomez singled, and David Newhan was hit by a pitch. Brian Roberts sacrificed, and Melvin Mora drove in both runners with a single. Rookie Nick Markakis singled Mora to third, and he scored on a sacrifice fly. Doubles by Kevin Millar and Gomez led to another Orioles run in the sixth. Lopez gave way to reliever James Hoey for the seventh. Hoey led off the inning hitting Guiel with a pitch. Cabrera forced Guiel, but Johnny Damon walked and Derek Jeter singled to load the bases. Bobby Abreu brought home one run on a sacrifice fly, then Alex Rodriguez singled for another. Jorge Posada was also hit, then Cano made up for his error with a bases-emptying double for the lead. Bernie singled in Cano, and the Yankees went to their bullpen. Ramon Hernandez homered in the eighth, but A-Rod answered with a home run in the ninth. Kyle Farnsworth worked around a Mora single for the win.
2007
As much as Randy wanted to help out with the Diamondbacks revolution, he was still rehabbing from his back surgery the previous October. He started the season on the disabled list, and did not make his season debut until April 24, over six months since he last pitched for the Yankees. Randy was rusty, as he allowed six runs, the fifth straight start in which he allowed five runs or more. Randy settled down afterward and showed some of his dominance in the month of May. He finished the month 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA, and had 41 strikeouts in 30 and 2/3 innings. On June 5, he struck out eight San Francisco Giants. His final strikeout against Ray Durham pushed him to 4,605 strikeouts, one ahead of Roger Clemens for second place on the all-time strikeouts list. Clemens briefly regained the lead when he made his return to the New York Yankees, but Randy took it again when he struck out nine Boston Red Sox hitters on June 10.
However, Randy's back began to act up again. He was placed back on the disabled list after the start against Boston in hopes some rest and rehab can help get his back back to normal. He felt well enough to make a start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 28, but he lasted only three innings and went back on the disabled list. He tried to get back on the field, but when the back discomfort wouldn't go away, Randy decided to make the fateful decision to have surgery on the back again. The surgery happened on August 3, 2007, two days before Tom Glavine would become the 23rd pitcher to reach 300 wins. Randy didn't have time to think about his chances of being the 24th. He was hard at work trying to get back on the field by 2008. The Diamondbacks' playoff run where they won the NL West and advanced to the NLCS only served to motivate him further.
The Wins of 2007
281. Diamondbacks 3, Rockies 0
May 15, 2007
Coors Field
Denver, CO
Losing Pitcher: Jason Hirsh
6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Randy pitched poorly in the end of the 2006 season and was traded back to Arizona in the off-season. He missed the first three weeks of the regular season recovering from another back surgery, then pitched poorly upon his return. His ERA was still 6.00 as he made his fourth start of the season in the thin air of Colorado. Arizona was in second and the Rockies were in last. The Diamondbacks attempted to score in the first on singles by Conor Jackson and Chad Tracy, but Rockies starter Jason Hirsh held them at bay. Randy pitched like the Randy of old in the bottom of the inning, getting a pair of strikeouts while throwing a one-two-three frame. Hirsh settled down and the game progressed as a pitcher's duel. Randy had retired nine straight through three while Hirsh was doing the same from the second through fourth. The Rockies finally got a baserunner in the bottom of the fourth when leadoff man Willy Taveras bunted for a base hit. He was then caught stealing second. Hirsh had retired 14 straight after getting Randy to fly out leading off the sixth, but a single by Chris Young broke the streak. Then Jackson lifted a home run to left field to give Arizona a 2-0 lead. Randy retired the side in order again in the sixth, then Eric Byrnes led off the seventh with another home run. Randy had thrown only 79 pitches, but it was Tony Pena Jr. that came out for the seventh. Pena allowed a one-out single, but got a double play. He threw a scoreless eighth, then Jose Valverde came on in the ninth. He allowed a leadoff double to Yorvit Torrealba, but retired the next three batters to get Randy his first win since returning to Arizona.
282. Diamondbacks 5, Pirates 2
May 20, 2007
PNC Park
Pittsburgh, PA
Losing Pitcher: Paul Maholm
5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Questions swirled after Randy's early exit against Colorado, but manager Bob Melvin said it was just a precautionary move. Randy made his next start looking for his first win in PNC Park. The Pirates were in fourth but with a losing record. Arizona was in third as they split the first two games, and Randy went for the series win. The Pirates scratched out a run against Randy in the first. Randy got a strikeout, but allowed a single to Jose Bautista. Randy got another strikeout, but Bautista stole second, then scored when Xavier Nady doubled. Randy finished striking out the side. The Diamondbacks tried getting the run back in the second when Eric Byrnes led off with a single, but a strikeout and a double play ended the opportunity. Arizona was more successful in the third. Carlos Quentin and Chris Snyder led off with singles. A passed ball advanced the runners but Randy struck out. Stephen Drew hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, then Conor Jackson singled for the lead. The Diamondbacks added insurance runs in the fourth. Byrnes doubled leading off but was caught stealing. Arizona loaded the bases anyways on a single and two walks. Snyder then cleared the bases with a booming double. Randy settled down and had retired 11 straight until allowing back-to-back singles in the fifth. He got out of the inning, but got into more trouble in the sixth. Bautista led off with a double, then Nady singled him home again. Ryan Doumit followed with another single. Randy then got a strikeout to reach double digits for the first time in his return, but Tony Pena Jr. was brought in to face the right-handed Ronny Paulino. Pena did his job, then the bullpen pitched three perfect innings to get the win.
283. Diamondbacks 4, Phillies 3
May 30, 2007
Citizens Bank Park
Philadelphia, PA
Losing Pitcher: Jamie Moyer
6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Randy missed a start due to forearm tendinitis but came back to try to finish off a sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were in third, but mired with controversy as their manager Charlie Manuel's job was in danger. The Diamondbacks were just half a game behind the Dodgers for first. Randy was facing Philadelphia's ancient Jamie Moyer, who was ten months older than him. They faced each other three weeks prior and Moyer had come out on top when reliever Brandon Medders allowed a grand slam. This time the Diamondbacks drew first blood when Eric Byrnes led off the game with a home run. Moyer settled down, but Randy retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning. Pat Burrell got a hit with one out in the second, but Randy got out of the inning with fly balls. Shane Victorino reached on a throwing error by shortstop Alberto Callaspo leading off the fourth, but Randy struck out the side. The Diamondbacks tried to score additional runs, but Moyer was a crafty left and kept them from scoring. Randy's day was done after six having allowed only those two baserunners. Moyer pitched into the eighth, but Manuel quickly regretted it when Byrnes blasted his second home run with one out. Conor Jackson followed with a double. Moyer got a second out, but then Mark Reynolds homered as well. Philadelphia attempted to come back in the ninth. Reliever Brandon Lyon hit Aaron Rowand with a pitch, then Victorino reached on another error. Jimmy Rollins tripled both runners home. Jose Valverde came in but Burrell drove in Rollins with a single. Pinch-runner Michael Bourn stole second, and Philadelphia had reigning MVP Ryan Howard at the plate, but he hit into a line-drive double play to end the game.
284. Diamondbacks 5, Red Sox 1
June 10, 2007
Chase Field
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Daisuke Matsuzaka
6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Randy made his next start without any problems and even passed Roger Clemens for second on the all-time strikeout list, but got a no-decision. Clemens was preparing to make his triumphant return with the Yankees at the time, which he did on June 9 to move ahead. Randy was focused on his start against the Red Sox, who had the best record in baseball after taking two straight against Arizona.. He was determined to prevent the sweep. He struggled early. He struck out the first batter, but Coco Crisp singled. Randy had him picked off, but an error by first baseman Conor Jackson sent Crisp to second. Randy pitched around Manny Ramirez before ending the inning on a strikeout. Boston's starter, Japanese rookie sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka, was also sharp, striking out two in the bottom of the first. Boston drew first blood in the fourth. Manny walked for the second time, and after a strikeout to send Randy past the Rocket again, Mike Lowell doubled to give Boston the lead. A disgruntled Randy ended the inning, then Arizona came back in their half. Orlando Hudson walked then stole second. After Jackson walked, Stephen Drew singled to tie the game. Randy got through the sixth before Arizona took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Jackson walked, then Carlos Quentin doubled him home. Reliever Jailen Pegeuro came in to pitch the seventh and Tony Pena Jr, did the same in the eighth before the Diamondbacks went to town against Boston's relievers. Jackson singled and Drew walked. Quentin tried to bunt the runners over but reliever Mike Timlin threw the ball away to score two runs. Chris Snyder walked and Chris Young singled in another run. Boston attempted to come back against Jose Valverde, but he stopped them for the win.
