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Associated Press

Posted on: Friday, June 5, 2009

Big Unit notches 300th career win

 • Victorino 'feels a lot better'
Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

San Francisco left-hander Randy Johnson after the Giants beat Washington, 5-1, for his 300th career victory in the first game of a doubleheader yesterday.

NICK WASS | Associated Press

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WASHINGTON — The emotions finally flowed for Randy Johnson when the final out was made.

A hug for his son, who was serving as batboy. Hugs for every teammate, plus a really big one for his manager. The game ball presented to his wife as his three daughters beamed with pride. A news conference that lasted a half-hour from a player who usually doesn't have much to say. Someone even spotted a smile.

The Big Unit admits he can come across as surly, and he did his best over the past few weeks to downplay his pursuit of 300 wins. Once he got there — with a steady, six-inning performance in the San Francisco Giants' 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a doubleheader yesterday — he was free to express that, yes, it really is a big deal.

"I think it kind of hit me when I walked on the field," Johnson said. "It's a long-range achievement. It's not a one-game or a one-year achievement, it's a career achievement. Who knows how many teammates I've had over my 21 years, but they had a great deal to do with my success."

In the nightcap, the Giants completed a sweep with a rain-shortened 4-1 victory. The game was called with two outs in the top of the sixth after a 67-minute delay.

Johnson became the 24th pitcher to reach the 300-win milestone, and he did it as a mature pitcher, not the overpowering tangle of arms and legs who was all about strikeouts early in his career. He walked two, struck out two, allowed only an unearned run and threw 50 of his 78 pitches for strikes. He faced four batters above the minimum and got shutout relief from his bullpen.

"I get more gratification out of that because of the way I'm doing it now than the way I did it 10 years ago," Johnson said.

It was hardly the ideal setting for a historic moment. The crowd was small and the weather was wet. Some of the few thousand fans who witnessed the feat — the Nationals have trouble drawing a crowd for anything these days — chanted "Randy! Randy!" in the bottom of the ninth, and he tipped his hat to them all.

Family and friends from all over flew in for the occasion to see Johnson (5-4) become the first pitcher to get 300 on his first try since Tom Seaver in 1985.

"He's become one of the dinosaurs with the other 23, and he didn't want to make a big deal out of it," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "But you could see after the game — I'm sure he's had his eye on this 300 for a while. He's done an incredible job with keeping his self in shape, pitching at 45 and still throwing the ball the way he's throwing is quite an accomplishment."

Johnson had to leave the game because of what he called a "senior moment" — his decision to go after a comebacker that he knocked down in the sixth inning. The 6-foot-10 Johnson barehanded the ball while falling forward to throw out the runner and bruised his pitching shoulder on the play. He's expected to make his next start.

PHILLIES 3, DODGERS 0

Cole Hamels (4-2) pitched a five-hitter, retiring 18 of his last 20 batters for his third career shutout, Ryan Howard had a sacrifice fly and Raul Ibanez and Jason Werth had RBI hits as visiting Philadelphia beat Los Angeles to extend its winning streak to seven.

CARDINALS 3, REDS 1

Chris Carpenter (4-0) threw 95 pitches in a three-hitter for his 26th career complete game and Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer and RBI double, helping host St. Louis gain a split of the four-game series with Cincinnati and move into a tie for the Central lead.

PIRATES 11, METS 6

Jason Jaramillo drove in four runs and Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 4 with three runs, a walk, an RBI and a stolen base in his major league debut as host Pittsburgh completed a three-game sweep of New York.

MARLINS 4, BREWERS 3

Josh Johnson (5-1) allowed two runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings, and hit a three-run shot for his first career homer in a four-run fourth as host Florida took two of three from NL Central-leading Milwaukee.

ROCKIES 10, ASTROS 3

Garrett Atkins blasted two home runs, Ryan Spilborghs and Brad Hawpe added solo homers, and visiting Colorado snapped a four-game losing skid while ending Houston's four-game winning streak.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

YANKEES 8, RANGERS 6

Melky Cabrera hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning and New York overcame another poor start by Chien-Ming Wang, rallying from an early 5-1 deficit to take two of three from AL West-leading Texas.

ANGELS 6, BLUE JAYS 5

Howie Kendrick dashed home with some daring baserunning, scoring the go-ahead run on a ninth-inning double play to help visiting Los Angeles beat Toronto, which used a three-run eighth to tie the game.

TWINS 11, INDIANS 3

Jason Kubel hit a pair of three-run homers and Justin Morneau also went deep to back Scott Baker (3-6), who allowed three runs and six hits with 10 strikeouts in seven innings as Minnesota routed Cleveland.

RED SOX 6, TIGERS 3

Jason Bay's bases-loaded double keyed a six-run third inning and Tim Wakefield (7-3) gave up three runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings as visiting Boston completed a three-game sweep of Detroit.

ATHLETICS 7, WHITE SOX 0

Jason Giambi hit a three-run homer in the sixth, Aaron Cunningham added a two-run shot in the ninth, and Brett Anderson (3-5) scattered five hits over seven innings, leading visiting Oakland over Chicago.

RAYS 3, ROYALS 2

B.J. Upton hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning and James Shields (5-4) gave up six hits and two runs over eight innings, helping Tampa Bay complete a three-game sweep of Kansas City.