Johnson Backs Out but JetHawks Win

There was no Big Unit but the JetHawks and their fans will be content with a Big Victory.

Even though the scheduled main attraction, Seattle Mariner Randy Johnson, was a last-minute no-show Friday night at the Hangar, the standing-room-only crowd of 6,618 had plenty to cheer as the JetHawks ended a four-game losing streak with a 10-1 victory over the San Jose Giants.

Johnson, the 6-foot-10 left-hander who won the Cy Young Award with the Mariners last season, had his rehabilitation start scratched at about 2 p.m.--five hours before the game--because his back was sore from throwing batting practice Tuesday in Oakland.

That left the start to Chris Bosio, a Mariner right-hander rehabilitating his arthritic knees. Not surprisingly, some fans were disappointed.

“That’s why I am here,” said Craig Bird, 16, of Palmdale, who wore his Mariner cap. “I came early to get his autograph.”

Mike VanKirk, a 26-year-old from Lancaster, stood by the JetHawk bullpen wearing his Mariner jersey with “Johnson” on the back.

“I am basically here just to see him,” said VanKirk, who held his 3-year-old son on his shoulders. “I was born and raised in Seattle and have been a Mariners’ fan. And this is as close as I can get to them.”

He still got to see one Mariner.

Bosio pitched well for four innings, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts and no walks. He was scheduled to throw no more than 60 pitches and he came out after 56.

“I felt pretty good,” Bosio said as he sat and signed autographs for hundreds of people who didn’t seem to mind they saw him instead of Johnson. “The big thing is my control and getting ahead of the hitters.”

Bosio is in his second rehab stint of the season, having pitched for the JetHawks in April. He returned to pitch for the Mariners, but his knees continued to bother him and he went back on the disabled list in late May.

“I’m as close as I’ve been all year,” he said. “Coming out of spring training I think I might have rushed it a little bit, but that’s human nature.”

After Bosio finished his work, reliever John Daniels (3-4) pitched three scoreless innings--retiring nine in a row after giving up singles to the first two batters.

The solid pitching performance from guys who probably didn’t throw a fastball harder than 83 mph the whole night was a welcome sight for the JetHawks. In losing their previous four games, they allowed an average of 9.5 runs per game.

The JetHawks (15-15), who had fallen behind after a half inning in their ninth consecutive home game, scored three times in the bottom of the first and twice more in the second to take a 5-1 lead.

In the fifth, Jesus Marquez led off with a home run. After three consecutive walks, James Clifford hit the JetHawks’ third grand slam of the season, making the score 10-1.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

JetHawks 10, San Jose 1

San Jose 100 000 000 -- 1 5 1

JetHawks 320 050 00x -- 10 12 0

Tucker, Myers (5), Gomez (7), Bailey (8) and Galarza; Bosio, Daniels (5), Soden (8) and Sealy.

W--Daniels (3-4). L--Tucker (1-4).

2B: SJ--Reid; J--Cook, Dean. HR:J--Marquez (14), J. Clifford (13).

Records: San Jose 16-14; JetHawks 15-15.

* JETHAWK REPORT: C10