2008
Randy started the season on the disabled list and didn't make his 2008 debut until April 14, two weeks into the season. He pitched well against the San Francisco Giants, allowing three unearned runs and striking out seven, but he wound up with a no-decision. Analysts noted that Randy could still reach the mid-90s with his fastball, but his slider lost a lot of its bite. He did add a two-seam fastball to serve as a change-up. After a loss against the San Diego Padres, he won four games from April 25 to May 18, and he was almost out of the 280s Purgatory. On May 29 he struck out nine Giants to record his 4,672nd strikeout to tie Roger Clemens once again. Clemens was dealing with the fallout from his appearance on the Mitchell Report in the off-season. Randy passed the Rocket for good five days later.
However, Randy ran into a rough patch in June. He lost each of his June starts and his first start in July as his ERA rose from 3.83 to 5.46. People were ready to write off the Big Unit. However, Randy followed that rough stretch with a series of excellent starts. He won the 10th game of the season and the 294th of his career on August 12. There were some thoughts that if Randy could finish strong he might be able to win 300 before the end of the year. Unfortunately, Randy entered into a pitching purgatory. From August 17 through September 23, Randy made eight starts. He wasn't terrible, posting a 3.92 ERA and had 43 strikeouts in 43 and 2/3 innings. However, the Diamondbacks never scored when he pitched well, and he didn't always pitch well. He had two starts in September when he allowed just one run, but ended up with no-decisions. His record during the stretch was 0-2, and the Diamondbacks went 2-5 to fall out of the race despite leading the division most of the year. He got the ball on the last day of the season to finish the year on a strong note. He went the distance against the Colorado Rockies, allowing only one unearned run. The Diamondbacks scored two, and with that his 295th win was secure.
While Randy's 2008 season was not vintage Big Unit, it was still very good for a 44-year-old pitcher. He had thrown 184 innings and went 11-10. His 3.91 ERA was fourth on the team among anybody that made a start, and his 173 strikeouts were third. Randy knew he wanted to come back in 2009 to make a run at 300 wins and maybe even 5,000 strikeouts. However, the Diamondbacks balked at Randy's asking price of $8 million, figuring the possible attendance boost wouldn't be worth what they would pay a 45-year-old pitcher with a bad back. Randy turned his attention elsewhere, and found takers in the Bay Area. He ultimately signed with the San Francisco Giants. Randy Johnson would be around for a last hurrah.
The Wins of 2008
285. Diamondbacks 5, Padres 1
April 25, 2008
Petco Park
San Diego, CA
Losing Pitcher: Randy Wolf
6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Randy made one more start in 2007 before missing the rest of the season with back problems. He came back in 2008 wanting to lead Arizona back to another division title. There was some talk of 300, but Randy was focused on 285 first. He pitched okay in his first two starts, but the Diamondbacks lost both games. Those were 1/3 of their losses as they started out with their hottest start in team history. They had the best record in baseball as Randy went to face the Padres, who were in last. San Diego starter Randy Wolf kept them in check for the first two innings, but they exploded in the third. Miguel Montero led off with a single. Randy bunted him to second, then he scored when Chris Young doubled. Wolf got a second out, but Orlando Hudson single to score Young. Conor Jackson followed with another single, then Mark Reynolds showed off his power by blasting a three-run home run to deep center field. Randy pitched well through the first three innings, walking two, but he got into some trouble in the fourth. Kevin Kouzmanoff singled with one out, then Khalil Greene doubled. Kouzmanoff held at third, but then Justin Huber was hit to load the bases. Randy got a strikeout, but a single by rookie Callix Crabbe brought in a run. Another strikeout left the bases stranded. Randy got through the fifth and sixth innings without allowing any additional baserunners. The Diamondbacks attempted to score some additional insurance runs against Padres relievers, but they were unable to get through to the San Diego bullpen. The score was still 5-1 as the game went into the ninth. Brandon Lyon came in and managed to retire all three batters to give Randy his first win of 2008.
286. Diamondbacks 6, Phillies 4
May 6, 2008
Chase Field
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Adam Eaton
6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 6 K
The Diamondbacks ended April with a 20-8 record, but May turned out to be a different story. They lost three of their first four games that month. Randy pitched poorly in his last April start, but Arizona still counted on him to turn things around before the second-place Dodgers caught up. His opponents were the Philadelphia Phillies, who turned things around and won the NL East in 2007. They were still first in 2008. The Diamondbacks gave Randy a lead in the first. Chris Young led off with a double, then singles by Eric Byrnes and Conor Jackson led to a run coming home. Byrnes tried to score on Justin Upton's comebacker, but he was nailed at home. The Phillies caught up to Randy in the third. Pitcher Adam Eaton led off the inning with a double. Shane Victorino bunted Eaton to third, then light-hitting utility-man Eric Bruntlett blasted a home run to give Philadelphia the lead. Randy got out of the inning before the Diamondbacks came back in the fourth. They loaded the bases on two walks and a double. Eaton walked Randy to give him his first RBI since 2004. Another run came home on a force-out, then Stephen Drew blasted a three-run home run to retake the lead. The Phillies nicked Randy for runs in the next two innings. Victorino walked with one out in the fifth, and then Bruntlett doubled to score the run. Jayson Werth then led off the sixth with a home run. The bullpen came in beginning with the seventh. Pat Burrell got a single off Tony Pena Jr. in the eighth, then Brandon Lyon got into some trouble in the ninth. Carlos Ruiz singled with one out, and went to third on Victorino's single. Lyon still managed to close out the win.
287. Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 4
May 13, 2008
Chase Field
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Jeff Francis
5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 4 K
The Diamondbacks split the series with Philadelphia before getting swept out of Chicago on a quick road trip. Randy didn't get a chance to pitch in the series against the Cubs, but he got the ball to start a homestand against the fourth-place Rockies with the task of stopping the losing streak. He struck out two in the first before the Diamondbacks tore into Colorado starter Jeff Francis. Four straight singles led to two runs and two runners on base. Francis got two outs, but then Mark Reynolds hit another single to score a third run. The Rockies got one of the runs back in the second. Garrett Atkins led off with a single, and Ryan Spilborghs followed with a double. Atkins had to hold at third, but then Jeff Baker hit a sacrifice fly. Arizona got those runs back and more in the bottom of the inning. Randy led off with his second hit of the season, then Chris Young singled as well. Stephen Drew blasted a three-run home run. Randy got through the third before getting in trouble again in the fourth. Atkins led off the inning with a home run. Spilborghs doubled, then Randy balked Spilborghs to third. Baker singled for a run, then scored himself on two more singles. Francis bunted the runners up, but Randy was able to get out of the inning. The Diamondbacks pulled ahead with runs in the next two innings. Young doubled with one out in the forth, then scored when Orlando Hudson singled. Justin Upton led off the fifth with a single. Miguel Montero singled him to third, then Chris Burke pinch-hitting for Randy singled in the run. The bullpen came in the sixth. The Rockies reached, but the relievers held strong to secure the win and end the skid.
288. Diamondbacks 4, Tigers 0
May 18, 2008
Chase Field
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Nate Robertson
7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
The Diamondbacks swept the Rockies, then won the first game in an interleague series against the Tigers, who had the worst record in the American League, before losing against Detroit. Randy got the ball to get the series win and end the homestand on a strong note. The Tigers remembered how well they hit Randy when he was a Yankee, and tried to recapture that magic in the first. Placido Polanco and Edgar Renteria hit back-to-back singles, but then Randy got a double play out of Magglio Ordonez to end the inning. Randy continued to bend but never broke. Ryan Raburn doubled with two outs in the second, but got stranded. Placido and Renteria struck again with two outs in the third, but once again they were stranded. Miguel Cabrera led off the fourth with a double, but Randy got out of the inning with no damage. Ivan Rodriguez singled with one out in the fifth, and went to third on a groundout and a wild pitch, but could never come home. The Diamondbacks had their opportunities against Tigers starter Nate Robertson, but didn't break through until their half of the fifth. Mark Reynolds singled, then went to second on a wild pitch. Chris Burke walked, then Miguel Montero singled to load the bases. Randy struck out, but Chris Young's double drove in the first two runs of the game. Randy finally got a one-two-three inning in the sixth, then Arizona continued the onslaught in their half. Reynolds singled with two outs, then scored on Burke's double. Walks to Montero and Randy loaded the bases, then Young walked as well for another run. Randy pitched another one-two-three inning in the seventh before giving way to the bullpen. They allowed another hit to Renteria, but managed to close out the win.
