Johnson Strikes Out 15, but Angels Win in 13th : Baseball: Seattle left-hander leaves after nine innings. Sojo singles home winning run, extending Mariners’ losing streak to 13.

Thirteen was truly unlucky for Randy Johnson and the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners lost to the California Angels, 2-1, in 13 innings Wednesday, dropping their club-record 13th consecutive game. Johnson got no decision despite yielding only one hit in nine innings and striking out a career-high 15 batters.

“You look at the box score, one walk, one hit in nine innings,” Johnson said. “You don’t expect to get a no-decision. I felt I had the type of stuff to end the losing streak. It was just a hard-luck ballgame.”

Ron Tingley, who entered the game in the 10th inning, led off the 13th with a single off reliever Calvin Jones (3-5). Junior Felix sacrificed Tingley to second and Luis Polonia was intentionally walked. Luis Sojo followed with a single up the middle, scoring Tingley.

Joe Grahe (5-4) pitched two innings of one-hit relief for the win. Steve Frey got the last out, striking out Ken Griffey Jr., to pick up his second save.

“You’ve got to be able to score some runs,” Seattle Manager Bill Plummer said. “Randy pitched a terrific ballgame.”

Johnson’s 15 strikeouts tied Atlanta’s John Smoltz for the major league high this season. Johnson took over the AL lead with 203 strikeouts, five more than Boston’s Roger Clemens.

“That’s not even an issue for me right now,” Johnson said of winning the strikeout title. “Put it this way: I’d be more shocked if he (Clemens) was to catch me in walks than if I was to catch him in strikeouts.”

Johnson yielded only a single to Hubie Brooks in the fourth inning. He struck out every California starter at least once and walked only one. The 15 strikeouts were one off the club record, set by Mike Moore and Mark Langston, Johnson’s opponent Wednesday.

Langston allowed seven hits in 10 innings, struck out a season-high 12 and walked two.

“It was one of the better games I’ve seen Randy pitch,” Langston said. “When he throws strikes, he’s capable of doing things like this. He was great today.”

Seattle left eight runners on base.

In the seventh, with the game tied, 1-1, Mike Blowers led off with a double. Instead of sacrificing, Plummer had rookie Bret Boone swing away and he struck out. Two outs later, the Angels were out of the inning.

“We had our chances to score,” Johnson said. “I can’t figure out why we’re not bunting (Blowers) over. One run is going to make the difference. It’s just fundamental baseball.”

Said Plummer, “A lot of people think I should have bunted him over. I was trying to give him a break, a chance to get the runner over. It didn’t work out very good.”

The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the first on Lance Parrish’s RBI double. With two out, Griffey was hit by a pitch and scored all the way from first on Parrish’s drive off the right-field wall.

The Angels tied the score in the fourth with an unearned run. Brooks singled with one out and Gary Gaetti followed with a ground ball to third baseman Blowers. His throw to second was too late to force Brooks, and second baseman Boone’s relay throw sailed into the Angels’ dugout, allowing Brooks to score.

“We had to be good because Randy was outstanding,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said. “But Mark stayed right with him and it went to the bullpens. We won out.”