BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AL PLAYOFFS : Could Johnson Go on One Day’s Rest?

Seattle Manager Lou Piniella said he would use ace left-hander Randy Johnson, the Game 3 winner Friday night, in a relief role for Game 5 today if needed, “very short, maybe for an inning or to pitch to two batters,” Piniella said.

That news surprised Game 5 starter Andy Benes, who has seen Johnson win two huge games on three days’ rest in the past week--Monday’s AL West playoff against the Angels and Friday’s division series game against New York.

“I don’t know if Lou talked to Randy about that,” Benes said. “Adrenaline can take over, but Randy has thrown so many pressure games on three days’ rest, that would be asking an awful lot for him to come back and pitch [today]. It’s his arm and he’s a competitor. If he can get someone out, I’m sure he’d do it.”

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New York Game 5 starter David Cone said he fed off the intense Yankee Stadium crowd in Game 1, but he’s bracing for a completely different energy force today.

“Talk about double jeopardy,” said Cone, who is appearing in his third postseason for his third team in the last eight years. “I’ll be pitching before 55,000 screaming fans who hate me, who hate New York, but it makes it an even more opportunistic moment.

“You don’t get many chances in these situations, so you have to make the best of them. I don’t view them with a fear of failure. To me, they’re tremendous opportunities to do something significant.”

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Many thought the Mariner bullpen would be the difference in the series--for the Yankees--but Seattle right-hander Jeff Nelson, who averaged 1 1/3 innings an appearance this season, came through with four shutout innings to give the Mariners a chance to come back against the Yankees on Saturday.

Nelson replaced starter Chris Bosio with none out in the third and the Mariners trailing, 5-0. He gave up six hits and walked two, but somehow didn’t give up a run.

Piniella pulled Nelson in favor of Tim Belcher after Ruben Sierra’s leadoff double in the seventh. Don Mattingly popped to short, failing to move Sierra to third. Belcher then retired Dion James and Mike Stanley to end the inning.

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Seattle shortstop Luis Sojo suffered a severe cut on the back of his right wrist in the top of the eighth inning Saturday and is questionable for Game 5.

Sojo, who had three hits and an RBI Saturday, was breaking up a double play when Yankee second baseman Randy Velarde inadvertently stepped on his wrist. Sojo came out of the game and will be re-evaluated today, but if he can’t start, Felix Fermin will probably play shortstop.

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Seattle third baseman Mike Blowers, hit in the back of neck by a Jack McDowell fastball in the fifth inning Friday night, was sore and stiff Saturday and was not in Piniella’s original starting lineup.

But Blowers played and made an outstanding defensive play, going far down the left-field line to make an over-the-shoulder basket catch of Sierra’s bases-loaded foul pop in the first inning. Blowers spun and threw home, but Wade Boggs, tagging up, beat the throw.

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Yankee center fielder Bernie Williams homered from the right and left sides of the plate Friday night, becoming the first player in postseason history to accomplish that feat. . . . Best Kingdome banner, hanging from upper deck: “Beavis and Steinbrenner.”