289. Diamondbacks 3, Padres 2
July 6, 2008
Chase Field
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Josh Banks
6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 10 K
Things were looking good for Randy and the Diamondbacks, but just as abruptly it went downhill. Randy suffered through a disastrous June with an ERA of 6.82 as he lost every start. His first start in July was a disaster as well. The Diamondbacks were still in first, but they had a losing record of 43-45. Randy made his next start attempting to avoid a sweep at the hands of the last-place Padres. Things didn't start out well as his former teammate Scott Hairston led off the game with a home run. Randy was able to slow things down and get out of the inning, striking out two. He then got into a groove, retiring 15 of the 16 batters that followed after Hairston's home run. His only mistake was hitting Adrian Gonzalez with a pitch with one out in the fourth. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks were struggling to get anything going against San Diego's rookie starter Josh Banks. Things finally changed when Justin Upton led off the fifth with a monster home run. It was estimated to have travelled 484 feet, the second longest home run in the ballpark's history after Richie Sexson's blast four years earlier. The inning continued when Robby Hammock was hit by a pitch. Randy bunted his catcher to second, then Stephen Drew singled to give Arizona the lead. Banks got out of the inning, but Mark Reynolds homered in the sixth. Randy made it to the seventh but allowed a leadoff double to Kevin Kouzmanoff. He got a groundout, with Kouzmanoff going to third. Chad Qualls came in to face the right-handed Khalil Greene. He struck out the next two batters to end the inning. The Padres scored a run against Brandon Lyon when Adrian singled and Kouzmanoff doubled, but Lyon still got the save.
290. Diamondbacks 10, Phillies 4
July 12, 2008
Citizens Bank Park
Philadelphia, PA
Losing Pitcher: Adam Eaton
6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 3 K
The Diamondbacks split the next four games on the road against the last-place Washington Nationals and the first place Philadelphia Phillies to remain one game below .500. Randy was tasked with evening the team's record. Arizona helped out by taking the lead in the first. Stephen Drew and Conor Jackson led off with singles. Chad Tracy then singled to score a run. Jackson went all the way to third and scored when Mark Reynolds forced Tracy. Shane Victorino singled to lead off the bottom of the inning, but he was caught stealing and Randy got out of the inning. Victorino got revenge in the third. Carlos Ruiz led off the inning with a single. Pitcher Adam Eaton bunted him to second, but Victorino followed with a home run to tie the game. The game wouldn't remain tied for long. Eaton got the first two outs of the fourth, but rookie Alex Romero singled before Robby Hammock walked. Randy followed with a double that drove in both runners to reclaim the lead. Drew walked on four pitches, and another double by Jackson scored Randy. Orlando Hudson was walked to set up for the force at home, but Tracy singled to score two more runs. Reynolds followed with a three-run home run. Chris Young singled before the inning mercifully ended. The Phillies tried to claw back in the fifth. Eric Bruntlett led off with a double, then went to third and scored on a pair of groundouts. Victorino then blasted his second home run of the game, but that was all they got. Randy ended the inning and pitched through the sixth before handing things off to the bullpen. Rookie Leo Rosales and demoted starter Micah Owings allowed only a walk to Victorino, but finished the last three innings for the win.
291. Diamondbacks 2, Cubs 0
July 21, 2008
Chase Field
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Rich Harden
7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
The Diamondbacks went into the All-Star break still in first place, but opened the second half with a series loss against the second-place Dodgers. They fell into a tie for the top of the division and saw their record fall back below .500. The Cubs came into town for a series. Chicago was in first as they tried to end 100 years of World Series futility, but Randy had never lost to the Cubs and he didn't intend to start losing. He retired the first six batters before Jim Edmonds led off the third with a single. Pitcher Rich Harden bunted him to second, but Randy got out of the inning. Meanwhile Harden was also pitching well and got through the third without allowing a baserunner to retire the Arizona lineup once in order. Harden had retired the first 12 batters before Chad Tracy led off the fifth with a walk. Tracy went to second on a wild pitch, but that was as far as he got as Harden ended the inning. Harden prepared to face rookie Alex Romero to lead off the sixth. Romero had played in only 38 games and was hitting .242, but he got hold of a pitch and lifted it high and deep for his first career home run. Randy got through the seventh without a hitch before giving way to the bullpen. They scored an insurance run against reliever Bob Howry in the eighth. Chris Snyder led off with a walk. Howry got two flyouts, but then Stephen Drew blasted an RBI triple. Chad Qualls came on for the save. He walked Ryan Theriot leading off the ninth, and then Japanese rookie sensation Kosuke Fukudome reached on a fielder's choice error. Qualls then got a double play and another groundout to end the game.
292. Diamondbacks 7, Giants 2
July 27, 2008
AT&T Park
San Francisco, CA
Losing Pitcher: Barry Zito
7 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
The Diamondbacks won the series against the Cubs, then moved on to San Francisco where they won the first two games against the Giants. The Dodgers were also keeping step, so Randy had to do more than just get the sweep. He needed to make sure the Diamondbacks can maintain their hold of first. Randy got into some trouble in the first. The speedy Fred Lewis led off the game with a single, then stole second and third, but Randy retired Emmanuel Burriss, Randy Winn, and Bengie Molina to keep the Giants off the board. He allowed a pair of singles in the second and third, but the game remained scoreless. The Diamondbacks were having troubles of their own getting to Giants starter Barry Zito until the fourth. A walk, a single, and another walk loaded the bases. Chris Snyder walked as well to bring home a run. Tony Clark forced Snyder but another run came home. Chris Burke was walked intentionally to face Randy, who lined out, but Stephen Drew singled and two runs scored. Arizona went back to work in the fifth. Conor Jackson singled, then Mark Reynolds blasted a home run. That marked the end of Zito's day. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases against reliever Osiris Matos, but couldn't score. They still scored the insurance run on Jackson's home run in the seventh. Randy continued to work in and out of trouble, but got through seven scoreless innings. The Giants finally put some runs on the board against the Arizona bullpen. Winn and Molina singled in the eighth to put runners on the corner. Aaron Rowand grounded into a double play, but a run scored. John Castillo's double and John Bowker's single led to another run in the ninth, but Tony Pena Jr. finally slammed the door.
293. Diamondbacks 2, Dodgers 1
August 1, 2008
Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles, CA
Losing Pitcher: Chan Ho Park
6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
The calendar flipped to August, and the Diamondbacks were in a crucial four-game road series against their closest competitors, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Arizona took the first game, and Randy got the ball for the second. He knew he couldn't let up against a team like the Dodgers, especially since they were starting their hyped young rookie Clayton Kershaw, making only his 11th start. The two left-handed aces were perfect in the first. The Diamondbacks put some runners on against Kershaw in the second. Conor Jackson led off with a double, then went to third on a pair of groundouts. Chris Snyder walked, but then Chris Burke was called out on strikes. The Dodgers got their first runner in the third. Angel Berroa singled with one out. Kershaw bunted him to second, but Randy got out of the inning. Burke tripled with one out in the fifth, but neither Randy nor Stephen Drew were able to get him home. The game progressed to the sixth. Juan Pierre came up to pinch-hit and hit a grounder towards second baseman Orlando Hudson, who made a rare error. Pierre stole second, then scored on Matt Kemp's double. Randy got two outs, but then faced Manny Ramirez, playing in his first game after a deadline trade. Manny singled. Kemp tried to score, but he was out in a rundown. Dodgers manager Joe Torre went to his bullpen. He first called on Chan Ho Park, who allowed a home run to Tony Clark. Snyder then singled and was sacrificed to second. Chad Tracy walked before Torre called lefty Joe Beimel, but Beimel allowed an RBI double to Drew before Cory Wade ended the inning. It was Arizona's turn to go to the bullpen, and the Diamondbacks relievers were able to hang on for the win.
294. Diamondbacks 4, Rockies 2
August 12, 2008
Coors Field
Denver, CO
Losing Pitcher: Ubaldo Jimenez
6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 7 K
The rumblings of "300" was getting louder with Randy having up to ten more starts, but he was focused on 294. He lost against the Pirates at home before opening a road series against the Rockies with the Dodgers still just one game behind. Colorado was in a distant third, but Randy knew he couldn't underestimate them. He pitched a one-two-three first inning before his teammates got him a lead in the second. Mark Reynolds led off with a single, then Chad Tracy followed with a home run off Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez, the losing pitcher in Greg Maddux's 350th win three months earlier. The lead was short-lived as Randy got in trouble in the bottom half. Chria Iannetta led off with a home run. Randy got two outs, but then Clint Barmes and Ian Stewart blasted back-to-back doubles to tie the game, with the latter flying over new outfielder Adam Dunn's head. Randy settled down after that. The Diamondbacks tried to reclaim the lead. They loaded the bases in the fourth on a single and two walks. Then they hit a pair of doubles in the fifth, but were unable to score both instances. Randy struck out the side in the fourth, but allowed a single and a walk in the fifth. He got out of the inning and the Arizona hitters went back to work in the sixth. Chris Young doubled with one out. Chris Snyder followed with another double to take the lead. Randy was next, and dumped a single to right. Snyder was able to come all the way to score. Randy allowed a bunt single in the bottom half of the inning before getting the ball to his bullpen. The Rockies got a few runners on base, but they were able to save the victory.
295. Diamondbacks 2, Rockies 1
September 28, 2008
Chase Field
Phoenix, AZ
Losing Pitcher: Luis Vizcaino
9 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
The hopes of reaching 300 soon dissipated as Randy went into another winless spell. He didn't pitch poorly, putting up a 3.92 ERA in seven starts, but the Diamondbacks just couldn't get him any runs. He also had to miss a start due to shoulder fatigue. Arizona fell out of first on September 6, and couldn't regain it as the Dodgers clinched on September 25. Randy had one more start on the last day of season to go for win 295 against the third-place Rockies. The game got off to an inauspicious start when leadoff batter Clint Barmes reached second on a throwing error by third baseman Mark Reynolds. Troy Tulowitzki bunted Barmes to third, and the run scored on a wild pitch. The Diamondbacks reached base against Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez on walks, but he was striking them out when he wasn't walking them. Arizona had runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth, but Adam Dunn was picked off second to end the inning. Randy settled down after his rough first inning and pitched into the eighth for the third time all season, but it seemed like he may end up with another loss. But then Young homered off of reliever Manny Corpas in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game. Dunn then doubled, but reliever Luis Vizcaino came in and he ended the inning. Randy had 100 pitches, but he came out for the ninth, and dispatched Colorado on five pitches. Vizcaino was still pitching in the bottom of the ninth. Miguel Montero walked with one out, then Augie Ojeda singled. Jeff Salazar came in to pinch-hit for Randy and worked another walk to load the bases. Stephen Drew popped out, but then Young walked on a full-count for a walk-off walk.
2009
Randy started the season behind Lincecum in the rotation. Randy wasn't horrible in his first start against the Milwaukee Brewres, but a three-run home run he allowed to opposing pitcher Yovani Gallardo was enough to send him home with the loss. He was even worse in his second game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but threw seven scoreless innings against his former team the Diamondbacks to secure his first win of the season. Randy was more down than up over the next month, allowing seven runs on two separate starts. He turned things around when he returned to Seattle to a hero's welcome. He pitched very well that day, allowing only one run in five and 1/3 innings. He got a no decision, but that sparked a stretch of eight starts where he went 5-1 and posted a 2.85 ERA. And yes, one of those five wins was the big kahuna - number 300. The Giants went 6-2 in those eight starts and found themselves in second place and with a firm grasp on the Wild Card spot.
Randy was merely hoping to continue on those successes when he made a start against Houston on July 5. His day did not get off to a good start when he allowed a home run to the second batter of the game. Things got worse when he struck out against the Astros' Roy Oswalt in the third. He immediately grabbed his left shoulder. He had bruised it slightly on June 4 when making a play, but he was able to make five starts without any ill effects. Randy met with trainer Dave Groeschner in the dugout, but felt good enough to get out for the fourth. He tried to gut out the inning, but allowed two more home runs and a single. When Randy winced in pain after making a run-scoring throwing error on a comebacker, that was enough for Groeschner. Randy made one more pitch, then departed the game. He had an MRI that initially showed a left shoulder strain. However, a repeat MRI done three weeks later showed that Randy had torn his rotator cuff, a devastating injury that cost him the rest of the season.
Randy went and rehabbed the left arm. It was his first major arm injury, something he wasn't accustomed to. He watched as the Giants lost the Wild Card lead to the Colorado Rockies. He knew he had to come back and contribute somehow. Even though he had turned 46 the week before, the Giants reactivated Randy, and manage Bruce Bochy put him in the bullpen. Randy made five relief appearances, but he was not sharp. He allowed a hit in each outing, and a run in four of the five. He came in protecting a 3-2 lead against the San Diego Padres in the final game of the season. He loaded the bases on a strikeout/passed ball, bunt single, and a hit-by-pitch. He then allowed the game-tying run to score on a foul pop-up when third baseman Pablo Sandoval fell into the dugout after making the catch. He finally ended the inning with a strikeout of Adrian Gonzalez, the 4,875th of his career. The Giants went on to win the game, but it was not enough to help San Francisco to a playoff spot, as they finished four games behind the Rockies for the Wild Card spot. Randy went home to Arizona to ponder the future of his career.
The Wins of 2009
296. Giants 2, Diamondbacks 0
April 19, 2009
AT&T Park
San Francisco, CA
Losing Pitcher: Max Scherzer
7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Randy resumed his chase for 300 with the San Francisco Giants, trying to recover from a fourth-place finish in 2008. Randy got off to a poor start, pitching horribly in his first two appearances. The Giants were in last as he made his first ever start against his longtime team. The Diamondbacks were also playing poorly, in fourth just one game ahead of San Francisco after splitting the first two games. A win would not only move Randy closer to 300 and allow him to beat all 30 teams, but would also win the series for the Giants. The Diamondbacks were starting their prospect Max Scherzer, still looking for his first Major League win. Both pitchers were perfect in the first. Scherzer got into trouble in the second, but was able to escape. Randy was sharp, retiring the first 12 batters he faced, and the Giants were able to get him the lead in the bottom of the fourth. A single and two walks loaded the bases. Pablo Sandoval struck out, but Travis Ishikawa lifted a sacrifice fly to score a run. Edgar Renteria singled to re-load the bases, but Randy struck out. Tony Clark was the Diamondbacks' first baserunner when he walked, but Randy still retired his former teammates. The Giants couldn't get anything else against Scherzer. Sandoval tripled with one out in the sixth against reliever J.C. Gutierrez, but Gutierrez struck out the side. Augie Ojeda got the first hit off Randy with a double in the seventh. He was sacrificed to third, but couldn't score. San Francisco added an insurance run in the eighth when three straight singles loaded the bases, then a run scored on Rich Aurilia's double play. Brian Wilson came in and retired the Diamondbacks in order to save Randy's first win of 2009.
297. Giants 3, Rockies 2
May 1, 2009
AT&T Park
San Francisco, CA
Losing Pitcher: Ubaldo Jimenez
7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Randy got a no-decision in his next start in Arizona as he walked seven, and went into May with an ERA still above 6.00. The Giants had fought back to second place with a .500 record, and Randy opened a series against the Rockies, who now sat in last. Randy showed he still had fearsome stuff when he struck out the side in the first. Pablo Sandoval tripled off of Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but couldn't score. The Giants were more successful in the second after Randy struck out a pair. Fred Lewis hit an infield single with one out, and then Travis Ishikawa doubled on the first pitch for the game's first run. The Giants scored again in the third. Randy Winn and Edgar Renteria led off with walks. Winn stole third as Sandoval struck out, then Bengie Molina hit a sacrifice fly. Todd Helton recorded Colorado's first hit off Randy with two outs in the fourth, but Randy ended the inning. With the no-hitter out of the way, the Rockies continued to pepper Randy with hits, but he got through seven without allowing a run. The Giants scored again in their half. Ishikawa led off with a single, and Emmanuel Burriss was hit by a pitch. The runners were bunted up, and Ishikawa scored on a sacrifice fly. The Rockies were able to get through the Giants bullpen in the eighth. Chris Iannetta led off with a home run. Ian Stewart then doubled with one out. After a groundout, singles by Matt Murton and Helton scored the Huge Run. Another single loaded the bases, but Brian Wilson successfully escaped the inning with a full-count strikeout. Wilson walked Iannetta in the ninth, but he still ended up getting the save.
298. Giants 11, Nationals 7
May 11, 2009
AT&T Park
San Francisco, CA
Losing Pitcher: Daniel Cabrera
5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 0 BB, 9 K
Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rockies got revenge against Randy in his next start, and he limped back into San Francisco to pitch the first game of a series against the Washington Nationals. The former Montreal Expos had the worst record in the National League, but Randy wasn't going to take them for granted. Josh Willingham led off the second with a home run, but the Giants took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Randy Winn singled with one out, and went to second on a walk. A force sent Winn to third, and he scored on a wild pitch. Travis Ishikawa followed with a single to score another run. Randy then got his first hit of the year, but the inning ended. Three singles in the third led to another run. Randy settled down and struck out the first two batters of the fourth, but then Ronnie Belliard blasted a Huge home run. Randy struck out the side in the fifth, and the Giants went wild in their half. Pablo Sandoval led off with a double, and Winn was hit by a pitch. Fred Lewis hit a fly ball that Nationals left fielder Willingham missed completely, and two runs scampered home. Nationals pitching fell completely apart, walking five straight batters including Randy for three more runs. Ryan Zimmerman led off the sixth with a home run, then a single by Adam Dunn and a double by Elijah Dukes led to another run and ended Randy's day. The Giants answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, then scored an insurance run in the eighth. The Nationals came roaring back in the ninth. Zimmerman hit a three-run home run, then a walk and a single set up a save situation. Brian Wilson came in for the save.
299. Giants 6, Braves 3
May 27, 2009
AT&T Park
San Francisco, CA
Losing Pitcher: Kenshin Kawakami
6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
The Giants had faded and fell to third place, but won two straight over the Atlanta Braves, who were also mired in third in the AL East. Randy had a chance to go for the sweep and get to the doorstep of 300. He struck out two in the first, including his old nemesis Chipper Jones. The Giants scored in the second. Fred Lewis walked, then stole second on a strikeout. A wild pitch sent him to third, and Juan Uribe singled him home. San Francisco added to the lead in the third. Aaron Rowand led off with a double, then a passed ball sent him to third. Edgar Renteria walked to put runners on the corner. Bengie Molina missed on a hit-and-run, but Rowand was still able to score. Randy had retired the Braves lineup in order, but Diory Hernandez led off the fourth with a double. Randy got out of the inning, striking out Chipper a second time. The Giants threatened in the fourth and fifth, even loading the bases in the former inning, but couldn't score. The Braves scored in the sixth. Jordan Schafer led off with a single, and Kawakami bunted him to second. Casey Kotchman followed with an RBI single before Chipper struck out for the third time. The Giants moved ahead in the bottom of the inning. Emmanuel Burriss doubled with one out, then Rowand also doubled. After a walk, Nate Schierholtz singled for another run. The Giants went to their bullpen, but they allowed a run in the seventh when an error and two walks loaded the bases. Garret Anderson then singled for the Huge run. San Francisco had four singles to score two runs in the bottom of the inning. This time the bullpen was able to hang on for the win.
300. Giants 5, Nationals 1
June 4, 2009
Nationals Park
Washington, DC
Losing Pitcher: Jordan Zimmermann
6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Randy was scheduled to make his first attempt for 300 against his former franchise, the Washington Nationals, who now had the worst record in baseball. The start was originally scheduled for June 3, but the game was eventually called close to 11:00 due to rain and rescheduled as part of a traditional double-header. Randy was sharp, retiring the opposing lineup in order the first time through. Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann also pitched very well. He pitched one-two-three frames in five of his six innings. However, the other inning turned out to be very costly. Fred Lewis singled with one out in the second, and then Travis Ishikawa doubled. Lewis had to hold at third, but scored when Juan Uribe grounded out. Emmanuel Burriss singled on an 0-2 count to drive home Ishikawa. The Nationals got their first baserunner when Nick Johnson walked with one out in the fourth. Nick was previously robbed of a hit on a diving catch by Aaron Rowand in the first. Washington got their first hit when Elijah Dukes singled leading off the fifth. Dukes went to second on a passed ball and Austin Kearns walked, but a breathtaking double play started by Burriss ended the threat. The Nationals scored in the sixth when Alberto Gonzalez reached on an error by shortstop Edgar Renteria, and Nick doubled him home. Randy was done after bruising his shoulder on a diving play earlier in the inning. Brandon Medders pitched a perfect seventh, but the Nationals loaded the bases on a single and two walks in the eighth. Brian Wilson then struck out Adam Dunn on a full count to end the inning. The Nationals scored three insurance runs, then Wilson struck out the side, ending with a three-pitch strikeout against Wil Nieves. Randy Johnson had won 300.
301. Giants 5, Athletics 2
June 13, 2009
AT&T Park
San Francisco, CA
Losing Pitcher: Josh Outman
7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 3 K
Randy's shoulder didn't keep him from making his next start on three day's rest. He pitched well but suffered a loss. He returned to San Francisco for a start in the Battle of the Bay against the Oakland Athletics. The A's had fallen into last in the AL West and lost the first game. The Giants got off to a hot start and scored in the first. Edgar Renteria singled with one out, and after a strikeout Bengie Molina blasted a home run to give Randy a lead. Randy pitched around an error by second baseman Emmanuel Burriss in the second, but Oakland scored a run in the third. Jack Hannahan led off the inning with a triple. Randy got a pair of comebackers and was able to look Hannahan back, but Adam Kennedy singled for the Huge run. Kurt Suzuki then homered with one out in the fourth and the game was tied. The Athletics' rookie starter Josh Outman had settled down after his rough first inning and at one point retired 14 Giants in a row. The game moved to the seventh inning. Randy retired the side in order in the top of the inning, then the Giants worked hard to reclaim the lead in the bottom. Molina led off with a double. He was replaced by pinch-runner Fred Lewis, who went to third on Pablo Sandoval's single. The A's went to their bullpen, but Juan Uribe singled in a run. After a sacrifice bunt, Burriss brought home another run with a sacrifice fly. Then Nate Schierholtz pinch-hitting for Randy followed with an RBI single. The bullpen came in starting in the eighth. Sergio Romo pitched a perfect eighth. Oakland's Matt Holiday singled off Brian Wilson in the ninth, but he was still able to get the save.
302. Giants 6, Athletics 3
June 24, 2009
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Oakland, CA
Losing Pitcher: Gio Gonzalez
7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Randy got a no-decision against the surprising first-place Texas Rangers before travenling to Oakland for a rematch of the Battle of the Bay. The Giants swept the first series, but the teams split the first two games this time around. Randy was there to get the series win, but he scuffled in the first inning. Adam Kennedy led off with a triple, then Kurt Suzuki singled him home. Matt Holliday doubled, but Suzuki held at third and Randy prevented any further damage by striking out the side. The Giants came right back in the second. Rich Aurilia singled with one out. A's rookie starter Gio Gonzalez got two strikeouts, but Nate Schierholtz blasted a two-run home run. Matt Downs was next and singled, and Aaron Rowand doubled in another run. Rowand went to third on an error, but Gio finished striking out the side. Gio got out of a third inning where the Giants had three singles, but he wasn't so lucky in the fourth. A single, an error, and a walk loaded the bases. Andres Torres singled to drive in a run. Two more runs scored on a groundout and a sacrifice fly. Randy got into some trouble in the fourth. Bobby Crosby walked and Jack Hannahan was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch sent both runners into scoring position, but Randy escaped the inning without a run. He got through the seventh inning before handing the ball to the bullpen. Suzuki greeted Sergio Romo with a home run leading off the eighth. but Romo retired the next three hitters. The A's scored a run in the ninth when Rajai Davis walked with two outs and advanced to third on defensive indifference. Nomar Garciaparra then doubled in the run, but Brian Wilson came out to record the save.
303. Giants 6, Cardinals 3
June 30, 2009
Busch Stadium
St. Louis, MO
Losing Pitcher: Chris Carpenter
5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 3 K
Randy wanted to end the month of June on a high note as the Giants' road trip took them to St. Louis. The Cardinals had moved to their new ballpark three years earlier, but Randy lost his only start there back in 2008. The Giants got him a lead before he even took the mound. St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter was pitching well after two years of arm issues, but he allowed three straight singles to send home a run. Nate Schierholtz struck out for the second out, but Edgar Renteria singled in another run. Randy walked the first batter he faced, but got a double play. Ryan Ludwick led off the second with a double, but once again couldn't score. The Giants also failed in their attempts to score insurance runs. Randy got the first out of the fourth on a strikeout, but then Albert Pujols lifted a long home run to deep left field. Randy got out of the inning, and then San Francisco came out swinging in the fifth. Aaron Rowand led off with a single, then Randy Winn doubled. Rowand held at third, but Pablo Sandoval drove him in with a single. Winn went to third and Bengie Molina drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Renteria's single and Travis Ishikawa's double led to two more runs. Randy got through the fifth, but walked Chris Duncan with one out in the sixth. Pujols followed and hit another long home run. Ludwick followed with a single and Bengie's brother Yadier walked. That ended Randy's day. Jeremy Affeldt came out of the bullpen and walked Rick Ankiel, but got a double play to end the inning. The Cardinals threatened against a trio of Giants relievers, but Brian Wilson stranded Colby Rasmus at second to finish a four-out save.
End-Game (2010-2019)
With his baseball career behind him, Randy dove headfirst into his other passion besides baseball: photography. He had dabbled in photography in his early years with the Seattle Mariners before his fame got away from him. He had photographed several fellow players in a subset for Score titled Pitcher Perfect in 1997. Now without the daily grind of the baseball season weighing him down, Randy began photographing everything from wildlife to motorsports. One of his favorite assignments was photographing rock concerts. He had maintained his friendship with bands such as Soundgarden and Rush, and accompanied them on tour. Randy eventually started up his own photography website: Randy Johnson Photography. The only reference to his baseball career was with the logo, an image of a dead bird, laying on its back with Xs for eyes, a nod to the dove he killed in spring training 2001.
Besides his photography, Randy also became active in touring the country on USO tours, visiting with servicemen and women around the world. His father had been a sergeant in World War II, and Randy felt the need to show his appreciation to the soldiers that had given so much. He had gone to USO tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Italy, Germany, Japan, and South Korea, meeting with folks who remembered him as a flamethrower with Seattle or Arizona. He used those opportunities to advance his photography as well. When he wasn't around taking pictures or meeting with soldiers, he remained a family man with his wife and four children.
With his life a whirlwind, five years soon passed since he threw his last pitch. Randy Johnson became eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time in 2015. He debuted on the ballot revealed in late 2014 alongside Boston's Pedro Martinez and Atlanta's John Smoltz, two other flamethrowers whose paths he had crossed in his career. The rest of the ballot featured several former teammates, from Craig Biggio to Mike Mussina to Edgar Martinez to Jeff Bagwell to Tim Raines to Gary Sheffield to Tom Gordon to Tony Clark to to Rich Aurilia to Larry Walker to Curt Schilling. There were other players Randy played against, such as Mike Piazza, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Sammy Sosa, Nomar Garciaparra, Troy Percival, Carlos Delgado, Aaron Boone, Darin Erstad, Jason Schmidt, Brian Giles, Eddie Guardado, Cliff Floyd, and Jermaine Dye. And then there were the steroid pariahs Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Mark McGwire.
Even with all of that talent, Randy Johnson's qualifications were unimpeachable. A Bay Area sports fan named Ryan Thibodaux began tracking down votes that were made public before the announcement. Randy was named on all but three of the 198 ballots that were made public prior to the announcement, a 98% rate that seemed all but certain of eventual election. When the results were revealed on January 6, 2015, Randy Johnson was voted in by the overwhelming margin of 97.3% It wasn't quite as high as 98%, but it was still the eighth highest percentage in history. Martinez, Smoltz, and Biggio were also voted in with far lower voting percentages.
The election sparked a whirlwind of publicity as Randy went around making press conferences. He toured the Hall of Fame along with his son Tanner, where he got to see the cap he had worn on the rainy night of his 300th win. It all culminated in a warm, sunny day on July 26, when he came together with the other inductees on upstate New York. Randy was the third to speak, and in 17 minutes he slowly went over the course of his Major League career and the people that impacted it.
Thank you, I'm so honored and privileged to be here. I'll forever be linked in the 2015 inductee class with John, Craig, and Pedro. Thank you. There's a lot of people on this journey that I've had, for 22 years in the Major Leagues. That's what it's about for me today. Giving the correct recog...giving the recognition that they so rightly deserve.With his speech out of the way, Randy Johnson went on to live out the rest of his life. He returned to baseball as a special assistant to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he serves largely in a mentoring capacity. In the meanwhile he is still out with his camera and his USO tours. The 10th anniversary of his final great baseball milestone will soon come and go. Is he going to do anything special to honor it? I highly doubt it, but in the meanwhile we can celebrate the accomplishments of the man still known as the Big Unit.
First, I'd like to thank all of the sports writers for voting me into the Hall of Fame, thank you. Secondly I'd like to thank the Hall of Fame executives and staff. Jane, you have brought hospitality to a new level of hospitality for my family, guests, and me. Thank you. I never thought I would be on this stage, baseball's greatest fraternity, and it's humbling to look behind me and see the best who have ever played this game. I had the honor of playing against many of these gentlemen, some I watched on TV, s...but it would have been real fun to face you, Reggie.
My journey in baseball lasted 44 years. I started when I was seven years old, playing little league baseball in Livermore, California, small little town. Went from l...Little League, to Babe Ruth to high school. I'd like to say thank you to Steve Fallon and his mom Betty for coming all the way from California, from Livermore, to be here, thank you.
After my time in Livermore, California was over, there was a decision I had to make. I got drafted by the Atlanta Braves, and I also had an opportunity to go to college. I chose to go to college and further my education. I played for the legendary baseball coach Rob Dedeaux at USC. A few of my teammates are here, thanks for being here, Albie, Phil, Randy. You've traveled a long ways, thank you. I didn't learn how to throw a lot of strikes there, but I did learn how to take a few pictures, and that's my passion today and always has been and always will be.
After USC I was drafted, 1985, by the Montreal Expos. The first team that gave me an opportunity to play in the Major Leagues. I'm forever indebted to them. As you know my minor league career was not stellar. It took me 4 years in the minor leagues to finally get a call up in 1988, as a September call up. I relish that moment getting to pitch in Montreal against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The following year, '89, we...didn't go so well. I got sent back down to the minor leagues. Then I was part of a trade from Montreal to Seattle that would bring Mark Langston from Seattle to Montreal, and myself, Brian Holman, and Gene Harris to Seattle. And Brian Holman'ss here with his wife, Jamie. Thank you for traveling so far away to be here on this important day to me, Jamie...and Brian.
The trade to Seattle set my career in motion. It was my apprenticeship, 10 years there. I played with Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Omar Vizquel, Dan Wilson and so many more. Ken Griffey Jr. will for sh...for surely be here next year. There were some lean years there in Seattle. As we were learning how to play our game, Lou Piniella came into place, and "refuse to lose" became our motto in 1995. With his leadership and his guidance, we came down in '95 to a one game playoff. Ironically enough, I would pitch against the same guy I got traded for in Montreal, Mark Langston in a one-game playoff for the AL West. Very magical moment for Seattle, and very proud to have played there for 10 years. Thank you Seattle. I'd also like to thank ownership for...for being here on this important day to me: Howard Lincoln, Chris Larson, Randy Adamack, Kevin Martinez, and one of only a few catchers that could handle me over my 22-year career and understand me, Dan Wilson and his wife Amy...Annie, excuse me.
As my time finished up in Seattle, I went to Houston for two months. It would inevitably be the two best months of my career, pitching 11 starts and going 10-1. And the Houston Astrodome wasn't bad to pitch in either, was it, Nolan? Then I became a free agent, going back home to Arizona, meeting Jerry Colangelo. He had a vision for that baseball team in Arizona. I bought into it, and he believed in me. I played there and the ball and started in motion there. Individual accomplishments are great, but in 2001 we had a team that in spring training, we were all on the same page and we never deviated or wavered from that. And that led us to the World Series against the greatest team of all time, the New York Yankees. Those are some very memorable moments there in S...Arizona. I'm so grateful for everybody that's...I played with and the franchise. I moved on from A...Arizona and then I went to New York. I still remember getting a phone call from George Steinbrenner welcoming me to play for the New York Yankees. I also enjoyed playing for Joe Torre.
After two years in New York, I came back to Arizona, 2007-2008. Recovering from back surgery, I thank Derrick Hall and Ken Kendrick for having me come back to Arizona. In 2009, I finished my career in San Francisco. There's so many memorable moments when I was growing up as a young boy watching the Vida Blues pitch in Oakland, and watching Willie Mays also play before that when I was even younger with San Francisco.
My journey through baseball didn't go without being injured. Having four knee surgeries, three back surgeries, and I tore my rotator cuff the last year of my career and still tried to pitch through it. I'll be for all...forever in debt for all the doctors and trainers that worked with me. Brett Fischer, a very good friend, my physical therapist that lasted 22 years, getting me through my career, and these knee surgeries, back surgeries and a torn rotator cuff. I'll be forever in debt to you Brett. Thank you for travelling out here for my important day.
As I said there was a lot of catchers over my career in 22 years. I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to pitch to so many: Dan Wilson, Damian Miller, and the game in Atlanta wouldn't have been perfect without Robby Hammock, thank you.
Then there's you the fans. I've had a chance to play for six different teams, never really having a place I could call home like Craig, to play my entire career there. I got to know a lot of ballplayers, played with some of the greatest in my era, played for wonderful fans every stop along the way. If I was a visiting player coming in to pitch against your team, you motivated me by screaming at me. If you were rooting for me, I would run through a brick wall for you and throw as many pitches as I needed to throw to get that game, and us a victory.
Now that my baseball career is over, I have the opportunity to spur our USO and our troops all around the world. In six years of retirement I've been on seven USO tours: Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, South Korea, Cuba. It means a lot for me to see our men and women doing what they do for all of us. We wouldn't be here without the sacrifice for our men and women that protect our country, and at this time I would like to point out and recognize two of my newest friends from the Wounded Warriors project in Arizona that traveled all the way to be with me. Roy Halvorsten, special assistant, and Kenji Nihipali. Thank you. Without your service to this country, nothing would be possible. I'm so grateful for you. Thank you so much for being here.
Now to my family. My dad passed away in 1992 on Christmas Day. He saw three years of my career. Not a lot to brag about, but there was that one game I threw a no-hitter. I gave him a call, but he said it was far from perfect, I'd walked 7 batters. 13, 14 years later, I was perfect Dad, that one game. As I said I grew up in the Bay Area. I...I emulated Vita Blue. He was a local left-handed pitcher that I could watch on a daily basis pitching for the Oakland A's. I would be out in the front yard throwing a tennis ball against our garage door, a wooden garage door. My dad would come out after about a half an hour with a hammer, put the hammer down and said, "When you're done playing catch against the wall, make sure you pound all those nails in." He also took the time as a police officer, when his shift was over, to come in his police uniform and watch me pitch in high school. I've never forgot those moments.
Then there's my mom, the backbone to our family, working 25 years for General Electric as a social...as a secretary. I'm one of six children. She raised six children, still had a full time job, and came home and fed us and took care of all of us. Thank you Mom, you're our...you're the Hall of Famer. I can remember when I was seven years old, going to my first Little League practice. She and my dad were both at work. It was the way we were raised, we were kind of tough, as young ones you kinda did things on your own. I took myself to where Little League practice was being held. I came home confused because there was so many people there. By the time she got home, I was walking through the door. Having never made the Little League practice, she took me by the hand and took me to my first Little League practice and made sure baseball would start for me at that...on that day. I love you Mom. I love you so much, you're the most important person in my life.
Then there's my siblings. My brother Jeff, My brother Gregg who passed away, my sisters Sue, Kathy, and Debbie. You're all the oldest. I'm the youngest, and I'm so happy you looked out for your little brother along the way. Lastly there's my family. As Craig and John said, Baseball is a long sport. You're not home much. Someone has to run the household. I'll be forever in debt to Lisa for looking out for our children and raising them, thank you. Three daughters and a son: Samantha, Willow, Lexi, and Tanner. There's no accomplishments that I achieved that could ever outweigh anything that you could ever do in life. I'm so blessed and happy that I am watching you guys grow up and become young adults. I'm so proud of you.
When I won my 300th game, it was supposed to be a special moment, and it was, but my son was the bat boy that day. I had pitched 6 innings and was watching the remainder of the game from the dugout. I was watching his every move in a San Francisco Giants uniform. We were getting closer to the finishing of the game. He was standing on the top step. As soon as the last out was remade...made, I watched his emotions, that's what that game was meant...that...that...that's what I took from that game that day. Winning the 300th game was great, but watching how emotional my son was was even better.
So many other reasons that I've been inducted in the Hall of Fame are long gone now. I no longer have a fastball, I no longer have a bad mullet, and my scowl is long gone. I'm so happy to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and be in the greatest fraternity of all time, and you the fans to share this great moment with me. In closing I would just like to thank everybody for being here, and my special friends, the Wounded Warriors, and also Zach Farmer who I don't know personally, but I called him two days ago. He's dying with leukemia. I was reached by two different people to give him a call. He was an All-American at Ohio State, left-handed pitcher, wanted to talk to me. I called him a couple of days ago. He doesn't have long to live. Zach I love you, I've never met you before, but hang in there. And thank you once again, I appreciate it.
Sources
Wowie zowie! I can't believe I actually did it, writing 300-word summaries for all of Randy Johnson's regular season and post-season wins, and also adding a more standard 30,000-word biography. A massive undertaking such as this is going to require a lot of resources. I ended up not using his SABR biography as much as I thought I would, just because a lot of what it included were things I already knew. Baseball Reference was once again very useful, especially for the game summaries. They have play-by-plays on each of Randy Johnson's wins, and so I had each of them opened right next to me as I was typing. Baseball Reference also tracks the standings up to a particular date, and I'd include the context in my summaries. The Word Counter website was what I'd use to keep track of the words. Once they said a summary was 300 words long, then I'd move on. It turns out that Newspapers.com has a couple of newspapers from Randy's career, specifically the Montreal Gazette, the Arizona Republic, and the New York Daily News. I'd refer to the game articles for each of those wins to see if I can glean any additional information. Most of the time it doesn't add any additional information, but sometimes I do find out about some interesting facts about the game. I also browsed Sports Illustrated's archives for any information I can find out about the expectations for his teams over the years. Anyways, here are the other sources I've referred to.
Early Life
The picture of Randy pitching is from his high school yearbook which are available on Classmates.com. You don't realize how hard it is to try to find information about Randy's family besides some of the things he mentioned over the years in articles such as Tom Verducci's Sportsman of the Year article about him in 2001 and also in his book "Randy Johnson's Power Pitching." I actually found more information about the Johnsons before Randy was born from his brother's obituary than anywhere else. The information about Bud Johnson's military service came from his headstone which is available on Find a Grave. Information about Randy's high school career was found in an interview with his baseball coach Eric Hoff from the San Francisco Giants magazine celebrating Johnson's 300th win (not found online, but I got a copy) and the Livermore High history website. The date of Randy's perfect game against Dublin was mentioned in a Mercury News article after Randy's Hall of Fame election. And then I found Randy's yearbooks on Classmates.com, but they didn't give me any more information besides pictures of him pitching in high school. Gene Wojciechowski wrote about some of Randy's high school scouting reports on ESPN. And of course the draft information came from Baseball Reference. Lastly information about the Bay Area and East Bay came from Wikipedia.
College
The picture of Randy in his college uniform came from USC and as posted on Sports Illustrated's website after his Hall of Fame election. ESPN did a profile on Randy called Randy Johnson: In Focus after his Hall of Fame election, and it mentioned his photography in USC. I also found an article about Randy and John SooHoo, who was interviewed in the ESPN profile. Another article talked about Randy's college photography career. I couldn't find much about Randy's college basketball career, but I used Wikipedia a lot about USC baseball and the College World Series. A Bleacher Report article provided a lot of information about his USC years, and Misc Baseball also presented an article from when he was a USC freshman. The Wikipedia page about baseball at the 1984 Olympics listed the rosters of the team. Randy's tenure in Alaska was mentioned in a Grantland article about Alaska baseball and a Peter Gammons interview about seeing Randy in Alaska. There is also an interview with people involved with the Glacier Pilots who told stories about Randy. The Alaska Baseball League had a long article about the Glacier Pilots, although it seems they lifted it from a Sports Illustrated article. Randy's Alaska stats came from the Glacier Pilots website. I found information about awful Trojans seasons from the USC Trojan Baseball history document.
The Expos Years (1985-1989)
The picture of Randy with the West Palm Beach Expos came from Cardboard Connection. Bleacher Report also had a nice story about Randy's minor league tenure. The story of Randy and Hank Aaron came from a Sports Illustrated article. The story of how Randy met Lisa came from People Magazine. The information about Randy making a start because of Dennis Martinez's blister came from the Montreal Gazette. The Baseball Cube has a list of Baseball America's top 10 prospects for each organization including the Expos. I've known about the Sports Illustrated profile about Randy before the 1989 season for a long time. Information about the Mark Langston trade came from Sports Illustrated, who had two articles. Los Angeles times also had two articles as well about rejected deals. And then for some reason the Sun Sentinel had archived a Seattle Times article about the trade. Sports Illustrated mentioned the trade again once Langston signed with the Angels.
The Mariners Years (1989-1998)
The expectations for the Mariners came from Sports Illustrated's preview. I found scores for the 1990 MLB Japan All-Star series on its Wikipedia page. The Baseball Hall of Fame and Stars & Stripes magazine had information about the combined no-hitter with Chuck Finley. I looked up an article about Mike Schooler's shoulder injury and found an article from the LA Times. The information about sliders came from a recent article on The Hardball Times about why they're so hard to hit. Randy's relationship with Soundgarden and grunge came from an interview with ESPN that appeared after his 300th win was linked through Busted Coverage. Information about Randy's 1992 contract came from a New York Times article about arbitration. I knew about Sports Illustrated's 1992 profile on Randy from earlier, but referred to it again. The meeting about Randy's meeting with Nolan Ryan had been told time and time again, but some of the details came from an interview that was republished on Misc Baseball. I searched PubMed for a comprehensive review over abdominal aortic aneurysms, and once again Verducci's article touched upon Randy's feelings after his father's death. There was an interview with George Brett on MLB where he talked about win 46 and showed a video of the final out. There were some 1993 trade rumours that I found on the New York Times and Philly Magazine. There are a lot of material about the 1994 strike, but I referred to ESPN's article for a lot of the details. There were several articles about the falling tiles on the Kingdome, but I specifically used a Seattle Times article, and a New York Times article. I looked back at a Sports Illustrated profile on Randy in 1995. I had to refer to a Baltimore Sun blurb about why Randy lasted only three innings in one start in 1995. Beyond the Box Score had a nice article about Randy's August and September starts from 1995. Some of the information about the funding for Safeco Field came from the Wikipedia article about the 1995 tiebreaker game. I had to look up an archive from the Lowell Sun for information about Randy's last start before getting on the DL for his back injury. The News Tribune also had some details about Randy's back injury and how it showed up back in spring training. The AP news had information about Randy having to miss time before coming back in relief, while the Spokesman-Review and LA Times had info about his back surgery. I looked up a San Francisco Gate article about J.T. Snow getting hit by a pitch. I looked up a Kitsap Sun article about the Mariners clinching. The Spokesman-Review and LA Times had an article about contract negotiations in the 1997-98 off-season. Some of the information about the child support payments for came from information that got posted on the Smoking Gun when the news broke in 2006. Dan Wilson's inside-the-park grand slam from win 126 is on YouTube. It's fun to hear Dave Niehaus's call twice. My oh my.
The Astros Half-Year (1998)
There were many articles about the Randy Johnson trade. I found one from the Houston Chronicle, and then there was also the Sports Illustrated cover article about the trade.
The Diamondbacks Year Round 1 (1999-2004)
The off-season contract negotiations were quite a fertile topic. MLB Trade Rumors had a great retrospective. I also looked up articles on the contracts that Kevin Brown and Todd Stottlemyre had gotten through the LA Times. I got some information from the Arizona Republic about Randy's Seattle return for win #153. The final play for win #159 where the Diamondbacks clinched the NL West is on YouTube. The 2000 Sports Illustrated profile provided a lot of good information, the most interesting of all was the fact of him studying up on Kid Nichols. I found an article from the Globe and Mail about Todd Stottlemyre's remarkable recovery from shoulder injury. Sports Illustrated also had a good article about life after the Curt Schilling trade. It was difficult to find information for the 2000 MLB Japan All-Star series, but I finally found a Japanese site that had all the boxscores, including the scores for Randy's starts in Game 2 and Game 6. The Japanese video sharing site Nicovideo has a video of Randy's Game 2 start. And then the video of Randy pitching blindfolded was posted on Twitter some time ago. YouTube has videos of the triple play from win #169 and also Tony Womack's walk-off home run from win #175. There were a lot of articles about the bird incident, but the most interesting may have been Newsweek's with commentary from ornithologists. The Arizona Republic articles gave me the most information about the suspended game from San Diego. A lot of information from the 2001 playoffs came from the Sports Illustrated coverage. I had to look up articles from the Arizona Republic as to why Randy skipped the 2002 All-Star game. I actually found my way to BBC for the circumstances of Minute Maid Park's name change. UPI had news about Randy's 2003 contract extension. The Arizona Republic was also the source of some of the MRI results for Randy's knee injury, and the Huron Daily Tribune was the first source I found about his knee surgery. Some of the trade rumors and the rumblings from the 2004 season were covered in Sports Illustrated. The Arizona Republic had information about Richie Sexson's 503-foot home run from win #232, and the video is on YouTube.
The Yankees Years (2005-2006)
Information about Randy's trade to the Yankees was covered in Sports Illustrated and the LA Times had info about the specifics of the contract extension after the trade. The incident was the cameraman in New York was featured practically in full from the the Randy Johnson In Focus video from earlier. Information about Randy's struggles during his Yankees years came out in Joe Torre's autobiography and also in Tom Verducci's Sports Illustrated profile before his 300th win. There were a lot of information about Randy's oldest daughter from some of the exposes such as the Smoking Gun article from earlier, as well as Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the New York Daily News. Information about Randy's 2006 back surgery came out in ESPN. I was able to find information about Randy's ejection from win #271 through the New York Post.
The Diamondbacks Years Round 2 (2007-2008)
The details regarding Randy's return to Arizona can be found in several resources, but I referred to ESPN, who had multiple articles, and the New York Daily News and the Arizona Republic. I went to the New York Times for the back injuries that ended up ending Randy's 2007 season and the Washington Post for the back surgery. The Hardball Times had an article about the changes in Randy's mechanics once he returned in 2008.
The Giants Year (2009)
A lot of the information about Randy's tenure with the Giants were covered in some earlier posts. The commercial with Randy's cameo can be found on YouTube. ESPN had information about Randy's MRI and his rotator cuff tear.
The End-Game
Some of the information about Randy's life after baseball was found on WTOP. His work can be seen on his website and also on Rolling Stones. Randy's work with USO can be found on the USO site. Information about his Hall of Fame votes was found on the Hall of Fame Tracker. I didn't feel like transcribing Randy's Hall of Fame speech, but good thing Genius had done the work already. There were a few things that needed changing, but I just went straight to his Hall of Fame speech.
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